Broadway Monday

The Phantom of the Opera

In The Phantom of the Opera, a young singer, Christine, is charmed by a mysterious specter who haunts the Paris Opera house. Based on Gaston Leroux's famous novel, the musical's tale begins as unexplained accidents have been occurring throughout the Paris Opera, and the stuck-up diva, Carlotta, refuses to go on. Christine takes her place and is a triumph. At her opening night, she meets her childhood friend, Raoul. Alone in her dressing room, she finally meets the Phantom who has taught her to sing so beautifully. Taking her to his lair in the misty catacombs beneath the Opera House, the Phantom declares his love for Christine, but she soon learns his terrible secret. The story moves from the Phantom's underground hideaway to the dizzying roof of the Opera House, as the Phantom and Raoul battle for Christine's love. Now the longest-running show in Broadway history, Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera has played to over 80 million people in 25 countries in 124 cities around the world since its first performance. The New York production alone has enchanted over 12 million audience members in its over 20-year run. Be a part of the phenomenon by getting your tickets today!
We have had the honor of seeing this wonderful show a few times, and a couple of those were in New York which is even more spectacular. The show's recent ad campaign includes the line "Remember your first time..." and when I see it I always remember mine! What a gloriously beautiful show that grabs your emotions and flails them all over the theatre! Not many shows take you from disgust to sympathy and love for the main character. I cry every time I watch the Phantom's last scene. Then again, I am on the verge of tears with excitement any time I am in a Broadway theatre seat!

October 2003, New York City