After months of social media teasers and scavenger hunts around NYC, the Phantom is done playing guessing games. The immersive Phantom of the Opera revival, Masquerade, will open its doors to patrons beginning July 31 in a six-week special preview period at a renovated 218 W. 57tht St venue (formerly Lee's Art Shop.)
Tickets for the upcoming run went on sale June 30, selling out within three hours due to overwhelming fan—or phan, in this case—response. The production has added additional performances, tickets to which will go on sale beginning July 9 with sign-up at MasqueradeNYC.com. Details on the dates and times of the new performances have not been revealed.
The production, modeled after the seminal immersive Shakespeare production Sleep No More, which ran for 14 years at NYC's McKittrick Hotel, seeks to immerse audiences by planting them right into the plot of Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera—of course, within the lens of Andrew Lloyd Webber's long-running 1986 West End-Brodaway musical. Once you have entered the Opera House, you will join in on the "ghost hunt," tracing the steps of the infamous Opera Ghost, who has been terrorizing the theatre's performers and management. As the story unfolds, you learn of the Opera Ghost's mentorship over Christine Daae—a young soprano who has become the object of his obsession.
Tony winner Diane Paulus (Waitress, 1776) is directing. The recently announced cast will include Baby Byrne, Nicholas Edwards, Gabriella Enriquez, Haile Ferrier, Nkrumah Gatling, Cooper Grodin, Maxfield Haynes, Bryan Hernandez-Luch, Satomi Hofmann, Kody Jauron, Francisco Javier González, Maree Johnson, Tia Karaplis, Nathan Keen, Joe Kerr, Jeff Kready, Jacob Lacopo, Eryn LeCroy, Raymond J. Lee, Telly Leung, Claire Leyden, Francesca Mehrotra, Georgia Mendes, Betsy Morgan, Riley Noland, Charles Osborne, Hugh Panaro, Chris Ryan, Kyle Scatliffe, Paul Adam Schaefer, Clay Singer, Phumzile Sojola, Jeremy Stolle, Kaley Ann Voorhees, Nik Walker, Andrew Wojtal, Kevin Zambrano, and Anna Zavelson.
Notably, the cast includes Broadway Phantom alum, particularly Hugh Panaro, who played the title role in over 2,000 performances; Kaley Ann Voorhees, a former principal Christine; and Jeremy Stolle, another former Phantom and fan-favorite, who served as a frequent understudy and swing in the production for many years up until its closing. Other alumni include Eryn LeCroy, who served an an alternate Christine on Broadway beginning in 2019; Paul Adam Schaefer, who served as an understudy on Broadway until the production's closing; Cooper Grodin, who played the Phantom on the national tour; and Maree Johnson, who played Madame Giry on Broadway until its final performance in 2023.
The recently announced creative team of Masquerade will also include Hunter Bird, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Kathy Fabian, James Fluhr, Jessie Flynn, Nicola Formichetti, Skylar Fox, Kate Lumpkin, J. J. Janas, Brett Jarvis, Marc Kimelman, Lee McCutcheon, Diane Paulus, Scott Pask, Emilio Sosa, Gypsy Snider, Ben Stanton, and William Waldrop.
Attendees of the production have been given instructions from "their host," which includes a dress code advising patrons dress "extravagantly" in black, white, or silver and to wear a masquerade mask (if you do not have one, one will be provided) and to avoid wearing high heels to facilitate safe walking in the building's recreation of the Paris catacombs.
The production has also announced that it is a 21+ only event, but guests 16+ will be permitted to attend matinee performances during the special preview period. The venue is described as fully ADA accessible, and guests with specific accessibility needs are encouraged to email [email protected].
Masquerade has been teasing—some could even say, taunting—its arrival for several months now, beckoning "phans" (Phantom of the Opera superfans) far and wide with easter eggs and hints both online and around New York City. Some of the first major clues came with the debut of the show's official Instagram account, which first posted a simple note in cursive on bright-red parchment, reading: "Have you missed me?" Not long after, the account collaborated with Andrew Lloyd Webber's official account to share a video in which the prolific composer opens a note from the Opera Ghost himself announcing his return.
