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The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)

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The Phantom of the Opera
Logo
MusicAndrew Lloyd Webber
LyricsCharles Hart
Richard Stilgoe (additional)
BookAndrew Lloyd Webber
Richard Stilgoe[1]
Basis1910 book Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux
Productions1986 West End
1988 Broadway
1991 First US Tour
1992 Second US Tour
2004 Film Adaptation
2011 25th Anniversary Concert
2012 UK Tour
2013 25th Anniversary on Broadway
Various international and amateur productions
Awards1986 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical
1988 Tony Award for Best Musical

The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux. It is considered by many to be the most successful musical of all time and is also the longest running show in Broadway history.[2]

The music is composed by Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Charles Hart. Additional lyrics are by Richard Stilgoe. The book was written by Lloyd Webber and Stilgoe.[1] The central plot revolves around a beautiful soprano, Christine Daaé, who becomes the obsession of a mysterious, disfigured musical genius.

The Phantom of the Opera opened in the West End in 1986, and on Broadway in 1988. It won the 1986 Olivier Award and the 1988 Tony Award for Best Musical, and Michael Crawford (in the title role) won the 1986 Olivier and 1988 Tony for Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical.[3] It is the longest-running Broadway show by a wide margin (celebrating its 10,000th performance on Broadway on 11 February, 2012), the second longest-running West End musical, and the third longest-running West End show overall.[4][5][6]

With total worldwide box office receipts of over $5.1 billion (£3.5 billion),[7] including a record-setting Broadway gross of US $845 million,[8] Phantom is the highest-grossing entertainment event of all time and the most financially successful theatrical show in history.[9][10] It had been seen by over 130 million people in 145 cities in 27 countries by 2011.[9]

Development

Idea

In 1984 Lloyd Webber contacted Cameron Mackintosh, the co-producer of Cats and Song and Dance, to propose a new musical. He was aiming for a romantic piece, and suggested Gaston Leroux's book The Phantom of the Opera as a basis. They screened both the 1925 Lon Chaney and the 1943 Claude Rains motion picture versions, but neither saw an effective way to make the leap from film to stage. Later, in New York, Lloyd Webber found a second-hand copy of the original, long-out-of-print Leroux novel, which supplied the necessary inspiration to develop a musical:

"I was actually writing something else at the time, and I realized that the reason I was hung up was because I was trying to write a major romantic story, and I had been trying to do that ever since I started my career. Then with the Phantom, it was there!"[11]

Lyricists

Lloyd Webber first approached Jim Steinman to write the lyrics because of his "dark obsessive side", but he declined in order to fulfill his commitments on a Bonnie Tyler album.[12] Alan Jay Lerner was then recruited, but he became seriously ill after joining the project and was forced to withdraw; none of his contributions (mostly involving the song "Masquerade") are credited in the show.[13][14] Richard Stilgoe, the lyricist for Starlight Express, wrote most of the original lyrics for the production. Charles Hart, a young and then-relatively unknown lyricist, later rewrote many of the lyrics, along with original lyrics for "Think of Me". Some of Stilgoe's original contributions are still present in the final version, however.[15]

Score

Inspired in part by an earlier musical version of the same story by Ken Hill,[16] Lloyd Webber's score is sometimes operatic in style but maintains the form and structure of a musical throughout. The full-fledged operatic passages are reserved principally for subsidiary characters such as Andre and Firmin, Carlotta, and Piangi. They are also used to provide the content of the fictional "operas" that are taking place within the show itself, viz., Hannibal, Il Muto, and the Phantom's masterwork, Don Juan Triumphant. Here, Lloyd Webber pastiched various styles from the grand operas of Meyerbeer through to Mozart and even Gilbert and Sullivan (Coveney, 1999). These pieces are often presented as musical fragments, interrupted by dialogue or action sequences in order to clearly define the musical's "show within a show" format. The musical extracts from the Phantom's opera, "Don Juan Triumphant", during the latter stages of the show, are dissonant and modern—suggesting, perhaps, that the Phantom is ahead of his time artistically (Snelson, 2004).

Design, direction, and choreography

Maria Björnson designed the sets and over 200 costumes, including the elaborate gowns in the "Masquerade" sequence. Her set designs, including such indelible elements as the chandelier, the subterranean gondola, and the sweeping staircase, set a standard for stage spectacle seldom equaled, and earned her multiple awards.[17][18] Hal Prince, director of Cabaret, Candide, Follies, and Webber's Evita, directed the production, while Gillian Lynne, associate director and choreographer of Cats, provided the integral musical staging and choreography.

