I Think There Might Be an Official Phantom of the Opera ARG

If you took a trip out to the corner of 57th Street and 7th Avenue in Manhattan today, you’d probably walk past without looking twice. The former home of Lee’s Art Shop still bears its prior signage despite closing down in 2016, and the windows are papered over with old newspapers. But on the off chance you did stop to peer at the articles obscuring the view through the building’s large glass windows, you might notice that a couple of those newspapers aren’t just old, they’re practically ancient – dating back to Paris in the 1880s.

This starts to make sense once you realize that Lee’s Art Shop is in the process of transforming into the Paris Opera House, to play host to the upcoming immersive production of Phantom of the Opera, Masquerade NYC. And enough curious events are happening, that I’m beginning to suspect they’re running an alternate reality game to welcome the show into the world.

Act I: Letters from the Opera Ghost
Rumors have been circulating across Broadway for the past few months that Phantom of the Opera would be returning to New York City in the form of an immersive show of some sort. But last year, those rumors started solidifying into something real when Broadway World flagged the casting notice for “UNTITLED IMMERSIVE MUSICAL ATTRACTION”, posted by POTO LLC.

Those rumors further solidified when ardent fans tracked down documents filed with New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Committee outlining the team’s plans to respect the building’s 130 year history as they transform it into a 140 year old Parisian theater. And starting in late 2024 a minimalist version of the MasqueradeNYC.com website went live, asking devoted fans to register for updates – what their Instagram account would later take to referring to as “submitting to the Ledger”.

In March, people who signed up for the list received an email from the Opera Ghost containing a red letter, and a link to the MasqueradeNYC Instagram account reading:

Fondest Greetings.

You submitted your name to my ledger, and for that you shall be among the first to glimpse the strange new world beyond the mirror.

Though the veil is drawn,
the stage is being set
and the Masquerade will soon begin.

Your Host

A month later, fan and Phantom-inspired romance author Jessica Mason received a physical letter from the Opera Ghost in the mail. She had previously made a TikTok video about the virtual letter, but its physical counterpart was significantly more personal. It wasn’t written to a generic Phantom fan. It was written with her in mind.

Dearest Jessica,

Your keen attention to my Masquerade has not gone unnoticed. The devotion you pour into your tales of the Opera Ghost makes you no stranger to the shadows – and soon, you will be able to step into them yourself.

A Masquerade awaits – when the moment comes, be prepared to cross the veil from fiction into reality. Until then, let your pen wander freely.

Your obedient servant,

O.G.

Over the next few days, a host of these deeply personalized letters from the Phantom started going out to other Phantom, Broadway, and immersive theater fans.

The SFX makeup artist @Ash.Paints.Faces received a note saying, “I have seen your artistry – how you wield paint like a mask, transforming faces into visions both haunting and divine. Such talent does not go unnoticed, least of all by one who knows the power of a well-crafted illusion.” Museum of Broadway brand ambassador Malcolm Hollis’ letter reads, “a theater aficionado like you knows the magic isn’t just in the spotlight – it’s in the shadows too. How eager you seem to be to unveil the details of my Masquerade. Where would be the fun in that?” Letter after letter from the Opera Ghost, wooing individual patrons with flattery and kind words. Like he knows them. Like he sees them. Like he hears them.

Act II: Paper Facades on Parade
It’s around this time that fans started to notice that the windows in front of the future site of Masquerade NYC were papered over with a few in-universe newspapers dated between 1880-1881, telling the story of the Opera Ghost. Not enough to be obvious, but enough to start “cross[ing] the veil from fiction and reality”. I work a few blocks from the venue, and took a brief pilgrimage to see what the articles had to say.

A series of three newspapers dated between November 17, 1880 and November 22, 1881 provided a series of glimpses into what the building would soon transform into. The earliest paper, Le Monde Nouveau, celebrated the legacies of Paris Opera House proprieters Debienne and Poligny, as they transitioned operations to Messrs André and Firmin. Later articles celebrate the rise of Christine Daae whose performance of Hannibal stunned audiences after the show’s star Carlotta Giudicelli fell ill, and even investigated rumors of the theater’s stories Opera Ghost: how to keep him appeased, and how to defend against his magic lasso.

The articles were riddled with nods to The Phantom of the Opera, but also contained articles designed to draw fans into an earlier Paris, like a particularly pointed article decrying the advent of bicycles on Parisian streets:

A NEW THREAT TO DECENCY? THE CYCLING CRAZE
The boulevards of Paris have been playing host to the most alarming spectacle: men—and, more shockingly, women—mounted upon two-wheeled contraptions careening…it is the sight of women upon those machines that has caused the greatest outcry.”

Les Chroniques du faubourg – October 21, 1881

So, the Phantom is getting extremely personal with fans, and Lee’s Art Shop is slowly transitioning into something different, with newspapers from another time and place crossing the veil just as the building’s interior undergoes its own transition.

Act III: The Phantom’s Reach Extends Further
Things really started heating up over the weekend, when the Masquerade NYC Instagram account started sharing Stories indicating the Phantom’s influence is extending further – no longer confined to sending out letters from the Opera House or taking over signage in the periphery of his new home, items started getting scattered across the city.

