The Phantom Of The Opera

Product Description

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s masterpiece, the second longest running musical in London

Based on the 1909 novel Le Fantôme de l' Opéra, The Phantom of the Opera is billed as London’s Greatest Love Story, telling the epic tale of the beautiful Swedish singer Christine Daaé who becomes the obsession of the mysterious, deformed musical genius known as the Phantom of the Opera.

The novel’s first musical adaptation was by Ken Hill in 1976, with a moderately successful production that played a number of provincial theatres in Britain & toured the USA, but didn’t reach the West End until 1991, when it was of course overshadowed by this, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s masterpiece.

Apparently inspired by Ken Hill’s production, Lloyd Webber had originally planned to work with Hill on a new show but this idea was dropped along the way & lyrics were eventually written by Charles Hart.

Opening at Her Majesty’s Theatre in 1986 to unanimously enthusiastic reviews & a fantastic public reception, The Phantom Of The Opera was an instant phenomenon.

The original London cast recording featuring Michael Crawford & Sarah Brightman was the first in musical history to enter the UK charts at number one & remains to this day the biggest selling musical cast recording of all time. Not only this, but the show’s success in London, on Broadway & in twenty countries around the world has made it the highest grossing entertainment of all time, having been seen by over 80 million people with worldwide box office takings of almost £2 billion.

The success of the Phantom does not look set to stop anytime soon, as its dramatic romance & famous score continue to draw in the crowds all over the world, with the London production never having had a seat go unsold in twenty two years.