First preview at Sydmonton

A preview of the first act was staged at Sydmonton (Lloyd Webber's home) in 1985, starring Colm Wilkinson (later the star of the Toronto production) as the Phantom, Sarah Brightman as Kristin (later Christine) and Clive Carter (later a member of the London cast) as Raoul. This very preliminary production used Richard Stilgoe's original unaltered lyrics, and many songs sported names that were later changed, such as "What Has Time Done to Me" ("Think of Me"), and "Papers" ("Notes"). The Phantom's original mask covered the entire face and remained in place throughout the performance, obscuring the actor's vision and muffling his voice. Björnson designed the now-iconic half-mask to replace it, and the unmasking sequence was added.[15] Clips of this preview performance were included on the DVD of the 2004 film production.[19]

West End

Phantom began previews at Her Majesty's Theatre in London's West End on 27 September 1986 under the direction of Hal Prince, then opened on 9 October. It was choreographed by Gillian Lynne and the sets were designed by Maria Björnson, with lighting by Andrew Bridge.[20] Michael Crawford starred in the title role with Sarah Brightman as Christine and Steve Barton as Raoul. The production, still playing at Her Majesty's, celebrated its 10,000th performance on 23 October 2010, with Lloyd Webber and the original Phantom, Michael Crawford, in attendance. It is the second longest-running musical in West End (and world) history behind Les Misérables, and third overall behind The Mousetrap.[21][22]

A 25th-anniversary stage performance was held in London on 1 and 2 October 2011 at the Royal Albert Hall and was screened live in cinemas worldwide.[23] The production was produced by Cameron Mackintosh, directed by Laurence Connor, musical staging & choreography by Gillian Lynne, set design by Matt Kinley, costume design by Maria Björnson, lighting design by Patrick Woodroffe and sound design by Mick Potter. The cast included Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom, Sierra Boggess as Christine, Hadley Fraser as Raoul, Wynne Evans as Piangi, Wendy Ferguson as Carlotta, Barry James as Monsieur Firmin, Gareth Snook as Monsieur Andre, Liz Robertson as Madame Giry and Daisy Maywood as Meg Giry. Lloyd Webber and several original cast members, including Crawford and Brightman, were in attendance. A DVD and Blu-ray of the performance was released in February 2012,[24] and it began airing in March 2012 on PBS's "Great Performances" television series.[23]

Broadway

Phantom began Broadway previews at the Majestic Theatre on 9 January 1988 and opened on 26 January.[10][25] Crawford, Brightman, and Barton reprised their respective roles from the West End. The production continues to play at the Majestic, where it marked its 24th anniversary in January 2012, and on 11 February became the first Broadway musical in history to surpass 10,000 performances.[8] It is, by over 2,500 performances, the longest-running show in Broadway history.[20]

Casting

The original casts of the major productions of The Phantom of the Opera:[26][27]

Character Original West End Cast Original Broadway Cast Original Canadian Cast Original Las Vegas Cast
The Phantom of the Opera Michael Crawford Colm Wilkinson Brent Barrett
Anthony Crivello‡
Christine Daaé Sarah Brightman
Claire Moore† 		Sarah Brightman
Patti Cohenour† 		Rebecca Caine
Susan Cuthbert 		Sierra Boggess
Elizabeth Loyacano‡
Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny Steve Barton Byron Nease Tim Martin Gleason
Carlotta Giudicelli Rosemary Ashe Judy Kaye Lyse Guerin Elena Jeanne Batman
Geena Jeffries Mattox‡
Madame Giry Mary Millar Leila Martin Kristina Marie Guiguet Rebecca Spencer
Meg Giry Janet Devenish Elisa Heinsohn Donna Rubin Brianne Kelly Morgan
Monsieur Richard Firmin John Savident Nick Wyman Gregory Cross Lawson Skala
Monsieur Gilles André David Firth Cris Groenendaal Paul Massell John Leslie Wolfe
Ubaldo Piangi John Aron David Romano Peter Cormican Larry Wayne Morbitt

† The role of Christine Daaé is double-cast in most professional productions. The secondary actress performs the role twice a week (on Broadway, Thursday evening and Saturday matinée).[28]

‡ Three roles (The Phantom, Christine, and Carlotta) were double-cast in the original Las Vegas production, with the two actors in each pair singing alternate performances.[29] Later, Las Vegas casting became identical to that in the Broadway production, with single casting for all characters except Christine.[30]

Notable West End replacements
  • Phantom

-Dave Willetts -John Owen-Jones -Ramin Karimloo

  • Christine

-Claire Moore -Rebecca Caine -Myrra Malmberg -Gina Beck -Rachel Barrell -Leila Benn Harris -Robyn North -Meredith Braun

  • Raoul

-Ramin Karimloo –Michael Ball -Robert Meadmore -Simon Bowman -John Barrowman -Simon Burke -Clive Carter -Oliver Thornton -Killian Donnelly

  • Carlotta

–Julia Goss -Margaret Preece -Shan Cothi

Notable Broadway replacements
  • Phantom

–Timothy Nolen -Steve Barton -Mark Jacoby -Davis Gaines -Thomas James O'Leary -Hugh Panaro -Howard McGillin -Brad Little -John Cudia -Gary Mauer

  • Christine

-Lisa Vroman –Patti Cohenour -Rebecca Luker -Rebecca Pitcher -Jennifer Hope Wills -Sierra Boggess

