Special Reports

A Mash-Up From TV’s Friends, Freestyle Canoeing, and More: An Anniversary Tribute to Broadway’s The Phantom of the Opera

Five Phantom-inspired video gems in honor of the musical’s 25th birthday.

Hugh Panaro and Sierra Boggess in <i>The Phantom of the Opera</i>
Hugh Panaro and Sierra Boggess in The Phantom of the Opera
(© Joan Marcus)

The Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera turns the big 2-5 on January 26, 2013. Almost 10,400 performances and the moniker “longest running Broadway show ever” have propelled Phantom into another realm of popular culture, a realm — we have discovered through YouTube excavation — where a cappella choirs and marching bands perform medleys, “sexy” costumes take over Halloween, and Emojis become a sufficient way of telling the story.

In honor of the show’s landmark anniversary, check out these five Phantom-flavored goodies we’ve compiled for your enjoyment.


Freestyle Canoeing
This is a gold medal-winning freestyle canoeing routine (which is a thing that exists) set to Phantom’s title number, and performed by a rower in full Phantom costume. So it’s basically like the Phantom’s foggy boat ride in the show, but without Christine, in the daylight, and with more “precision boat control.”


One Man Quartet – “The Music of the Night”
One man, four vocal parts. It’s like The Phantom of the Opera, but without the riff-raff.


Phantom Puppet Parody
Thanks, Russia, for this nightmare-inducing video of child-size, popeyed marionette terrors singing hits from the famous musical. This one starts out freaky and then gets hide-behind-a-pillow scary, but the puppetry is surprisingly skilled (a testament to noted puppeteer and artist Nikolai Zykov).


Phantom, Friends-Style
The theme-song from Friends, footage from Phantom, and Hadley Fraser as Chandler, obviously. But Sierra Boggess is a total Rachel.


Phantom Crafts!
Not a video, but a crafty crafter crocheted a mini-Phantom, complete with Chandelier, and we want it now.

A crocheted Phantom and his chandelier.
A crocheted Phantom and his chandelier.