phantom of the opera restaged tour

Newly Redesigned THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Tour to Hit North America in November

Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber 's Really Useful Group announced today that their spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber 's The Phantom of the Opera will launch a North American tour beginning this November in Providence, R.I at the Providence Performing Arts Center . With newly reinvented staging and stunning scenic design, this new version of PHANTOM, the most successful musical of all-time, will play more than 20 multi-week engagements through next year, including Cincinnati, OH and Minneapolis, MN. A complete tour schedule will be announced in the coming weeks. First unveiled in March, 2012 in Plymouth, England, this reinvented PHANTOM has been an enormous box-office and critical hit throughout the U.K.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said, "It's wonderful to have a new production of PHANTOM touring America in the same year that the show celebrates 25 years on Broadway. Director Laurence Connor has done an amazing job and this production has received huge critical acclaim in the UK."

Cameron Mackintosh said, 'After a glorious celebration last month of 25 phenomenal years on Broadway with no end in sight, I'm delighted to be able to bring this dazzling new production of PHANTOM -- which has been phenomenally well-received by both audiences and critics in the U.K this past year -- to America. With an exciting new design and staging, retaining Maria Björnson 's amazing costumes, I am confident American audiences will fall in love with the PHANTOM in his new guise -- for the first time or all over again."

This new production of The Phantom of the Opera is directed by Laurence Connor (the 25th Anniversary LES MISERABLES now on tour and headed for Broadway, Jesus Christ Superstar) with choreography by Scott Ambler , set design by Paul Brown , Tony Award-winning original costume design by Maria Björnson , lighting design by Paule Constable , sound design by Mick Potter and musical supervision by John Rigby. The production is overseen by Matthew Bourne and Cameron Mackintosh . The Phantom of the Opera has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber ; lyrics are by Charles Hart (with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe ) and the book is by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber . Orchestrations are by David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber .

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA continues its record-breaking runs in London and on Broadway. There are currently five productions around the world: the flagship London production (26 Years and counting), New York (25 years and counting - PHANTOM celebrated its 25th Anniversary on Broadway on January 26 of this year), Budapest (Hungary), Kyoto (Japan), and Seoul (Korea).

Since its debut, The Phantom of the Opera has grossed over $890 million on Broadway. Even now, it is consistently among Broadway's highest-grossing shows and remains a box office champ. Earlier this year, the production shattered the house record at The Majestic by having its best weekly gross in its entire 25-year history. Total attendance is now over 15 million and it continues to play with no end in sight.

The musical's international success - equally staggering - is represented by total worldwide grosses estimated at over $5.6 billion. This colossal figure makes PHANTOM the most successful entertainment venture of all time, with revenues higher than any film or stage play in history, including Titanic, Star Wars and far surpassing the world's highest-grossing film Avatar (at $2.8 billion). Worldwide, over 65,000 performances have been seen by 130 million people in 28 countries and 148 cities in 13 languages.

The flagship London production of The Phantom of the Opera , which opened in 1986 at Her Majesty's Theatre, celebrated 25 years in October 2011. That milestone was celebrated with a special production at London's Royal Albert Hall directed by Laurence Connor .

The show has won more than 70 major theater awards, including seven 1988 Tony Awards (including Best Musical) and three Olivier Awards in the West End. The original cast recording, with over 40 million copies sold worldwide, is the best-selling cast recording of all time. In September 2010, student productions of PHANTOM started being licensed through R&H Theatricals , and so far have been performed at hundreds of high schools and colleges across the U.S. and in Canada.

The new touring production of The Phantom of the Opera will be the first to tour the U.S. in three years. There have been three previous U.S. National Tours that grossed over $1.5 billion in

combined box office sales and played 216 engagements in 77 cities for an unprecedented total of 36 years and over 14,500 performances to 31 million people.

Based on the classic novel Le Fantôme de L'Opéra by Gaston Leroux , The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a masked figure who lurks beneath the catacombs of the Paris Opera House, exercising a reign of terror over all who inhabit it. He falls madly in love with an innocent young soprano, Christine, and devotes himself to creating a new star by nurturing her extraordinary talents and by employing all of the devious methods at his command.

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The Phantom of the Opera

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The Phantom of the Opera, London, 2021

Composer & Book: Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics: Charles Hart Book & Additional Lyrics: Richard Stilgoe

Her Majesty’s Theatre , London (2021 – )

Director : Seth Sklar-Heyn Producer: Cameron Mackintosh Production Design:  Maria Björnson Set Design adapted by Matt Kinley Associate Costume Design : Jill Parker Lighting Design : Andrew Bridge  Associate Lighting Designer: Warren Letton Sound by Mick Potter Musical Staging & Choreography by Gillian Lynne, recreated and adapted by Chrissie Cartwright Orchestrations: Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Cullen [14 in the orchestra] Musical Supervision : Simon Lee

The production resumed on 27 July 2021, with tickets on sale from 4 May 2021, booking until March 2023. 

Lighting (2021)

Unlike the previous version of London’s Phantom, the new production makes extensive use of LED and moving lights, to expand the capabilities of the limited space available, while still maintaining the feel of the original. There are no flashy moving lights swinging around, but snap blackouts are now more snappy, due to the LEDs being capable of an instant blackout, with no filament fade. 

The Phantom of the Opera poster, London, 1986

Her Majesty’s Theatre , London (1986 – 2020)

Director: Harold Prince Producer: Cameron Mackintosh Production Design:  Maria Björnson Musical Staging & Choreography: Gillian Lynne Lighting Design: Andrew Bridge [originally was due to be Richard Pilbrow – see the Faraday Lectures page for more] Sound Design: Mick Potter Original Sound Design: Martin Levan Co-Orchestrator: David Cullen [27 in the orchestra] Musical Supervision & Direction: David Caddick

Previews began September 27, 1986. The show officially opened on October 9, 1986. The production celebrated its 10,000th performance at the matinée on 23 October 2010. The run ended with the performance on 15th March 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic forced closure of UK theatres on 16th March. The ending of the run was confirmed in July 2020, and the chandelier was seen leaving the building so it can be refurbished. The Phantom will return, but in a different version of the show.  

