The Phantom says goodbye to New York

On January 25, 1988, The Phantom of the Opera premiered at the Majestic Theatre in New York City. 35 years later, on April 16, 2023, the last performance will take place. 20 million people will have enjoyed, at the Majestic, this exciting musical and almost 150 million people around the world. Without a doubt, it is my favorite since the first time I had the opportunity to listen to his music and then be lucky enough to see it on stage repeatedly.

On April 16, Erik will speak his final words for the last time, "It's over now, the music of the night," and as the music slowly goes out, Meg will take in her hands the mask of the phantom, deposited on the empty throne, and show it to the audience while a trace of light illuminates her. Thus, the story of the Phantom of the Opera in the Majestic will end.

Fortunately, it can still be enjoyed elsewhere and may be a good time to do so. In London, at the Her Majesty theatre continues to be performed since 1986.

Majestic Theatre New York

The Story

I listened the Phantom for the first time on an audio CD, "Highlights from the Phantom of the Opera," performed by the original cast of the London premiere. Michael Crawford as Erik, the Phantom, Sarah Brightman as Cristine Daae and Steve Barton as Raoul.

I found the music exceptional. The combination of moments of a strong operistic tone with others more similar to the conventional musical impressed me. The melodic quality of the musical pieces, still today, 35 years later, still move me in the same way.

I find it impossible to highlight any melody over the others. "Music of the night", "All I ask of you" "Wishing somehow you were here again" "Down once more" all of them, in each moment of the play, manage to move to the point of being difficult to hold back the tears, at various times.

In an auction, the Viscount of Chagny, now old and in a wheelchair, bids and gets lot 665, a music box with the effigy of a monkey. While holding it in his hands, memories comes to his mind, that it is exactly the same as she (Christine) described it, time ago. Next lot, 666, is a butchered chandelier, which looked high on the opera house. The auctioneer recalls the story of the phantom of the opera before the accident and confirms that it is the same chandelier, that has been restored. When illuminated it rises again to the top of the theater and the overture of the phantom of the opera, with the organ as the leading instrument begins the play.

Chandelier picture Johan Marcus and Musical box.

In his first performance, Erik asks Christine to help him create "the music of the night." (You alone can make my song take flight, help me make the music of the night).

The initial performance of the famous "All I ask of you" between Raul and Christine is simply, a masterpiece "Anywhere you go let me go too, love me that's all I ask of you".  While they both sing, Erik, the phantoom, is listening to them hidden behind a statue and then the rawness of their impossible love is shown. The dramatic tone appears when the phantom threatens that they will curse the day they did not do what he asked ("You will curse the day you did not do, all that the phantom ask of you!!" ) and there, the first act is ending.

The second part begins with a musical introduction of extreme beauty, all the melodies are intertwined in a few minutes of music that end in the mask party where Erik will appear again in disguise, descending the staircase. The choreography is exceptional.

Songs from the entire cast such as "Prima Donna"  or  "Masquerade" are extraordinarily spectacular vocal and musical.

Christine goes to the cemetery, to her father´s grave, who so often told her about the angel of music. The cemetery scene and the performance of "Wishing you are here again" is  another moment where emotion is unleashed. Impossible not to fall strucked by the combination of exquisite music and Christine's request to her father to give him strength and help him say goodbye.  

The emotion reaches its splendor the "Point of no return", performed between Christine and Erik. Erik murders and impersonates Passarino using his costume.

In duo with Christine, the ghost takes off his ring and hands it over to Christine who picks it up and puts it on her finger. Erik asks her to save him from his loneliness, and wherever he goes, let him go.... But he can't pronounce the word with you "anywhere you go let me go too, Christine that all I ask of ........" because at that moment Christine removes the mask and shows the deformed face to the audience. Erik hides her under his cloak and they both disappear.

In his underground hideout, Erik takes Christine out of the boat in which they have arrived. Christine tells him that the real horror is in his mind and not in his face. At that moment, Raul appears and is invited to join the two of them.

While Raul asks for Christine's release, Erik grabs him and threatens him with a dagger asking Christine that to save Raul she must live the rest of her life with him.

The three intertwined an emotional musical episode until the phantom tells them he is running out of patience, and a choice must be made. Christine approaches, and telling him that he is not alone passionately kisses the phantom.

The crowd approaches, Erik, moved by Christine's kiss, asks for forgiveness, frees Raul and urges them to leave and leave him alone. The musical box that was shown at the beginning of the play, now begins to play. Christine approaches him, returns the ring and before leaving, Erik whispers that he loves her.

As they leave, Erik overhears Christine and Raul singing. The ghost then sings his last phrase "you alone can make my song take flight, it's over now the music of the night"

Erik goes to his throne and disappears.

The crowd arrives, and Meg approaches the empty throne, but the mask of the ghost is deposited on it. She takes it in her hands, shows it to the public while a cannon of light illuminates it. It's the end.

Cast and staging

The staging is spectacular, and the choreography brilliant. In my opinion, Michael Crawford's performance is the best phantom. The role was originally offered to Colm Wilkinson who opted to play Jean Valjean in Les Misérables (my second favorite musical). Crawford gives an exceptional performance and next to him, Sarah Brightman is spectacular.

In 2011, the Royal Albert Hall hosted an excellent performance to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the play. In the end, Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman appeared on the scene. Sarah performed the theme “The Phantom of the Opera” accompanied by five of the most prestigious tenors who played the ghost over the years, John Owen Jones, Anthony Warlow, Peter Jobak, the aforementioned Colm Wilkinson who performed it in Canada for 10 years and Ramin Karimloo, who plays the ghost in the show.

Colm Wilkinson begins the performance of The music of the night that puts an end to the celebration. Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess, join them and all together finish the interpretation.

Representations

I have been lucky enough to see performances in Boston, London, Hamburg, New York and Madrid. I found them all exceptional. In Madrid, Luis Amando and Felicidad Farag did a magnificent job and I would like to highlight the translation of the songs, which I thought was very good.

In 2004, Joel Schumacher made the play into a film. Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum give a very good performance. However, the film does not reach the emotion of live performances.

Original tickets .- The Phantom of the Opera

Good news

The phantom will return to the Albéniz theater in Madrid in October..... Antonio Banderas formed with Andrew Lloyd Weber the company APS (Friends forever) and there, we will have the opportunity to enjoy a new staging, adapted to smaller theaters that, hopefully, is at the height of the previous ones.

Wherever we go, the Phantom of the Opera will accompany us and we will continue to enjoy the music of the night.  "Anywhere we go you will come too, and we ́ll enjoy the music of the night".