The Phantom Link

• The Atlantic "Fear of a Black Hobbit" insightful piece about politics and 'nostalgia' franchises
• Boy Culture the latest updated edition of "Encyclopedia Madonnica" (one of our all time fav showbiz books) is out. Buy one if you haven't yet and love Madonna. It's a treasure trove.
• Vulture looks at Baz's tortured artists from Moulin Rouge! to Elvis

 Very significant Broadway news regarding The Phantom of the Opera, A trans riff on Gotham City characters, Superman II cosplay, and more after the jump...

• Actors with Action Figures very fun Superman II cosplay
• Slate on The People's Jokers, a trans movie riffing on the Batman universe pulled after one screening at TIFF due to rights issues (though it really should be okay under "fair use" given parody laws) 
• Cartoon Brew on Disney and Pixar's upcoming animation slates
• MNPP ICYMI the photos of Jonathan Bailey and Matt Bomer cavorting on the beach for their upcoming limited series Fellow Travelers
• AV Club Rodrigo Santoro to father werewolves in a new series Wolf Pack
• Deadline Jeff Loveness (Ant Man & The Wasp Quantumania, Rick & Morty) will write the screenplay to Avengers: Kang Dynasty  (2025)
• Out Kevin McHale, "Artie" on Glee, has become an Insta-hunk
• Cartoon Brew FOX has become a viable home for adult animation so here are all the series in development to join Bob's Burgers and The Simpsons and the like
• Deadline RIP Mark Miller the actor/screenwriter of Please Don't Eat the Daisies and Days of Our Lives fame

END OF AN ERA - THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA TO CLOSE ON BROADWAY!
Word came yesterday that Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera will close on Broadway on February 18th, 2023 after a 35 year run.

Ben Crawford and Emilie Kouatchou currently play the Phantom and Christine in the longrunning musical

Shows just should NOT run that long. We dont really care about this show in particular but it absolutely sucks that we can't have multiple reinterpretations of a great show like, say, Kander & Ebb's Chicago (now in is 26th year) or even a Wicked (approaching its 20th anniversary) because of their endless runs. Short runs of revivals are best. We're so blessed to have seen multiple takes / points of view on Sondheim classics like Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, and Company in our lifetime. Same goes for the classics that get revived.

THE DOZEN LONGEST RUNNING BROADWAY SHOWS OF ALL TIME

1. Phantom of the Opera (13,000+ performances) STILL RUNNING
2. 🔺 Chicago (10,000+ performances) STILL RUNNING *longest running revival of all time*
3. 🔺 The Lion King (9,000+ performances) STILL RUNNING *longest running musical based on a movie of all time*
4. Cats (7,485 performances)
5. 🔺 Wicked (7,000+) STILL RUNNING
6. Les Miserables (6,680) 
7. A Chorus Line (6,137)
8. Oh! Calcutta! (5,959) *longest running "revue" of all time*
9. Mamma Mia! (5,758) *longest running jukebox musical of all time*
10. Beauty and the Beast (5,461)
11. Rent (5,123) 
12. Jersey Boys (4,642) 
    
    🔺 will likely threaten this list but needs some time still: The Book of Mormon (4,000+ performances), Aladdin (nearly 3000 performances), Hamilton (2,000+ performances) 
    
    will not threaten this list despite enormous popularity for its first few years: Dear Evan Hansen (closing tomorrow!) and Come From Away (closing in a couple of weeks!)

Comments

[G.Shaq]

We need a revival of Legally Blonde: The Musical immediately.

[Dave in Hollywood]

I would venture to guess that the plan is to close Phantom, and then re-open it in a couple of years with a stripped down (i.e. cheaper) version, maybe one where you don't have to pay so many royalties or participation or whatever they call it on Broadway.

I admit Phantom is one of my least favorite hit Broadway shows ever, but clearly the general public loves it. I'm guessing The Lion King will eventually surpass it, but it's possible that nothing ever will in our lifetimes.

Andrew Lloyd Webber must be swimming in cash. I wish something like that could have happened to Sondheim or one of the lesser known "three name" composers out there.

[thevoid99]

Closing Phantom feels.... wrong. I think I want to see The People's Joker now more than ever.

[chasm301]

Phantom was my gateway drug musical at age 9 and is probably as central to my midwest POV image of New York City as the Empire State Building, so yes - this is shocking news and I've already made plans to go one last time. I wonder if this is a canary in a coal mine for some of these long running tourist shows - could Chicago be in any danger? (they'll never stop stuntcasting so maybe not)