Lighting equipment – Phantom London (1986)

(as of December 2016, from the Phantom Twitter LX Department takeover)

Control : Strand 520i , running two universes. There are 203 numbered cues (from 2 to 205) but there are many ‘point’ cues in between them.  Dimmers: 290 dimmers, in (vintage!) Strand STM Racks The Strand dimmers were replaced with ETC Sensor racks in 2018 Lanterns: The stock ranges from (relatively) new ETC Source 4, through to Strand Patt.23 and Patt.223 which are visible on the circle front bar. There are also Prelude Fresnels.  There are 6 follow spots on the show – two front of house (in the traditional position) are Robert Juliat Aramis spots, and are re-lamped every 300 hours (the rated life of the lamps is 500 hours, but it would be a problem if a lamp failed during a show). There are also 4 beam lights used to subtly highlight the performers, two next to the boxes in the upper circle, and two on stage. They provide a wonderful glow.  Effects: Smoke : The low fog machines are cooled by a twice-weekly delivery of CO2. Intelligent Lights : There are no intelligent fixtures or moving lights in the rig (other than the chandelier and some candles!). The only DMX-controlled fixtures are strobes, smoke machines and colour scrollers. The organ, chandelier and candles are rechargeable practicals, and are charged after each show.  Flames: The flames in the stage are butane-fuelled pots from Event FX.  Pyro : Miniature detonators are used for the skull stick and the exploding candle, to ignite the flames. Le Maitre Pyroflash pots are used for the chandelier plug (silverstar) and for the star trap (theatrical flash).  The electrical props and effects were built by Howard Eaton (now Howard Eaton Lighting Ltd). As Phantom shows have sprung up around the world, advances in technology have filtered into all of the productions. LED flash effects in the chandelier were introduced for the Las Vegas shows, and are now incorporated into all of the venues. Before these, old-style camera flash bulbs were used, which had to be replaced after each show.  Staff: There are 10 LX staff on each show; 2 spots in the box, 2 spots in the auditorium, 2 spots upstage of the pros arch, 2 on-stage LX, 1 LX dayman and 1 board operator. The staff are all ‘swings’ and can swap around to do whatever task is required on each show.  Automation: In New York, the control computer for the chandelier is vintage 1988, and still runs on MS DOS 3.1 (before Windows!)

Sound Equipment – Phantom London – 1986 installation

(from Lighting & Sound International, Issue 15) “North London-based Theatre Projects have been making the news as far as major events are concerned. Their largest installation to date was for the ‘Phantom of the Opera’ at Her Majesty’s Theatre where nearly £250,000 worth of sound equipment took Derrick Zieba and his team of engineers two months to install. The project involved 108 separate loudspeakers, two 8-track tape machines, 17 radio mics, and a 54-channel computer controlled mixer. Sound design was by Martin Levan….” Levan’s design used open drivers – Dual Concentric Drivers , out of their usual enclosures. 

The show was closed for 3 days in May 2008 to allow for an upgraded system to be installed.  £400,000 was spent on the upgrade which included more than six miles of cable and 120 speakers throughout the auditorium. See The Guardian article . Meyer UPQ-1P speakers (launched in 2008) were heavily used in the new system design, by Mick Potter. 

The original orchestra was 27 musicians.  When the production reopens in 2021 it will be cut down to just 16 musicians. 

Scenic Automation

The ‘Masquerade’ ball staircase was built by Delstar Engineering. It is stored vertically in the flies flat-packed until it’s needed.  

Related Equipment:

The Majestic Theater , Broadway, New York (1988-2023)

Previews began January 9, 1988. The show opened on January 26 1988, and will close on 16 April 2023 (originally was due to close 18 February 2023 (announced September 2022) but this was delayed due to high ticket demand). The production marked its 24th anniversary in January 2012, and on February 11 2012 became the first Broadway musical in history to surpass 10,000 performances.

How the production came to the stage (featuring Richard Stilgoe, Cameron Mackintosh, Andrew Lloyd Webber)

Phantom of the Opera – US Tour

Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular

The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino , Las Vegas, Nevada Opened 24 June 2006, closed 2 September 2012 Running time: 95 minutes Director: Harold Prince Choreographer: Gillian Lynne Scenic design: David Rockwell

Chandelier Automation by Fisher Technical Services / TAIT

The show featured updated technology and effects, including a re-engineered chandelier capable of reassembling in midair during the overture while the entire interior of the venue (not merely the stage) returned to its 1880s halcyon days. 

Playbill: Article about the Las Vegas Venetian production closing

Phantom of the Opera

More videos:   Youtube Channel

Phantom Special Effects / Illusions

Although the exact implementation of the effects at a professional level is expensive, many of the effects from the show can be approximated with readily available equipment.  The magician Paul Daniels was involved in designing at least one of the illusions for the West End production. 

