Phantom Reborn: My Hopes for the Immersive ‘Masquerade’ Experience in NYC

by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder

Confession time: I am a massive Phantom of the Opera fan. Like, capital-F Fan. I know every word, every modulation, every chandelier cue. I’ve seen it more times than I can count—and yes, I’ve sobbed during “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” in more cities than I’m willing to admit. And don’t even get me started on the title song “Masquerade.” It’s not just one of my favorite show tunes—it might be my favorite moment in all of musical theatre. The spectacle, the swell, the sense that everyone is hiding something beneath all the glitter. It gets me every time.

So when I heard that Phantom is returning to New York in July 2025—not as a traditional revival, but as an immersive experience called Masquerade—I felt equal parts excitement and curiosity. Because if there’s ever been a musical begging for a more experiential retelling, it’s this one. But also? The stakes are high when you’re messing with something sacred.

And yet… I’m hopeful. Immersive theatre, when done right, can unlock entirely new ways of storytelling. It can deepen emotions, shift perspectives, and allow the audience to quite literally walk through a world we’ve only ever watched from a distance. That’s the magic I’m dreaming of here. I don’t want this to feel like a museum or a photo op. I want to feel like I’ve stepped inside the Paris Opera House—and into the Phantom’s psyche.

The Lee’s Art Shop building on 57th Street, with its grand architecture and layered history, is a brilliant venue choice. And if the producers lean all the way in—transforming the space into a haunting maze of opera boxes, rehearsal rooms, grand staircases, and secret tunnels—we could be in for something unforgettable. I hope every room breathes with character. I hope guests drift from one moment to the next, never quite sure where the story ends and the shadows begin.

And please, for the love of all things theatrical, let the music lead the way. Phantom without its score is just an empty costume. That lush, romantic, at times terrifying score is the experience. Let “Music of the Night” echo through the rafters. Let “All I Ask of You” play softly on a balcony above us. And when it’s time for my moment—when the cast erupts into “Masquerade”—I want to be standing right in the middle of it. I want to feel the floor pulse beneath my feet and be surrounded by a sea of masks and secrets and glorious chaos.

There’s also something powerful about shifting perspective in immersive theatre. Traditional stagings follow Christine’s journey—but what if this time, we get to choose who we follow? What if some guests are lured by the Phantom into his lair, while others stay in the glittering world above? What if we all walk away having seen something different? That’s what immersive storytelling can do. It lets us hold multiple truths at once. Which, if we’re being honest, is kind of the whole point of Phantom.

More than anything, I hope Masquerade doesn’t just replicate the Broadway version in a new setting. I hope it reimagines it. Deepens it. I want this version to haunt me, not just entertain me.

July 2025 can’t come soon enough.