The gala evening found him in fine voice as he coaxed Christine to the labyrinth beneath the Paris Opera House in the title number, as well as his standout performance of "Music of the Night," which ended with a pianissimo final note that kept audiences in silent thrall. His most recent engagement, which began in September 2010, has put Panaro's performance tally at more than 1,900 as the Phantom. He has since returned to the Broadway cast as the Phantom for several runs. Our masked leading man for the evening was Broadway veteran Hugh Panaro, who initially joined the Broadway production as Raoul in the early 1990s. Italian diva Carlotta, played by Michele McConnell, was also greeted with warm applause as she entered (severed head in hand) to begin the Hannibal opera sequence. The first Phantom "character" to receive entrance applause and hollers of excitement was the gilded chandelier, which sputtered and sparked as it ascended high above the heads of the audience during the Overture. It would be the first of many such ovation moments throughout the night. A rarely repeated feat.īuy the 25th-anniversary limited-edition commemorative Phantom Playbill at .Īs the lights dimmed and the stage crew set the stage for the prologue, the audience erupted into cheers. Such lines may be rare in our current era of online ticket sales, however, Phantom's buzz from London prompted record Broadway box office sales and demand before previews began. The mega-musical was already a hot ticket prior to the start of New York performances, with lines stretching down 44th Street when the box office first opened at the Majestic. Prior to the start of the 6:30 PM gala performance, the creative team shared a brief film documenting some of Phantom's history with highlights of news coverage of its Broadway premiere. Not only was I among the lucky crowd in attendance for the 25th anniversary gala of Phantom, but I was also able to sit next to my father for the special night and bring our story full circle. I wrote about that experience in a Playbill magazine piece that also appears on.
The Phantom of the Opera was the first show my parents took me to see on Broadway – instilling in me a lifelong love of theatre.
The landmark evening was particularly memorable for me personally. 26, 2013, gala anniversary performance left no question as to why this musical, which floats on Andrew Lloyd Webber's lush score, has continued to enthrall audiences a quarter of a century after it was first unmasked. audiences, earning seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The romantic, Victorian-set melodrama would also capture U.S. It has been 25 years since The Phantom of the Opera celebrated its Broadway opening night at the Majestic Theatre on Jan, 26 1988, after taking London audiences by storm a year prior.
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