Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit’s
Musical Sensation

PHANTOM

“The Most Successful Musical Never to
Play Broadway”

Munster, Ind.-  The internationally acclaimed musical, PHANTOM, by Arthur Kopit (Indians, Wings, Nine) with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston (Nine, Grand Hotel, Titanic) is based on the Gaston Leroux 1910 novel, The Phantom of the Opera.  The musical, which is described as “the
most successful musical never to have played Broadway”, will preview July 10, open July 17 and run through August 17 at Theatre at the Center, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, Indiana. The production that really launched PHANTOM was here in Chicago, staged by Theatre at the Center’s Artistic Director Bill Pullinsi at the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse.  It received rave reviews in publications including Variety and the Wall
Street Journal which led to interest from theaters around the country.

The evolution of PHANTOM is an interesting story. Yeston and Kopit had just finished the musical Nine, winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1982, when they were approached by Actor/Director/Choreographer Geoffrey Holder to write an American musical based on the Leroux novel. Holder had obtained the rights from the Leroux estate, making PHANTOM the first and only Phantom of the Opera musical to do so.

Yeston and Kopit had plans to take the musical to Broadway when a real threat emerged.  Variety announced that a musical production of The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber was also headed to Broadway.

The race was on to bring the story of The Phantom of the Opera as a musical to the stage.  Andrew Lloyd Webber had instant fame with his rendition in Britain.  In the meantime, the three million dollars that Yeston, Kopit and Holder raised for their own Broadway production evaporated as investors pulled out.   Eventually their project was put aside. According to Arthur Kopit, it was one of the bleakest moments of their lives because they had come to love their work.

Shortly after that, Kopit saw the Andrew Lloyd Webber version of The Phantom of the Opera in New York and realized that the approach he and Yeston had taken was so fundamentally different that it could still work on the musical stage.

Arthur Kopit rewrote the script outline into a miniseries and sold it to NBC where it premiered on television in 1990. Kopit said, “I told Maury to hold on. Maybe someone would see the miniseries, think it would make a good musical we’d be ready.” In effect, this is what happened.

With more than one thousand independent productions worldwide,
Yeston still refers to PHANTOM as “the most popular hit never to star
on Broadway.” This show has grossed over 71 million dollars to date, becoming one of the most popular musicals of all time. Theater devotees refer to this version as the “smarter” PHANTOM.

Kopit and Yeston did not like the monstrous Phantom as portrayed in the movies.  They instead created a more human character who lives in the catacombs of the Paris Opera and falls in love with the voice and beauty
of Christine. Drama ensues when a scheming diva, Carlotta, attempts to sabotage Christine’s opera debut.  A passionate tale of murder, intrigue and love, PHANTOM is an exhilarating musical with a lush and compelling score that captures audiences.

Theatre at the Center’s PHANTOM stars Larry Adams as The Phantom, Johanna McKenzie Miller as Christine, Marilyn Bogetich as Carlotta and Jim Sherman as Gerrard Carriere.  Rounding out the cast of PHANTOM are David Perkovich, Ann McMann, Bob Hildreth, Audrey Billings, Kristen Mose, Major Curda, Robert Sadlowski, Jon Cunningham, Frank Paul, Joseph Tokarz, Jeremy Rill, Scott Stratton, Matthew Nicholson, Katrina Kuntz, Chris Walsh, Peter Vamvakas and Cassandra Liveris. 

The artistic team for PHANTOM is led by director, Bill Pullinsi, with musical director Val Maze, choreographer Linda Fortunato, scenic designer Andre LaSalle, and costume designer Myron Elliott. Rita
Vreeland serves as the stage manager.

Founded in 1991, Theatre at the Center is a year-round professional, equity theater at its home, The Center for Visual and Performing Arts, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, Indiana. Theatre at the Center is conveniently located off I-80/94, just 35 minutes from downtown Chicago.

The regular schedule is: Wednesdays and Thursdays at 2:00 p.m. ($36.00); Fridays at 8:00 p.m. ($40.00); Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. ($40.00); Sundays at 2:30 p.m. ($40.00) and select Thursdays at 7:30, Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and Sundays at 6 pm ($36.00).  To purchase tickets call the Box Office at 219.836.3255 or Tickets.com at 800.511.1552.  Group discounts, available for groups of 20 or more; and gift certificates, perfect for all special occasions are also available by calling the Box Office at 219.836.3255.  For more information on Theatre at the Center, visit www.TheatreAtTheCenter.org