Diane Paulus Will Direct NYC The Phantom of the Opera Revival

Tony-winning Pippin director Diane Paulus will helm the forthcoming New York revival of The Phantom of the Opera, seemingly now called Masquerade.

The news was revealed in the latest letter sent to 半岛体育 from the Opera Ghost, who also confirmed that the production will play a venue located on 57th Street. No other details have been announced for this new production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber international hit.

In the new letter, the O.G. writes, "I have secured an address on 57th Street, a more salubrious part of town than my previous, where I have instructed the director Diane Paulus to prepare my new vision of the legend. I have observed that she has considerable credentials in the fields of opera and musical theatre. Under my guidance she has created, along with my minion Lloyd Webber, an event like no other with my characters played by performers of exceptional ability."

Paulus won the 2013 Best Direction of a Musical Tony for her work on the revival of Pippin. She has also been Tony-nominated for her direction of Jagged Little Pill, Hair, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, and Waitress. This means the new version of Phantom will potentially have a different look than the original Phantom production, which was overseen by the late Harold Prince and featured scenic and costume design by Maria Bj枚rnson.

Notably, Paulus is married to Randy Weiner, one of the producers behind the long-running immersive show Sleep No More. The two of them directed an immersive Midsummer Nights Dream, called The Donkey Show, that ran at American Repertory Theater, where Paulus is artistic director.

Ticket information for the Phantom revival is expected June 30 at 10 AM (the only way to receive the invitation for ticket access is to sign the Phantom鈥檚 Ledger at ). According to the show's official website, Masquerade will have six weeks worth of preview performances. Guests are encouraged to "dress extravagantly" in black, white, or silver鈥攖hough they are encouraged to "wear shoes you can move in." Attendees will also be masked throughout the evening, further confirming that this new version of Phantom will be a Sleep No More-style immersive experience.

Read the most recent letter below.

As previously reported, an immersive production of Phantom of the Opera has been teasing its arrival for several months now, beckoning "phans" far and wide with Easter eggs and hints both online and around New York City. Some of the first major clues came with the debut of the show's official Instagram account, which first posted a simple note in cursive on bright-red parchment, reading: "Have you missed me?" Not long after, the account collaborated with Andrew Lloyd Webber's official account to share a video in which the prolific composer opens a note from the Opera Ghost himself announcing his return; Lloyd Webber was also standing in front of 218 W. 57th St., which used to house Lee's Art Shop.

The Phantom even made an appearance at the recent 2025 Tony Awards. This will be Phantom's return after the show closed on Broadway in 2023 after 35 history-making years.

Before it closed, Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera was the longest-running show in Broadway history, a ranking it still maintains. The original production ran at the Majestic Theatre, home to the Audra McDonald-led revival of Gypsy.

The Phantom of the Opera has music by Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Charles Hart (with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe), and a book by Stilgoe and Lloyd Webber. The Broadway production also featured musical staging and choreography by Gillian Lynne, scenic and costume design by Maria Bj枚rnson, lighting design by Andrew Bridge, and sound design by Martin Levan with David Caddick as music director. Cameron Mackintosh and Lloyd Webber's The Really Useful Group served as producers. The late Harold Prince directed.

READ: Every Actor Who's Played the Angel of Music and Christine in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway

The Broadway staging of the London-originated show won seven 1988 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Previews on Broadway began January 9, 1988, with an official opening January 26. The original Broadway cast featured Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman, Judy Kaye, and the late Steve Barton.

The Phantom of the Opera became the longest-running show in Broadway history January 9, 2006, when it surpassed the nearly 18-year run of Cats. The production鈥檚 nearly 14,000 performances were seen by 19.5 million people and grossed $1.3 billion. Phantom was the largest single generator of income and jobs in Broadway and U.S. theatrical history. In the New York production alone, an estimated 6,500 people (including 450 actors) were employed during its more than three-decade run.

Though it closed on Broadway, Phantom still continues to run worldwide in several tours and sit-down productions. A North American tour will begin November of this year. A scaled-down version of the original production, with a smaller orchestra and redesigned sets, reopened after the COVID-19 shutdown in London's West End. It features direction by Seth Sklar-Heyn, based on the celebrated original direction by Harold Prince with choreography by Gillian Lynne, recreated and adapted by Chrissie Cartwright. The staging also features production design by Maria Bj枚rnson, redesigned by Matt Kinley. Phantom is still running at the His Majesty's Theatre.