  • Raoul

-Gary Mauer –Hugh Panaro -Brad Little -John Cudia -Tim Martin Gleason

  • Monsieur André

–George Lee Andrews

Synopsis

Prologue

At the fictional Opera Populaire (based on the Paris Opéra House[31]) in 1905,[32][33] an auction of old theatre props is underway. Lot 665, purchased by the elderly Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny, is a music box in the shape of a monkey; he eyes it fondly, noting that its details appear "exactly as she said." Lot 666 is a shattered chandelier that, the auctioneer says, has a connection to "the strange affair of the Phantom of the Opera…a mystery never fully explained." As the chandelier is uncovered, it illuminates and slowly rises over the audience to its old position in the rafters. The years roll back and the Opéra returns to its 1880s grandeur. ("Overture")

Act I

It is now 1881.[34] As Carlotta, the Opéra's resident soprano prima donna, rehearses for that evening's performance, a backdrop collapses without warning. "The Phantom! He's here!" the anxious cast members whisper. The Opera's new owners, Firmin and André, try to downplay the incident, but Carlotta refuses to continue and storms offstage. Madame Giry, the Opéra's ballet mistress, tells Firmin and André that Christine Daaé, a Swedish chorus girl and orphaned daughter of a prominent violinist, has been "well taught", and could sing Carlotta's role. With cancellation of the performance their only alternative, the owners reluctantly audition Christine, and to their surprise she is equal to the challenge. ("Think of Me")

Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman performing the title song

Backstage after her triumphant début, Christine confesses to her best friend Meg (Madame Giry's daughter) that she knows her mysterious teacher only as an invisible "Angel of Music" ("Angel of Music"). The new patron, Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny, finds Christine, his old childhood playmate, in her dressing room. ("Little Lotte") Christine reminds Raoul about the "Angel of Music" stories that her late father used to tell them, and confides that the Angel has visited her, and taught her to sing. Raoul laughs at her "fantasies", and invites her to dinner. He exits, and a jealous Phantom appears in Christine's mirror in the guise of The Angel of Music ("The Mirror/Angel of Music (Reprise)"). Christine begs him to reveal himself. The Phantom obliges, then guides her into a ghostly underground realm ("The Phantom of the Opera"). They cross a subterranean lake to his secret lair beneath the opéra house. He then explains that he has chosen Christine to sing his music and serenades her ("The Music of the Night"). During the song, she sees a mannequin resembling herself in a wedding dress. When the mannequin suddenly moves, Christine faints and The Phantom carries her to a bed and expresses his love for her.

As the Phantom composes music at his organ ("I Remember…"), Christine awakens to the sound of the monkey music box. She slips up behind the Phantom, lifts his mask, and beholds his face. The Phantom rails at her curiosity, then ruefully expresses his longing to look normal—and to be loved by her. ("Stranger Than You Dreamt It")

Meanwhile, inside the opéra house, Joseph Buquet, the Opéra's chief stagehand who, like Madame Giry, inexplicably knows much about the Phantom, regales everyone with tales of the "Opéra Ghost" and his terrible Punjab lasso ("Magical Lasso"). Madame Giry warns Buquet to exercise restraint. In the managers’ office, Madame Giry delivers a note from the Phantom: he demands that Christine replace Carlotta in the new opera, Il Muto. ("Notes…") Firmin and André assure the enraged Carlotta that she will remain the star, ("Prima Donna") but during her performance, disaster strikes. ("Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh") The Phantom reduces Carlotta's voice to a frog-like croak. A backdrop lifts to reveal the corpse of Buquet, hanging from the rafters by the Punjab lasso.

In the ensuing mêlée, Christine escapes with Raoul to the roof, where she tells him about her subterranean rendezvous with the Phantom. Raoul is skeptical ("Why Have You Brought Me Here?/Raoul, I've Been There"), but swears to love and to protect her always. ("All I Ask of You") The Phantom, who has overheard their conversation, is heartbroken. He angrily vows revenge against Raoul ("All I Ask of You (Reprise)"), and the Opéra's mighty chandelier crashes to the floor as the curtain falls.

Act II

Steve Barton and Sarah Brightman in the final scene

Six months later in the midst of the gala masquerade ball, the Phantom, costumed as the Red Death, makes his first appearance since the chandelier disaster. ("Masquerade/Why So Silent?") He announces to all the stunned guests that he has written an opera entitled Don Juan Triumphant. He demands that it be produced immediately, with Christine (who is now engaged to Raoul) in the lead role. He then seizes Christine's engagement ring and vanishes. Raoul demands that Madame Giry tell him about the Phantom. She reluctantly replies that he is a brilliant musician and magician born with a terrifyingly deformed face, who escaped from captivity in a traveling freak show and disappeared.

