On Saturday, February 11th, an extraordinary milestone will be celebrated on Broadway. The longest running Broadway show, The Phantom of the Opera, will have its 10,000th performance. As part of the festivities, the Actor's Fund will host the event with special tickets and an after reception at Sardi's restaurant. Information can be found at the Actor's Fund website.
After enjoying success in London, The Phantom of the Opera came to Broadway and opened at the Majestic Theatre on January 9, 1988 where it continues to play. The show became Broadway's longest running show with 7,486 performances on January 6, 2006. The 10,000th performance is an accomplishment that is the first of its kind.
Why does this show continue to play year after year? Is it the storyline, or the extraordinary songs and score by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber? Is it the details so carefully cultivated and maintained as the show plays out? Perhaps it is the characters who appeal to many parts of the human personality.
Maybe it is best defined as the universality that this show has that gives it appeal to people of all ages, nations, and backgrounds. It is the story of how human beings, how they treat one another and sadly how those that look or act differently can become outcasts of society. And it is a love story underneath it all. It has all the elements that the classics have.
I first saw Phantom two months after it had opened on Broadway. Seeing Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman who originated the roles was a thrill. I recall enjoying the sets, the amazing pieces of theatrical magic on stage, and the beauty of the music. For years, I was able to listen to my vinyl records and later CD of that original cast recording and be transported back to that beautiful day in the theater.
Many years went by and finally a friend asked me to join her at the show. She had never seen it and she knew how much I had enjoyed it. I hesitated at first, perhaps concerned that the same magical feeling would not be there. Well, it wasn't the same, but it was like seeing it with totally different eyes. Growing older had given me different viewpoints, and seeing the story unfold brought out new ideas and feelings than I had previously experienced.
I went back last week to see the show again. This time I brought a friend who had never seen the play on stage or the movie. She was familiar with the music. I asked her at intermission what she thought; she was amazed. Every detail was so perfectly thought out and acted upon with reverence on that stage. On the way home, we talked more. She was very taken with the musical score. She said she could see why it has continued on as long as it has.
This show has something for everyone at every stage of their life. It has music that will stay with you throughout your life. And it will get you thinking about how people are in this life and why they are that way.
To The Phantom of the Opera: Enjoy the 10,000th performance and may you continue to have many more years of success!
Comments