This is the sad news of the day. Rumors have been circulating since the performances of the West End shows ended on March 16. Cameron Mackintosh, theater producer and owner of several London theaters has confirmed the news.
Cameron today wrote an article in Evening Standard magazine to share his decision. "Andrew [Lloyd Webber, the composer of The Phantom of the Opera] and I unfortunately had to close the doors to our Phantom of The Opera productions in London and on tour. But we are determined to bring the show back to London in the future. "
In this article, he reiterates his appeal to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to provide the necessary money as well as a realistic time frame to plan for the reopening of the theaters. He concludes with “We're sick of not having a business, we want to be back in show business. ".
The man behind productions such as Mary Poppins et Dear Evan Hansen announced that he had to fire all the artists necessary for his productions and that his team had been reduced by 40%.
If the show returns to London in the future, as hoped, it will surely be with a new staging. In addition, Her Majesty's Theater, which housed the show, is currently undergoing major renovations. We won't see the magnificent candlestick of the show again for a long time ...
Feedback on the success of Phantom of the Opera
The show celebrated its 33rd anniversary in London last October. Andrew Lloyd Webber, did not have his first success, after Joseph (1968) Jesus Christ Superstar (1970) Evita (1976) et Cats (1981)
He presents for the first time The Phantom of the Opera in London in October 1986 with the staging of Hal Prince. The choreographies are by Gillian Lynne, and the costumes and sets by Maria Björnson.
The show quickly became a success and won the Oliver Award for Best Musical. The show flew to Broadway in 1988, and the crowds fell apart. He won 7 Tony, 7 Drama Desk Awards and 5 Outer Critics Circle Awards: it's a hit!
Among the most famous performers are Sierra Boggess and Ramin Karimloo. They performed the eponymous song during the concert in October 2012 at the Royal Robert Hall:
The show has since been seen by more than 140 million people across 27 countries. He has seen many productions in concerts and on tour as well as several film versions. The best known remains the 2004 film, directed by Joel Schumacher and which features Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum.
History Phantom
The musical is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Gaston Leroux, published in 1888.
Under the splendor of the Paris Opera, hides a Phantom. He is in fact a musical genius who has been disfigured and has been hiding for years to avoid the cruel stares of the crowd.
The Phantom falls in love with Christine, who is a singer in the opera choir. He watches over her while terrorizing the rest of the Opera. He demands that we give his protege the main role. The situation worsens when Christine reunites with Raoul, her childhood sweetheart, and the two fall in love with each other. The Phantom decides to kidnap Christine and imprison her. Raoul is now the only one who can stop him. Christine is torn between her love for Raoul and her strange attraction to the Phantom.