• A wheeled platform could be controlled by cables at stage level to pull it up and down stage. The top section of the boat in which the actors sit, could rotate on the platform to enable changes of direction. Or the actors could self-propel the boat around the stage, as long as there are safety guards to stop it falling off into the orchestra pit!
• Battery-powered flicker candles are now widely available, along with more efficient LED versions, some of which are rechargeable. The battery powered ones can be wired to a switch, which could be activated by the stage lighting system. See a lighting specialist for help with this. 
• Whilst ‘dropping’ a chandelier should not be attempted without professional supervision, the strobe effects and ‘electrical’ sparks can be created easily. See Pyrotechnics page. 
• Stand-alone flame projectors can be hired (fed by a small replaceable gas cylinder, and triggered remotely) as can Flame Projectors that are used with the standard Le Maitre Pyroflash system.  See Pyrotechnics page. 
• The final image of the show, where the Phantom disappears from underneath a cloth covering a chair, leaves the intriguing possibility that the Phantom will return (which of course he did in Love Never Dies ). This effect relies on the cloth keeping the shape of the Phantom, even if he’s not underneath it. He can then disappear through a hidden panel built into the rear of the chair. This can be accomplished with hidden wires built into the cloth. Ask a local magician if they can assist. Ensure that the effect works from all parts of the auditorium!
• The Phantom’s Lair sequence benefits from a covering of low-hanging fog. This helps to hide the boat mechanism and provides a great simulation of the atmosphere deep under the Opera House. This can be achieved either with dry ice or low smoke (a smoke machine through a chiller) – see Fog, Smoke and Haze page  for more detail. 
• See Pyrotechnics page. 
• Backstage tour – Broadway show
• Wikipedia page

Keywords: phantom opera

Everything you need to know about 'The Phantom of the Opera' on Broadway

Here's your ultimate guide to The Phantom of the Opera , the longest-running show on Broadway.

He's here, the phantom of the opera...and he's been haunting Broadway since 1988. The Phantom of the Opera , by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Charles Hart, and Richard Stilgoe, is the longest-running Broadway show of all time. This musical has appealed to theatregoers for over three decades, but after a record-breaking run that will go down in history, the music of the night will soon play for the last time when the show closes in February 2023.

The Phantom of the Opera is part romance, part Gothic melodrama, and part spectacle. It is about a composing genius, the Phantom, who hides from the world in an opera house. He is obsessed with an ingenue opera singer named Christine, who is both drawn to and frightened of him.

The plot seems simple, but where Phantom stands out is the music and the visuals. With songs such as the haunting and bombastic title song, "The Phantom of the Opera," as well as the ballads "Music of the Night," "Think of Me," and "All I Ask of You," Lloyd Webber's music is sweeping, big, and romantic — just like the show. 

And the special effects are awe-inspiring — from the now-iconic image of the Phantom and Christine on a boat in a sea of fog, to the one-ton chandelier that flies up and over the audience's heads, to stage fire — Phantom is not just an emotional journey; it's also a feast for the eyes.

Find out more about The Phantom of the Opera below, with characters, running time, songs, and behind-the-scenes history of how the show was made. Then, get tickets to see this living piece of Broadway history before the show becomes a phantom of Broadway's past.

Get The Phantom of the Opera tickets now.

What is The Phantom of the Opera about?

The Phantom of the Opera is based on the 1910 French novel by Gaston Leroux of the same name. It features music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe, and a book by Stilgoe and Webber. It is about an ingenue opera singer named Christine, who works at the Paris Opera House. She is haunted by a figure that she calls the Angel of Music.

This angel is actually a real man, who wears a white mask and who calls himself the Phantom of the Opera. He is also a music genius, haunting the opera house and terrorizing the people who work there. The Phantom is also in love with Christine and her voice, and he is determined to make her a star so that the world can finally hear his music (of the night). 

When Christine's childhood sweetheart Raoul comes back into her life, the Phantom becomes jealous and more terrible things start happening in the opera house. And yet, Christine continues to be drawn to the Phantom. Who should Christine choose? Raoul or the Phantom? That's a question that has haunted Phantom fans (or rather, phans) for over 30 years. 

Part mystery, part romance, The Phantom of the Opera is considered the best of the '80s megamusicals, where the budget, the story, and the music were big and bombastic. Considering that The Phantom of the Opera includes a giant chandelier which flies over the audience's heads and crashes onto the stage, this Broadway titan more than fits the bill when it comes to "mega." 

Where is The Phantom of the Opera playing?

The Phantom of the Opera opened in 1988 at the Majestic Theatre and has been playing there ever since. The Majestic is located at 247 West 44th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Eighth Avenue. The Majestic opened in 1927. It was a favorite theatre of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, who premiered four of their musicals there, among them Carousel and South Pacific .

How long is The Phantom of the Opera ?

The Phantom of the Opera runs at 2 hours and 15 minutes, with one 15-minute intermission. This is a standard running time for a Broadway musical. It's recommended that you eat before the show. 

What days is The Phantom of the Opera playing?

The Phantom of the Opera plays seven performances a week at the Majestic Theatre. The show typically runs Monday to Sunday, with two performances on Thursdays and Saturdays. Phantom  does not perform on Tuesdays. For the complete weekly performance schedule and up-to-date show times, please visit the Phantom of the Opera page to learn more. 

When did The Phantom of the Opera premiere?

The Phantom of the Opera was actually inspired by a 1910 same-named horror novel and a real-life romance between a genius composer and an ingenue: Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the role of Christine for his wife at the time, Sarah Brightman, who was a rising star. Here's the history of the Phantom of the Opera musical.

• 1984: Webber marries Brightman. He then contacts his producing partner at Really Useful Group, Cameron Mackintosh, who produced Webber's hit musical Cats , about a romantic musical based on French author Gaston Leroux's book, The Phantom of the Opera . Brightman would play Christine. Webber then asked Jim Steinman to write the lyrics to Phantom (Steinman had helped Meat Loaf write the songs for his Bat Out of Hell album). Steinman declined. Richard Stilgoe then agreed to write lyrics for the musical. Charles Hart was brought on in 1985 later to rewrite some of Stilgoe's lyrics. Webber also brought in Harold Prince to direct.
• 1986: The Phantom of the Opera opens on the West End at Her Majesty's Theatre. The show was a hit. A cast album was soon released in 1987 and also topped the charts, going platinum four times in the U.S. Phantom is still running on the West End and is the third-longest-running show there.
• 1988: Phantom opens on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre. Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman, and Steve Barton reprised their roles as the Phantom, Christine, and Raoul from the West End. 
• 1989: The first U.S. tour of Phantom begins. It would become the longest-running continuous tour in U.S. history, running until 2010. The first international production of Phantom also begins, in Canada at the Pantages Theatre in Toronto.
• 1990: The first Australian production of Phantom begins at the Princess Theatre. Phantom would run in Australia until 1998.
• 1993: The first U.K. tour of Phantom begins. It runs until 1996.
• 2006: Phantom opens a sit-down production in Las Vegas, called Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular , at the Venetian. This production of the musical is shortened to 90 minutes. It runs until 2012.
• 2012: A new production of Phantom , the first to not be a replica of the Harold Prince production, begins a UK and Ireland tour. This was to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Phantom .
• 2019: The Phantom of the Opera embarks on a world tour, beginning in Manila. 
• 2021: Following the Covid-19 pandemic, Phantom reopens on the West End, but with some retooling to the show that is different from the original production that had played there since 1987. The number of musicians is decreased, some parts are restaged and choreographed, and parts of the set are redesigned.  Phantom  also reopens on Broadway.
• Other productions: Phantom has played to over 140 million people in 35 countries. Phantom has been performed in 15 languages, showing that the music of the night is truly universal.

