On April 16, Ben Crawford (not related) will bring an end to the show, after an extraordinary 35-year tenure, following in the footsteps of Michael Crawford, who first played the part, to the 16 Phantoms of the Opera that have graced Broadway.
However, the true standout of “The Phantom of the Opera” has remained consistent for 13,981 shows.
It is, undoubtedly, The Chandelier.
Defiance of physics is showcased as a testament to ingenuity in the theater, as the Phantom’s nefarious actions result in a dramatic swoop and drop towards the stage in a parabolic motion, almost crashing down on the audience – WARNING! SPOILER – that, it is actually what the Phantom’s nefarious actions result in as a parabolic motion towards the stage, a testament to the ingenuity of theater and defiance of physics.
Fran Lebowitz was aware of the chandelier. Everyone was aware of the chandelier, except Fran Lebowitz. Following its tremendous success in the West End, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s highly successful production made its way to Broadway in January 1988, well before the chandelier became the center of attention in the show.
The humorist remarked, “Everybody was aware of this!’ Since she constantly read about theatre,” my mother stated. I was incredibly embarrassed. I completely interrupted the entire opening. I had no idea it would collapse. As soon as the chandelier started to descend, I let out a scream. Therefore, I brought my mother to the opening,” stated the humorist. The opening night of ‘Phantom’ was a charity event for AIDS, and I was part of the organizing team.
The chandelier, in contrast to the cast, has remained unaltered throughout the show’s record-breaking performance. Likewise, the individual responsible for it has also stayed unchanged.
Alan Lampel, the head electrician who has been involved with “Phantom” in New York for a long time, said, “I have been truly fortunate.”
He said, “The design lighting is a spectacular thing and the show is beautiful.” “How he terrorized everybody with it and wasn’t it all about the chandelier? Didn’t we all grow up with the story of ‘The Phantom of the Opera’?”
In the subsequent adaptation of the 1925 classic novel “The Phantom of the Opera,” Lon Chaney’s silent film portrayal was a key episode, even though there is a little more than just a chandelier falling.
The inhabitants of the elaborate Palais Garnier are frightened by Erik, the masked “opera ghost” who ignited the tale. This calamity, in which one individual was slain and multiple others harmed, was triggered by the counterbalance for the chandelier of the Paris Opera House plummeting once in the 1870s. The hanging cable of the chandelier had been impaired by fire and it was influenced by this actual occurrence.
The Broadway production is known as “Ruthie II.”, However, the chandelier did not consider giving it a name. Leroux never considered that aspect. In Webber’s rendition, the Phantom sings swooning ballads like “Music of the Night”, portraying him as more of a matinee idol than a monster.
Lampel stated, “Ruth Mitchell, the assistant who has been working with Hal Prince for a long time, is the one who received the honor of having it named after her.” “The decision to name the chandelier after her was made during an actual auction with the same name. We used this approach for several items in the show, and it was all part of a fundraising effort supporting Equity fights AIDS.”
He stated, “Please refrain from requesting me to disclose those names.” For example, the Phantom’s instrument or the music box with a monkey, he is unable to provide you with the names that were assigned to the other objects. Lampel is unable to inform you about the person who placed the winning offer.
May light exist
Pulling off Ruthie II’s timely descent for over 13,000 shows is quite a remarkable feat.
Lampel, who is among eight individuals in his division (the Majestic Theater additionally has its own resident electrician), expressed, “I am responsible for overseeing the electrical components of the performance.”
Although not precisely in a state of unrestricted descent, he oversees the mechanized device that lifts the chandelier into position above the spectators and subsequently induces it to drop rapidly. This implies that he oversees six shows every week.
He stated, “The rigging is equipped with two motors. One transports the chandelier to approximately the middle of the auditorium, while the other elevates it to its designated hanging position.” The chandelier is raised from the stage through the utilization of a pair of looped cables, enabling it to move closer to or farther away from the stage once it is lifted.
He stated, “if you wish, those loops descend and decrease until, naturally, a specific velocity — a particular speed at which it descends and is then released, resulting in its descent.”
The chandelier sits there in a messy state. The following sight is a total power outage. Then, it turns off, dazzling everyone who gazes at it — hypothetically,” he stated. Simultaneously, a significant burst occurs, the climax takes place, and the music concludes as it reaches that loop. Meanwhile, some clever manipulation is occurring with the sound and the lighting.
Over the years, they have had to give up on it, despite a few instances — although it remains a remarkable and unforgettable display of theatrical enchantment.
He mentioned, “We’ve prevented it from descending a few times.” While the chandelier was being raised, he remembers that a section of the dust cover failed to come off as planned. “We were worried about that, as we didn’t want the dust cover to drop on anyone,” he explained. “However, the performance proceeded smoothly even without it.”
Promotional event
In addition to his Broadway production stint, Lampel went on tour with the show, supervising the rigging when the Phantom wreaked havoc at the Wang Theatre in Boston and the Kennedy Center in Washington.
He stated, “That lighting store was cherished by me.” Additionally, the company he has been affiliated with, Four Star Stage Lighting in the Bronx (now no longer in operation), provided lighting for productions such as “Big River,” “Fences,” and “Me and My Girl.” With years of experience in the field of theatrical lighting, he is highly qualified for this role.
I, Ruthie’s sister (Ruthie II), am currently working in London. Mr. Lampel will miss them. Now is the time to bid farewell to the magic of music and the man behind the mask.
Once “Phantom” concludes on April 16, the Majestic Theatre’s original chandelier, which has been concealed for over thirty years, will be returned to its usual position.
Where — except for any ghosts in the house — it will hopefully stay.