During rehearsals, Raoul hatches a plan to use Don Juan Triumphant as a trap to capture the Phantom, knowing the Phantom will be sure to attend its première. ("Notes/Twisted Every Way") Christine, torn between her love for Raoul and her gratitude for the Phantom's teaching, visits her father's grave, longing for his guidance. ("Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again"). The Phantom appears, again under the guise of the Angel of Music ("Wandering Child"). Christine nearly falls under his trance but Raoul abruptly arrives at the scene. The Phantom then taunts and launches fiery missiles at him ("Bravo Monsieur") until Christine begs Raoul to leave with her. Furious, the Phantom sets fire to the cemetery, promising revenge on them both.

Don Juan Triumphant opens with Christine and Ubaldo Piangi, the Opéra's principal tenor, singing the lead roles; meanwhile, the theatre is quietly infiltrated by an armed police presence. ("Don Juan") During their duet, Christine suddenly realizes that she is singing not with Piangi, but with the Phantom himself. ("The Point of No Return") He expresses his love for her and gives her his ring, but Christine rips off his mask, exposing his deformed face to the shocked audience. As Piangi is found strangled to death backstage, the Phantom seizes Christine and flees the theatre, trusting that Raoul will pursue them and fall into a trap he has set. An angry mob led by Meg searches the theatre for the Phantom, while Madame Giry tells Raoul how to find the Phantom's subterranean lair and warns him to beware the Phantom's Punjab lasso.

In the lair Christine is forced to don the doll's wedding dress. ("Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer") Raoul finds the lair, but the Phantom captures him with his lasso. He tells Christine that he will free Raoul if she agrees to stay with him forever; if she refuses, Raoul will die. ("Final Lair") Christine tells the Phantom that it is his soul that is deformed, not his face, and kisses him, comforting him with the notion that he is not alone. The Phantom, having experienced kindness and compassion for the first time, sets them both free. Christine returns the Phantom's ring to him, and he tells her he loves her. She cries, forces herself to turn away, and exits with Raoul. The Phantom, weeping, huddles on his throne and covers himself with his cape. The mob storms the lair and Meg pulls away the cape—but the Phantom has vanished; only his mask remains.[35]

Musical numbers

Notes:

  • † The several musical numbers of the Act I Finale are often merged, on recordings, into a single track, broadly titled "All I Ask of You (Reprise)".
  • ‡ The several musical numbers of the Act II Finale are often merged, on recordings, into a single track, broadly titled "Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer," "The Phantom's Lair," or "Beyond the Lake".
  • § The forward slash used here between two titles indicates two musical numbers about which it is difficult to distinguish when one ends and the other begins. (Such pairs are often merged on recordings into a single track.)

Instrumentation

The 27-piece orchestra is substantially larger than those used in most modern musicals:[citation needed]

  • Reed I: Flute/Piccolo
  • Reed II: Flute/Clarinet
  • Reed III: Oboe/English horn
  • Reed IV: B-flat Clarinet/Bass Clarinet/E-flat Clarinet
  • Reed V: Bassoon
  • Horns I-III
  • Trumpets I-II
  • Trombone
  • Percussion
  • Keyboards I-II: Piano, Synthesiser
  • Violins I-VII
  • Violas I-II
  • Cellos I-II
  • Double Bass
  • Harp

A pre-recorded track (organ, synthesisers, drum machine, electric guitars, and bass guitar) supplements the live orchestra during the overture and title song to prevent the noisy motorized props operating in the Journey to the Lair sequence from being amplified by the actors' microphones. The conductor and drummer listen to a click track on headphones to keep the live musicians synchronised with the track. Most of the Phantom's offstage voiceovers are pre-recorded, as is Christine's final note of the title song.[citation needed]

To reduce touring expenses, a downscaled orchestral arrangement was developed that included a third keyboard in lieu of the brass section, reduction of the woodwind section to three instruments, and a smaller string section. The smaller arrangement is also used in the Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular production.

Recordings

Cast recordings have been made of the London,[36] German,[37] Canadian,[38] Austrian, Japanese, Mexican, Korean, Polish, Dutch, Swedish, and Hungarian productions.[citation needed]

The recording of the 1986 original London cast, released by Polydor Records in 1987, became the first album in British musical history to enter the UK albums chart at #1.[citation needed] It was released in both a single CD Highlights From The Phantom of the Opera and a two CD Phantom of the Opera, both of which have been certified 4× Platinum in the US.[39] Phantom was also certified 3× Platinum in the UK.[40] The Canadian cast recording went 2× Platinum in Canada.[41] In Switzerland, Phantom was certified 3× Platinum and Highlights was certified 2× Platinum.[42] Recordings of the Vienna cast and the Hamburg cast were certified Gold and triple Platinum, respectively, in Germany.[43] It is believed that the original album recording has sold over 40 million copies worldwide.