Who wrote The Phantom of the Opera ?

The Phantom of the Opera is based on the 1910 French novel by Gaston Leroux of the same name. It features music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe, and a book by Stilgoe and Webber. 

Webber, who has been knighted by the Queen of England as Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, is the winner of six Tony Awards and seven Olivier Awards. He is also one of 16 people who have won an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony. He runs the theatre company Really Useful Group, one of the biggest theatre producers in England. As a musical theatre composer, Webber has also written Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, Sunset Boulevard , and Evita .

Richard Stilgoe has collaborated with Webber on three musicals: Phantom, Cats , and Starlight Express . He founded the Alchemy Foundation, from his royalties from the American productions of Starlight Express and The Phantom of the Opera . The Alchemy Foundation donates money to charitable causes. Stilgoe has been knighted by the Queen for his charity work. 

Charles Hart was still a student when he met Webber, and he was soon brought on to help write lyrics for Phantom . Hart also collaborated with Webber on Aspects of Love . His other musicals include Bend It Like Beckham , based on the film, and The Dreaming , based on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream .

The Phantom of the Opera characters

It takes 130 cast, crew, and orchestra members to put each performance of The Phantom of the Opera together. Below are the major characters in the show and some of the notable musical theatre performers who have played them. 

• The Phantom: The composer who haunts the Paris Opera House. He lives in a subterranean lair under the opera house. He resents the world for rejecting him because of his disfigured face, and he is obsessed with Christine. Michael Crawford originated the role of the Phantom, but the other actors who have played that role include Colm Wilkinson, Ramin Karimloo, Hugh Panaro, and Norm Lewis. 
• Christine Daaé: A chorus girl who wants to become a prima donna. Christine is drawn to the Phantom for his music but is also afraid of him. She is in love with Raoul. Sarah Brightman originated the role of Christine, and the role has also been played by actresses including Sierra Boggess and Rebecca Luker. 
• Raoul: Christine's childhood sweetheart who reunites with her at the Opera House when he becomes a patron. He is in love with Christine and wants to rid the Opera House of the Phantom. Steve Barton originated the role of Raoul. Hugh Panaro, Ramin Karimloo, and John Barrowman have also played the role.
• Carlotta Guidicelli: The prima donna of the Opera House. She is angered at the incidents that keep occuring because of the Phantom but refuses to cede the limelight to Christine.
• Gilles André: One of the new owners of the Opera House. He is trying to keep Carlotta happy and things running, despite the Phantom causing mayhem. 
• Richard Firmin: One of the new owners of the Opera House. He is trying to keep things running smoothly, despite the Phantom.
• Madame Giry: The ballet mistress at the Opera House. She is a strict and foreboding presence, and the one who delivers messages between the Opera House owners and the Phantom.
• Meg Giry: Meg is Madame Giry's daughter. She is Christine's friend and a ballerina and chorus girl. 

The Phantom of the Opera  songs

The Phantom of the Opera is a sung-through musical, with very little dialogue. Some of the most famous songs include "The Music of the Night," "All I Ask of You," "Masquerade," "The Point of No Return," and the title track, of course! Here are all the songs in the show. 

• " Hannibal  Rehearsal" - Carlotta, Piangi, Reyer, Lefevre, André, Firmin, Madame Giry, Meg, Buquet, Ensemble
• "Think of Me" - Christine, Raoul
• "Angel of Music" - The Phantom, Meg, Christine
• "Little Lotte" - Raoul, Christine
• "The Mirror/Angel of Music (Reprise)" - The Phantom, Christine, Raoul
• "The Phantom of the Opera"- Christine, The Phantom
• "The Music of the Night" - The Phantom
• "I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt It - Christine, The Phantom
• "Magical Lasso" - Buquet, Madame Giry, Meg
• "Notes/Prima Donna" - André, Firmin, Raoul, Carlotta, Madame Giry, Meg, Piangi, The Phantom
• "Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh" - Carlotta, Piangi, The Phantom, Ensemble
• "Why Have You Brought Me Here/Raoul, I've Been There" - Raoul, Christine
• "All I Ask of You" - Raoul, Christine
• "All I Ask Of You (Reprise)" - The Phantom
• Entr'acte - Orchestra
• "Masquerade" - Andre, Firmin, Ensemble
• "Why So Silent" - The Phantom
• "Notes/Twisted Every Way" - André, Firmin, Carlotta, Piangi, Raoul, Christine, Madame Giry, The Phantom
• " Don Juan Triumphant  Rehearsal/Phantom of the Opera (Reprise)/Little Lotte (Reprise)" - Christine, Piangi, Reyer, Carlotta, Madame Giry, Ensemble
• "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" - Christine
• "Wandering Child/Bravo, Monsieur..." - The Phantom, Christine, Raoul
• " Don Juan Triumphant  " - Carlotta, Piangi, Christine, Ensemble
• "The Point of No Return" - The Phantom, Christine
• "Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer" - The Phantom, Madame Giry, Raoul, Ensemble
• "Finale" - Christine, The Phantom, Raoul, Ensemble

What awards has The Phantom of the Opera won?

