Growing up, my mother would play the 1986 soundtrack of “The Phantom of the Opera” on road trips. I would listen to my mother’s deep voice try to sing the Phantom’s parts whereas my sister and I would take turns singing Christine’s verses. When the news of the musical’s final show emerged, I was deeply saddened by the thought. A part of me realized the show’s final bow would not only be a goodbye to the “Music of the Night,” but a goodbye to a piece of my childhood.
The musical played its final performance on April 16. They quickly sold out when they extended the production until April after the closing announcement surprisingly helped increase sales. Despite the ticket sales, “Phantom” was “past the point of no return.”
“The Phantom of the Opera” follows Christine Daaé who performs at an opera house that has been plagued for two years by the Phantom of the Opera who has caused hazardous accidents. After Christine’s father passes away, she remembers how he would tell her that once he passes on, he would send an angel of music to guide her. After taking singing lessons from the alleged angel — who is actually the Phantom — her childhood friend, Raoul, shows up at her first performance where she takes the leading role. Reunited after so many years, Christina and Raoul turn from friends to lovers. Unbeknownst to them until later, however, the Phantom has already claimed Christine out of obsessive infatuation and will do anything to have her for himself.
I was fortunate enough to see the show one last time the week before its final bow. Seeing the chandelier and hearing whispers about the infamous monkey made me nostalgic of the times I heard the soundtrack in the car and every time I watched the 2001 movie. Hearing Emilie Kouatchou, the final Christine on Broadway, hit the range of notes was definitely one of the highlights. Not only did her voice make the show, but she also made history by being the first Black woman to play Christine (#womeninhistory). Regardless of nostalgia, her voice enchanted and echoed the theater, giving me chills every time she sang — which was almost every song.
One of the notable aspects of this Andrew Lloyd Webber musical that makes it a timeless masterpiece is the echoing stories it tells. Even though the main component of the musical is the one surrounding the Phantom, the show still creates visually appealing songs that are embodied by the excellent performances. Every actor on stage was deeply submerged and played their character with all of their power, from the chorus girls to the Phantom himself. It was clear the audience was as engaged in the musical as I was, especially during the times in the show where you only heard silence — no one wanted to shatter the brilliance the performers shared with the packed theater. It was only during intermission and the final bow that I could pull away from the show. Despite the show’s 35 years on Broadway, “The Phantom of the Opera” still has a “power over [me which] grows stronger yet.”
As everyone took their bow at the end of the performance, it reminded me much of how my parents looked at me as they said goodbye to me when I moved away to college. They had spent so much time seeing me grow up, but the day had come when they had to let me go in order to grow. Seeing the company of “Phantom” bow, I silently thanked the performers for all my memories growing up and knew they would do well in the future.
Witnessing the show during its final weeks was the perfect way to “help me say goodbye.”