After three and a half decades, the Broadway production The Phantom of the Opera closed on April 16. Fans from all over the world have been shocked by the sudden discontinuation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit show in March this year, as the 35th anniversary of its debut in 1988 was in January. 

The Phantom of the Opera won seven Tony Awards that year, and is the longest running Broadway musical in history, with a grand total of 14,000 performances and almost 20 million tickets sold worldwide. I had the opportunity to see this show in person and experience the groundbreaking production on Broadway in New York City. 

On Jan. 14, the home of The Phantom of the Opera, the Majestic Theatre, was packed with people. The production starred Emilie Kouatchou as Christine Daaé, making history as the first African American actress to portray this role as the main lead. She and her Phantom co-star, Ben Crawford, led the cast for the show. 

It is no surprise that The Phantom of the Opera surpassed my expectations completely. As a fan of orchestral music, I was blown away by the live instrumental accompaniment, as well as the magnificent singing from the many sopranos. The effects felt like magic on the stage, with levitating candles, swinging chandeliers, and dazzling costumes that elevated every aspect of the show. 

The scene that truly sparked my excitement was the boat ride with Christine Daaé and the Phantom, which, without exaggeration, felt like a somnium. The iconic boat in motion on the misty sea floor seemed almost impossible to fathom–giving me a flashback to the time I worked backstage in Riordan’s school play, The Book of Will. 

With solid acting and captivating execution of special effects, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s imagination was brought to life with this production of The Phantom of the Opera, which remains to be one of the most treasured musicals today.