It's rare for a show to be both critically acclaimed and popular with the masses. But Phantom is both, if its longevity is any indication. And the musical received a diverse array of awards for acting, design, composition, and leadership alike. Here are the major awards Phantom has won.  

• Olivier Awards: The West End production won four Olivier Awards of its five nominations: Best New Musical, Best Actor in a Musical (for Michael Crawford), Most Popular Show, and the Audience Award.
• Tony Awards: The Broadway production of Phantom won seven Tony Awards out of 10 nominations: Best Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (for Crawford again), Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (for Judy Kaye as Carlotta Guidicelli), Best Direction of a Musical, Best Scenic Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Lighting Design.
• Drama Desk Awards:  The Phantom of the Opera  on Broadway also won seven Drama Desk Awards in 1988: Outstanding Actor in a Musical (for Crawford), Outstanding Director of a Musical, Outstanding Music, Outstanding Orchestrations, Outstanding Set Design, Outstanding Costume Design, and Outstanding Lighting Design.

Major productions of The Phantom of the Opera

The major productions of Phantom have mostly been replicas of the original West End production directed by Harold Prince, aside from the 25th anniversary U.S. and U.K. tours. Below are the major productions of Phantom and behind-the-scenes facts about them.

• 1987 West End production: For the original production, it took five people four weeks to build the chandelier, which is made of 6,000 beads and weighs one ton. It flies over the audience's heads and crashes on the stage at the end of Act One. Plus, a number of song lyrics in this production are different from the productions that came after it; those differences can be heard on the different cast albums.
• 1988 Broadway production: The Broadway production of Phantom almost didn't happen. Prior to the show coming to Broadway, Actors' Equity Association, the union for stage actors in the U.S., told the Phantom team that they would have to recast Christine with an American actress (per union rules). Andrew Lloyd Webber threatened to pull the production if Sarah Brigthman could not be in the show. The union relented, and the show went on to make Broadway history. 
• Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular : This version of Phantom was edited down to just 90 minutes. The biggest change was that "The Point of No Return" was shortened, and the chandelier crash was staged after "The Point of No Return" rather than "All I Ask Of You." 
• The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall: To celebrate the musical's 25th anniversary, Phantom was staged at the Royal Albert Hall for a two-night performance in 2011. Laurence Connor directs, and original creative team member Gillian Lynne returns to choreograph and do the musical staging. The cast includes Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom and Sierra Boggess as Christine (the two would later star in the original production of the Phantom sequel,  Love Never Dies ). Original cast members Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman perform some songs post-show. The performance was released on DVD in 2012. Connor also stages the 2012 UK tour of Phantom , which is more pared down than the original Harold Prince production, though the costuming remains the same. 

Onscreen adaptations of The Phantom of the Opera

Talks about adapting Phantom for the screen had swirled since 1989 after Warner Bros. purchased the film rights to the show. Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman were in talks to reprise their roles. But production stalled on the film because of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Brightman's divorce. The film languished in development for over a decade, until 2002, when Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group had purchased the film rights from Warner Bros. Here are some more facts about the Phantom of the Opera  film adaptation, which ultimately came out in 2004.

• The Phantom film starred Gerald Butler as the Phantom, Emmy Rossum as Christine, Patrick Wilson as Raoul, and Minnie Driver as Carlotta. 
• Unlike the stage adaptation, the Phantom film had mostly negative reviews. Nonetheless, The Phantom of the Opera was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Song.
• Butler was the only main cast member who did not have music experience. He had to take singing lessons!
• Webber wrote some new music for the film, including the song "Learn to Be Lonely," which was written with Charles Hart and sung by Driver. The song was nominated for an Oscar. Some of the new music that Webber wrote for the film was later reused in Love Never Dies , his stage musical sequel to Phantom.

Fun facts about  The Phantom of the Opera

From sequels to how the Broadway production almost didn't happen, there are enough facts and trivia about Phantom that would surprise even a longtime opera ghost. Here are some phun phacts about The  Phantom of the Opera . 

• The original Broadway production of The Phantom of the Opera cost a record-at-the-time $8 million to produce, which would be $20 million today.
• There are 19 cast albums of The Phantom of the Opera available, including cast albums in non-English languages.
• The full white mask that has graced Phantom posters since 1987 isn't actually the mask that's worn in the show. The Phantom's mask in the show only covers one side of this face, from his right eye to his right cheek. But the mask that covers the entirety of the Phantom's face was actually tried out in a workshop production. That mask proved too difficult for the actor playing the Phantom, then Colm Wilkinson, to perform in, and he couldn't see well in it. So set and costume designer Maria Björnson designed the now-iconic half mask.
• Phantom fans (or "phans") have long debated whether Christine should choose the Phantom or Raoul. In 2010, Webber gave his opinion on the matter with his musical sequel to Phantom , Love Never Dies , which takes place 10 years after the ending of Phantom and reunites Christine with her angel of music in Coney Island. The musical was thoroughly panned on the West End, and despite getting a U.S. tour and productions worldwide, Love Never Dies has never been to Broadway. But Phantom phans can watch a filmed version of the Australian production, which was released on DVD in 2021.
• Princess Diana was such a fan of Phantom that for the seventh anniversary of her marriage to Prince Charles, she filmed a music video of herself on the Phantom set at Her Majesty's Theatre, singing "All I Ask Of You" dressed as Christine. The musical's choreographer, Gillian Lynne, even directed Diana in the video. Webber was there to oversee. 
• Michael Jackson saw Phantom in 1988 and loved it so much, he told Webber backstage after a show that he wanted to play the Phantom in a film version. Webber declined since Michael Crawford was also on board to play the Phantom in the film version. But the thought of the King of Pop playing the Angel of Music — talk about a thriller night!

