“To celebrate such an extraordinary event as 25 years, we wanted to do something special, above and beyond just another gala performance,’’ producer Cameron Mackintosh said in an interview from London. “We both thought that the most theatrical space with a number of seats was the Royal Albert Hall.’’
Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess, who co-starred in the “Phantom’’ sequel “Love Never Dies’’ in London, will reunite for the special production. More than 200 original and current cast members, musicians and special guests are expected to make appearances at the Royal Albert Hall.
In the U.S., the broadcast will be available on 500 screens in 43 states, from Alaska to West Virginia. It will also be released in the UK on DVD, CD and Blu-ray starting in November and in the U.S. in 2012.
The show’s original director, Hal Prince, who has directed or produced more than 50 musicals, plays and operas, including “Damn Yankees,’’ “West Side Story,’’ “Fiddler on the Roof,’’ “Cabaret,’’ “A Little Night Music’’ and “Sweeney Todd,’’ thinks “Phantom’’ touched a need.
“It’s more escapist than certainly anything I’ve ever worked on,’’ he says. “The audience has all these stressful problems and they buy a ticket and go into a theater and lose themselves in another world entirely — and a romantic one. I think that’s probably cause for its longevity.’’
The musical first opened on London’s West End at the 1,200-seat Her Majesty’s Theatre on Oct. 9, 1986, with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman in the lead roles. It’s still there, more than 10,000 performances later.
It crossed the Atlantic and opened on Broadway on Jan. 26, 1988, and has clocked more than 9,800 performances, becoming the Great White Way’s longest-running show ever. There have been dozens of productions worldwide, including current ones in Budapest, Hungary, Las Vegas and Kyoto, Japan, and one is planned next year in South Africa.
It has played to over 130 million people in 27 countries and has grossed over $5.6 billion worldwide — more than any film in history, including “Avatar,’’ “Titanic,’’ “Gone With the Wind’’ and “Star Wars.’’
