“Phantom of the Opera”
As of the time I’m writing this, the three longest-running musicals in Broadway history (according to Wikipedia, which updates this stat regularly) are:
3) THE LION KING: over 9700 performances since its opening in November 1997
2) CHICAGO (revival); over 10,000 performances since its opening in November 1996
(Original run in 1975 was 936 performances)
And the longest-running of all time– PHANTOM OF THE OPERA– has racked up over 13,750 performances since opening at the Majestic Theater all the way back in January 1988!
I was a third-year college student when Phantom made its Broadway debut, and even younger when it first opened in London in 1986. I’ve not yet seen it, and given that it (finally) closed in April of 2023– at that very same Majestic Theater, by the way– I’m not going to see it. Not in its “first” run on Broadway, anyway.
And yet I’ve heard its music, via figure skating, long enough to feel like I’m much more familiar with Phantom than I actually am. That’s probably because no less than three dozen elite athletes have skated to Phantom over the past two decades. (Past three decades if you count Maria Butyrskaya’s use of it in the 1993-4 season; the first 45 seconds sounded familiar while the remainder must’ve been a techno-Phantom of some kind.)
Those who have used it through the years include…
Patrick Chan, for his free skate in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons (winning Worlds in 2011)
Elena Gedevanishvili, for her free skate in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons (winning bronze at Europeans in 2012)
Gracie Gold, for her free skate in the 2014-15 season (winning silver at U.S. Nationals in 2015)
Kayne/O’Shea, both for their 2015-16 free skate and their 2017-18 short program (winning U.S. Nationals with the former, and winning Four Continents with the latter)
Kiira Korpi, for her free skate in the 2006-7 and 2007-8 seasons (winning bronze at Europeans in 2007)
Kanako Murakami, for her short program AND free skate in the 2014-15 season (winning bronze at Cup of China in 2014)
Pang/Tong, both for their 2004-5 short program & their 2006-7/2007-8 free skate (winning silver at Four Continents with the former, and gold at 4CC with the latter)
Akiko Suzuki, for her 2013-14 free skate (competing in her final Olympics and Worlds; also winning silver at Skate Canada in 2013)
Daisuke Takahashi, in both his past singles career (winning silver at 2007 Worlds) and current ice dance career
… as well as a number of Olympic Gold Medalists from the past 3 games. (More on them— AND Takahashi— shortly)
What has made Phantom the legendary show that it is? Things that, unsurprisingly, lend themselves very easily to the figure skating world…
A classic story of love and power.
First told in book form (the 1910 French novel of the same name) and then in films (a half-dozen or so, dating as far back as 1925), Phantom centers on young soprano Christine and the titular character (aka Erik), a disfigured man who becomes thoroughly enamored with her. Christine’s true love, however, is another man (Raoul)-- which sets off a mystical, deep, and dangerous battle for her affections, all within the underground labyrinth of the Paris Opera House.
Top-of-the-line production values.
The mysterious aura of Phantom is underscored by way of the lighting (including copious amounts of candlelight and fog), a boat that “sails” on stage, and a sparkling chandelier for the ages… all complemented with dramatic costuming primarily in reds, golds, and of course black and white (classic representations of good and evil).
A lush, unforgettable score.
Andrew Lloyd Webber is responsible for so much of what’s been cherished in musical theater over the past four decades. Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Evita among them – he composed the music to all of them, and several other well-known shows. Yet POTO has emerged as his best-known work, brimming with iconic melodies in opulent arrangements that have a way of sweeping people into the mystical journey right along with the fictional characters. Or… in the case of certain figure skaters… sweeping them into the perfect place for a glorious triple axel, or majestic lift, or soaring spread eagle.
Much of what skating fans have heard of that incredible score comes not from original Phantom cast recordings, but from a studio album released in 2005 called Phantasia. Produced by Webber and John Fraser, Phantasia features cellist Julian Lloyd Webber (Andrew’s brother) and violinist Sarah Chang in a 34-minute, all-instrumental suite of the show’s many highlights. So if you’re seeking out specific cuts of Phantom music (as I’ve done) and keep finding the word “Phantasia” (as I did)... that’s what it is: a sort of shorthand Phantom.
While none of those OGMs I mentioned earlier won that title using Phantom, they all saw fit to make it a part of their personal history…
Meryl Davis and Charlie White took gold at the 2014 Olympics but also won silver in Vancouver (2010) with this powerhouse of a free dance which includes the Overture, “Music of the Night” (with a memorable lift coming at the vocal crescendo), and “Point of No Return” bringing it to a whirlwind of a finish. (These cuts, I think, come primarily from the cast recording as opposed to Phantasia.)
Two-time OGM Yuzuru Hanyu skated to Phantom in the 2014-15 season, taking Worlds silver in this performance. You’ll see his gorgeous jumps (as well as an Ina Bauer) impeccably timed with high points of the music, which include cuts from Phantasia and “Music of the Night”.
2018 OGM Alina Zagitova skated to excerpts from Phantom’s cast recordings, Phantasia, and (perhaps most effectively) the lilting soprano solo “Think of Me” on her way to the World title in 2019. (It was her short program; Carmen Suite was her free skate.)
In the 2022-23 season, the women’s division finds South Korea’s Hae-in Lee using Phantom… as well as Kana Muramoto and Daisuke Takahashi, the “up-and-comers” of Japanese ice dancing. Some 16 years ago Takahashi nearly became world champion with Phantom music for his free skate. How far will he and Muramoto get with a Phantom free dance THIS season?
As previously stated, Andrew Lloyd Webber is the guiding force of MANY musicals, and Phantom is not the only one to make the leap to figure skating. If you have a favorite you’d like to see featured in a future post, leave a note in the comments! Especially if someone is skating to it this season!
