Will the historic musical’s closing increase the demand for its memorabilia?
In September 2022, the producers of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical The Phantom of the Opera introduced the present would finish in 2023. The musical premiered in January 1988, and the curtain came down for the final time on April 16, 2023. The manufacturing value $950,000 per week, and the money drain meant the present couldn’t go on. Initially, producers set a deadline for February; nevertheless, ticket gross sales confirmed a right away spike, so the theater prolonged the present till April.
When followers know one thing is in restricted provide, demand will increase, and costs typically observe. As with the impression on ticket gross sales, will the closing of the longest-running Broadway present in historical past equally increase the demand for its collectibles and memorabilia?
HORROR STORY OR LOVE STORY?
Based mostly on the 1910 novel Le Fantôme de l’Opéra by Gaston Leroux, the story of affection and loss is a contemporary basic. Lon Chaney performed the title function in a silent horror movie in 1925; others have performed the function on stage and in movie, however the plot is similar, and audiences nonetheless like it.
A younger singer is haunted by what she thinks is a ghost however as an alternative is a disfigured former musician who lives within the caverns beneath the opera home. The Phantom tutors her however turns into enraged when she falls in love with one other, main him to kidnap her. The heroic Raoul ultimately saves her, and the “Opera ghost” disappears.
The story’s themes are love, obsession, horror, and suspense, and there are followers of all ages. As the story is over 100 years previous, classic and fashionable gadgets from the exhibits and movies are common with collectors.
DIFFERENT VERSIONS, DIFFERENT FANS
The story takes place in an opera home, nevertheless it wasn’t till 1986 {that a} musical model by Andrew Lloyd Webber premiered. The Broadway model is maybe the best-known, however there are additionally fan teams for the ebook, the 1925 silent movie, the later model from Common Studios in 1943, and the movie adaptation of the stage play. Hardcore fans are known as “Phans” or “Phanatics.” They’ve stored the demand excessive for memorabilia and collectibles for many years.
For ebook lovers, a first edition of the ebook is a coveted discover. Early copies got here with bookplates created by artist André Castaigne. Leroux had a following in France initially of the twentieth century, principally for his detective novels, however The Phantom of the Opera is by far his most profitable work. Whereas the ebook is fiction, the story has some truthful components that could be a part of why it stays so common.
In 1925, Common Studios made a movie primarily based on the ebook, nevertheless it was a silent movie since “speaking photos” didn’t occur for an additional couple of years. Starring horror nice Lon Chaney, this movie is the model closest to the ebook. On the time, foyer playing cards and film posters had been the one movie merchandise created. Unique posters are uncommon, however even reproductions of the promoting supplies will be dear.
In 1943, Common Studios took one other stab at telling the story, this time in colour and with sound. Claude Rains starred because the elusive Phantom, and Nelson Eddy because the heroic Raoul. Each males had been box-office superstars, and the film gained Oscars for Cinematography and Artwork Course.
Whereas there have been different variations, the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical didn’t premiere in London’s West Finish till 1986, and the story soared to record-breaking numbers. The soundtrack was as haunting because the plot, and the stage manufacturing was large, bringing audiences in droves to see the newly imagined story set to music.
In each the London and New York variations, Sarah Brightman, Webber’s then-wife, had the feminine lead alongside Broadway star Michael Crawford. Sadly, after the ultimate efficiency in New York final week, followers of the musical should flip to DVD copies of the movie or recordings of the soundtrack to get their Phantom repair.
PHANTOM OF THE OPERA COLLECTIBLES TO WATCH
Now that the theater expertise of the “music of the evening” is now not an possibility, gadgets from the assorted iterations of the story will seemingly get extra discover. Costs for ephemera, like signed copies of the unique packages, will in all probability be excessive, as they aren’t mass-produced and are normally considered one of a sort.
There may be additionally prone to be renewed curiosity in a particular line of figures commemorating the a number of monsters of Common’s movie, which embrace the Phantom. Produced by Remco, the figures first included Dracula, the Mummy, Frankenstein, and the Wolfman and got here out in 1979. The corporate later added the Creature from the Black Lagoon and the Phantom of the opera.
Fashions are additionally on the radar of some collectors. First produced within the late Sixties and early Seventies, these DIY kits are attracting some curiosity. Particularly, the “Frightening Lightning” line contains glow-in-the-dark options, and a few can nonetheless be discovered within the unique packaging, simply ready to be assembled.
Lastly, the Broadway producers launched a clothes line within the fall of 2022. In a nod to the kinds of the period when the musical premiered, “The 88 Collection” was initially supplied on the market in particular person on the Majestic Theater on Broadway. Sadly, due to the elevated ticket gross sales, the merchandise flew off the cabinets on the theater. In keeping with the website, the present is promoting any remaining gadgets on-line after the ultimate efficiency on April 16, 2023. Nevertheless, on April 17, 2023, the e-commerce website confirmed little or no stock.
POST PHANTOM
The story of a haunted opera home, a disappearing phantom, and an enchanted star has stood the check of time as a basic story of unrequited love, suspense, and even a bit horror. However, with the Broadway model going darkish, Phans might be seeking to gather mementos of the work. In an interview with Variety, producer Cameron Waterproof coat replied, “After all it should return. All the good musicals do.”
Brenda Kelley Kim lives within the Boston space. She is the creator of Sink or Swim: Tales From the Deep End of Everywhere and writes a weekly syndicated column for Gannett Information/Depraved Native. When not writing or strolling her snorty pug Penny, she enjoys yard gross sales, flea markets, and badminton.
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