For LD Andrew Bridge, the final April 16 production of Broadway’s The Phantom of the Opera after a 35-year run was particularly poignant. “The opulence and the way it is choreographed on stage, the scene changes and all that, we will miss that. There aren’t many shows that can do that now. We have something like 150 people working each performance. You can’t do Broadway shows today with that size crew, cast and a 27-piece orchestra, it’s just not viable. So, I think we’ll all miss the opulence of that kind of Broadway show. For 35 years, the New York Phantom has continued to do this well-choreographed show, theater done at the very highest level of operation. Watching backstage, it’s like seeing a big schooner ship being beautifully handled by a crew. It’s a work of art to see onstage and backstage, and I think we’ll miss it that. I don’t know we will see a Broadway show like it, as opulently done again.”
From “Broadway Milestone” by Michael S. Eddy, PLSN, April 2023
