A boat glides through swirling mist. Tiny lights shine out of the surrounding darkness. The masked man and the ethereal beauty he embraces on the boat are a picture of pathos, one deeply in love, the other held in thrall by the other’s power. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music swells and fills the space, its tendrils reaching into one’s heart. It isn’t surprising that the haunting tale of The Phantom of the Opera has entranced over 160 million people across more than 200 cities in 21 languages since it first opened in London’s West End in 1986 and on Broadway two years later. And now, one of the world’s longest running musicals has arrived on Mumbai’s shores.
The stage of the dazzling Grand Theatre at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) is dominated by a giant chandelier. Not everyone knows this, but French author Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel, Le Fantôme de L’Opéra, upon which this splendid production is based, was inspired by a similar chandelier crashing down at the Palais Garnier in Paris in 1896 AD. Rumours of a ghost and an underground cistern below the opera house caught the author’s imagination. His macabre mystery story was turned into one of the most haunting romantic tales of our time by Webber, centring around a young soprano Christine Daaé, her childhood sweetheart, Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny, and the mysterious masked Phantom.
Our Founder & Chairperson Mrs. Nita Ambani took the stage to thank a full house on the opening night of ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, which made its India debut with a fabulous four-week run, marking the Cultural Centre's second anniversary. pic.twitter.com/mBHwII0lKC
— Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (@nmacc_india) March 6, 2025
For Indians, no strangers to sweeping love arcs where passion, jealousy, and dramatic gestures come together in some of our most compelling cinematic productions, the theatrical grammar and language of The Phantom of the Opera is not only familiar, but also visceral. And music being a central character of a production is embraced enthusiastically too. The brilliance of Weber’s compositions, with lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe, are timeless and enduring. The most moving Music of the Night, Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, the lively Masquerade and the iconic title song, are all memorable. Award-winning South African theatre actor Jonathan Roxmouth gives the phantom a layered gravitas and pathos that has you almost rooting for him, and American Grace Roberts brings a delicate innocence to the role of Christine Daaé.
While the style of dialogues, with multiple characters speaking or singing simultaneously may seem a tad dated, the resultant chaos does convey emotions such as fear, menace, madness, urgency, and desperation quite effectively. The show’s magnificently moody Gothic sets, and more than 350 elaborate costumes, and clever use of perspective, transport you into the world of the phantom beautifully. Almost as mesmerising as the stage itself is the view of the pit, where you can see the orchestra and the elegant hands of the conductor painting arabesques in the air.
First night fabulousness
Opening night at the NMACC was a glamorous gathering in keeping with the opulence of the show, with Mumbai’s beautiful people dressed up in their best, sipping on bubbly and partaking of exotic cheese, crackers, and other elaborate hors d’oeuvres next to the Fountain of Joy before heading into the Grand Theatre for the spectacular production. We spotted actors Jackie Shroff, Shenaz Treasury, Ishaan Khattar, and Tara Sutaria among the enthusiastic crowd, while the musical fraternity was represented by musician AR Rahman, percussionist Sivamani, singer Kavita Krishnamurthy and her husband, acclaimed violinist Dr L Subramaniam, and Jazz enthusiasts Manju and Sunil Sampat. Photo ops with masquerade masks and souvenirs in the form of long-stemmed red roses gave attendees a sense of being part of the drama.
At curtain call, NMACC Founder & Chairperson Nita Ambani addressed the audience, sharing, “I am thrilled to announce the arrival of the most loved theatrical marvel that has captivated generations. This timeless tale unveils the beauty in vulnerability and the power of love that transcends barriers. Whenever Mukesh and I used to travel abroad, we’d wait for tickets to see this show. We must have seen it a dozen times, and yet the magic never stops.”
While Webber couldn’t make it to opening night, his wife Madeleine Gurdon and sons Alastair and William were present. Madeleine said, “It’s been Andrew’s dream to have a show in India and especially in Mumbai. We started planning it 20 years ago! Our thanks to Mrs Ambani, who made it possible for us by building this incredible cultural centre with the only theatre in India that can house the technical capability and the size of this orchestra and set.” She also joked that the phantom had sent a note to say he liked the luxurious backstage of NMACC so much, he wanted to stay longer!
Mumbai wouldn’t mind, for sure.
[The Phantom of the Opera will have two performances (2pm and 7.30pm) a day of 2 hours 30 minutes including a 20-minute intermission at NMACC Mumbai until March 30, 2025.]
