BETH: Welcome back. THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
celebrated 30 years on the Great White Way this week with a very special performance
of the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic at the Majestic Theatre, and the stars came out for
it, including original Christine Daae Sarah Brightman, who offered up a surprise performance.
We hit the red carpet on the big night to chat to the stars about this amazing milestone.
--I've brought for you tonight the kids from School of Rock!
[cheers] [music]
[Sarah Brightman singing "The Phantom of the Opera"]
The performance tonight was mind-blowing.
--Tonight
was wonderful! I was joking that it felt like it was an opening night, but like
without the pressure of reviews. But you know I was certainly nervous. I actually
surprised myself at how nervous I was, but the audience was incredible. and
it just ended up being a really special really special evening.
--Oh my god. 30
years. Who knew? And I've been a fan of the show forever and I'm just so glad that
I was a part of it, just part of that this this history of beautiful
musical theater. It's written so well.
--It really has aged well, you know, in
in the 30 years that it's been around.
--It's kind of like a generational
thing, you know, that we've passed the mantle on to new generations and
people still love it.
--People come and they bring their children, and the children
bring their children. It's a never going everlasting love story.
--How long
how old were any of you out there when Phantom opened? [laughs]
--It's amazing. It doesn't seem
possible that it's 30 years.
--After playing Christine for 10 years, to be back
and just celebrate tonight, I'm so full of gratitude for the way this show has
changed my life.
Beth V/O: The Phantom of the Opera is the longest-running show in Broadway
history. Members of the Phantom family shared just what makes his musical
such a record-breaking smash.
--Phantom is one of those rare occasions where
everything came together, where the production, the design suited the music
completely in the story and it all or wove together in an extraordinary way. Doesn't
happen very often. I mean you see it happen with Hamilton, you see The Lion King,
you see it I think with Phantom. And it's one of those things that's every ingredient
came together and it worked.
--At intermission Sierra's like are you humming
along?
And I'm like I feel that the cues come and I want to move because I'm
like that's my cue, but we're all you know we were all part of
it, and it was just so exciting to be a part of that family and it will continue for
a very long time to come.
--I think phantom has become synonymous
with Broadway. I think it's the show that people really want to see because
they've heard about it, and they've heard about Broadway, and you know they come in
from all over the world and get to see it.
--I mean it is the ultimate romance and
you know it's it's the great legend of Beauty and the Beast and it's it's
always captivated people, and I think the brilliant thing that Andrew has done,
he's brought an incredible heart and soul to it with the music. It's you know
one of his finest scores.
--The music is beautiful, lyrics are great, the sets the
costumes, Hal's directions. It's the story about the mask.
We all carry masks you know it's it's it's an ongoing theme you know.
--Everything will will be remembered and I think the legacy of Phantom of the Opera
is not one that's any time soon going to be forgotten.