By Matthew Wexler
Will Masquerade live up to the hype of its full-throttle marketing campaign? That’s the question on theatergoers’ minds as a barrage of crimson communications in an impossible-to-read font floods the internet. But one shimmering, tiny detail caught 1 Minute Critic’s eye: Preciosa crystals.
The original production of The Phantom of the Opera opened in 1986, part of a wave of big-budget British musicals that dominated Broadway upon transfer. Production designer Maria Björnson brought the Paris House to life, including a 1,500-pound chandelier comprised of over 6,000 crystals and beads, including 50 pyrotechnical elements. Named “Ruthie” in honor of director Hal Prince’s longtime associate Ruth Mitchell, the set piece took five workers more than a month to build.
While Ruthie and subsequent iterations may be retired, a new chandelier will emerge, this time with over 30,000 crystals, courtesy of Preciosa, the official crystal partner of Masquerade. (Sorry, Swarovski—it was a great audition, but you didn’t have the “it” factor.)
The brand is rooted in the Czech Republic’s glassmaking tradition that dates back to the 16th century. Located in the historic region of Bohemia, Preciosa’s headquarters in the small town of Jablonec nad Nisou merely scratches the surface of its global impact, which encompasses 12 production sites and regional offices throughout Europe, North America, and Asia.
Preciosa melts over 40 tons of glass daily to manufacture 500,000 different products, but what can we expect when an immersive Phantom returns to New York City in a building originally erected in 1897 as a clubhouse for the American Society of Civil Engineers?
Hard to say. But what we do know is that there are plenty of instructions: Hide your face. Do not be late. Dress the part. That last one might be a challenge for a Broadway crowd that’s evolved from stoles to Sketchers. But if anyone can pull this off, it’s the Opera Ghost.
