Big news: the cult musical, The Phantom of the Opera is finally back in London! The show returns to its West End theater on July 27, 2021. Yet the long-awaited reopening of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical isn't to everyone's delight. We decipher the situation.
The promise of an unchanged show
In July 2020, four months after the closure of London theaters, the composer announced that his show was closing. But he promised that The Phantom of the Opera would return to the stage of Her Majesty's Theater in London as soon as possible. While suggesting that it would surely be the staging of the tour that would be adopted for the recovery.
The stoppage of the show also allowed for major renovations to the theater and we could see the sets of the show leaving their home for more than 30 years for an indefinite period.
An orchestra cut in half
As the theaters closed, multimillionaire producer Cameron Mackintosh had no hesitation in sacking many of his teams. In June, all the musicians and actors of the show suffered the same fate.
At the beginning of April 2021, the producer announced the great return of the show in July… but with an orchestra divided by two. The Phantom of the Opera was renowned for having the largest orchestra in London. Unfortunately, it goes from 27 musicians to 13. The harps, oboes, percussion and trumpets and some violins have been removed. The production announced that these instruments will be replaced by synthesizers. Most musicians, who were finally hoping to get back to work, won't even be able to audition for their positions. In addition, the musical impact of the musical will be much less grandiose.
This is how the The Phantom of the Opera with a full orchestra:
Following the anger of these musicians, Cameron Mackintosh defended his decision in the newspaper The Telegraph :
"Am I sorry? I'm sorry they're upset, but I find it strange that musicians want to keep doing the same thing year after year. I think we shouldn't keep acting or performing jobs endlessly. It's not the public service, we create art. "
A decision and a sad response especially after the year that these artists have just spent.
Positive all the same
Among all these changes, a good news emerges: the incredible Lucy St Louis will play the role of Christine. This is the first time, on Broadway as in the West End, that a black actress will play the role! It was time. She will play Christine opposite Killian Donnelly (Le Fantôme) and Rhys Whitfield (Raoul).
I invite you to watch a cute video of theactress who discovers her costumes for the first time!
Second positive point, the renovations of the theater have been redesigned in accordance with the new staging. Maria Björnson's sets will also undergo some modifications. According to initial information, the sets will encroach on the auditorium and the boxes, allowing the public to be more involved in this show.
2021 marks the 35th anniversary of the Phantom of the Opera in London and the production promises to be “bigger and better”… but with many sacrifices.
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