Just a few days after the two-year anniversary of Phantom of the Opera's closing on Broadway, phans were sent on a wild hunt around NYC to find papier-mâché masks of their own with Instagram stories hinting at their hiding spots, left behind by members of the production in locations that, phans discovered, correlated closely with the musical's plot—like Sotheby's auction house, for the auction scene at the beginning, and a fountain with statues of angels in Central Park. The masks had a red tag attached with a phone number, and when called, it played the music box-tune of the song "Masquerade," concluding with a woman's voice frantically whispering, "he's back." Next, six gold Rococo-style mirrors were also dispersed around Manhattan, which were engraved with Charles Hart's lyrics from the musical in bright red, as well as the Masquerade logo. After this hunt, several others occurred, for masks, roses, and more...but things got even more meta down the line.
Guiding fans to a second location might seem like a step too far, but fans of a musical centering on a brave young woman who did not fear following the Angel of Music into the underground clearly are not ones to hesitate embarking on a strange and mysterious journey. The production clues at one point led phans to a deli where they could pick up a map of the New York City subway, marked with a destination: the Union Square subway station, where a masked performer played selections from Andrew Lloyd Webber's score on violin. This marked the first public appearance from a member of the performing ensemble.
Phans were taken on even wilder pursuits in the weeks leading up to this official announcement, with posters plastered around the city for "mask fittings" to any who are bold enough to email an address listed. A select few were chosen to go get their own masks fitted. Another time, a new character to the story, Madame Zephryine, read tarot cards for anyone who could find her location, which was also hinted on the Masquerade Instagram account. At some point, an account representing what appears to be a new character in the musical—Sean the "Ghost Hunter"—even joined a Discord server for fans of Phantom of the Opera anticipating the upcoming immersive production and curious immersive theatregoers alike, beckoning them to meet him at the former Lee's Art Shop, which was still under active construction, for a sneak peek.
All of these immersive side quests culminated in one final mission for just a few brave phans (and Playbill's Social Media Coordinator Meredith Ammons): a seance in the Majestic Theatre—the very theatre that housed Phantom of the Opera for 35 years on Broadway—to summon the Opera Ghost himself. As to whether or not he appeared, you'll have to see for yourself in the video below.
After haunting Ammons and others with his brief appearance at the Majestic Theatre, the Phantom himself appeared on the red carpet of the 78th Annual Tony Awards, lurking about in his notorious white mask, black hat, and cape.
The Phantom of the Opera has music by Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Charles Hart (with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe), and a book by Stilgoe and Lloyd Webber. Phantom opened in the West End in 1986 and then on Broadway in 1988, where it won seven 1988 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It remains the longest-running show in Broadway history, offered its final "Masquerade" April 16, 2023, when the famed chandelier descended for the last time as the Tony-winning musical played its 13,981th performance at the Majestic Theatre.
READ: All the Times Phantom of the Opera Made History on Broadway
The Phantom of the Opera became the longest-running show in Broadway history January 9, 2006, when it surpassed the nearly 18-year run of Cats. The production’s nearly 14,000 performances have been seen by 19.5 million people and grossed $1.3 billion. Phantom is widely celebrated for balancing both the spectacle aspects of entertainment, and the depth of high art, with Hal Prince's visionary blackbox-style direction set against Maria Björnson's opulent, ornate design.
READ: Get an Up-Close Look at Maria Björnson's Intricate Costumes from Phantom of the Opera
For those living outside of NYC, a North American tour of Phantom will launch November of this year, bringing a revised version of the musical's original staging across the country, first stopping in Baltimore, Maryland.
A scaled-down version of the original production, with a smaller orchestra and redesigned sets, reopened after the COVID-19 shutdown in London's West End and is still running today. It features direction by Seth Sklar-Heyn, based on the celebrated original direction by Harold Prince with choreography by Gillian Lynne, recreated and adapted by Chrissie Cartwright. The staging also features production design by Maria Björnson, redesigned by Matt Kinley. Phantom is still running at the His Majesty's Theatre, along with several international tours and sit-down productions.
For tickets and more information, visit MasqueradeNYC.com.
