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Monday, September 19, 2022
After ‘Phantom,’ Which Shows Will Be the Longest-Running on Broadway?
The New York Times: “The Phantom of the Opera” has been running on Broadway longer than many of the industry’s hoofers have been alive. But on Friday, the show announced that it will close Feb. 18, a few weeks after celebrating its 35th anniversary.
3 comments:
Jordan Pincus
said...
The Phantom news was shocking and devastating. We can ask ourselves all day long why in the world such a weird show would be such an attraction. The same question goes for Cats. I couldn’t tell you why, but regardless, Phantom is wonderful. I remember hearing about how A Chorus Line ran for so long on Broadway that it reached the point where every cast member had played almost every role multiple times, regardless of fit. The thing about Wicked is I always forget how good it is. Like, sure, it’s a stereotypical favorite but there’s a reason it’s been on Broadway forever - it’s so good. And though it’s probably expensive as hell to run, between the Wizard of Oz recognition and the notoriety, I don’t see it going anywhere. I haven’t seen Lion King in 15 years, but I think it’s notable for its ingenuity. The puppetry is beautiful - the show itself is a visual experience. As for Book of Mormon, I am simultaneously not shocked and also shocked that it’s stood the test of time. I see why Trey Parker and Matt Stone would have to retool it a little bit, and I am so curious to see what they changed for a post-Covid modern edition.
This is an interesting list of the various shows that are doing super well and have been open for as much as 20 years. Phantom of the opera was open for 35 and the next longest on that list has been open for 25. They did not mention Hamilton which has been open for on the order of seven years but they did mention the book of mormon which has been open for 10. I’d imagine that Hamilton will have more longevity than the book of mormon. This did make me think about performance rights because as far as I know, Phantom is the only one on this list to have opened up their rights for general performance. It seems like the general rule is that rights don’t get released for random theaters until the show closes on Broadway and in many cases, stops the national tour. This comes to mind of course because we know Maine State Music Theater did phantom of the opera in the 90’s.
It’s so interesting to see and compare different shows and how long they’re run-on Broadway. 35 years is quite a long time. Phantom of the Opera has run on Broadway for twice of my lifetimes. Imagine how many performers, how many musicians, how many technicians, ushers, the mounds of people who have worked on this production. Or how many have stuck with the show since its beginning. Phantom has truly changed the Broadway scene and has exposed so many people to this wonderful art form. It also talks about how many other shows have been running for a long time. Seeing shows that run for so many years and seeing shows that run for only a few weeks is also so interesting. I wonder just how long it may take them to strike Phantom and what they’re going to do with everything once the show is closed. -Hailey Garza
3 comments:
The Phantom news was shocking and devastating. We can ask ourselves all day long why in the world such a weird show would be such an attraction. The same question goes for Cats. I couldn’t tell you why, but regardless, Phantom is wonderful. I remember hearing about how A Chorus Line ran for so long on Broadway that it reached the point where every cast member had played almost every role multiple times, regardless of fit. The thing about Wicked is I always forget how good it is. Like, sure, it’s a stereotypical favorite but there’s a reason it’s been on Broadway forever - it’s so good. And though it’s probably expensive as hell to run, between the Wizard of Oz recognition and the notoriety, I don’t see it going anywhere. I haven’t seen Lion King in 15 years, but I think it’s notable for its ingenuity. The puppetry is beautiful - the show itself is a visual experience. As for Book of Mormon, I am simultaneously not shocked and also shocked that it’s stood the test of time. I see why Trey Parker and Matt Stone would have to retool it a little bit, and I am so curious to see what they changed for a post-Covid modern edition.
This is an interesting list of the various shows that are doing super well and have been open for as much as 20 years. Phantom of the opera was open for 35 and the next longest on that list has been open for 25. They did not mention Hamilton which has been open for on the order of seven years but they did mention the book of mormon which has been open for 10. I’d imagine that Hamilton will have more longevity than the book of mormon. This did make me think about performance rights because as far as I know, Phantom is the only one on this list to have opened up their rights for general performance. It seems like the general rule is that rights don’t get released for random theaters until the show closes on Broadway and in many cases, stops the national tour. This comes to mind of course because we know Maine State Music Theater did phantom of the opera in the 90’s.
It’s so interesting to see and compare different shows and how long they’re run-on Broadway. 35 years is quite a long time. Phantom of the Opera has run on Broadway for twice of my lifetimes. Imagine how many performers, how many musicians, how many technicians, ushers, the mounds of people who have worked on this production. Or how many have stuck with the show since its beginning. Phantom has truly changed the Broadway scene and has exposed so many people to this wonderful art form. It also talks about how many other shows have been running for a long time. Seeing shows that run for so many years and seeing shows that run for only a few weeks is also so interesting. I wonder just how long it may take them to strike Phantom and what they’re going to do with everything once the show is closed. -Hailey Garza
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