The Phantom Takes His Final Bow

Itā€™s over now, the music of the night.

On Sunday, ā€œThe Phantom of the Opera,ā€ Broadwayā€™s longest-running show, closed its curtain and dropped its chandelier at the Majestic Theater for the final time in its current form.

More from WWD

To celebrate the historic evening ā€” more than 35 years and nearly 14,000 performances ā€” the production hosted an invite-only red carpet and performance for former cast members, the creative team and other members of the ā€œPhantomā€ family, aka the Phamily.

Actress Sarah Brightman and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber at the opening of ā€œThe Phantom of the Operaā€ on <a href="https://wwd.com/eye/people/andrew-burnap-camelot-lincoln-center-1235613992/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Broadway;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Broadway</a> in 1988.
Actress Sarah Brightman and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber at the opening of ā€œThe Phantom of the Operaā€ on Broadway in 1988.

New York Cityā€™s and Londonā€™s original Christine DaaĆ© ā€” the leading female character ā€” Sarah Brightman walked the carpet in a feather-embellished cream gown. Former Phantoms, including Hugh Panaro, Ted Keegan and Peter J?back, reunited with friends and discussed their history with the show. Michael Crawford, who originated the titular role in London and New York, was not in attendance due to emergency dental surgery, though his name was lovingly hummed throughout the evening.

Actor Michael Crawford and producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh at ā€œThe Phantom of the Operaā€ record-breaking performance party in 2006.
Actor Michael Crawford and producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh at ā€œThe Phantom of the Operaā€ record-breaking performance party in 2006.

Sierra Boggess, a longtime Christine who played the role in The Las Vegas Spectacular, as well as at the Royal Albert Hall in London and at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway for both productionsā€™ 25th anniversaries, sympathized with the disappointed ā€œPhantomā€ fans, known as Phans.

ā€œWeā€™re all in this together. Weā€™re all feeling the same things,ā€ she said, noting that she needed to grab some tissues to get through the emotional evening.ā€ Thank God thereā€™s so many Phans, so that weā€™re not alone, and weā€™re going to get through this. Thank God this music lives forever. It lives forever.ā€

On the carpet, a slew of Broadwayā€™s finest, as well as celebrities, gushed about their love of the show, including Glenn Close, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Gayle King. ā€œDownton Abbeyā€ and ā€œMamma Miaā€ actress Lily James slunk in quietly.

Former Phantoms John Owen-Jones, Ramin Karimloo and Peter J?back, with then-Christine, Sierra Boggess, and then-Phantom, Hugh Panaro, at the showā€™s 25th anniversary on Broadway in 2013.
Former Phantoms John Owen-Jones, Ramin Karimloo and Peter J?back, with then-Christine, Sierra Boggess, and then-Phantom, Hugh Panaro, at the showā€™s 25th anniversary on Broadway in 2013.

Members of the closing cast gladly posed on the carpet, including some who were celebrating major milestones in their own right: Jeremy Stolle and Paul Schaefer, ensemble members and understudies to the two leading males, boasted 5,067 and 5,043 performances, respectively. Some ensemble members had graced the stage over 8,000 times. Maree Johnson, who played Madame Giry since 2017, celebrated what she believes to be her last run with the show ā€” she also played Christine in two Australian productions in the ā€™90s and took a leave from Broadway in 2022 to play Giry at the outdoor Sydney Harbour production.

Emilie Kouatchou, Broadwayā€™s first Black Christine, stunned on the red carpet in a hot pink strapless gown, noting to reporters she felt overwhelmed to not only be performing the role for the final time but to also be closing the show. This energy was palpable, as she welcomed a minutes-long standing ovation following her rendition of ā€œWishing You Were Somehow Here Again,ā€ a ballad, in act two.

In true ā€œPhantomā€ fashion, a last-minute surprise shocked the production. The showā€™s Phantom Ben Crawford, who has played the role since April 2018 boasting 1,054 performances, was on vocal rest per doctorā€™s orders, and was unable to perform during its closing. Laird Mackintosh, an understudy and on-and-off member of the cast since the ā€™90s, donned the mask in Crawfordā€™s stead ā€” who was in attendance to celebrate.

