The Phantom of the Opera (Broadway) Review
Review of The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway.
The year is 2022 and I had never seen the movie version or the theatrical version of The Phantom of the Opera. I felt like everyone and their mother had seen the show or movie in some capacity up until now, as it is Broadway’s longest-running show, and, when I was perusing Broadway tickets online, I happened to see that the show had a Thursday matinee and the cheapest seats were only $30.
There was an upcoming trip to New York City for me in the works, so, in a moment of compulsive behavior, I booked a ticket in the second to last row on a matinee. That ended up being a disaster, but more on that later.
I knew nothing about this show except for the fact that Sierra Boggess and Ramin Karimloo did an excellent edition in the past as Christine and the Phantom. I also was highly aware that this was a very touristy show and that I should prepare accordingly, but, of course, I did not do so.
That led to the worst audience experience of my life in a theatre and that convinced me to never see Phantom again. At least I got a laugh out of the Usher being so confused that I was alone.
Onwards with the review!
Phantom is a Broadway classic with a terrible audience.
If you’re reading this review, I assume you know a semblance of the plot. A dancer is upgraded to singer after the main female lead backs out of a show, the Phantom of the Opera becomes obsessed with her, she loves Raoul, who appears in her life for the first time in a very hot minute.
That love story was kind of strange because it was like childhood sweethearts with not enough exposition—his love for her stems from hearing her voice, too, which made me question as to why their story was justified over the Phantom’s. Just because they knew each other as kids doesn’t mean they should be married. Anyways, the Phantom begins to actively haunt the Opera House and they have to bend to his demands or people get killed. How charming.
I was fairly excited to see that I got to see the first Black Christine and Raoul couple together on the stage, which was always a good sign. It only took this show twenty-five years to cast someone who was not white. They finally got on with the times. But all in all, I found the plot to be very antiquated and boring for someone who consumes contemporary theatre quite a bit. I almost fell asleep halfway through the show, which I have never done at any other show before. It wasn’t funny when it tried to be, and if I wanted to see a full on opera I think I would have had a better time.
I went to Phantom on a Thursday matinee, which usually deters the average tourist. Or so I thought. I entered to a packed audience—there were no open seats within my sight lines—and many families with very small children. Why they took them to Phantom of all things was the most questionable decision of the night.
The woman next to me was eating a sandwich during the show with her mask off, there was someone recording the entire show to the right of me, no one was wearing masks (they were mandatory at this time), people were constantly on their phones, and the family behind me was narrating the show in an attempt to explain it to their small child. And they weren’t even narrating the plot right.
Set Design and Blocking
This is the only theatre left with the original design for the show, which includes wheeled out sets for the boxes, the Phantom moving about the upper portion of the stage like a spectator himself, and the famous scene where he takes Christine on the boat through the candles.
That was the best scene in the show in my humble opinion, as it lit up the stage in such a gorgeous manner. The rest of the show, however, felt a bit antique like the plot and screamed something not contemporary.
Having seen other shows that utilize the stage in a brilliant manner, like Hadestown and Company, I felt like this stage was missing something major. I did find the moments where the Phantom’s voice echoed across the theatre and the moment where he appears at the top catwalk to be great though.
The one good part about this show is that it incorporates opera and ballet, so if you’re a fan of either, then this is the show for you because it blends these elements into the story.
Overall Thoughts
It’s a relic of its time and it’s for a specific kind of audience. I found my experience kind of ruined by the audience members, who thought they could talk freely and use their phones in whatever way they wished. If I had been paying more attention to the show, however, I think that I still wouldn’t have liked it. It’s something I can cross off my list and say that I will never do it again.