How to get The Phantom of the Opera tickets

Don't miss this iconic Broadway staple in its final months. If you love romance and spectacle, give in to the power of the music of the night by seeing The Phantom of the Opera . Make sure to watch your head for the falling chandelier.

The Phantom of the Opera tickets are available now. Get tickets to The Phantom of the Opera on New York Theatre Guide today.

Originally published on Sep 29, 2022 13:02

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Justin's theatre reviews, revisit: the restaged national tour of "the phantom of the opera".

The Phantom IS a sympathetic character, and the ALW version of the show, especially, focuses on that fact. That is actually the point. HOWEVER, you DO still have a good point: a sympathetic villain is still very much THE VILLAIN, and a lot more versions recently (possibly because of "Love Never Dies") seem to forget that fact. Anyway, just a random thought I had reading your blog.

"Story," not show. Sorry. Missed a word there.

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The Phantom of the Opera

Friday, October 27, 2023—8:00pm

The Andrew Alden Ensemble returns this Halloween weekend to perform live music to the definitive silent horror film The Phantom of the Opera (1925). Experience this chilling story of horror and unrequited love with a new electroacoustic score for an unforgettable evening of haunts.

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(The Phantom of the Opera)

The Christines take their final bow

How 6 leading ladies helped make ‘phantom’ a broadway phenomenon.

The iconic Broadway character Christine Daaé has been played by 40 women over 35 years.

Sarah Brightman shaped the role when “The Phantom of the Opera” had its London premiere in 1986.

Sierra Boggess played Christine in Las Vegas, New York and London, appearing in the filmed 25th anniversary concert.

Sandra Joseph transformed into Christine for more than 1,000 shows over 10 years.

Ali Ewoldt, a Filipino American actress, was the first person of color to be cast as Christine in New York.

Julia Udine was one of the youngest Christines, first cast at age 19.

And Emilie Kouatchou became the first Black Christine in “Phantom’s” Broadway history in 2021.

For 35 years, the man in the white mask has been synonymous with Broadway.

But as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera” nears its final curtain call in New York, ending a record-setting run, there’s another character who deserves an encore.

“This is not ‘Phantom of the Opera.’ This is ‘Christine of the Opera.’ This is her show,” says Emilie Kouatchou, one of the last women to play the sought-after female lead.

The role of Christine Daaé is a dream fulfilled for a budding soprano hoping to grace the stage of the Majestic Theatre on West 44th Street. It’s a complex, complicated and demanding part. She is onstage for about two hours of the nearly 2½ hour show, and her lines are mostly sung.

Christine is a dancer and chorus girl who lost her father at a young age. She begins taking lessons from the mysterious Phantom, who she believes is her “Angel of Music” — someone her father warned her of years before.

Including alternates and excluding understudies, 40 women have played Christine over the years.

Some of the women auditioned multiple times. Some began their journeys in traveling companies or as understudies. Others were cast in their teens or early 20s.

For a few, it was their first Broadway role.

As with any show spanning more than three decades , the production, casting and message have become more relevant as our world — and society — has evolved. “The Phantom of the Opera” is largely about acceptance, and learning to reveal ourselves, without a physical or symbolic mask. (The musical is based on the 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux.)

“It really teaches love and empathy,” says Julia Udine, who is currently a Christine alternate and performs three times a week.

We spoke with six women who have played the role on Broadway. They reflected on their connection to the character, how the role paved the way for their careers on- and offstage, and the legacy of “Phantom” in New York and the theater community.

Sarah Brightman

Sarah Brightman was the blueprint for Christine Daaé. Andrew Lloyd Webber , her husband at the time of the show’s London premiere in 1986, wrote the role with her talents and her soprano skills at the front of his mind.

“My voice was very much in his ears,” Brightman said. “To be a muse of a composer that’s creating new things and wonderful things and very successful things — I think it was a beautiful thing.”

Critics were generally energetic about the show’s Broadway debut in 1988, with Brightman again in the lead, after its successful run in London.

Frank Rich of the New York Times characterized it as “a victory of dynamic stagecraft over musical kitsch.” The Washington Post review called the music “almost mesmerizing, insistently boring into one’s brain for hours afterward.”

Sarah Brightman was the first Christine, in London and New York. Sarah Brightman photographed in London in April.

New York attendance in the show’s debut year totaled more than 663,000 people, with a gross of $28,553,279.

The show’s growth and success is not lost on Brightman, who described it as “a wonderful jewel within Broadway.”

“As monumental as the role is to everybody else, I was a young person doing my best with all the talent I had to put this beautiful role in place,” she said. “I feel very humbled by it.”

Sierra Boggess

Like other musical successes, “The Phantom of the Opera” has sprouted six productions in the United States and dozens of tours internationally.

Sierra Boggess, who joined the Broadway production in 2013, played the role of Christine in Las Vegas, New York and London, where she appeared in the filmed 25th-anniversary concert.

“It’s a role that I kept revisiting because it is so rich,” Boggess said. “Every time I came back to it, I found more and more and more.”

At its core, the musical is a love triangle . Christine is drawn to Erik (a.k.a. the Phantom), a composer who shields himself from society in a lair beneath the Paris Opera House. Born with a facial deformity (hence the mask), he has yet to experience kindness or love. He is a man of great talent and has traits that often borderline on the supernatural. He becomes Christine’s mentor.

Sierra Boggess joined the Broadway production in 2013. Sierra Boggess photographed in New York in March.

But Christine is also drawn to Raoul, a childhood friend and more suitable mate. (We’ll end the spoilers here.)

Boggess said she came to realize how “psychologically interesting” the “heightened love story” is. “We have this side of us as humans that’s like, we can help somebody by loving them,” she said. “I’m sure therapists would have a field day with that.”

The more Boggess dove into the psychology of the story, the more she shifted how she played the role.