ā€œThereā€™s five of us who cover the Phantom in the show right now, and it could have gone to any one of those guys,ā€ Mackintosh said on the carpet. ā€œIā€™m the lucky one that itā€™s come to today. It means the world to me.ā€¦Itā€™s been a role that I have loved all my life. Iā€™m deeply honored to be apart of this production, deeply melancholy that itā€™s closing, as we all are. Itā€™s been such a spectacular home for us.ā€

While Sundayā€™s performance was invite-only, Saturday was for the ā€˜phans.ā€™ After the final public performance, audience members refused to leave the theater for 30 minutes after the curtain closed, chanting ā€œone more song.ā€

After several minutes of chanting, members of the cast returned to the stage in their street clothes to greet the audience. Nehal Joshi, who played Monsieur AndrĆ©, one of the two managers, led the group singing ā€œHappy Trails.ā€

ā€œIt was the craziest thing. Iā€™ve never had a closing night where the audience refused to leave the theater. Itā€™s about the love of this show. Itā€™s about the undying affection for the ā€˜Phantom,ā€™ā€ he said, pointing to the crowds barricaded behind the red carpet, hoping to get a glimpse of the cast.

During that performance, he aimed to reassure the lingering audience joking, ā€œYou know the Phantomā€™s pesky, who knows when heā€™ll be back.ā€

In 2006, ā€œThe Phantom of the Operaā€ became the longest-running show on Broadway, surpassing another Lloyd Webber musical ā€œCats.ā€
In 2006, ā€œThe Phantom of the Operaā€ became the longest-running show on Broadway, surpassing another Lloyd Webber musical ā€œCats.ā€

Though the lights may have dimmed on the Majestic, attendees donā€™t believe New York City has seen the last of the opera ghost. When asked how it felt to be entering the theater to see the historical show for the last time, Brightman immediately said ā€œI donā€™t think it is the last time.ā€¦Itā€™s one of those evergreens, one of those classic pieces. It will stop for a little while and everyone will want it again, so it will come back. Everybody connects with it all over the world because itā€™s about human emotions.ā€ This sentiment resonated throughout the night.

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer said, ā€œItā€™ll be back. I betcha,ā€ noting that itā€™s been a fixture of this city, as it endured some of the cityā€™s toughest times, including 9/11 and the COVID-19 pandemic.

One passerby on the street even noted to her young child that it would be back soon and she would take them to see the show on Broadway one day.

The final performance was a reunion for many. Former cast members shouted across the theater to get the attention of a castmate they hadnā€™t seen in years. Throughout the performance, attendees clapped and screamed for their favorite characters and scenes. Some even noted at certain lines, ā€˜That was me!ā€™ reminiscing about their time in the production, which grossed $1.3 billion, was seen by more than 20 million people and employed around 6,500 people.

During a closing presentation, which honored creatives who had passed including Hal Prince (director), Gillian Lynne (choreographer) and Maria Bj?rnson (set and costume designer), the showā€™s composer Andrew Lloyd Webber took to the stage to say goodbye to the production.

ā€œAll I can say tonight is thank you to absolutely everybody who made this extraordinary run possible,ā€ Lloyd Webber said, dedicating the final performance to his son Nick Lloyd Webber who recently passed away. ā€œItā€™s just amazing really what has happened. In the last few months, I donā€™t think any of us thought ā€˜the Phantomā€™ would go out quite with the bang it has, and so maybe it may come back. You never know.ā€

ā€œOne question I keep being asked again and again and again: ā€˜Will ā€œPhantomā€ return?ā€™ Having been a producer for over 55 years, Iā€™ve seen all the great musicals return,ā€ said Sir Cameron Mackintosh, the musicalā€™s producer.

ā€œā€™Phantomā€™ is one of the greatest, so itā€™s only a matter of time.ā€

Launch Gallery: Closing Night of ā€œPhantom of the Operaā€

Best of WWD

Click here to read the full article.