Another Date With `The Phantom' -- Seattle's Love Affair With The Hit Musical Means Big Business

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"The Phantom of the Opera," opens at the Paramount Theatre Saturday and plays Tuesdays-Sundays through April 6; $16.75-$66.75, 292-ARTS. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Lloyd Webber's blockbuster musical "The Phantom of the Opera" means different things to different people.

To millions of devotees worldwide, it is a rapturously romantic retelling of a classic love and horror tale, set against the exotic backdrop of the old Paris Opera House.

To its critics, "Phantom" is simply an overblown musical melodrama, pumped up by garish stagecraft.

For many in Seattle, though, the return of the phenomenally popular show for a second run signals a major merchandising opportunity.

So far, the Paramount Theatre has raked in an advance sale of $7 million, unloading 65 percent of all available seats before the musical's Saturday opening. Tickets are so coveted that when a local TV station promised five free pairs to early-bird callers recently, some 4,000 people rang up - jamming phone lines and nearly crashing local Sprint service.

In downtown Seattle bars, restaurants and hotels, the "Phantom" encore signals a hefty boost in winter revenue. To area parking lots, it justifies charging $10 or more for an evening's slot - and never having to say you're sorry about it.

A global phenomenon

And for some "Phantom" freaks from as far away as Florida and Georgia, it means designing a trip to Seattle during rainy season around a date with the "Phantom."

Have I mentioned the "Phantom" T-shirts, compact discs, slick programs, ceramic half-masks and other souvenir paraphernalia that will be sold during this two-month Seattle engagement of "Phantom"?

Tote all of that up, too.

For cities across the country, "Phantom of the Opera" has been a cash cow unparalleled in theatrical history. Worldwide, the musical based on Gaston Leroux's slim novella has grossed $1.5 billion in ticket sales since debuting in London in 1986. That tops the income generated by the most profitable movie in history, "Jurassic Park."

Not even the earlier Lloyd Webber phenom, "Cats," or the touring wonder "Les Miserables" (which returns to the 5th Avenue for yet a third time this summer) can compete with the spell "Phantom" casts. There seems to be a limitless supply of people eager to shell out upwards of $66 (plus various add-ons and service fees) to see it. And see it again. And again. And again.

"I've heard of a man who's seen the show 200 times," reports Cameron Mackintosh, the mogul British impresario whose impressive touring empire is fueled by the ongoing global success of "Phantom" and "Les Miz."

"To me that borders on insanity," the producer laughs. "But I'm also very grateful to people like him."

There are many other cases of ardent fans who've tracked "Phantom" along the West Coast - from Vancouver, B.C., to Los Angeles, San Francisco, (where it's been running since 1992) and Seattle, where it smashed local box office records three years ago.

Back then, "Phantom of the Opera" came to the 5th Avenue Theatre. Harold Prince's massive, opulent production was, agrees Mackintosh "a tight squeeze there."

No matter. It was 99 percent sold out, chalked up $12 million in 12 weeks, and convinced Mackintosh that "Seattle is an increasingly attractive market for big touring musicals."

Similar to 5th Avenue's "Phantom"

The just-renovated, more spacious Paramount may better accommodate the grandiose props and sets by Maria Bjornson - including the famous half-ton, 35,000-bead, crystal chandelier, which famously crashes from the rafters.

What patrons see at the Paramount will be a carbon copy of the 5th Avenue "Phantom" - except for the cast. The 1992 run introduced the third national touring company, with Franc D'Ambrosio as the Phantom.

The Paramount hosts the well-traveled second U.S. tour unit, fronted by Rick Hilsabeck as the maimed, love-lorn organist, Terri Bibb as the fetching soprano Christine, and Lawrence Anderson as dashing Raoul. All three principles are "Phantom" veterans; Bibb has played Christine more than 750 times.

The lure here is not the actors, however. It's the spectacle and the swoony, stick-to-your-ears Lloyd Webber tunes that crowds lap up. Meanwhile, nearby merchants hear those cash registers ringing.

John Brody, manager of Von's Grand City Cafe near the Paramount, says patronage should soar while "Phantom" is in session - at his eaterie, and at Salute in Citta, Union Street Grill, and other neighborhood restaurants.

Based on prior experience with "Phantom," Brody expects Von's receipts to double on some days, compared with the seasonal norm. And the clientele, he notes approvingly, will be more upscale than usual.

" `Phantom' impacts us very, very hard," says Brody. "It's a real boon for our business. And it brings a little glamour and sparkle back to the northern downtown corridor. Frankly, that's been missing ever since Frederick & Nelson's closed."