Past the Point of No Return...SIKE!
By Leslie Urena ('24)
The classic tale of romance, horror, and revenge has finally made its way back onto the stages of Broadway. The Phantom of the Opera just so happens to be the longest running Broadway show in history, the musical being inspired by Gaston Leroux’s novel by the same title. Published in 1910, the novel follows the story of a ghost who haunts the Paris Opera house. The Phantom is driven by his love and obsession for young soprano, Christine Daae. When she is courted by Viscount Raoul de Chagny, he develops a need for revenge.
Sierra Boggess and Ramin Karimloo performing in the 25th Anniversary Special of The Phantom of the Opera (2011).
Photo courtesy of We Heart It.
This novel was turned into a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Charles Hart, and Richard Stilgoe. The musical debuted in London’s West End in 1986 and on Broadway in 1988. The show has received many awards, including the Tony Award for Best New Musical and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Broadway Musical.
When the COVID-19 Pandemic hit, Broadway theaters were one of the first workplaces to be shut down on March 12th of 2020. When vaccines were being administered and restrictions were becoming more flexible, it was one of the last to bounce back, officially reopening on October 22nd, 2021. Even now, with theaters opened and shows running, restrictions are tight. The show company is required to be vaccinated and must be tested twice a week. Audience members must have masks on correctly at all times. The actress who plays Christine Daae, Meghan Picerno, told Reuters News that she is happy to embrace whatever is needed to come back on stage. She talked to them about living back home with her parents in North Carolina and how much of failure she felt like. She sang her parts everyday to keep them fresh in her mind, and burst into tears when performing the love duet “All I Ask Of You” when reunited with her castmates in late September. The conductor urged the masked chorus to help Picerno regain her composure. “Sing along!” he cried, “Help Her!”
Events during COVID-19 sparked many new conversations and topics to arise, ones that had been stifled before. The protests that came as a result of Georgle Floyd’s murder started many new ones. These conversations opened eyes to inclusivity in musical theatre. Now, new member Emilie Kouatchou, brought on as an understudy for Picerno, is the first black woman to appear as Christine in the show's history. She took a field trip to New York City to watch The Phantom of the Opera back in high school, and it was her first Broadway show. Transfixed with Christine, “I could sing that role in my sleep,” she also told Reuters. Kouatchou feels that if the pandemic had never happened, conversations like these would never have reached the spotlight. It brought about changes to the show to be more inclusive. Changes were made to the script, lyrics, costumes, props, and staging. Wigs were designed to match Kouatchou’s curly and natural hair texture. A new, racially ambiguous doll of Christine takes the place of where an unmistakably white one once stood in the Phantom’s lair.
Emilie Kouatchou starring as Christine Daae in The Phantom of the Opera.
Photo courtesy of the Chicago-Sun Times
The joy this musical has brought back to its cast, crew, and fans is undeniable. There was a red carpet at the show walked by its current and previous cast members. Fans of the show who have been visiting its Broadway theaters for years showed up in their best “Phantom” attire, adorning Christine’s dress and the Phantom’s iconic mask. The celebrations continued long after the show ended, resulting in 44th Street being shut down due to the massive afterparty. Andrew Lloyd Webber made his DJ debut at this party as “DJ Webz'' and played remixes of the show’s songs. To quote Lloyd Webber, “The city is dead without the theater. That’s absolutely true. Without Broadway, there isn’t a New York.”