Show guide
The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera is a gothic, sung-through spectacle about obsession, artistry, and a masked figure haunting the depths of the Paris Opera House.
- Broadway premiere
- 1988
- Music by
- Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Genre
- Sung-through
- Setting
- 1880s
The Phantom of the Opera: quick answers
What is The Phantom of the Opera about?
- The Phantom of the Opera follows Christine Daae, a young soprano at the Paris Opera House who becomes the obsession of a masked, disfigured musical genius living in the labyrinth beneath the theatre, while Raoul de Chagny, the opera's new patron, falls for her too.
When did The Phantom of the Opera open on Broadway?
- The Phantom of the Opera opened on Broadway on January 26, 1988, at the Majestic Theatre and ran until April 16, 2023, playing 13,981 performances. It is the longest-running show in Broadway history.
Is The Phantom of the Opera sung-through?
- Mostly, but not entirely. Nearly all of the story is told through Andrew Lloyd Webber's music, but the show does include some spoken dialogue between characters.
Where and when is The Phantom of the Opera set?
- The Phantom of the Opera is set at the Paris Opera House in 1881, framed by a prologue at an auction of the theatre's memorabilia in 1919.
Has The Phantom of the Opera played in London's West End?
- The Phantom of the Opera opened at Her Majesty's Theatre in London on October 9, 1986, with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman, and won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical. It is the second-longest-running musical in West End history, after Les Miserables.
Is there a The Phantom of the Opera movie?
- Joel Schumacher's 2004 film, produced and co-written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, starred Gerard Butler as the Phantom, Emmy Rossum as Christine, and Patrick Wilson as Raoul, and earned three Academy Award nominations.
The story of The Phantom of the Opera
Set in Paris in the 1880s, the musical centers on a mysterious, disfigured composer who lives beneath the opera house and becomes fixated on Christine, a young chorus girl he trains and shapes into a star. As his obsession deepens, it collides with Christine's own feelings for a childhood friend, setting off a dangerous rivalry that plays out amid the grandeur and secrecy of the theater itself.
The opera house setting gives the show much of its atmosphere, from its ornate stages and chandeliers to its hidden passageways and underground lake. It is a story about the seductive and dangerous pull of art and devotion, wrapped in a romantic gothic thriller.
The music and the makers
Andrew Lloyd Webber composed the score, crafting a sung-through musical in which nearly all the dialogue is delivered through song rather than spoken scenes. This approach lets the music carry the emotional weight of the entire story, from soaring romantic duets to eerie, suspenseful underscoring.
The score blends operatic grandeur with pop and rock sensibilities, giving it a lush, cinematic sweep that has made its melodies instantly recognizable well beyond the theatre world. It stands as one of the defining sung-through scores of modern musical theatre.
The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway
The Phantom of the Opera opened on Broadway in 1988, arriving as part of a wave of large-scale British musicals that reshaped what audiences expected from a big Broadway production. Its combination of romance, mystery, and technical spectacle made it an instant sensation.
Its massive popularity turned it into a Broadway institution, drawing generations of theatregoers with its haunting melodies, opulent design, and emotionally charged central story, cementing its place as one of the most iconic productions in musical theatre history.
The Phantom of the Opera: frequently asked questions
When did The Phantom of the Opera open on Broadway?
The Phantom of the Opera opened on Broadway in 1988.
Who composed The Phantom of the Opera?
Andrew Lloyd Webber composed the score.
What genre is The Phantom of the Opera?
It is a sung-through musical, meaning nearly the entire story is told through music rather than spoken dialogue.
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