"Masquerade": Re-unmasking the Phantom
- Michael Stevens
- Jul 2
- 6 min read
This mysterious and vague email really got me curious. Me and Fray in our outfits for our visit to "Masquerade" Fray and me in our outfits for our first visit to Masquerade. Fray at the "Phantoms Lake" bar post show for our second visit to "Masquerade" Fray and another attendee (NOT a cast member!) at our first showing. Hubby Fray socializing with the Raoul (Paul Adam Schaefer) from another pulse post show in the bar. 7:45 PM pulse on Saturday, September 6, 2025 with Nik Walker as the Phantom, Kaley Ann Voorhees as Saturday, May 30, 2026 at 1:00 PM with Kyle Scatliffe as the Phantom, Gregory Lee Rodriguez as Raoul
From the moment you enter Masquerade (the immersive Off-Broadway reimagining of The Phantom of the Opera), you know you’re in for something special. This experience claims to be the first immersive musical, and when Madame Giry leads you into the story, you experience a version that is both familiar and completely new. This reimagining of the Phantom of the Opera includes about thirty scenes/rooms spread across six levels, including the roof and basement. Directed by Diane Paulus (whose work I knew from her Pippin revival several years ago), it is the same story you already know but with scenes that have been shuffled, enhanced, added, deleted and jury-rigged.
It helps that I'm a flaming show queen and my social media is mostly a frothy mix of hunky boys and theatre gossip. It also helps that one of my first and best dates with my husband was to see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway when it reopened after Covid. To fully appreciate my obsession with this show, I need to share a bit about the subversive guerrilla marketing campaign that initially caught my interest but which, ironically, may be a part of the reason that the show is still off many people's radar. That campaign was just another sign that this show was a horse of a different color. Unless you have an intense hatred of Phantom, you are likely to enjoy this show.. At the very least you will likely harbor a respect for the logistics that it takes to conduct six simultaneous performances and casts twice a day throughout a warehouse that has been transformed into the "Opera Populaire" in Paris.
Our obsession began with a cryptic Instagram video post from Andrew Lloyd Webber teasing a message from the “Opera Ghost.” That led to a secretive website, a mysterious email list, and eventually an invitation to buy tickets for a show whose details were almost entirely withheld.
We logged in and eventually learned that this would be multiple dates at the former Lee's Art location and tickets were about $250 per person. There were six matinee “pulses” every fifteen minutes starting at 1:00 PM, and another six in the evening. We were advised that the attire was black, white, and silver formal or cocktail wear, and that a mask was required. So we grabbed our tickets and psyched ourselves up. We were set to see the show.
Our anticipation was rewarded when we saw Masquerade at the 7:45 PM pulse on Saturday, September 6, 2025 with Nik Walker as the Phantom, Kaley Ann Voorhees as Christine, Nicholas Edwards as Raoul and Jeremy Stolle as Firmin. Note that we saw the show a second time on Saturday, May 30, 2026 at 1:00 PM with Kyle Scatliffe as the Phantom, Gregory Lee Rodriguez as Raoul, and Eryn LeCroy as Christine. Most of my recollections in this posting are from the first viewing since we were Masquerade virgins up until that time and the first time is always the most memorable. That is not to criticize any subsequent performances: it was top notch talent across the board and made all the more revelatory because we were just feet away from the cast.
After queuing up underneath the iconic Lee's Art Shop sign with about sixty other attendees for our specific pulse, you are ushered through a series of industrial halls and stairways until you come to a wood-paneled room with tutus suspended from the ceiling and theatrical bric-à-brac in niches along the wall. A man with a violin (who turns out to be the memory/ghost of Christine's father) starts playing what amounts to an overture of the Phantom's greatest hits while you sip a complimentary glass of champagne and wait for Madame Giry to greet you and instruct you on how to properly dance when you are admitted into the masquerade ball that the host is throwing. She beckons you to follow her and then you are truly off to the races.
Madame Giry leads you through a large wooden door, and suddenly your senses are overwhelmed by sound, color, motion, excitement—and the chandelier! While the instrumentation is not performed live, the soundtrack accompanying the singers is lush and full. Other than the violin player in the entryway, the music scoring is recorded which makes sense given the logistics of what they are doing here. But the richness of the sound engulfs you and the live and singing cast is reminiscent of those in the masquerade ball scene from the Broadway show. Nothing prepared me for the stimulation and this crescendo of sensory overload. We all did our choreography and started to mingle and dance with the cast who would randomly approach and dance with the audience.
You are led into a second room: Suddenly, a woman next to me says: "Oh, my God! I know that man!?" I turn and she is in costume. I knew the answer but blurted: "Who are you?"
She responds: "I'm Christine and that man on the steps is Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny! I grew up with him! Do you think that I should talk to him?!"
"Ah. Sure!"
There were many memorable moments but I would be here all day reliving them and Vessel of Blood, a goth blogger, does a great job in a 45 minute video overview that she gives of her experience if you want more details. Here are just a few additional highlights that have stuck with me:
Christine's Dressing Room:
This scene takes place after she has been abducted and returned by the Phantom. Christine is seated at a piano and Fray is on a stool about a foot away. And—with tears streaming down her face in angst— she turns and sings "Twisted Every Way" in my husbands face. Being that close, without the protection of the fourth wall, the talent and the emotion were in our laps and it was so urgent and real. Truthfully: it broke our hearts a little bit and made us fall in love with Kaley.
The Phantom's Lair If you are wondering if this scene makes the cut: yes! You take an escalator down to the Phantom's lair where you are handed a battery operated candle, and watch the fog and the boat roll in.
In the Phantom's Bed After she is taken to the Phantom's lair, Christine wakes up in his circular bed. Very Huggy Bear, if you get my drift. The only thing missing were mirrors above. And the scene is much more sexual and seductive than what we are used to on the stage. But now I kind of understand Christine's obsession a bit more: she's kinky and the Phantom knows which buttons to push!
Carnival Scene This new scene is added to give you the Phantom's sad backstory. Also known as Erik, you get to understand his connection to Madame Giry, his adversarial relationship with Joseph Buquet, the origin of the half mask, and whence came his skills with magic, fire, music, automatronics and his general creepiness.
Rooftop of the Opera House There is a scene that is sometimes performed on the roof of Lee's Art Shop and I think it is Christine's visit to her father's grave but it was too cold to be played that way on either of our visits. It was alternatively performed inside for us and I don't think we are any worse for wear.
The Chandelier Yes, it is there and beautiful (especially so close up). And, yes, it falls. Still cool but also still more symbolic of "danger" than really feeling like a threat within the story.
The Final Scene The last scene has been tweaked a bit but I love the revelation when you are finally made to understand why you have worn your mask through the whole show. The symbolism and the additional connection to the theme of "unmasking" make it even more poignant.
Both viewings were thoroughly enjoyable but the acting choices of your cast, your position in each scene, and the level of participation you get to enjoy can vary substantially. One caveat if you decide to go: while they may bend a little bit on the attire, you will have to wear a mask (and no "half masks") and they will cover your phone camera lens with a sticker so there are absolutely no photos during the course of the show. But be sure to give yourself a little time at the end of the show to enjoy "the Lake Bar" for a cocktail, some ambience, great photo opportunities, and the frequent opportunity to mingle with your cast—or others—after the show
Don't let preconceptions or previous experiences with either the Broadway musical or the film version of Phantom deter you from going and enjoying the music of the night one more time at Masquerade. This version doesn’t replace Phantom of the Opera. It haunts it, reshapes it, and lets you step inside it. For lifelong Phans like me and Fray, it’s less a revival than a séance.
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