A live recording of The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall was released in the UK on 15 November 2011 and subsequently in the U.S. and Canada on 7 February 2012,[44] along with Blu-ray and DVD videos, and a collectors' box set of the Royal Albert concert, the original cast recording, and the sequel, Love Never Dies.[44][45]

Certifications

Allegations of plagiarism

In 1987, the heirs of Giacomo Puccini charged in a lawsuit that the climactic phrase in "Music of the Night" closely resembled a similar phrase in the sequence "Quello che tacete" from Puccini's opera Girl of the Golden West.[60][61] The litigation was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.[62][63]

In 1990, a Baltimore songwriter named Ray Repp filed a lawsuit alleging that the title song from Phantom was based on a song that he wrote in 1978 called "Till You." After eight years of litigation — including an unsuccessful countersuit by Lloyd Webber claiming that "Till You" was itself a plagiarism of "Close Every Door" from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat[64] — the jury found in Lloyd Webber's favor.[65]

Roger Waters has repeatedly claimed in interviews that the signature descending/ascending half-tone chord progression from Phantom's title song was plagiarised from the bass line of a track on the Pink Floyd 1971 album Meddle called "Echoes."[66] He has never taken any legal action ("Life's too long to bother with suing Andrew f**king Lloyd Webber"), but he did add an insulting reference to Lloyd Webber in his song "It's a Miracle": "We cower in our shelters/With our hands over our ears/Lloyd Webber's awful stuff/Runs for years and years and years/An earthquake hits the theatre/But the operetta lingers/Then the piano lid comes down/And breaks his f**king fingers./It's a miracle!".[67]

Other productions

Phantom has been translated into several languages and produced in over 27 countries on six continents. With only two exceptions (Hungary and Poland), these productions have all been “clones”, using the original staging, direction, sets and costume concepts.[68] International productions include the following:

  • Argentina: The Argentine production premièred in March 2009 at Buenos Aires' Teatro Ópera and closed 29 November 2009 after 194 performances.
  • Australia: 1990 – 1998: Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth; 2007 – 2009: Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Auckland, Perth and Adelaide, both starring Anthony Warlow. Marina Prior starred as Christine in the original production. In the original Australian production, Rob Guest later took over the title role.[69] The final leg of the more recent tour was staged in Adelaide in an arena format featuring giant screens on either side of the stage that presented footage shot simultaneously with the performance.
  • Austria: The German language production premiered at the Theater an der Wien in December 1988.[70]
  • Belgium: The Dutch production toured Belgium.
  • Brazil: São Paulo, premièred at Teatro Abril in April 2005.
  • Canada: The Toronto production of Phantom ran for just over ten years, ending abruptly when Livent collapsed. The Music Box Tour (Third U.S. National Tour) played dates across Canada in 2006 – 2007 including Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Saskatoon and Ottawa.
  • Canadian International Touring Company: 11 March 1991 – October 1995 toured Canada, Hawaii, Alaska, Hong Kong and Singapore
  • China: The Shanghai production played 97 performances at the Shanghai Grand Theatre
  • Denmark: Det Ny Theater, Copenhagen (2000–2001, 2003–2004, 2009)
  • Germany: There have been three German productions: Hamburg (1990-2001), Stuttgart (2002-2004) and Essen (2005-2007).
  • Hong Kong: First tour – at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Grand Theatre June to October 1995; Second tour – July to August 2006 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Grand Theatre.
  • Hungary: Madách Theatre, Budapest. This production, which began in 2003, was the first to modify the original staging with new sets, costumes and direction.[68] The five hundredth performance on 20 September 2007 featured four successive sets of casts. After the final curtain, three Christines and four Phantoms performed the title song once again.
  • Japan: Shiki Productions produced the show in 1988, the first production performed in a language other than English. It was still running at the Dentsu Shiki Theatre "Umi" in Tokyo as of February 2012.
  • Korea: Opened in 2009 at Charlotte Theater in Seoul.
  • Mexico: Mexico City, premiered at Centro Cultural Telmex in December 1999.
  • Netherlands: At the Circus Theatre in Scheveningen. More than 1,000 performances (1993–1996) with Henk Poort as the Phantom.
  • New Zealand: Auckland, Wellington in June 2013 [1]
  • Philippines: At the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 2012. This production used the sets that were used in the 2011 - 2012 South African tour of the show. It also featured several cast members who performed in South Africa.
  • Poland: Warsaw production premiered in March 2008 at Teatr Muzyczny Roma, featuring original sets, costumes, and direction. Closed June 2010.
  • Singapore: First tour at the Kallang Theatre from 26 February 1995 to 20 May 1995, 2nd tour at the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay from 23 March 2007 to 20 May 2007.[71]
  • South Africa: 2004, Cape Town, The South African State Theatre, Pretoria. 2011, Cape Town Artscape Theatre and 2012, Johannesburg Teatro at Montecasino.
  • Spain: Madrid, premiered at Teatro Lope de Vega on 4 September 2002.
  • Sweden: 1989 – 1995, Oscarsteatern, Stockholm. More than 1,000 performances. Starring Mikael Samuelson as the Phantom.
  • Switzerland: Performed in both English and German at the Musical Theatre Messe Basel in Switzerland for over a year in 1996 – 1997.
  • Taiwan: began on 18 January 2006 at National Theater and Concert Hall (Taiwan) and July 2009 at Taipei Arena, with Brad Little as the Phantom.
  • United States: Los Angeles (1989–1993), San Francisco (1993–1999). A US National tour commenced in 1991 in Los Angeles, and closed on 31 October 2010 at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, California, after nearly 2 decades. The closing-night tour performance was attended by many former cast- and crew-members, including Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sarah Brightman.[72]

