MASQUERADE Extends Off-Broadway Run
The immersive Off-Broadway production MASQUERADE has announced a nine-week extension running through summer 2026. Inspired by 'The Phantom of the Opera,' the show's extension reflects strong audience demand for immersive theatrical experiences.
*MASQUERADE* is staged in a six-story building on West 57th Street, where audiences follow the performers through intricately designed rooms representing the Paris Opera House, from dressing rooms to the Phantom's subterranean lair. This production is directed by Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus and is modeled after the long-running immersive hit *Sleep No More*, which concluded its 14-year run in 2025. The show's creative team includes composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, and scenic designer Scott Pask. To enhance the experience, attendees are encouraged to dress "extravagantly" in black, white, or silver and are given masks to wear, becoming part of the masquerade ball. This immersive adaptation arrived after the original Broadway production of *The Phantom of the Opera* closed in April 2023, after a historic 35-year run, making it the longest-running show in Broadway history. The story is based on Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel, which was inspired by real and rumored events at the Palais Garnier opera house in Paris, including a fire and the existence of an underground lake. The production features a rotating cast, with different actors playing the lead roles of the Phantom and Christine depending on the audience's entry time. This fifth extension of its run now schedules performances through September 6, 2026, at its 218 West 57th Street location.
