The Phantom of The Opera

[+ Lucky]

Thank god this musical has now surpassed Cats as the longest-running one on Broadway. The sooner Cats is forgotten, the better. Coincidentally I watched the movie version tongiht with some trepidation since I had heard so much criticism of it. Yet I loved it, almost as much as the live musical. In my opinion, Phantom will go down in history as a masterpiece of theater. The music is wonderful!

 

Read more:

 

'Phantom' Beats 'Cats' for Longest-Running Show

 

By JESSE McKINLEY New York Times

Published: January 10, 2006

Poor "Cats."

 

After 7,486 chandelier crashes, gondola rides and dramatic endings, "The Phantom of Opera" officially became the longest-running show in Broadway history last night, knocking the musical "Cats" off its throne.

 

The "Phantom" coronation, at the Majestic Theater, was attended by all manner of Broadway royalty and presided over by the two men largely responsible not only for the new record-holder but also the previous long runner - the composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and the producer Cameron Mackintosh.

 

The two collaborated on both "Phantom," which opened in 1988, and "Cats," which played a mere 7,485 performances at the Winter Garden Theater from 1982 to 2000, when it closed.

 

Last night, both Lord Lloyd Webber and Mr. Mackintosh took to the stage after the performance - and a symbolic passing of the baton from a woman dressed as a cat to the Phantom - to comment on their accomplishment.

 

"I've got to say I don't think I've ever been more nervous in my whole life," said Lord Lloyd Webber, before thanking his cast, crew and creative team.

 

Likewise, Mr. Mackintosh embraced Lord Lloyd Webber. "I don't think I've ever thanked Andrew publicly for what he's done," he said. He then recounted the show's genesis in a conversation two decades before. "Andrew said, 'Don't you think it would be fun to do "Phantom of the Opera?' " Mr. Mackintosh recalled. "And I said, 'That's a very good idea.' "

 

The show, based on the 1911 Gothic novel by Gaston Laroux about a masked, romantically minded composer haunting the Paris Opera House, first opened to a blaze of publicity and ticket sales after wowing crowds in London.

 

Chief among its selling points - besides the swelling Lloyd Webber melodies - were its special effects, which included a simulated ride through subterranean canals and a chandelier that dropped from the ceiling of the Majestic, over the audience, right to the stage. Frank Rich, then the chief drama critic of The New York Times, called the production "as much a victory of dynamic stagecraft over musical kitsch as it is a triumph of merchandizing über alles."

 

Over the years, that combination churned nearly $600 million in sales into the Majestic's box office, another Broadway record. The show also spawned numerous road and international productions, which have brought the show's worldwide take to more than $3.2 billion.

 

During the onstage celebration, Harold Prince, the show's director, tried to give a sense of the show's statistical and financial importance to an industry that was in the doldrums when it opened.

 

"I've been reading a lot of statistics over the last week, most of which don't interest me," Mr. Prince said, before mentioning one statistic that did interest him: "Since 'Phantom' opened, this show has been responsible for the employment of 6,850 people."

 

After the post-show congratulations, and the dropping of a silver cloud of confetti and balloons, crowds retired to the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria, where a black-tie, masked ball was to take place. (Masks were provided for those who didn't arrive with the appropriate facewear.)

 

Nearly 11 million people have seen the show at the Majestic, including the 1,600 theatrical bigwigs, V.I.P.'s, and alumni of the production who took in last night's the record-breaking performance.

 

Some of them had seen the show before at the Majestic - where it broke box office records as recently as last week - and were hoping to see it there for some time to come.

 

"It's got years to go," said Philip J. Smith, president of the Shubert Organization, which owns the theater, and collects rent. "There's no end in sight."

[OneFinger]

Saw Cats at the Winter Garden and HATED it. I should have walked out but stayed thinking there had to be more to the play. There wasn't.

 

I did like the Phantom movie because it went into more depth than the play. However, I didn't think the voices were as strong in the movie as those that performed on Broadway.

 

Phantom is one of the "must have" DVDs.

 

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"We need to have more respect for each other. Things have just gone really crazy, out of control. ... We're on a very weird kind of cycle." Stevie Wonder

[Guest zipperzone]

>Saw Cats at the Winter Garden and HATED it. I should have

>walked out but stayed thinking there had to be more to the

>play. There wasn't.

 

Same here - worst musical I have ever sat through. I would have been even more pissed if I had paid good $$$ for the tickets - they were a gift - the hardest part was having to tell the person who gave them to us that it was "just wonderful" so as to not hurt her feelings.

[RockHard]

"In my opinion, Phantom will go down in history as a masterpiece of theater. The music is wonderful!"

 

GAG ME! Miss Andy writes for limp-wristed theater queens and the hags who rely on them for a date. Plus, she's one strange and wacky bird. Gives me the willies. And that schlock posing as music makes me break out in a rash. I'd rather lick a bar of Ivory soap (or listen to Streisand 24/7) than subject my ears to that sappy, cheesy, pseudo-opera crap.

[JT Brooklyn]

LOL ..Rock's Hammer found the Nail! Once again..LOL :7

[Guest DickHo]

I agree with Rock. Phantom is a masterpiece of blandness and repetitive music--not more than one original song in the whole score. You want to see a masterpiece, go see Sweeney Todd.

[+ Lucky]

Sweeney Todd? I did see that, with Patti LuPone and Michael Cervris. It was like watching someone scratch their nails on a chalkboard ad infinitum!

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

To each his own Lucky: I personally enjoyed the current incarnation on Broadway, which is basically a transfer from the UK version a few years back. LuPone has always been a strong, if not a bit overbearing, performer and it's nice to see her back on Broadway where she belongs.

 

Cats/Phantom on the other hand are devices of torture in my mind. The first time i saw Cats i ended up offending the woman sitting next to me by saying aloud 'What the fuck is a jellicle cat?'

 

She wasn't amused. Hell, neither was i for that matter.

 

I can't believe Phantom has been going this long. Friends of mine who were at the milestone performance said the show is in awful shape and that the current Christine (Sandra Jospeh) has a voice in desperate need of vocal rest. It's just shredded. I also found it telltale that Webber didn't have the chutzpa to let bygones-be-bygones and invite Sarah Brightman. With Michael Crawford being front and center at the performance, it was a little strange not having his original leading lady there with him.

 

 

 

~BN

[bigguyinpasadena]

>Sweeney Todd? I did see that, with Patti LuPone and Michael

>Cervris. It was like watching someone scratch their nails on a

>chalkboard ad infinitum!

BLASPHEMY!!!!!

Ok Lucky-you must do pennance for this act against the church of St.Steven!

Your penance is to watch 30 high school/community theatre productions of Evita.Or to attend every performance this year of the Palm Springs Follies!

I have not seen this production of Sweeny Todd-was blessed to see Angela Lansbury and Len Cairou-back when real stars toured with the show.

[+ Lucky]

(The truth is I rather liked Sweeney Todd after I adapted to the unusual staging, but I did not like the musical renditions particularly much.) As for my penance, I would rather spend a weekend tied up with Rock Hard pontificating to me ad nauseam than sit through another minute of the horribly dreadful Palm Springs Follies. I would rather read all 8 of woodlawn's books on etiquette. Please, anything but the Follies!