Andrew Lloyd Webber lifts the veil on Phantom Of The Opera spin-off

Andrew Lloyd Webber is still unhappy that The Phantom Of The Opera is no longer on Broadway. "Ludicrous," he calls it.

- Michael Paulson

Andrew Lloyd Webber (second from far left) at a preview performance of Masquerade, a new version of The Phantom Of The Opera, in Manhattan, New York, on Sept 12.

(PHOTO: AMIR HAMJA/NYTIMES)

But the English composer, one of the most successful in the history of musical theatre, is moving on.

That is why, on a recent Friday, he strode up a busy street in midtown Manhattan and donned a lacy black mask before slipping through the doors of a former art shop that now houses a new version of Phantom called Masquerade.

In this US$25 million (S$32 million) immersive theatrical experience, patrons move through the story and the building, taking in scenes, songs and set pieces from the reimagined show.

Lloyd Webber, 77, has embraced a fresh round of innovation in recent years, endorsing efforts by a new generation of collaborators to reinterpret his hit shows.

Cats with drag queens? It is coming to Broadway in early 2026. A revival of Evita, with its most famous scene played to spectators on the pavement, was a sensation in London this summer.

And now, with director Diane Paulus at the helm, Phantom is the latest to get a makeover.