On January 26, 1988, the Broadway theater district of Manhattan in New York City was buzzing with anticipation. Plush curtains were waiting to ascend, and a chandelier was poised to descend, inside the historic Majestic Theater. After a successful run in London, it was finally opening night for "Phantom of the Opera" on Broadway. Once the curtains went up, dramatic, heart-wrenching performances would captivate its audience from beginning to end, including "a standing, shouting ovation headed by [New York City] Mayor Ed Koch." It would go on to become the longest-running show in Broadway history.
"I still remember it," cast member Mary Leigh Stahl would later recall about that first night. "We took our final curtain call; the audience was on its feet. The flashbulbs were exploding in the theatre. It was electrifying."
Based on Gaston Leroux's 1910 French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra, "Phantom of the Opera" is a musical by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Charles Hart (with more lyrics added by Richard Stilgoe). Set in a Paris opera house, it's a tragic love story about a beautiful soprano ingenue and the lonely, mysterious figure haunting the theater. That opening night saw vocalist (and Lloyd Webber's then-wife) Sarah Brightman as female protagonist Christine Daae and Michael Crawford as the namesake phantom that loved her.
David Gaines, who would later play the phantom in more than 2,000 shows, noted that his own childhood isolation led him to relate to the character's desperate nature. "At bottom, he's a smart, intelligent, brilliant person who wants what everyone wants," he explains. "Haven't we all loved someone who hasn't loved us back?"
After 7 Tony awards, $1.36 billion in gross revenue, and 13,891 performances, Phantom's successful Broadway run would end in early 2023, over 35 years after that incredible opening night. "I think there are a lot of people who identify as being a bit of a misfit, and this show resonates with them," said cast member Samatha Hill. "Plus, the music is incredible and timeless. It’s iconic, and there’s no denying it has withstood the test of time."
Want to learn more? Check out these videos from the library databases:
- Phantom of the Opera - This silent adaptation of Gaston Leroux's novel was made in 1924. It stars Lon Chaney in his most famous performance, as the disfigured Phantom who falls in love with a young prima donna. Also starring Mary Philbin and Norman Kerry, the film was directed by Rupert Julian.
- The Show Must Go On - In this video, viewers follow a company of artists involved in two theatrical productions, the World Tour of Phantom of The Opera and the South Korean Tour of Cats.
- Business Of The Theater: Glen Cassale/Michael Gill - In this video, theater professionals - including “Phantom of the Opera” general manager Michael Gill – discuss the business aspects of producing a play, from fundraising and budget management to marketing and publicity.
- An Evening with Andrew Lloyd Webber - In this video, see and hear the maestro of the musical, “Phantom of the Opera” composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, in song and conversation with some famous musical guests.
- The Birth and Life of Opera - While many identify “Phantom of the Opera” as a musical rather than an opera, the historical development of the opera is still fascinating. You can learn more in this comprehensive documentary.
- Acting in Musicals - While music and acting were once inseparable, this video explores how society now only puts them together in the opera and the musical. Learn how music, acting, and the spoken word work together uniquely.
- Opera and Musical Theater in Film - In this segment of the video Eras of Music History: Modernism, experts discuss operas and musicals and the intersection of these unique media forms with film.
- Musical Theater - In this video from the series Untold: Art That Changed America, learn how musical theater can be traced back to ancient Greece, combining music, dance, and dialogue to tell visually and emotionally engaging stories.
Traci Avet is a library operations specialist who focuses on course reading pages and other library operations. She's worked in libraries for over 20 years and had the pleasure of experiencing vast card catalogs and due-date card stamping.