1988: The Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theatre

It has become a worldwide phenomenon. When Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera" opened at Broadway's Majestic Theatre in 1988, few could have foreseen the amazing staying power of this show. Still going strong after twenty astounding years, the Broadway production of "Phantom" has played to over 8,600 audiences. It is the longest running show in Broadway history. Worldwide production companies of "Phantom" have made this the most-seen theatrical production of all time. Globally, "Phantom" has achieved box office receipts in excess of $3 billion.

The original London production came first (in 1986) and is still running, too, with over 9,000 performances to date. "Phantom" has been performed in over twenty-five countries, often translated into the local language.

In the US, a national touring company of "Phantom" has been on the road for over fifteen years. Despite the difficulty in mounting such a technically challenging production (not to mention lugging a two ton chandelier from city to city), the touring company has given most of America the opportunity to experience this wondrous Lloyd Webber masterwork. But for those who don't want to sit for the full two and a half hour version of "Phantom", a rather shamefully abridged 95-minute version of the show can be seen in Las Vegas. 

The original cast was brilliant. Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman created the roles of the Phantom and Christine in London's West End prior to their triumphant turns on Broadway.

Andrew Lloyd Webber, who was married to Brightman at the time (left), is said to have written the show specifically for her. These days, both Brightman and Crawford regularly perform numbers from the show in front of their own concert audiences around the globe.

Awards for "Phantom" were generously doled out on both sides of the pond. In London, the show won the Olivier Award for Best Musical. For the Broadway production, Tonys went to Crawford as Best Actor and Hal Prince as Best Director. "Phantom" won the Best Musical Tony as well - all this, despite a bad opening night notice in the New York Times.

A film version. produced by Lloyd Webber arrived on screens in 2004, but failed to ignite the same spark as the stage version. Nevertheless, a fresh take on the Phantom will most likely extend the franchise for years to come. A new theatrical sequel is being developed by Lloyd Webber, tentatively titled  "Love Never Dies."

Music shall caress you . . .

Both of the ballads Barbra recorded from "Phantom" are cornerstones to the production. The show's signature piece is "The Music of the Night" and was first interpreted by Barbra on her "Back to Broadway" album. That recording, a duet with the original Phantom, Michael Crawford, was cleverly orchestrated to mirror the cast album version. The same Streisand/Crawford duet of "The Music of the Night" also appears on Crawford's studio album, "A Touch of Music in the Night."

In 2006, Barbra performed "The Music of the Night" during her North American concert appearances in tandem with Il Divo (right). The Streisand/Il Divo version can be found on Barbra's most recent album, "Streisand Live in 2006." Their performance opened the show's second act and displayed Barbra's extraordinary vocal range rather dramatically. Anyone who questions Barbra's ability to hit those high notes these days need only listen to her soar through the final dramatic bars in that live performance.

In 2007, "The Music of the Night" was performed during all of Barbra's European concerts as well. This time, Barbra performed the ballad with her backup singers from Broadway. Despite the absence of Il Divo's distinct sound, her Broadway Boys successfully allowed Barbra to present her European audiences with one of her greatest all-time live numbers. "The Music of the Night" was a nightly show stopper from Zürich to London.

The other "Phantom" ballad recorded by Barbra was "All I Ask of You." It was a newly written song when Barbra included it on her 1988 album, "Till I Loved You." For our money, "All I Ask of You" ranks up there as one of Barbra's finest vocal performances ever.
 

Michael Crawford - Broadway's Original Phantom (1988)

The Streisand connection to Michael Crawford was first established in 1969 when they starred together in the screen version of "Hello, Dolly!". When he got the part in "Dolly," Crawford was relatively unknown to US audiences. In 1998, Michael Crawford humorously recalled how director Gene Kelly tapped him for the role:

"Kelly said, 'Listen kid. What we're looking for is an attractive idiot. My wife thinks you're attractive, and I think you're an idiot.' And that's how I got the part of the attractive idiot in the film, 'Hello, Dolly!' starring Barbra Streisand."

There is little doubt that Michael Crawford appreciates Barbra Streisand's music. On his various albums, Crawford has performed "Before the Parade Passes By," "For All We Know," and "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" In terms of style, his interpretation of "Papa" is a near replication of Barbra's.

Hugh Panaro - Broadway's Recent Phantom (2003)

Beginning in 2003, Hugh Panaro had the distinction of playing the Phantom on Broadway. In fact, he played the part on Broadway well over 1,000 times in a run that lasted more than two years. Panaro's connection to Barbra is a recent one. In 2007, Panaro, along with Broadway veterans Peter Lockyer, Sean McDermott and Michael Arden sang with Barbra during her concert tour of Europe. Affectionately dubbed The Broadway Boys, their performances lent a true Broadway flair to Barbra's show.

At Barbra's concerts in Europe, fans familiar with Hugh Panaro's resume were surely delighted to know that Barbra was performing "The Music of the Night" with one of the actual Broadway stars of "Phantom."

Andrew Lloyd Webber

"Phantom's" composer, Andrew Lloyd Webber, has been a favorite of Barbra's in recent years. Her most memorable Lloyd Webber number was recorded back in 1990 when her rendition of "Memory" (from "Cats") was included on her album, "Memories." With all due respect to Betty Buckley and Elaine Paige (who first performed the number on Broadway and in London, respectively), Barbra's rendition of "Memory" is considered by some to be the quintessential version of this Andrew Lloyd Webber classic. For whatever reason, "Memory" remains one of Streisand's most elusive jewels. She has never included it in any live performance.

Barbra's other Lloyd Webber recordings were taken from the show "Sunset Blvd." Two of the show's most memorable ballads are "As If We Never Said Goodbye" and "With One Look." Both have been successfully woven into the tapestry of recent Streisand vocal performances.

The Majestic Theatre

For the past twenty years, "The Phantom of the Opera" has been firmly ensconced in Broadway's Majestic Theatre on 44th Street. For history buffs, it's worth noting that Barbra Streisand got her start on Broadway at The Majestic Theatre. Her first Broadway audition took place on that very stage, and after several callbacks, it was decided that the role of Miss Marmelstein (in "I Can Get It For You Wholesale") would be expanded and offered to Barbra. The rest, as they say, is history.