An edited production renamed Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular opened June 24, 2006 at The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, in a theatre built specifically for the show to resemble the Opéra Garnier in Paris.[73] The production ran 95 minutes with no intermission, and was directed and choreographed by Harold Prince and Gillian Lynne, with scenic designs by David Rockwell. 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.[29] Almost 45 minutes' worth of material was eliminated, such as the Don Juan Triumphant rehearsal. "Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh" and "The Point of No Return" were significantly shortened.[29] Other changes resembled those in the 2004 film, such as staging the chandelier crash at the plot's climax (during performance of "The Point of No Return") rather than mid-story.[30][74] The Las Vegas production closed on September 2, 2012.

A film version, starring Gerard Butler as the Phantom, Emmy Rossum as Christine, Patrick Wilson as Raoul, Minnie Driver as Carlotta, and Miranda Richardson as Madame Giry opened in limited release on 22 December 2004 in the U.S. and later in nationwide release on 21 January 2005.[75]

In 2011 The Really Useful Group (copyright owners of Phantom) released certain rights to the play in celebration of its 25th anniversary. Any educational or non-profit organization, including schools and amateur dramatic groups, can now perform the musical without copyright fees. In May 2011 H. B. Beal Secondary School in London, Ontario, became the first school to perform Phantom under the new rights. In November 2012 St John Fisher Catholic High School, Harrogate staged a performance.[76][77][78]

In March 2012 a new production directed by Laurence Connor began a UK and Ireland tour to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the show, beginning at the Theatre Royal Plymouth and traveling to Manchester, Bristol, Dublin, Leeds, Edinburgh, Milton Keynes, Cardiff and Southampton. John Owen-Jones and Earl Carpenter alternate as the Phantom with Katie Hall as Christine and Simon Bailey as Raoul.[79]

Awards and nominations

Original London production

Year Award Ceremony Category Nominee Result
1986 Laurence Olivier Award[80][81] Best New Musical Won
Best Actor in a Musical Michael Crawford Won
Designer of the Year Maria Björnson Nominated
2002 Most Popular Show Won

Original Broadway production

Year Award Ceremony Category Nominee Result
1988 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Musical Nominated
Outstanding Actor in a Musical Michael Crawford Won
Outstanding Actress in a Musical Sarah Brightman Nominated
Outstanding Director of a Musical Harold Prince Won
Outstanding Music Andrew Lloyd Webber Won
Outstanding Orchestrations David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber Won
Outstanding Set Design Maria Björnson Won
Outstanding Costume Design Won
Outstanding Lighting Design Andrew Bridge Won
Tony Award[82] Best Musical Won
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical Michael Crawford Won
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical Judy Kaye Won
Best Direction of a Musical Harold Prince Won
Best Book of a Musical Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber Nominated
Best Original Score Andrew Lloyd Webber, Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe Nominated
Best Scenic Design Maria Björnson Won
Best Costume Design Won
Best Lighting Design Andrew Bridge Won
Best Choreography Gillian Lynne Nominated

Sequel

Main article: Love Never Dies (musical)

The sequel to Phantom, written by Lloyd Webber, Glenn Slater and Ben Elton with lyrics by Slater, is called Love Never Dies.[83] It was loosely adapted from the 1999 novel The Phantom of Manhattan by Frederick Forsyth in collaboration with Lloyd Webber. Set in 1907 (a decade after the conclusion of Phantom according to the production's announcement,[84] but actually 26 years later, as the original show was set in 1881[34]), Christine is invited to perform at Phantasma, a new attraction at Coney Island, by an anonymous impresario. With her husband Raoul and son Gustave in tow she journeys to Brooklyn, unaware that it is the Phantom who has arranged her appearance at the popular beach resort.[84][85]

