When I was 17, my father took me to London. I had never been out of the country before. My mother purchased theater tickets for us but was unable to get the hottest ticket in town at the time, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. It hadn't opened on Broadway yet and had only been running in London for a little over a year. It was an astonishing success and it was impossible to get a ticket. So off we went. We had theater tickets for every night except the first day of our arrival. My parents were fearful that I would be jet lagged so left the first night free of theater. My father and I spend out first day walking around the London theater district when suddenly we saw a sign in a ticket agency window that said THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE. My father and I went in and were told that there was only one ticket left and it was for that evening's performance. I had been given birthday money for the trip and the cost of this one ticket wiped out everything I had, but I got the ticket. That night, my father walked me to His Majesty's Theatre in the West End and told me he would be waiting there for me when the show ended. I walked in and was taken by an usher to my seat. The seat was in the very top balcony in the very last row of the entire theater. And as I sat down, the Usher handed me a single red rose. I thought that was unusual but assumed it was part of the London theater custom...what did I know? Then I heard the women in front of me talking....that evening was Michael Crawford's final performance as The Phantom before crossing the Atlantic to introduce his triumph to Broadway. I was excited to be there but still didn't understand what the rose was for. I had not heard any of the music before that evening so had no idea what to expect. The moment the houselights dimmed, I was transported. Experiencing THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA for the first time on the stage where it began is an experience that I remember to this day and still get goosebumps thinking about it. At the Curtain Call, Michael Crawford came forward to thunderous roars and applause and suddenly the entire audience threw their roses at the stage. It was in honor of his final performance. I must tell you that I didn't throw mine....it stayed in my hotel room until the end of the trip. When I walked out of that theatre to meet my father, I was unable to speak. My life had been changed. A year later, my father took me to New York City for my Senior Trip and I got to sit next to him at the Majestic Theatre and see THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA again, but this time with both Michael Crawford AND Sarah Brightman. Since that night, I have seen it four more times....one more time on Broadway, once in Chicago where the first National Tour debuted, once in St Louis at the Fox Theatre, and just last year in the Vegas production. THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is at this time the longest running musical in Broadway History. I am still amazed each time I pass the Majestic Theatre on my way to an 8pm curtain and see the line to enter PHANTOM on Broadway going down the street and around the block. It's staying power is overwhelming. It tends to get a bad rap now and is the butt of a few jokes, but THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has certainly earned a place in Theatrical History and just might remain the longest running Broadway Show of all time!! To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of it's London premiere, Cameron Mackintosh produced a one night only Event at London's Royal Albert Hall. THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA at the Royal Albert Hall is quite simply, nothing short of spectacular. No matter how many times you've seen it, even if you hate it, you should rent or purchase the Blu-Ray of this Event. It is the same show musically and lyrically, but it has been restaged, redesigned, and revitalized for this Concert. Watching the Blu-Ray was like experiencing the show again for the first time. Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess, the original stars of LOVE NEVER DIES, are The Phantom and Christine for this Event. They are both incredible. Mr Karimloo's Phantom is the best sung I have ever heard and Ms Boggess is simply ravishing to look at and sounds glorious. The supporting cast is also about as good as you will see in these roles. The enormous Orchestra adds a weight to the Score that I hadn't heard before watching this production. I heard orchestrations that my ears had not noticed before. The Cast numbers 99 in this Event and your eyes pop with the number of people on that stage, particularly in the spellbinding MASQUERADE. And when the Curtain falls and the final Cast Bow happens, there is an after show with an appearance from Andrew Lloyd Webber and the original London Company of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. But the real treat (cue the waterworks) is a special appearance by Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. Sarah sings the title song with four of the actors who have played The Phantom in London....Peter Joback, John Owen-Jones, Anthony Warlow, and Colm Wilkenson. Then the four gentleman plus Mr Karimloo sing THE MUSIC OF THE NIGHT. It is an amazing end to an Event that is so beautifully and intimately filmed that it makes you feel as though you are actually in the room. I can't urge you enough to seek this Blu-Ray or DVD out. Not only is it the entire Show captured for the first time, it is performed and filmed as perfectly as it ever will be. Do not miss it.
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