when I was ten years old. She sat me in a rocking chair at age ten with a blanket in my lap and a BIG headphone set.  She plopped a big black book containing The Phantom of the Opera libretto onto my lap, and played the entire show on 2 cassettes, front and back, stopping after each song to talk about the lyrics and phrases, and make sure I understood the plot.

If I wanted to see The Phantom of the Opera with her, I had to pay attention and ask questions now, so I would understand in the theater.  I ended up not only understanding…but feeling it in my DNA.

I remember sitting in my bedroom for days after the show, replaying the last 10 minutes of The Phantom where he lets Christine and Raoul go…and I’d just cry and cry and cry. I’d never felt emotions so intensely before.  I was so sad for the Phantom, and yet so grateful for this beauty.

The Opera Populaire thought the Phantom was a demon, a ghost…be in reality, he was just a human who had been deemed unlovable.  I don’t think I had ever felt such great big emotion before.

I didn’t get to see the show once more since closing was announced.  It just wasn’t in the cards. I am grateful that my final time at the Majestic was for the show’s joyous re-opening performance after COVID.  It was seriously a gigantic celebration of The Phantom, and I will never forget it.

Here are my Phantom memories, from my first and last playbill to the worn-out libretto Mom popped into my lap. I don’t even think all the playbills here reflect the actual amount of times I’ve visited…it was a lot. I am sad today as my beautiful Phantom closes…but I am so grateful for what he gave me…the best being a beautiful memory with my mom.a

And thank you, Mom, for giving me The Phantom.

It’s over now, the music of the night 🎶