“Christine is badass and people should know that,” she said.

Sandra Joseph

As a child, Sandra Joseph enjoyed performing but had a fear of the stage.

“When you don’t have the courage to go after something you really love, then you live with regret and the sense of what might’ve been,” she said. “So I promised myself at a very young age that I would move through this intense stage fright and keep trying to do this thing that I love.”

Fast-forward to 1994. Joseph was 26 and 4½ years into her five-year plan to “make it big” in New York when she auditioned for Christine for the first time. Like many others, she didn’t get the gig on her first pass. She would eventually begin her journey with the national tour as an understudy for Christine before — after two more auditions — she would land the part in New York.

Joseph would go on to play the role for 10 years and more than 1,000 shows.

“What I know for sure from standing on that stage so many times is the emotional connection that the story makes with the audience,” she said.

John Cudia and Sandra Joseph in “The Phantom of the Opera.” Sandra Joseph photographed in New York in March.

Nowadays, Joseph spreads the message of how to live an unmasked life in a one-woman show. Audiences are often delighted when she sprinkles in some of Christine’s best musical moments throughout her talks. Joseph also wrote a book on the same subject.

“I was a ‘Career Christine.’ It was my perfect role, and there was nowhere to go from there that would have been better for me as an actress. I knew that,” she said. “I could not have imagined that the gift ‘Phantom’ gave me would unlock all of these lessons.”

Joseph fell in love with “The Phantom of the Opera” in more ways than one. In 2002, she married her co-star, Ron Bohmer, who played the Phantom in a national tour at the Kennedy Center.

Ali Ewoldt first saw “The Phantom of the Opera” when she was 10 years old. She and her father sat in a box on stage right, and it was there, she said, that she fell in love with the “premiere soprano role that all young sopranos would aspire to.”

As an adult, Ewoldt would spend a decade auditioning for the role in different iterations of the tour and production.

“I have always been a soprano despite my best efforts as a child,” she said. “There are very few leading-lady soprano roles that exist, and so I knew that Christine was a major aspiration and a dream role for me.”

In 2016, Ewoldt finally sang “Think of Me” on the Majestic Theatre stage, auditioning in front of famed director Harold “Hal” Prince.

Ali Ewoldt fell in love with the role of Christine after seeing the show as a 10-year-old. Ali Ewoldt photographed in New York in March.

“I kind of let go of the idea of needing to book the job but really tried to take in that moment,” Ewoldt said.

She got the part.

“It’s so the way of the universe,” she said. “It understands, somehow, this need when we decide that we’re just doing it for the love instead of desperately trying to get a job is how we get the things that we want.”

Ewoldt, who is Filipino American, was the first person of color to be cast in the role.

“The gift of that for me was getting the feedback of people who didn’t realize that this was a role that was open to them,” she said. “The world changes, and just because you haven’t seen someone that looks like you or feels like you or has your abilities play a part — what we can do is show up and be the best versions of ourselves.”

Julia Udine

Julia Udine auditioned for Christine for the new, restaged North American tour in 2013. She was 19 and would open — and stay — with the touring production before heading to Broadway to fill the leading role at age 21. She was the second-youngest woman to play the role in New York.

“Christine has been an integral part of my adult life,” said Udine, now 29. “As she grows into a woman in the show, I was also growing into a woman in my life.”

Udine, like Christine, is a dancer, and paired with her soprano capabilities, the role, she said, was “all of my ‘things’ wrapped up in one.”

Julia Udine is part of the show's final cast. Julia Udine photographed in New York in March.

“She goes through so many ups, so many downs, and as an actress, it’s really cathartic to play a role like that,” Udine said. “It really challenges you in so many ways, and I think that any woman who has played the role of Christine feels that challenge nightly.”

Udine said it is “surreal” to reflect on being a part of the show’s final cast as a Christine alternate. Her last days on the “Phantom” stage are among the dwindling days of the production.

“It’s been the heartbeat of New York City for so long,” she said. “‘Phantom’ is Broadway.”

Emilie Kouatchou

“I think I can be the first Black Christine.”

These are the words Emilie Kouatchou uttered to a visiting casting director in her college years at the University of Michigan.

“I was very confident in my ability to take on this role,” she said.

That confidence served Kouatchou well, and after a few attempts, she made her Broadway debut as a Christine alternate in October 2021. A few months later, she would take on the role full-time.

Emilie Kouatchou calls Christine “a beast of a role.” Emilie Kouatchou photographed in New York in March.

“I’m getting to be powerful, and soft, and sexy, and feminine and masculine,” Kouatchou said. “I think it’s important for people to see someone who looks like me being able to be all of these things, because as Black women, we don’t get to do that quite often. We really get boxed into a certain type of role.”

The actress said the role has helped her grow as a person and as a performer. Calling Christine “a beast of a role,” Kouatchou recalls thinking during an early rehearsal, “Wait, she sings all of this?”

Now, she will be onstage, playing Christine, when the curtain comes down on the final show.

“It’s a dream to be on Broadway to represent and to shine and feel like I’m fulfilling a childhood dream,” she said.

An earlier version of this story incorrectly said that Sierra Boggess played Christine in more cities than others in the role. She performed in three cities, with one show filmed for a 25th-anniversary special. The story has been corrected.

About this story

Story by Allie Caren. Editing by Amy Hitt and Nicki DeMarco. Photo editing by Lauren Bulbin and Maya Valentine. Photographs of Boggess, Ewoldt, Kouatchou, Joseph and Udine by Ssam Kim for The Washington Post. Photos of Brightman by Bekky Calver for The Washington Post. Copy editing by Jeremy Hester and Jordan Melendrez. Video editing by Allie Caren. Design and development by José L. Soto. Design editing by Eddie Alvarez. Archival clips and photos courtesy of “The Phantom of the Opera.”

cuurlyyyyfries :

Swan I completed the trio!!

