The trucks are unloaded. The chandelier is hung. The stage is set.
The Phantom is here.
For the next 12 days, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Lied Center for Performing Arts is transformed into the Paris Opera House circa the late 1800s for a new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera.” The musical — one of the largest on tour in North America — will be staged 16 times (15 for the public, once for nearly 2,000 high school students from across the region) through Nov. 3.
Already a record-setter on Broadway, “Phantom” is establishing new marks at the Lied. With plenty of seats remaining, the production has sold more than 19,000 tickets, eclipsing the Lied’s single-production record of nearly 16,000 tickets sold last year for “Book of Mormon.” When complete, “Phantom of the Opera” will be the single, longest-running show to stop at the campus performance venue to date.
The musical is also redefining the Lied Center, requiring nearly $400,000 in facility upgrades. The improvements are mostly hidden in the Lied fly loft (the space where lights, electrical lines and theatrical rigging run between the roof and performance area) but they provide for an enhanced experience, allowing sets to be positioned closer to the edge of the stage and offering the audience a more immersive experience.
“We rebuilt the entire front section of the fly loft because the ‘Phantom’ set was too big and too tall to clear the previous design of our light bridge,” said Bill Stephan, executive director of the Lied Center. “Now, we can have sets positioned closer to the front of the stage. This is going to provide a more interactive experience because there won’t be so much distance between the audience and the performers.”
Other upgrades include the installation of specialized systems for hanging of decorations and surround-sound speakers (the production can install up to 150 speakers, which allow the Phantom to “travel” around the performance venue), the creation of a pyrotechnics room and adjoining tunnel below the stage, as well as punching a pair of holes in the Lied ceiling.
“We had to reinforce the ceiling with steel and some additional structure so the chandelier — which, as you may know, is a key part of ‘Phantom’ — could hang over the audience,” Stephan said.
“While it hasn’t even taken the stage yet, ‘Phantom’ has redefined Nebraska’s Lied Center for Performing Arts. Changes made to bring this production to Lincoln allow us to offer a truly signature experience for audience members who see ‘Phantom.’ And, the investments made also will allow the Lied to offer an enhanced experience to audiences for years to come.”
Tickets to the musical remain available — including reduced admission for faculty and staff. For more information, click here, call 402-472-4747 or visit the Lied Center box office at 301 N. 12th St.
