The current national tour of The Phantom of the Opera closed in Los Angeles on Sunday, a Halloween engagement that was apt for a macabre musical. (The current tour began about 18 years ago and has since played more than 7,000 performances around the country; the decision to end the tour in L.A. is a nod to the fact that the first national tour began in town in 1989.) And after the final curtain call at the Pantages Theatre, guests moved to the W Hollywood for a party that borrowed its look and feel from the show's Palais Garnier opera house setting, as well as the holiday.
Phantom producer Cameron Mackintosh oversaw the event, tapping Wendy Creed to produce the party for about 400 guests—mainly current and alumni cast and crew, plus their guests. Each was offered a red, black, white, silver, or gold mask upon arrival, which served in part to make the event festive for Halloween. "We tried to address [the possibility of attrition] by incorporating the idea of the masked ball," said Steve Greer, associate general manager of Alan Wasser Associates, which manages the tour. He added that the party's Hollywood Boulevard location fed into the lively atmosphere for the holiday.
References to the opera house turned up in furniture, like Louis Ghost chairs from Resource One and hanging crystal chandeliers from Omega Cinema Props. Chandeliers encased in plexi boxes served as cocktail tables, candelabras abounded, and mirrors covered bars and buffets. Red roses, symbolic in the show, rounded out the look and appeared on a candy buffet—a Creed signature, and a nod to Halloween—where confections filled tall glass vessels for a colorful look.
The Palais Garnier also made an appearance in the form of a giant cake from A Wish and a Whisk, which replicated the grand building in sweets. The original silent-movie version of the musical, starring Lon Chaney, played, and DJ Lee Dyson and an electric violinist entertained the crowd.
"It's the longest-running touring musical ever, and therefore we think also the most successful," said Greer. "Tours close all the time, but not after 18 years. So this was no ordinary retirement party. The event took on extra significance."