Originally posted by sonjackcarl

So I hear you like T-shirts. https://www.redbubble.com/people/Raphael2054/shop?asc=u

brendadaaedestler :

Phantom of the Opera AU where everything is the same, except the Reprise is replaced with I’m Just Ken

I decided to quit my job to start up a canine fashion label called, “Doggy Style.” I know there’s lots of competition already, so it’ll really be a come from behind story, but hopefully it will be a satisfying endeavor for all involved.

operafantomet :

AMINTA + ROSE Sae Yamamoto (?), Yokohama Claudia Cota, Buenos Aires Lana English, Cape Town or Pretoria Sarah Brightman, West End Maree Johnson, Sydney Paige Blankson, West End revival Danielle Everett, Australian Tour Danielle Everett, Australian Tour Holly-Anne Hull, UK Tour Revival Amy Manford, Restaged Aussie Tour Detail photo, Broadway Detail photo, West End Detail photo, World Tour Anouk van Laake, West End revival Holly-Anne Hull, West End revival Lucy St Louis, West End revival Amy Manford, Restaged Aussie Tour (original design by Maria Bjørnson)

I… will never get over the cancelled Paris production. SO CLOSE, and yet so far. And one of my favourite proscenium set-ups ever.

I’m just ‘Rik, they see my face, it make them sick Is it my destiny to live and die alone beside a toy monkey? I’m just 'Rik It comes to beaus, she has her pick What will it take for her to see the guy behind the lie and sing for me?

UHM… wait, what… like, authorized? According to this site , Germany’s largest theme park Europa-Park will launch a Phantom of the Opera roller coaster ride. it is described as a 360-degree experience where the visitors wears a VR headset, they enter a pre-ride room and finally the ride itself. It opens this spring, according to the plan. Someone on YouTube seems to have tried it out already, but no visuals .

CAMERON MACKINTOSH AND THE REALLY USEFUL GROUP PRESENT

THE BEST WEST END SHOW OF ALL TIME * *January 2020 survey published on The Independent website

The Phantom Awaits at His Majesty’s Theatre

Phantom London 2023 | The Phantom of the Opera

Experience the thrill of the West End’s most haunting love story, starring  Jon Robyns  as The Phantom,  Lily Kerhoas  as Christine Daaé and  Joe Griffiths-Brown  as Raoul.

The Phantom of the Opera is widely considered one of the most beautiful and spectacular productions in history, playing to over 160 million people in 46 countries and 193 cities in 21 languages. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s romantic, haunting and soaring score includes  Music of the Night ,  All I Ask of You ,  Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again ,  Masquerade  and the iconic title song. 

'SPECTACLE ABOUNDS. THE SHOW HAS ONLY GROWN IN ITS ARTISTIC POWER'

'THIS WEST END SPECTACULAR MORE THAN DESERVES ITS CLASSIC STATUS'

'THE MUSIC OF THE NIGHT IS BACK'

'SCARILY GOOD - THIS IS THE WEST END AT ITS CROWD-PLEASING BEST'

'THIS NEW PRODUCTION, WITH ADDED GREATNESS, IS WORTHY OF ITS PLACE IN THEATRE HISTORY'

'THE STAGING HAS NEVER LOOKED MORE SPECTACULAR'

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DYPAC presents ‘Phantom of the Opera’ at Trenton Village Theatre

TRENTON — Andrew Lloyd Webber’s world-renowned musical, "The Phantom of the Opera" is being presented by the Downriver Youth Performing Arts Center (DYPAC) at the Trenton Village Theater on April 12-14 and April 19-21.

The show’s cast features five Monroe County students in leading roles.

Airport High School junior Reagan Lewis of South Rockwood and Flat Rock resident Parker Watson star as Christine Daae and The Phantom and St. Mary Catholic Central High School senior Jacob Smith is featured as Christine’s love interest, Vicomte Raoul de Chagny.

Carlson High School senior MacKenna Tocco is also cast as Madame Giry, the Opera House’s ballet mistress and Noah Rodriguez is appearing as Monsieur Gilles Andre, one of the Opera House managers.

The show features several Monroe County students in other ensemble and other supporting roles. Due to the taxing vocal nature of the roles, Phantom and Christine have been double cast, with Reagan and Parker starring in the April 12, 14, and 20 shows.

Lewis and Watson have both been performing in shows through DYPAC for nearly a decade. This is their first opportunity to play lead roles together.

“We are both huge fans of Phantom and these are dream roles for both of us,” Reagan Lewis of South Rockwood, said in a written statement.

Lewis has attended a three-week classical voice and opera program at the Interlochen Center for the Arts Summer Camp for the past three years, and studies voice and piano privately as well. She is also a member of Varsity Voices, Airport High School’s honor choir, conducted by Sydney Timmer.

Watson has been heavily involved in dozens of stage productions through DYPAC and other venues, both as an on-stage performer and in a variety of lighting, sound and production roles.

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Smith, 17, of South Rockwood, was selected to participate in the two-week intensive acting program at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles, and has attended the intensive musical theater summer program at Interlochen.

Tocco, 17, of Brownstown, has had leading roles in numerous DYPAC shows over the past decade, has participated in Carlson’s theater and choir programs, and has been accepted into Oakland University’s Musical Theater program for next year.

Rodriguez, 15, of Flat Rock has been an avid performer for the last ten years, both at DYPAC and for Flat Rock High. He is 15-years-old.

"The Phantom of the Opera" is directed by Mary Zaleski and produced by Karen Rutkowski, with music and vocals by Audra Baas of Newport, an Airport High School graduate.

For show times and to purchase tickets for "The Phantom of the Opera" and future shows, visit dypac.com or visit the DYPAC Facebook page.

Founded in 1998, DYPAC is a 501(c)3 organization based in Trenton and founded in 1998, whose mission is to provide a complete state-of-the-art performance and learning center, allowing Downriver youth to experience, learn, teach, and perform in a variety of artistic areas.