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Alexi Melvin, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Anniversary, Art, Broadway, Hal Prince, History, Jennifer Hope Wills, Kris Koop, Music, Musical Theater, Musical Theatre, Performance, Phantom of the Opera, Theater, Theatre
25 Years of Phantom: Looking Back as He Presses On
by Alexi Melvin
Word Count: 2,554
One man, one mask – 145 cities – 27 countries – over 130 million captivated theatergoers – and after 25 years, The Phantom of the Opera is still going strong.
The Phantom of the Opera’s catchphrase within the past few years has been “Remember Your First Time?” If you’ve ever seen the Broadway production, which will celebrate its 25 year anniversary in January, the chances are — you do remember.
Whether you are like me and first saw Phantom when you were a starry-eyed three-year-old or you’ve just seen it for the first time recently, there is a great probability that the show left an impression on you. There’s a reason (or several reasons) — that Andrew Lloyd Webber’s lavish musical is the longest running Broadway show in history. Just ask one of the many Phantom “Phans,” or perhaps one of the incredibly hard working members of the cast/crew.
Everyone seems to have a story — an important connection with the production — or a profound experience that they aren’t too shy to recall. I am one such individual and I have met several more along the way.
It was 10:45 pm at the Majestic Theatre in New York, and a large sign hanging backstage read “So long, Koopie!” The cast and crew celebrated in a cramped dressing room belonging to the actor who plays Raoul, or as they jokingly referred to it, “Raoul Bar.” Hugs were exchanged, tears were shed, and speeches were made in honor of Kris Koop, a Broadway veteran who has been with the show for over 11 years.
I looked down the narrow halls and staircases remembering my first time backstage. A friendly, bright-eyed woman came to retrieve my then 17-year-old self from the theatre lobby as I eavesdropped on a rehearsal onstage. My new acquaintance explained that she would be my guide as I embarked on my adventure as a walk-on performer in The Phantom of the Opera, my favorite musical of all time. The woman thanked me for my contribution to the Broadway Cares Equity Fights Aids Foundation, which was what earned me the right to take part in that night’s performance. She shook my hand, “I’m Kris Koop.”
An instant bond was formed. Koop seamlessly guided me through the long process of preparing for a Broadway performance: makeup, hair, costume, a quick run-through of my scene, and I was all set to perform as a member of the ensemble in the Hannibal scene towards the opening of the show. I couldn’t believe my luck as I took the hands of my fellow cast mates for the night and dipped my heavy wig forward in a grateful bow at the end of the show.
Six years have passed since I experienced my curtain call on the stage of the Majestic, and I had just witnessed Kris’ final bow, something the rest of the cast and crew never thought they would see. Hugh Panaro, the Phantom himself, delivered some heartfelt words to the audience after the curtain call. “Some fun facts,” he said with tears in his eyes, “Since 2000, this amazing lady has done 3,811 performances.” “I had the pleasure of playing the Phantom to Kris Koop’s Christine, and she is a good kisser!”
“I was hired on December 15th of 2000,” Koop recalled, “but I was already working full-time at Broadway Cares Equity Fights Aids (BCEFA) in their Holiday Card department. I had to negotiate to learn the music via cassette tape,” she said with a laugh.
“I arrived for my first ‘cram in’ rehearsal with David Lai, the musical supervisor, to later rehearse with Harriet Clark, then the Dance Captain. David realized he had sent me the wrong vocal track, so I learned the new track very quickly in front of him. I sight-read the new part, and incorporated his vocal dynamic instructions.”
Koop opened after only two full days of rehearsal. “I just wanted this so much, I made it happen in two days. I debuted a week and a half ahead of schedule, and I had not made many character choices, just words and steps barely memorized. Despite all that, I performed with a gigantic smile on my face!”
Koop’s ability to learn quickly and take direction well lead her to become the first actress in Phantom history to cover all three of the female leads in the show. Her deep understanding of each unique character became evident as her run in the show pressed on.
