For years Agatha Christie’s play, The
Mouse Trap, was considered the all-time successful money spinner in theater. It holds the record for the longest initial
run of any play in history, with its 25,000th performance taking place on 18
November 2012. People had to book well in advance to buy tickets and its lead
was secure until a somewhat Hunchback-of-Notre-Dame musical opened in London's
West End in 1986, and on Broadway in 1988.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical was from the French novel Le Fantôme de
l'Opéra by Gaston Le Roux. The Phantom
of the Opera’s plot is about Christine Daaé, a beautiful soprano, who becomes
the obsession of a mysterious, disfigured musical genius.
Phantom became the longest running show
in Broadway history by far. Its 10,000th Broadway performance was on 11
February 2012. Move aside Mousetrap! Theater goers have spent 5.6 billion dollars
world-wide to come see it. Over 130 million people in 145 cities in 27
countries have lined up for a performance. On Broadway alone it has grossed $845
million.
So a somewhat dark plot, with enticingly
excellent music by a modern Mozart, cornered the world’s love of entertainment.
You might expect a preacher like me to see the analogy: Satan’s work is so very
similar. There is always huge sensory titillation, but always desiring to lead
to ultimate captivation.
Le Roux’s play does however build to the
desired “happy ending.” Christine
returns the Phantom's ring to him, and he tells her he loves her. (Oh, tell the
Evil One you have a new and deeper love now in your life!) Christine cries,
forces herself to turn away, and exits with Raoul. (No matter how dear the association with evil –
give your heart to Christ.) The Phantom, weeping, huddles on his throne and
covers himself with his cape. The mob storms the lair and Meg pulls away the
cape—but the Phantom has vanished; only his mask remains (Wow, what a powerful
ending!)
In the New York theater world the Phantom
rules no more! A musical show that my
wife and I saw in London, is now in its 16th year on Broadway. It’s been playing in London since 1999. We
both were deeply moved by the opening song by Rafiki, the mandrill. She
transported us back to the beloved sound of Zulu music. Even now I get touched
by the strident, yet haunting sound of that song. Broadway's all-time highest-earner,
it became the first show to pass $1 billion (£605m) early in 2014. I speak, of
course, about The Lion King.
This amazing show was based on the 1994
Disney animated film of the same name. The
music was written by Elton John and the lyrics by Tim Rice. Hans Zimmer wrote the music score. The Lion
King debuted July 8, 1997, in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Orpheum Theatre. It
was a huge success and premiered on Broadway on October 15, 1997at the New
Amsterdam Theater.
I’m tempted to discuss the plot, but won’t.
There might just be a reader left who hasn’t had the pleasure of seeing this
awesome story. Here’s all I will
reveal. Scar is a mean hyena who hates
Simba the Lion. The story drives down to
a huge battle at the end. Simba's friends fight the hyenas while Simba battles
Scar to the top of Pride Rock. Only one victor can remain. With the battle won,
Simba's friends come forward and acknowledge Simba as the rightful king. Simba
ascends Pride Rock and roars out across the kingdom.
Here’s a take away from an old preacher
like me: The Lion of the Tribe of Judah ascended a skull-shaped Pride Rock and
there, fought all the dark forces of evil for the rights to justly forgive
sinners who broke the Creator of the Universe’s moral laws. He looked like he
was losing, but cried at last: “it is finished.” Days later an empty tomb sent
a roar across both the globe and the centuries. Evil cannot even play the card
of human death as its final victory. Jesus is Lord even over that!
Stepping back to theater one more time:
The Lion King has routed the Phantom. So
should it be for the King of Kings has defeated the Phantom Prince of this
world. Maybe in your life the Phantom
had a long reign. May it be SO over today!
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