The original production was directed by Jack O'Brien and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell with set and costume designs by Bob Crowley,[83] and opened at the Adelphi Theatre in the West End on 9 March 2010.[86] Though it ran for over 17 months and closed on 27 August 2011, the production received mixed reviews.[87][88][89] A scheduled Broadway opening in November 2010 was postponed until Spring 2011[90] and later canceled.[91] A revamped Australian production, starring Ben Lewis and Anna O'Byrne, opened 21 May 2011 at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne to more favorable notices.[92][93][94][95] After the Melbourne run ended on 12 December 2011 the production moved to the Capitol Theatre in Sydney where it played from January to April 2012.[96][97]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b "The Phantom of the Opera: The most commercially successful stage musical ever". Really Useful Licensing. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  2. ^ Gerald Martin Bordman (2004). The Oxford companion to American theatre p.496. Oxford University Press. "A British musical based on Leroux's famous novel".
  3. ^ "The Phantom of the Opera". {{cite web}}: Text "Awards" ignored (help); Text "The Show" ignored (help)
  4. ^ Top 10 Longest-Running London Theatre Shows Londonist.com. Retrieved 11 February 2012
  5. ^ The A to Z of the Broadway Musical p.266. Scarecrow Press, 2009
  6. ^ Smith, Tim (11 April 2010) 'Phantom of the Opera’ at the Hippodrome The Baltimore Sun
  7. ^ "Phantom musical surpasses record". BBC News. 10 January 2006. Retrieved 23 April 2008.
  8. ^ a b Jones, Kenneth "Broadway's Phantom Hits 10,000th Performance on Feb. 11; Milestone Benefits The Actors Fund", Playbill.com, 11 February 2012
  9. ^ a b "Phantom of the Opera Screening Earns Over £500,000 in the UK", BroadwayWorld.com, 5 October 2011
  10. ^ a b Jones, Kenneth (25 January 2006). "Phantom turns 18". Playbill. Retrieved 23 April 2008.
  11. ^ Andrew Lloyd Webber, Martin Knowlden The Phantom of the Opera Companion Pavilion, 2007
  12. ^ Bright, Spencer (8 December 1996). "Jim'll Fix It". Sunday Times. Retrieved 9 July 2007.
  13. ^ Citron, Stephen. Sondheim and Lloyd-Webber (2001), Oxford University Press US, ISBN 0-19-509601-0, p. 330
  14. ^ Behr, Edward. The Complete Book of Les Misérables (1993),Arcade Publishing, ISBN 1-55970-156-0, p. 62
  15. ^ a b Behind the Mask documentary, on the 2004 film DVD
  16. ^ Evans, Everett (2 December 1990). "You need program to keep `Phantom' productions straight". Houston Chronicle.
  17. ^ Maria Bjornson Dies; Theatre Production Designer was 53 (16 December 2002). LiveDesign archive Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  18. ^ Maria Bjornson obituary. London times archive Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  19. ^ Phantom of the Opera DVD (2004 film). Amazon.com Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  20. ^ a b Propst, Andy. Broadway's Phantom of the Opera to Reach Historic 9,000th Performance on 17 September TheaterMania.com. 14 September 2009.
  21. ^ "The Phantom of the Opera: Show awards". Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group. Retrieved 23 April 2008.
  22. ^ Glendinning, Lee (3 May 2008). "Musical to return louder than ever". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 May 2008.
  23. ^ a b Phantom Live in Cinemas
  24. ^ http://www.amazon.com/Phantom-Opera-Royal-Albert-Hall/dp/B005SFR7YE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1328927544&sr=8-2
  25. ^ Lloyd Webber had hoped to open in Toronto prior to Broadway but political pressure forced the change.Phantom of the Opera, at the Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 31 January 2008
  26. ^ POTO Onstage, phantom-media.info - accessed 10 May 2009
  27. ^ Phantom of the Opera Toronto Cast
  28. ^ The Phantom of the Opera: opening night production credits. IBDB.com. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
  29. ^ a b c Westley, Christine: "Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular. TheatreMania.com. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
  30. ^ a b Casting: PhantomLasVegas.com Retrieved 8 September 2011
  31. ^ Andrew Lloyd Webber (September 1986). "Background: Paris Opera House". http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com. Retrieved 26 April 2012. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  32. ^ BWW New Desk (5 September 2011). "Details Revealed for THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA 25th Anniversary Box Set". Retrieved 19 April 2012. Track Listing, Disc 1...Original London Cast - Prologue (The Stage Of Paris Opera House, 1905)
  33. ^ "Andrew Lloyd Webber – The Phantom Of The Opera". DiscOgs. 5 April 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2012. Tracklist...Prologue: The Stage Of The Paris Opéra, 1905
  34. ^ a b Phantom Las Vegas: Musical Numbers
  35. ^ Perry, George. "The Complete Phantom of the Opera". Owl Books, 1991, ISBN 0-8050-1722-4.
  36. ^ Discogs.com entry "The Phantom Of The Opera" Original London Cast
  37. ^ Discogs.com entry "Das Phantom Der Oper"
  38. ^ Discogs.com entry "The Phantom Of The Opera" Original Canadian Cast
  39. ^ "American certifications – Phantom Of The Opera". Recording Industry Association of America.
  40. ^ "British album certifications – Phantom Of The Opera". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Type Phantom Of The Opera in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  41. ^ "Canadian certifications – Andrew Lloyd Webber – Phantom Of The Opera". Music Canada.
  42. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Phantom Of The Opera')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  43. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank ('Das Phantom der Oper')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  44. ^ a b http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com/news/latest-news/phantom-live-in-cinemas-for-25th-anniversary
  45. ^ http://broadwayworld.com/article/Details-Revealed-for-THE-PHANTOM-OF-THE-OPERA-25th-Anniversary-Box-Set-20110905
