Phantom of the Opera, The Musical Lyrics

The author is Andrew Lloyd Webber. For the lyrical part of the work, Richard Stilgoe & Charles Hart were responsible. The script was designed by Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe. The first act of the musical was shown for the first time in 1985 during a festival in Sydmonton, starring Colm Wilkinson, Sarah Brightman & Clive Carter. The premiere took place in early October 1986 at Her Majesty's Theatre. Directed by Harold Prince & choreographed by Gillian Lynne, the leading roles were played by Michael Crawford (for the first time), Sarah Brightman & Steve Barton. As of May 2016, the production continues to run in the West End. It is the longest-running show in the history of both the West End and Broadway, surpassing the mark of 23,000 performances in total on these main stages and more than 2,000 on other stages worldwide (the second place holder ‘Les Miserables’ counts only 19,000+ performances on both West End and Broadway stages).

In late January 1988, the Majestic Theatre hosted the Broadway premiere of this production. The director of the performance was Harold Prince, and the choreographer was Gillian Lynne. The same actors who starred in the London production were involved in the Broadway premiere. As of February 2016, it had survived through 11,670 performances. As of May 2016, the show continues on Broadway. The Asian premiere of the musical was presented at the MDM Theater in early October 2014. The translation of the lyrics was done by A. Ivashchenko. The main parts were performed by: Dmitry Ermak, Ivan Ozhogin, Elena Bakhtiyarova, Tamara Kotova & Evgeny Zaitsev. As of 2016, the show still continues in several countries worldwide.

The first American national tour started in 1991 in LA, ending at the California Pantages Theatre. The production took place in 30 countries on all continents – the show has been watched by at least 150 million people across the globe. In 2004, the film adaptation of the musical was released, directed by Joel Schumacher. The roles of the Phantom, Christine, and Raoul were played by Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum & Patrick Wilson, respectively. The musical is an award winner of Outer Critics Circle, Tony, Drama Desk & Laurence Olivier Awards. It remains a currently running show.

In recent news, "The Phantom of the Opera" celebrated its 35th anniversary on the West End in October 2021 with a special gala performance attended by original cast members and Andrew Lloyd Webber. The Broadway production marked its 13,000th performance in April 2022, continuing to draw audiences and breaking records. The musical also adapted to the pandemic by offering a successful live-streamed performance that reached audiences worldwide, demonstrating its lasting appeal and ability to innovate.

The show has also embraced new technology with updated special effects and staging for recent tours. A major highlight was the return of Michael Crawford for a special one-night-only performance in 2023, celebrating his iconic role. Additionally, plans for a new film adaptation are in the works, with a modern take on the classic story, further cementing its status as an enduring cultural phenomenon.

Release date: 1986
Last Update:August, 06th 2024