The first of the roles that Koop found herself taking on was the strict, stoic ballet choreographer, Madame Giry. “My discovery of Madame Giry has taken me through my entire course of my contract. She was the first character I took on, and she’s really the one where freedom reigns. She needs to be an echo of Mrs. Danvers from the film, Rebecca; yet I studied the (Gaston Leroux) novel of Phantom to discover some of her even stranger qualities. My clear goal, as Madame Giry, is to try to protect everyone. The people from the Phantom, and the Phantom from the people. It’s my reason for every action in the play,” Koop said.
The lead role of Christine Daae, the young ingenue with which the Phantom develops an obsession soon needed an actress from the ensemble to step in and hit the high notes. Although it was more of a challenge, Kris was front and center. “Christine was easy to discover, as she really just needs to react honestly to all of the events happening around her and to her, and she’s gold,” Koop observed. “She doesn’t manipulate any moments in the show. She is merely open and responsive. Gorgeously written, I have to say. My greatest challenges were stylizing her and yet keeping her honest. She is a ballerina, and I am not. I had to work on making her physicality very smooth and graceful, even when she’s being threatened or insecure.”
Finally, Koop was asked to be an understudy for Carlotta Giudicelli, the antagonistic diva of the show. “Carlotta was also a joy to work on, as she is written even more directly than Christine. Her journey is more veiled, since she is the reigning queen at the top of the show, and we witness her clawing and scraping to stay on top. Her clothing tells a lot of her story — gives her weight and substance that announces her presence with authority. My greatest challenge with this role was stamina. Not vocally, but physically. Her costumes weigh an average of 45 pounds!”
One of Koop’s most cherished opportunities while working at Phantom was her consistent involvement with Broadway Cares: Equity Fights Aids (BCEFA) raising money, awareness, and assisting with all of the charity’s events. “I will genuinely miss the opportunities this show creates to have a platform to assist causes in which I believe,” she said.
Another performer who has made a lasting mark on the Broadway production of Phantom is the actress who played Christine on the night of my own performance. The fresh faced young woman whom I was introduced to while she endearingly finished brushing her teeth in her dressing room was Jennifer Hope Wills. Judging by the accolades that Wills received along the course of her run — critics and Phantom fans agree — that endearing quality that is present in her everyday demeanor makes the transition into her portrayal of Christine.
Like many of us who have seen or worked on the production, Wills’ connection to Phantom started at an early age. “My father would pile all of us in the van at 3:00 in the morning to get to New York City bright and early to stand in line for those ever coveted $15 standing room tickets,” Wills recalled. “Several times we did this and that is how we always saw the show. The first time my parents actually sat in seats was the first time they came to see me play Christine.”
While performing as an understudy in the Broadway production of The Woman in White, she was recruited by one of the musical supervisors for Phantom. After auditioning in the lobby of the Majestic, she was offered the role the next day. Wills stayed in the show from 2006 to 2010.
“I think the story really touches people’s hearts and emotions. There is not a single person out there that can’t relate and feel for the Phantom out there as who hasn’t felt like the ‘underdog’ at some point in their lives,” she said. “Romance, soaring music, beautiful costumes and scenery — it captures everything a night of musical theatre entertainment is supposed to be about.”
Since Wills’ departure from Phantom, she has enjoyed successful runs as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady at Gateway Playhouse, Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music at Pittsburgh CLO – and most recently Marian Paroo in The Music Man at the Walnut Street Theatre.
Phantom cast member Kenneth Kantor has been deeply invested in the show since 1988, the year of the show’s opening on Broadway and was eventually cast – playing roles such as the Fire chief, Monsieur Firmin, and Monsieur Lefévre. He is affectionately known by his cast mates as the Broadway historian of the group. As Kantor pointed out when asked about the beloved story, it truly is a tale as old as time. “The story of Phantom has been told in many ways over the centuries. One merely needs to look at Beauty & the Beast to see parallels,” Kantor said.
Kantor was an instant admirer of the show after hearing the Original London Cast Recording and found himself longing to be a part of it. Soon after Phantom made its way to Broadway, he was given a backstage tour from Judy Kaye, the original Carlotta Guidicelli who won a Tony Award for her performance. “I was in awe of the technology at work to make all of the magic happen,” Kantor said. “It just made me want to do the show more!”
Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer of many other standout musicals such as Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat wasn’t alone when he set out on his quest to bring this theatrical giant to the stage in the early 1980s. He soon brought on Cameron Mackintosh as producer, who has the distinction of producing more musicals than any other Broadway producer, which include Les Misérables and Cats, the second and third longest running musicals of all time.
“Trying to create a successful musical sometimes seems to me like standing out in a field with an umbrella and hoping that lightening will strike you. It’s a mystery,” Kenneth Kantor noted in regards to Phantom’s successes and longevity, but he was sure to give due credit to Mackintosh’s efforts in particular.
“One cannot ignore the brilliance of Cameron Mackintosh’s impact on the show. Being a producer requires much more than the ability to raise the money, see that it’s not wasted and sit with crossed fingers on opening night. His impact on the structure, selection of the team to put the show together and his skill at marketing was and continues to be critical.”
Among the team that Webber and Mackintosh next approached were Harold Prince (Cabaret, Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music) as Phantom’s director – and Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe as lyricists.
“Hal Prince’s concept for the production is vital,” Kantor added. “He tells the story using a minimalistic theatrical approach. The audience uses its imagination to fill in a production creating a more magnificent production than any director could provide. Also, his concept of using turn of the century stage tricks executed with 20th century mechanisms — so his production holds true to the period of the story it’s telling.”
Phantom is a feast for the eyes. It is a true spectacle for many reasons. It would be difficult for anyone who has had the pleasure of seeing the show to overlook stage designer Maria Björnson’s lavish costumes and scenery that seem to take on two invaluable roles of their own.
“Maria’s costumes and scenery are vital to the production,” Kenneth Kantor continued. “They are brilliant and make our show look like no other show on Broadway — either yesterday or today. It is probably the most important decision Cameron made in putting together the show. The audience feels that they are getting the full value of their ticket price.”
The elements of The Phantom of the Opera that make it stand out from any other musical to date could go on for days, but Broadway fans are constantly awaiting the next musical that has the potential to go where our Phantom has gone. Chicago and Disney’s The Lion King are the currently 1st and 2nd runners up at 17 and 16 years of Broadway performances. Mamma Mia! and Wicked deserve honorable mention as they approach their 12th and 11th years running.
Wicked’s special effects, costumes, and beautiful score are reminiscent of and at times rival Phantom. I certainly remember getting the same goose bumps on my arms when Elphaba belts out “Defying Gravity” as I did when the Phantom gets to the peak of his infamous “Music of the Night” number. Disney’s The Lion King seems to continuously leave audiences breathless thanks to Julie Taymor’s unique directorial vision. Will one of these fierce competitors one day best the masked man at the Majestic Theatre? Only time will tell.
As I turned to get one last look of the lovely Kris Koop after her last performance – being showered with love and gifts from her Phantom “Phamily” that night in September of 2012, I realized that The Phantom of the Opera is not merely a Broadway show. It is an experience that brings people together.
When The Phantom of the Opera celebrates its 25th Anniversary on January 26th, the theatre will be filled with current cast and crew – some new – and some who have known the Majestic to be their second home – people such as stage manager Craig Jacobs, and makeup supervisor Thelma Pollard who have become Phantom legends in their own rights.
The stage will be haunted by the ghosts of the many Phantom performers who have already taken their last bow – but whose love and appreciation for the show linger on. The audience – perhaps consisting of the wide-eyed Phantom cast and crew of the future will rise up, giving the production the standing ovation it deserves, and the Broadway celebration of the decade will occur after the prolonged applause finally dies down.
The first time I saw Phantom I wore a pink dress with a large tutu, not unlike the one that Christine Daaé herself wears in the “Masquerade” scene. I feverishly clapped my tiny hands after every musical number and wondered when I would get to be a part of something so magical.
After seeing Phantom performed over 100 times throughout the past 21 years, standing on the same stage as my favorite fictional character – Christine – during her intoxicating “Think of Me” number when I had my coveted walk-on-role, working front of house at the Majestic, and making numerous lifelong friendships – I couldn’t be more grateful for that night in my pink tutu when I first met the Opera Ghost.
So let me ask you once more – Do you remember your first time?