The Phantom of the Opera (musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a 1986 musical. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe wrote the book. Charles Hart and Stilgoe wrote the lyrics. Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the music. The musical is based on the 1910 novel, The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux.
West End and Broadway premieres
Phantom opened at Her Majesty' s Theatre in the West End on 9 October 1986. Michael Crawford originated the titular role, with Sarah Brightman played Christine and Steve Barton as Raoul.
The musical opened on Broadway on 26 January 1988 at the Majestic Theatre. Crawford, Brightman, and Barton played their West End roles in the Broadway production.
Main roles
The Phantom of the Opera, a disfigured man
Christine Daae, a young opera singer
Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny, Christine' s love interest
Story
The story is about a deformed musical genius who lives in a sewer beneath the opera house in Paris. Obsessed with a young soprano by the name of Christine, he terrorizes everyone at the opera in an effort to make her a star.
Awards
The musical won various awards over the years, including the 1986 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical and the 1988 Tony Award for Best Musical. Michael Crawford won the Olivier and Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Musical.
Adaptations
The musical was made into a movie with the same name in 2004. It stars Gerard Butler as the Phantom, Emmy Rossum as Christine, and Patrick Wilson as Raoul.
Musicals by Andrew Lloyd Webber
West End musicals
Broadway musicals
1980s musicals
Musicals based on books
Laurence Olivier Award winning musicals
1986 works