Production History

    I feel that Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera is the greatest musical in theatre history. I feel that way because it transports you to the Paris Opera House through the show's outstanding and beautiful sets and costumes designed by the talented Maria Bjornson and the electrifying lighting by the brilliant Andrew Bridge. There are no words to describe the genius, Harold Prince for his perfect direction and the beautiful staging of Gillian Lynne, all of these talented artists brought the world this brilliant piece of theatre known as, The Phantom of the Opera, and what is amazing is that they all stuck together to take the show all over the world without changing a thing.

     The Phantom of the Opera opened then in 1986 in the West End at Her Majesty's Theatre with Michael Crawford as the Phantom, Sarah Brightman as Christine, and Steve Barton as Raoul. These three leads retreated their roles when the Phantom opened on Broadway in 1988 at the Majestic Theatre. After its Broadway premier the show opened in LA with Michael Crawford again as the Phantom and Dale Kristine as Christine. After its four year, record breaking run in LA the show moved to the Curran theatre in San fransisco starring Davis Gaines as the Phantom and Lisa Vroman as Christine. From there, two national tours opened in the US, the Raoul Company and the Music Box Company, the Toronto production opened at the Pantages Theatre with Colm Wilkinson taking the lead in 1989. Productions then opened in Australia, Japan, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, and Sweden.

        In 1996 the Phantom in London had its 10th anniversary and is still selling out performances. The Broadway production picked up 7 Tony Awards including Best Musical of 1988 and in January 1998 the Broadway production marked its 10th Anniversary. For the Broadway anniversary fans were very upset that there were no tickets being sold to the public, so, all the Phantom phans got together like no other phans and fought till they got there tickets, they even held their own anniversary celebrations since they were not allowed to the official celebration. The Toronto Phantom is making its way to its 10th anniversary very soon while the San Fransisco production is in its fifth year. Phantom is now the longest-running musical in Canada's history and the Phantom musical itself is the most successful musical ever produced, even its music is the biggest selling soundtrack ever for a musical. Phantom has been breaking records in about every theatre it has visited and hopefully will keep breaking records for more decades to come as long as there are still Phantom phans like there are now.I would just like to thank everyone who has visited my page. If it wasn't for you phans, well, I don't know what I would do!