A Matinee to Remember: Broadway's Phantom of the Opera Reaches 7,000th Performance Nov. 10
By Kenneth Jones
05 Nov 2004
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Hugh Panaro in The Phantom of the Opera
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| photo by Joan Marcus | Cue the Chandelier! The Phantom of the Opera will play its milestone 7,000th performance on Broadway at 2 PM Nov. 10 at the Majestic Theatre.
The Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Theatre Company, Inc. production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's smash, directed by Harold Prince, becomes one of only two productions in Broadway history hit the 7,000 mark. Composer Lloyd Webber's Cats, also produced by Mackintosh, is the other.
Now in its 17th year and the longest-running show currently playing on Broadway, the New York production is still a financial powerhouse, and will likely see a boost in sales when the motion picture version is released in December. Chicago got a bump in sales on Broadway — and remains hot — after the Academy Award winning movie came out.
"Even 17 years on, the show’s grosses continue to defy conventional wisdom and sales patterns for long-running shows," according to the Phantom production office. "So far this year, total grosses in 2004 have exceeded total grosses for the same week in 2003 by almost $2 million ($25,225,741 by the 44th week in 2004, compared with $23,576,095 by that same week in 2003), and all without a ticket price increase."
Billed as the most successful stage musical of all time, The Phantom of the Opera has worldwide ticket sales exceeding $3.2 billion (surpassing the highest grossing film of all time, "Titanic," which has grossed $1.9 billion worldwide) and has been seen by over 100 million people. The winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, the New York production has been seen by over 10 million people and grossed over $550 million.
The current Broadway company of The Phantom of the Opera includes Hugh Panaro in the title role, Sandra Joseph as Christine and John Cudia as Raoul, with Jeff Keller (Monsieur Firmin), George Lee Andrews (Monsieur André), Julie Schmidt (Carlotta), Marilyn Caskey (Madame Giry), Larry Wayne Morbitt (Piangi) and Heather McFadden (Meg Giry). At certain performances, Julie Hanson plays the role of Christine. On Nov. 16, Anne Runolfsson assumes the role of Carlotta.
The cast will celebrate the milestone at a private party two days before the 7,000th show.
Based on the classic novel "Le Fantôme de l'Opéra" by Gaston Leroux, The Phantom of the Opera has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe, and book by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
The production has set and costume design by the late Maria Björnson, lighting by Andrew Bridge and sound by Martin Levan. Musical staging and choreography is by Gillian Lynne. Orchestrations are by David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
The show had its world premiere Oct. 9, 1986 at Her Majesty's Theatre in London, winning every major British theatre award including the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards. The New York production opened on Jan. 26, 1988 with a then-record advance of $18 million. The musical won seven 1988 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
The musical, whose score includes "All I Ask of You," "Music of the Night," "Masquerade," "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" and more, "tells the story of a masked figure who lurks beneath the catacombs of the Paris Opera House, exercising a reign of terror over all who inhabit it. He falls madly in love with an innocent young soprano, Christine, and devotes himself to creating a new star by nurturing her extraordinary talents and by employing all of the devious methods at his command."
The performance schedule for The Phantom of the Opera is Monday evenings at 8 PM, Tuesday evenings at 7 PM and Wednesday through Saturday evenings at 8 PM, with matinees Wednesday and Saturday at 2 PM. For tickets ($20-$100), call Telecharge.com at (212) 239-6200 or (800) 432-7250 or visit The Majestic Theatre box office at 247 W. 44th Street.
For more information, visit www.thephantomoftheopera.com.
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