(Eagle News) – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical masterpiece “Phantom of the Opera” as staged at London’s Royal Albert Hall in October 2011 can now be viewed for free at “The Shows Must Go On” Youtube channel for a limited time.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic that had shut down musical theaters worldwide, including the Majestic Theater in New York where the musical had been suspended since March 12, this gives a chance for everyone to see this epic of a musical, the longest running in Broadway, before the lockdown took place. Broadway musicals in New York have been suspended until June 7 this year because of COVID-19.
The 2011 full musical production recorded for the 25th anniversary of Phantom’s original 1986 opening on Broadway, is a must-see for both music and theater lovers alike, not only for the hauntingly beautiful music of Webber, and the spectacular performances of Cameron Mackintosh’s production of a cast and orchestra of about 200, but also for the special guest appearances and a select performance of some of the original cast at the end of the show.
In the special 2011 full production of the musical, the Phantom is played by Iranian-Canadian actor-singer Ramin Karimloo, while his muse Christine Daaé is played by Sierra Boggess.
London’s Royal Albert Hall itself had to designed for the musical, with its balconies used to build uprights to form an opera house proscenium with boxes on each side. The orchestra was also elevated on a platform. It was backed by a gauze that projected the opera sets via LEDs.
Webber, in his speech after the performance, thanked all of those who made the spectacular production possible and recognized all its creative team. He thanked the “fantastic” team and orchestra.
He also called to the stage the original cast of “The Phantom of the Opera” led by Michael Crawford, the original Phantom, and Sarah Brightman, who was the first to play Christine Daaé when it first opened in London’s West End in 1986.
Brightman, whom Webber called his “Angel of Music,” also agreed to sing at the end of the show’s production.
Not only that, four great performers – who had played the Phantom in the musical’s past productions – sang with her, “The Phantom of the Opera.”
The four “Phantoms” who sang were Irish tenor Colm Wilkinson from the original workshop and the Canadian production, Australian performer Anthony Warlow from the Australian production, Swedish singer Peter Jöback, who has played the role in the West End, Broadway, and Welsh musical theater actor John Owen-Jones from the London and 25th Anniversary Tour productions.
Karimloo then joined the four Phantoms on stage to sing “The Music of the Night,” together with Crawford and the entire cast and creative team of the musical.
Webber’s Phantom of the Opera is the third of a series of his musicals that have been streamed for a limited time on the “The Shows Must Go On” Youtube channel as a treat to the million of people under quarantine because of the COVID-19.
It streams for free but encourages viewers to donate to “The Actors Fund” in this time crisis.
It started streaming 2 a.m. Philippine time, Saturday, April 18, or 2 p.m. April 17 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). It will be available within 48 hours, except for UK where it would only be available for streaming for only 24 hours due to rights restrictions
The first Webber musical to stream free on the channel was “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” on April 3, and was followed by a performance of Jesus Christ Superstar on April 10.
The “Phantom of the Opera” is Broadway’s longest running musical, and is often regarded as “the musical that all others are measured against” with its timeless story of love and obsession. Set in the 1880s, it is based on the classic novel Le Fantôme de L’Opéra by Gaston Leroux, “The Phantom of the Opera,” and tells the story of a masked figure lurking beneath the catacombs of the Paris Opera House who falls in love with a young soprano protégé.
(Eagle News Service)