Phantom Opens Broadway: Webber's Musical Phenomenon

Andrew Lloyd Webber''s The Phantom of the Opera opened at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway on January 26, 1988, and would not close for 35 years. The production ran for 13,981 performances before its final curtain on April 16, 2023, making it the longest-running show in Broadway history—a record it held for over two decades and that defined an era of musical theater. The musical, based on Gaston Leroux''s 1910 French novel, tells the story of a disfigured musical genius who haunts the Paris Opera House and becomes obsessed with a young soprano, Christine Daaé. Lloyd Webber composed the score with his then-wife Sarah Brightman in mind for the lead role. Director Harold Prince staged it with spectacular scenic effects: a crashing chandelier, an underground lake traversed by gondola, and a cascading staircase that became one of Broadway''s most iconic images. Michael Crawford originated the title role, performing behind a half-mask that became the show''s globally recognized symbol. The numbers behind Phantom were staggering. Over its Broadway run, the show grossed over $1.3 billion in ticket sales, was seen by approximately 20 million people at the Majestic Theatre alone, employed over 6,500 cast and crew members, and used 230 pounds of dry ice per week to create the underground fog effects. The show also ran simultaneously in London''s West End (where it is still playing), and touring productions circled the globe: over 145 million people have seen it worldwide in 183 cities and 41 countries. Phantom transformed the economics of Broadway. Its success proved that a single show could generate revenue comparable to a Hollywood franchise, attracting corporate investment to the theater industry and raising ticket prices industrywide. It anchored the Majestic Theatre for a generation, becoming as much a New York tourist attraction as the Statue of Liberty. Critics were divided—some praised its emotional sweep and craft, others dismissed it as overwrought spectacle—but audiences voted with their wallets for 35 years running.