The New York Times: Andrew Lloyd Webber is still unhappy that “The Phantom of the Opera” is no longer on Broadway. “Ludicrous,” he calls it.
But the composer, one of the most successful in the history of musical theater, is moving on.
That is why, on a recent Friday, he strode up a busy street in Midtown Manhattan and donned a lacy black mask before slipping through the doors of a former art shop that now houses a new version of “Phantom” called “Masquerade.”
7 comments:
This article has actually been my favorite I have read thus far this semester. I appreciated the great detail the author went into highlighting not just Masquerade but all of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s recent projects. This is the first time I have put together just how much he is doing in the current theatre space. Despite being not young, he has absolutely embraced all of the new technologies and ideologies within the theatrical industry and world at large. Just in the past year he has worked on two Jamie Lloyd productions, which are known for embracing new media technology within theatre, as well as creating I would go as far to say the biggest immersive piece of theatre we have seen in New York City, as well as re-interpreted his old works into new ever evolving creations aimed at creating new spaces for women and queer people (Cats the Jellicle Ball, Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hollywood Bowl). This is also the first I've heard about his new projects and I am very excited to follow them as they get on their feet.
Phantom of the Opera is by far one of my favorite musicals and productions that I have ever seen, so even seeing the title of this article absolutely warms my heart. What I read in the article was even better. Both Phantom and Immersive theater all in one really does it for me. Even with my bias, I feel that Phantom already is a perfect contender to adapt to this specific kind of immersive theater. Though what I find the most fascinating about this article is the fact that even in his old age, Webber is still trying to push for something innovative and giving new life to this project that he holds so dear to him. It says so in the article where it opens with Webber’s disappointment that Phantom is now off Broadway. The article then dives into the performance itself, which looks absolutely amazing and is supported with some absolutely fabulous photographs.
I always wondered how they are going to pull this off. It’s been in development for quite a while, and their marketing did a really good job marketing this show. From making people go on a scavenger hunt to see a phantom in a random bodega, to painting a mask in the subway station, they made sure everyone knew it was going to happen. I’ve heard mixed reviews personally about it, people say its a work of art and want more of this, while some people absolutely hate it and called it a drunk fest. Both are valid points, and I can see both happening, however, I do like how they organized this walk through and made it interactive, I believe strong selling point of phantom is it’s a show in a show. This does it better then it just being a normal stage show like it was for 20 years. Phantom should not be something you sit through, rather the interactivity of it is awesome and very well done.
The Phantom of the Opera is quite possibly by favorite theatrical production of all time. I agree with the author of the article and creator of the work in the article that it is a true shame that the original Broadway production is no longer on Broadway, as I would have loved to see it in person on a Broadway stage. The story and music from The Phantom of the Opera is fantastic, and the idea of seeing or even experiencing it in an immersive space is mind boggling in the best way. One part of the article really caught my attention and that was the idea that different scenes would be happening simultaneously in different rooms of the immersive space. My mind just cant get a handle on how you would take the original story and shape it in such a way that it could be segmented like that, and still preserve the excellence of the original. I also think that the masquerade aspect fits The Phantom of the Opera perfectly, and I can see the creators using that aspect as a way to make the immersive style of this performance work with the original story. I cant wait to hear more about this production, and it would be a dream to be able to see / experience it in person.
Interactive theatre has always been really interesting to me. I think that part of why the younger generation isn’t going to see theater as often as other generations is that going to see a traditional show can be intimidating for many people. I think that interactive shows like this are a good way to spark a love of theatre for those who haven’t found it yet while simultaneously being a fresh take on an existing idea for those who are familiar with theatre. I have not been to Masquerade myself but presuming that it’s done well it could be a great experience to existing fans of Phantom and newcomers. I also feel that there’s some who go to traditional theatre who might not go to see other interactive theatre shows because they aren’t sure if they’d like the new form of theatre so it’s nice to see such a major composer behind one to help give it credibility.
There are so many aspects of this situation to go over after reading this. That Andrew Lloyd Webber calls Phantom of the Opera no longer being on Broadway, “ludicrous” is shocking to me. He admits himself that, “I really do think it’s time to let people have a go with a completely different way,” which almost answers his own implied question of, “Why isn’t Phantom still on Broadway?” 35 years of the same musical tends to wear on an audience, and in general leaves less and less people to see it as time goes on. I think it’s good to take a break from something to give people a fresh set of eyes, take a breath, and even garner some desire to see the show in a new way. This comes with some time, though, as Phantom only closed two years ago. The Masquerade experience sounds like really interesting immersive theatre, though, but I worry about the ticket prices and workload on the company. I think it hits a sour note on both of those fronts, but gives an opportunity for an incredible twist on a Broadway classic.
Okay, can I say a thing? I am going to. I am not the biggest Andrew Lloyd Webber fan. I know I know, but in terms of the things of his I have seen or listened to, none of them have ever struck me as new or worth seeing again. I find his work lacking in any form of creative expression that expands upon the already established ideas of the text. For example, I saw his rendition of The Wizard of Oz, and I was thoroughly unimpressed. I thought it was flashy just for the sake of being flashy without any regard to the story that was being told. Then, looking at the flop, that was Bad Cinderella, clearly, something is a through line, and that through line is Andrew Lloyd Webber. I understand that lots of people love Cats, and I respect that, but I am sadly just not one of those people.
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