Wish Big with Bloomingdale?s and The Phantom of the Opera for a Magical Holiday Season

Bloomingdale's flagship 59th Street store will unveil holiday windows inspired by the film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical "The Phantom of the Opera" on Thursday, November 18th at 4pm. Lexington Avenue will highlight scenes from the movie with authentic set decor and original costumes while Third Avenue will celebrate fashions inspired by the opulence and romance of the film.

Directed by Joel Schumacher, "Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera" stars Gerard Butler in the title role and introduces Emmy Rossum as Christine, with Patrick Wilson and Minnie Driver in supporting roles. The film opens in select cities on December 22.

Bloomingdale's Lexington Avenue windows will tell the visual tale of this timeless love story using iconic images such as a brilliantly lit, suspended Swarovski crystal chandelier, a red rose and a Swarovski encrusted Phantom mask. Incredible special visual effects such as mounted, lit gold arm-held candelabras will line the building on Lexington and Third Avenue while rich, red window awnings will create an 18th Century Paris Opera House feel. In addition, the soundtrack from the film as well as the scent of roses, the Phantom's symbol of his love for Christine, will be piped out onto the street to complete the magical experience. The entire building will be a blaze of twinkling white mini-lights with an image of the Phantom's mask superimposed on the façade.

"Bloomingdale's partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures adds an exciting new dimension to our holiday campaign," said Tony Spring, Bloomingdale's Senior Executive Vice President of Advertising and Marketing. "This is the first time that our holiday windows have been based on a film and we are thrilled to share the magic and inspiration of "The Phantom of the Opera" with our customers."

Phantom Shops showcasing ready-to-wear, fashion accessories and Dior cosmetics inspired by the film will be located in the 59th Street flagship, Soho, Lenox Square, North Michigan and Beverly Center. Luxe merchandise will include cocktail dresses and gowns, lace separates, corsets, costume jewelry, handbags and faux fur accessories by vendors such as BCBG, Tracy Reese, Nanette Lepore and Kay Unger. Special "Phantom of the Opera" tee's created by Skinny Minnie will be available for $68 in four different designs. 5% of the proceeds will be donated to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids. Dior will recreate the glamour and excitement of the film with two exclusive faces, "Christine the Innocent" and "Carlotta the Diva." Each look will feature six of Dior's best selling products for the face, eyes and lips.

The original soundtrack from the film, featuring one of the most popular musical theater scores of all time plus a new end-title song written especially for the film, will also be sold in Bloomingdale's stores nationwide for $12.98.

"With their Phantom of the Opera holiday windows and exclusive Phantom shops, Bloomingdale's has captured the opulence, glamour, beauty and romance of the film perfectly," said Debbie Miller, Executive Vice President Domestic Marketing, Warner Bros. Pictures. "The window unveiling at Bloomingdale's flagship store in Manhattan will be a fantastic way to kick off our campaign. This extraordinary program has proven to be a wonderful collaboration."

The Wish Big holiday theme continues with a designer shopping bag created exclusively for Bloomingdale?s by Marc Jacobs. Nothing says "Happy Bloomingdale's" better than this mint julep green colored bag with a collection of smiling red lips. The bags will be available in stores nationwide beginning November 15.

In addition, a newly created ?Wish Big? Electronic Gift Card will be sold throughout the season at Bloomingdale's stores across the country. Other favorite holiday designs including "Merry Christmas," "Happy Chanukah" and "Seasons Greetings" will also be available.

For the fourth holiday season, Bloomingdale's has asked Gund, the oldest leading soft toy manufacturer in the U. S., to create the Little Brown Bear. The bear is available exclusively at Bloomingdale's for $12 with any $50 purchase and each bear sold helps fight Juvenile Diabetes. Bloomingdale?s will proudly donate $50,000 from the sales of the Little Brown Bear to the JDRF, the leading charitable funder and advocate of juvenile (type 1) diabetes research worldwide, was founded in 1970 by the parents of children with juvenile diabetes. JDRF's mission is constant: to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. For more information, please log onto www.jdrf.org.


Bloomingdale's, a division of Federated Department Stores, was founded in 1872 and operates 33 stores in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, Minnesota, Florida, California, Nevada and Georgia. For website access, log onto www.bloomingdales.com.
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