By MARK KENNEDY (AP Entertainment Writer)
NEW YORK (AP) — The last curtain got here down Sunday on New York’s manufacturing of “The Phantom of the Opera,” ending Broadway’s longest-running present with thunderous standing ovations, champagne toasts and gold and silver confetti bursting from its well-known chandelier.
It was present No. 13,981 on the Majestic Theatre and it ended with a reprise of “The Music of the Night” carried out by the present solid, earlier actors within the present — together with unique star Sarah Brightman — and crew members in road garments.
Andrew Lloyd Webber took to the stage final in a black swimsuit and black tie and devoted the ultimate present to his son, Nick, who died final month after a protracted battle with gastric most cancers and pneumonia. He was 43.
“When he was a little boy, he heard some of this music,” Lloyd Webber stated. Brightman, holding his hand, agreed: “When Andrew was writing it, he was right there. So his son is with us. Nick, we love you very much.”
Producer Cameron Mackintosh gave some within the crowd hope they might see the Phantom once more, and maybe prior to they assume.
“The one question I keep getting asked again and again — will the Phantom return? Having been a producer for over 55 years, I’ve seen all the great musicals return, and ‘Phantom’ is one of the greatest,” he stated. “So it’s only a matter of time.”
The musical — a fixture on Broadway since opening on Jan. 26, 1988 — has weathered recessions, struggle, terrorism and cultural shifts. But the extended pandemic might have been the final straw: It’s a expensive musical to maintain, with elaborate units and costumes in addition to a big solid and orchestra. The curtain name Sunday confirmed how out of step “Phantom” is with the remainder of Broadway but in addition how wonderful an enormous, splashy musical might be.
“If there ever was a bang, we’re going out with a bang. It’s going to be a great night,” stated John Riddle simply earlier than dashing inside to play Raoul for the ultimate time.
Based on a novel by Gaston Leroux, “Phantom” tells the story of a deformed composer who haunts the Paris Opera House and falls head over heels in love with an harmless younger soprano, Christine. Webber’s lavish songs embrace “Masquerade,” ″Angel of Music” and ″All I Ask of You.”
In addition to Riddle, the New York manufacturing stated goodbye with Emilie Kouatchou as Christine and Laird Mackintosh stepping in for Ben Crawford because the Phantom. Crawford was unable to sing due to a bacterial an infection however was cheered on the curtain name, stepping to the aspect of the stage. The Phantom waved him over to face beside him, Riddle and Kouatchou.
There was a video presentation of most of the actors who had performed key roles within the present through the years, and the orchestra seats had been crowded with Christines, Raouls and Phantoms. The late director Hal Prince, choreographer Gillian Lynne and set and costume designer Maria Björnson had been additionally honored.
Lin-Manuel Miranda attended, as did Glenn Close, who carried out in two separate Broadway productions of Lloyd Webber’s “Sunset Boulevard.” Free champagne was provided at intermission and flutes of it had been handed out onstage on the curtain name.
Riddle first noticed “The Phantom of the Opera” in Toronto as a 4-year-old little one. “It was the first musical I ever saw. I didn’t know what a musical was,” he stated. “Now, 30-some odd years later, I’m closing the show on Broadway. So it’s incredible.”
Kouatchou, who turned the primary Black girl within the position in New York, didn’t assume the present would ever cease. “I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to do my run, ‘Phantom’ is going to continue on and they’ll be more Christines of color,’ ” she stated. “But this is it.”
The first manufacturing opened in London in 1986 and since then the present has been seen by greater than 145 million folks in 183 cities and carried out in 17 languages over 70,000 performances. On Broadway alone, it has grossed greater than $1.3 billion.
When “Phantom” opened in New York, “Die Hard” was in film theaters, Adele was born, and floppy discs had been on the chopping fringe of expertise. A postage stamp value 25 cents, and the yr’s hottest songs had been “Roll With It” by Steve Winwood, “Faith” by George Michael and Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.”
Critics had been constructive, with the New York Post calling it “a piece of impeccably crafted musical theater,” the Daily News describing it as “spectacular entertainment,” and The New York Times saying it “wants nothing more than to shower the audience with fantasy and fun.”
Lloyd Webber’s different musicals embrace “Cats,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Evita,” “Sunset Boulevard” and “School of Rock.” The closing of “Phantom” means the composer is left with one present on Broadway, the critically mauled “Bad Cinderella.”
The closing of “Phantom,” initially scheduled for February, was pushed to mid-April after a flood of revived curiosity and ticket gross sales that pushed weekly grosses previous $3 million. The closing means the longest-running present crown now goes to “Chicago,” which began in 1996. “The Lion King” is subsequent, having begun performances in 1997.
Broadway took a pounding throughout the pandemic, with all theaters closed for greater than 18 months. Some of the preferred reveals — “Hamilton,” “The Lion King” and “Wicked” — rebounded effectively, however different reveals have struggled.
Breaking even often requires a gentle stream of vacationers, particularly for “Phantom,” and guests to the town haven’t returned to pre-pandemic ranges. The pandemic additionally pushed up bills for all reveals, together with routine COVID-19 testing and security officers on workers. The Phantom turned a poster boy for Broadway’s return — in any case, he’s partially masked.
Fans can all the time catch the Phantom elsewhere. The flagship London manufacturing celebrated its thirty sixth anniversary in October, and there are productions in Japan, Greece, Australia, Sweden, Italy, South Korea and the Czech Republic. One is about to open in Bucharest, and one other will open in Vienna in 2024.
Kouatchou, who walked the crimson carpet earlier than the ultimate present in a scorching pink clinging robe with a sweetheart neckline and a lower out, stated the bitterness was undercut by the massive send-off. Most Broadway reveals that shut slink into the darkness uncelebrated.
“It kind of sweetens it, right?” she stated. “We get to celebrate at the end of this. We get to all come together and drink and laugh and talk about the show and all the highs and lows. It’s ending on a big note.”
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Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
Source: www.bostonherald.com”