Fans are delighted by Wicked’s success, but ...

Since it opened at the start of 2024’s holiday season, Wicked has gone on to become not only one of the highest grossing films of the year, but one of the most successful movie endeavors of all time. The film’s success is, of course, due in part to the Broadway musical’s achievements, as well as director Jon M. Chu’s painstaking care in translating the material. There’s no question that the picture has pleased longtime fans of the stage show, and moviegoers alike. But as fans rejoicify Wicked’s success, we’re reminded of another Broadway smash that should have been equally triumphant, but came crashing down like a falling chandelier: 2004’s The Phantom of the Opera.

‘The Phantom of the Opera’ and ‘Wicked’ Are Two of Broadway’s Biggest Hits

Broadway is one of showbusiness’ toughest formats. The Economist estimates that only 20% to 30% even recoup their investments. But both Phantom and Wicked have defied the odds. According to BroadwayWorld, the Broadway production of Wicked has grown $1.6 billion as of February 2023, and is currently the fourth longest-running musical in the history of New York, while Playbill reported that the show now has a global gross of $3.2 billion.

Phantom‘s success cannot be overstated. It has a global gross of $6 billion (Variety), enjoyed a 35-year-long run on Broadway, and, despite closing in April 2023, remains the longest-running musical in Broadway history. Additionally, it was recently announced that a new North American tour based on the original staging will open in 2025, with composer Andrew Lloyd Webber also announcing a New York return is already being planned. It’s safe to say that the material is not going anywhere. However, the material also has a long history on the screen, and fans waited a long time for the musical to make its way to cinemas. But, in the case of adaptation, it would not enjoy the same success as Wicked.

‘Wicked’ Is a Better Adaptation

Adapting a Broadway musical for the screen is not easy. Hit shows like Dear Evan Hansen and Lloyd Webber’s own Cats suffered in translation. But Wicked has worked because it faithfully adapted the musical in its entirety while accounting for its new cinematic format. There are times when it even surpasses its theatrical counterpart. While both shows were the biggest stage hits of their respective generations, Phantom falls completely short of achieving the same smooth transition of Wicked.

Like Wicked, Phantom’s story revolves around human relationships. But, where Wicked used the screen to create more nuanced character arcs (something difficult to accomplish on stage), Phantom missed many opportunities. Sure, it rearranged the story to create a more linear arc for the screen, but it remained too faithful to the show in terms of its characterization. One needn’t look any further than the songs “Stranger Than You Dreamt It” and “Point of No Return.” The former is an intense moment in which Christine (Emmy Rossum) sees the Phantom’s (Gerard Butler) face for the first time. As a film, it had an opportunity to more closely examine Christine and the Phantom’s emotions. Instead, it’s staged almost identically to the show. “Point of No Return” itself misses the mark further. The scene on stage is an intimate power play between the two that ultimately leads to the grand finale. But the picture adds a slew of tango dancers to the scene and continuously cuts away from the two in order to show backstage anxieties. Where Wicked mastered the art of close-ups, Phantom seemingly avoids them at all cost.

Wicked goes a step further in adaptation, adding intimacy and logic to even its most theatrical numbers, like “Defying Gravity,” which makes them all the more believable. But Phantom again remains too faithful to the stage production. Take the title number as an example: the film is so reliant on the original staging that it adapts the show’s most famous scene transition where a set of candelabras rise from the stage floor. The film makes this literal, raising lit candelabras from below the Phantom’s Lake. Not only does it stand out as a strange choice, the spectacle doesn’t translate well on film at all. These shows really are Broadway icons. Yet, Phantom flopped in its attempt to share its story on the big screen, whereas Wicked soared and reinvented itself for the better.

The Phantom of the Opera is available to rent on Prime.