Yes, you can now sleep at Palais Garnier, home of 'The Phantom of the Opera'
MANILA, Philippines — Good news for "The Phantom of the Opera" "phans" who sometimes dream of watching the musical in Palais Garnier, the Parisian opera house, and sleeping there, too, in style. Now you can do just that spend the night at the theater that inspired the record-breaking musical, that is!
"The Music of the Night" is returning to the place that inspired one of the world’s longest-running and most loved musicals, "The Phantom of the Opera," which will be performed in 15 countries this 2023, including a final bow on Broadway.
To celebrate the global success of the musical, the historic Palais Garnier will open its doors and allow "phans" to book a night in the mythical underworld where it all began.
One of the most exclusive private viewing areas in the theater, the Box of Honour, shall be “magically” transformed into a majestic bedroom, where guests “will spend an exceptional night, befitting the mysteries and architectural splendor of the Palais Garnier.” Along with the booking will be the license to “haunt” the halls of the iconic building and visit the real underground lake, home of the late Phantom, as featured in the famous novel.
The host of the privileged stay, Véronique Leroux, is the great granddaughter of French novelist Gaston Leroux, who created the world-famous phantom character.
“My great grandfather’s classic story has inspired so many people through the years. This is the perfect time to honor him and welcome ‘phans’ to the famous setting of his much-loved novel for a once-in-a-lifetime stay,” said Leroux.
Booking for this special night at Palais Garnier will be made via Airbnb, whose commitment is to revitalize heritage tourism in Europe, including heritage donations to historical home organizations across Europe.
As part of its commitment to heritage tourism in Europe, the traditional Palais Garnier opera boxes will be fully restored to retain their 19th century historical splendor. Airbnb will also fund the development of the opera’s streaming platform, thus bringing all of the Paris Opera’s audiovisual content to a wide audience, which is the world.
The Palais Garnier stay
Guests will sleep in the largest opera box in the Palais Garnier — the Box of Honour — a room normally reserved for visiting dignitaries. The exclusive guest experience will include:
- The best location in the house to take in the architectural beauty of the Palais Garnier and its stage.
- A tour of hidden areas in the Palais, rarely seen by the public, including the Opera’s incredible private archives and famous underground lake.
- A private ballet initiation with one of the Opera de Paris Ballet dancers.
- An exclusive recital performed by the artists of Paris Opera Academy, complete with champagne and hors d'oeuvres.
- Dinner in the lavish Foyer de la Danse, a private and historic dancing rehearsal room behind the stage, used by dancers for warming up before a show.
- A tour of the private dance studios underneath the eaves of the iconic opera building where guests will enjoy picturesque views of the Paris skyline.
Booking the stay
Fans may request to book the overnight stay on March 1, 2023, from 6 p.m., to March 2, 2023, at airbnb.com/opera. The actual one-night stay will take place on July 16, 2023, and will cost 37 euros (approx. P2,154), in honor of the Box of Honour’s number.
To request to book, the guest must have a verified Airbnb profile, a good track record on the platform, and be aged 18 and above. Maximum occupancy for the room is two persons. Guests are responsible for their own transportation to and from Paris, France.
The famous musical
Since it opened in London in 1986, "The Phantom of the Opera" has played to over 145 million people in 183 cities in 17 languages. The musical has run for over 36 years in the West End and on Broadway. It is Broadway’s longest-running show and has received over 70 major theater awards, including seven Tony Awards and four Olivier awards. A global edition of the soundtrack was released in 2022, featuring Andrew Lloyd Webber’s full soundtrack in seven languages and a special eight compilation disc.
"The Phantom of the Opera" will be performed in 15 countries, across four continents and in seven languages this 2023. To book tickets and check the schedule of performances, visit www.thephantomoftheopera.com.
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