Harold Prince Talks PHANTOM's Lasting Emotional Power to Las Vegas Review Journal

Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular hosted the first annual Phantom Fans Week through Sunday, September 16th through 20th. This unprecedented gathering of all things Phantom gave fans from around the globe insider access to the show like never before. The culmination of Phantom Fans Week was a keynote address from Tony Award-winning director of PHANTOM, Hal Prince. Prince talked about his life in theatre, his work with Andrew Lloyd Webber and his reasons for revisiting his classic PHANTOM 20 years later and adapting it for Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Journal Review chatted with the famed director as he shared his thoughts about the event.

"I'd forgotten how much I'd changed it," he remarked to the Journal/Review, to read the full article click here.

Having directed and produced over 50 Broadway productions, Hal Prince has left an indelible mark in the New York theatre history books. He set foot on the scene producing his first musical in 1955, the Tony Award-winning The Pajama Game. In the coming decades, Prince would collaborate with some of Broadway's legends, including Stephen Sondheim, John Kander and Fred Ebb and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Prince's impressive list of theatrical milestones and blockbusters include The Phantom of the Opera, Sweeney Todd, Cabaret, West Side Story, Damn Yankees, Follies, Evita, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Show Boat, Company, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Fiddler on the Roof.

Hal Prince has garnered an unparalleled 21 Tony Awards - and received the 2006 Tony Award for Special Achievement. His most recent Broadway production was the acclaimed production of LoveMusik at the Biltmore Theatre, featuring Michael Cerveris and Donna Murphy with the music of Kurt Weill. Other Broadway credits include Parade, Fiorello!, On the Twentieth Century, Merrily We Roll Along, Candide and A Little Night Music.

Now in its third year, PHANTOM - The Las Vegas Spectacular is the #1 rated show in Las Vegas. From the moment you enter the magnificent custom-built theatre you are immersed in the storied Paris Opera House and become part of The Phantom's world. Featuring every beloved Andrew Lloyd Webber song from the original, spectacular sets, new effects, and a breathtaking chandelier experience, this PHANTOM is an only-in-Vegas experience.

On Broadway, since its debut on January 26, 1988, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has grossed $740 million, making it the highest-grossing show in Broadway history. Total attendance is over 13 million. Its international success - equally staggering - is represented by total worldwide grosses estimated at over $5 billion. This colossal figure makes PHANTOM the most successful entertainment venture of all time, surpassing not only any other stage production, but also far surpassing the world's highest-grossing film Titanic (at $1.2 billion) and such other blockbusters as The Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park and Star Wars. Worldwide, over 65,000 performances have been seen by 100 million people in 27 countries and 144 cities.

 

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.

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