First, there was a series of six masks secured to poles near locations significant to the events of Phantom of the Opera. Attached to each mask was a red luggage tag: one side was emblazoned with the MasqueradeNYC.com website, while the other had a note: “if found, call [number redacted]”. Calling that number triggers the sound of a music box playing “Masquerade”, before a woman’s voice ominously declares, “he’s back”.

Soon after, six new locations were shared directing fans to a series of six vanity mirrors, with messages from the Phantom painted in red begging passerby to “hide your face so the world will never find you”, or “let your fantasies unwind”.

Finally, yesterday the Masquerade NYC Instagram account shared the locations of six newsstands across the city, which were giving out copies of two of the three newspapers featured in the windows of Lee’s Art Shop, along with a note from the O.G. taunting recipients with the message, “did you think that I had left you for good?”

I was able to hunt down a copy of the final deaddrop yesterday during an early lunch break, and it was refreshing to chase down secret deliveries at random locations around the city. You’d think I should be used to it, especially after playing Great Gotham Challenge for so many years. But it never gets old. The first two locations were out by the time I got there, but when I reached the second location I ran into a couple who were visiting the city from Florida to catch a few shows (they were catching the newly launched immersive show Death of Rasputin later that night, and I hope they had a wonderful time at it).

We were finally able to grab a copy at a third location that opened up shortly after we ran into each other, so they’ll have a particularly timely souvenir to take back home.

Hopes for a New Star for the Immersive Community in NYC
It’s been a rough year for immersive theater in New York City. Sleep No More closed out its 13 year run in January with a series of three farewell parties, and Emursive’s newest production Life & Trust surprised everyone by shutting down on Easter Sunday. And that’s already inspired talk questioning how big budget immersive shows can exist in the modern entertainment landscape, with Adrian Hon arguing,

This is almost certainly the end of major new mask shows for the foreseeable future. Their enormous space and capital requirements, along with high ongoing costs for performers and replacing all the stuff audiences steal every night, always made them a challenge; I’ve been told the only way they make money is through alcohol sales, so it’s bad for business when young people are drinking less (supposedly this is partly why clubs in New York are closing). Cities also now have fewer and fewer suitable spaces, shifting the market toward smaller immersive experiences like escape rooms, or experiences directly tied to popular IP.

And yet, we’re already starting to see new visions for what immersive in major cities can look like. I caught Death of Rasputin over the weekend during the show’s previews, and while its limited run on Governor’s Island (currently set to end May 11th) only offers temporary solace, its execution offers up one potential evolution to the form of masked shows. Substituting traditional masks for recommended dress codes for easily differentiating between audience and actor, the show’s spoken dialogue makes it significantly easier to follow the events of the Russian revolution without much familiarity with the source material or multiple visits.

But the show’s biggest evolution on the form comes from its shift towards creating shared moments instead of the laser-focus on nurturing “one-on-ones”. While I had characters pull me aside to ask for help with a ceremony or to offer whispered encouragement, some of the most magical moments were communal moments of the whole room getting invited to join a dance, jot down rebellious thoughts, or get cultish as a collective through light, low-pressure touches.

The Shed is also bringing Punchdrunk’s Viola’s Room to New York City in June, one of the UK’s experiments in “actor-less” immersive, focused around guiding visitors through a space with audio accompaniment. There are a host of immersive-adjacent shows that may not have over a decade of history, but are leaving their mark on the city.

Fantasy Tavern provides periodic interactive performances that feel like transplanting the Ren Faire experience into a bar, while Twenty Sided Tavern is more focused on translating the tabletop experience into a staged performance. And while the experience still has some rough edges, the show seems to have found its groove by regularly inviting celebrity guests to join their table and offer a breath of fresh air to the experience. Even traditionally staged shows like The Play That Go Wrong find delightful ways to lightly poke at the proscenium between stage and audience, including a few clever tricks in the Playbill itself.

Practically nothing is known about Masquerade NYC and where it fits into the immersive space, at the moment. Some outlets are claiming the show will premiere in early July, but even that is subject to speculation. And while fans are left with nothing but questions, the in-universe marketing for the project is leaving me with hope for what is to come…both for Phantom fans, and the broader “blockbuster” immersive community. Especially when Sleep No More‘s own entry into the New York space started with similar (alternate reality) games.

To keep up with Masquerade NYC, sign up for “the Ledger” on their website, follow them on Instagram, and keep an eye on the #MasqueradeNYC hashtag on TikTok. For more on immersive theater in your area, check out No Proscenium for news and reviews, and their companion site Everything Immersive for show listings.

Updated 04/27 to add:
In the time since this article was originally posted, the MasqueradeNYC Instagram account dropped a set of individually tagged roses in front of Broadway theaters, and took over a newsstand for a late night scratch-and-win lottery that rewarded attendees with newspapers, masks, and even a trip into Lee’s Art Shop for an exclusive 1:1 encounter that seems to imply the history of the art shop may be woven into the production.