  46. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Andrew Lloyd Webber – Phantom of the Opera". Music Canada. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  47. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2005 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  48. ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  49. ^ id MUST BE PROVIDED for UK CERTIFICATION.
  50. ^ "American album certifications – Andrew Lloyd Webber – Phantom of the Opera". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  51. ^ "Austrian album certifications – Diverse – Phantom der Oper" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  52. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Various Artists – The Phantom of the Opera". Music Canada. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  53. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Musical Hamburg; 'Musical Hamburg - Das Phantom der Oper')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  54. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Musical; 'Musical Wien - Das Phantom der Oper')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  55. ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  56. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Phantom Of The Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber)')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  57. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Various Artists – The Phantom of the Opera (Highlights)". Music Canada. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  58. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Phantom Of The Opera (Highlights) (Andrew Lloyd Webber)')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  59. ^ "American album certifications – Andrew Lloyd Webber – Highlights from Phantom of the Opera _Loncon Cast_". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  60. ^ Hear the Opera Andrew Lloyd Webber Allegedly Plagiarized. SFist. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  61. ^ Who's Listening to Lloyd Webber? Theatre Communications Group archive Retrieved 7 November 2011
  62. ^ HOW THE WEST WON THE MET (13 June 2010). San Jose Mercury News (CA). Article ID: 1408078
  63. ^ LET'S HEAR 'GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST' SING (12 June 2010) San Jose Mercury News (CA). Article ID: 1408152
  64. ^ Andrew Lloyd Webber Loses Round in Battle Over Allegedly Stolen Song (5 December 1996). Seattle Post-Intelligencer Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  65. ^ Lloyd Webber Wins Phantom Battle. BBC News Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  66. ^ "Who the hell does Roger Waters think he is?". Q magazine. November 1992. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
  67. ^ It's a Miracle Lyrics Roger Waters Online
  68. ^ a b "Official website of the Hungarian production". Theater Madách. Retrieved 23 April 2008.
  69. ^ "Australian Broadcasting Corporation The world Today".
  70. ^ "Official website of the German production". Retrieved 23 April 2008.
  71. ^ Yong, Yvonne (3 October 2006). "Phantom of the Opera set to return to Singapore". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved 23 April 2008.
  72. ^ "Phantom" To Close at Pantages. neontommy.com Retrieved 27 January 2011.
  73. ^ "Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular official site". Really Useful Group/Mackintosh Ltd. Retrieved 23 April 2008.
  74. ^ McKenzie, Kristine (3 October 2006). "Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular show review — Beloved show lives up to new name". LasVegas.com. Retrieved 23 April 2008.
  75. ^ The Phantom of the Opera (2004) at IMDb. Retrieved 31 January 2008
  76. ^ http://www.lfpress.com/entertainment/stage/2011/05/09/18124881.html
  77. ^ http://www.tvdsb.ca/spotlight.cfm?sp=334&start=51&end=75
  78. ^ http://www.facebook.com/events/200010463365210
  79. ^ http://www.thephantomoftheoperatour.com
  80. ^ "OLIVIER AWARDS 1986". westendtheatre.com. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
  81. ^ "The Laurence Olivier Awards: full list of winners 1976-2008" (PDF). officiallondontheatre.co.uk. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
  82. ^ "The Phantom of the Opera Tony Award Info". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
  83. ^ a b "Love Never Dies: The Show - The Creative Team". LoveNeverDies.com Official Site. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
  84. ^ a b "Phantom Sequel, Love Never Dies, Now Due in London and on Broadway in March 2010". Playbill. 18 May 2009.
  85. ^ "Love Never Dies: The Show - Background". Love Never Dies (official site). {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  86. ^ Bamigboye, Baz. Ramin Karimloo originated the Phantom, and Sierra Boggess played Christine. Joseph Millson, Summer Strallen, and Charlie Manton were all in the original cast of Love Never Dies as well.Watch out for... Daily Mail. 3 April 2009.
  87. ^ "Love Never Dies sees mixed reviews". CBC News. 10 March 2010.
  88. ^ "Broadway debut of Love Never Dies is postponed". BBC News. 7 April 2010.
  89. ^ Healy, Patrick (7 April 2010). "Broadway Opening for 'Love Never Dies' Is Delayed Until 2011". NY Times.
  90. ^ Gans, Andrew (6 April 2010). "Love Never Dies Postpones Broadway Opening to Spring 2011". Playbill.
  91. ^ Love Never Dies Scraps Plans for Spring Broadway Run
  92. ^ Bedford, Angie. "Love Never Dies Review". The Theatre Channel at Webwombat. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  93. ^ Solomon, Les (30 May 2011): "Australia's Creative Pride. AussieTheatre.com Retrieved August 22, 2001
  94. ^ Herbert, Kate (May 30, 2011): "Australia Never Dies" review. Melbourne Herald Sun archive Retrieved 22 August 2011
  95. ^ Boyd, Chris (30 May 2011): Phantom sequel spectacularly unmasked. The Australian archive Retrieved 22 August 2011
  96. ^ LOVE NEVER DIES Arrives at Sydney's Capitol Theatre
  97. ^ Andrew Lloyd Webber's Love Never Dies Ends Australian Run 1 April

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