Phantom of the Opera

The musical Phantom of the Opera opened in London in October 1986. Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber (Evita, Cats), produced by Cameron Mackintosh (Cats, Les Miserables), and directed by Hal Prince (Cabaret, A Little Night Music), Phantom could not have asked for a more talented or diverse creative team. The show was expected to be a smash hit, and it did not disappoint.

Phantom of the Opera is in itself an opera; the dialogue and action set completely to music. It tells the story of a deformed genius who falls hopelessly in love with an ingénue. The girl is torn, craving the intensity of her savage "Angel of Music," while at the same time longing for the simple, uncomplicated love of her childhood sweetheart.

The music evolves from a sweet, almost childlike aria ("Think of Me"), to the seductive ("Music of the Night"), to a pledge of true love ("All I Ask of You"). It ends in a towering crescendo of melodies full of eerie hints of all that has gone before. Several critics have expressed the opinion that this is indeed Andrew Lloyd Webber's most powerful score.

The music, however, does not stand alone. The sets, designed by Maria Bjornson, are lush and mysterious, from the candle-lit lair of the phantom to the gorgeous, but somehow also menacing, spectacle of the costume party that opens the second act. Under the direction of the experienced Hal Prince, the characters, who might easily have become ridiculous caricatures in other hands, remain achingly true and human throughout the show.

All this combines to explain why Phantom of the Opera has been playing around the world for more than twenty years and why the official Phantom of the Opera site estimates the show has been seen by more than 80 million people.

After a brief framing sequence that doesn't add much to the show, the musical Phantom of the Opera opens with the Paris Opera House in chaos. Not only has the ownership changed hands with a new show in rehearsal, but also the chorus girls can't stop gossiping about the mysterious Phantom of the Opera. The Phantom is not a fan of the current diva's voice and creates such havoc when she sings that she finally quits in a huff.

Left without a diva, the new owners reluctantly agree to audition chorus girl Christine Daae (originally played by Sarah Brightman) who has been trained by a mysterious master (the Phantom, originally played by Michael Crawford). She shines in the role, attracting the attention of her childhood sweetheart Raoul (originally played by Steve Barton). Before she can so much as agree to have dinner with him, however, the phantom whisks her away to his home in the depths of the opera house.

Christine is overwhelmed by the intensity of his need for her. She also sees his disfigured face and is horrified. The Phantom, who has made himself emotionally vulnerable for perhaps the first time in his life, becomes ever more possessive of Christine, even as he knows he cannot keep her.

When the new owners do not allow her to star in their next show, he terrifies the audience at the opera house by strangling a stagehand and smashing a chandelier.

Christine devotes herself entirely to Raoul, thinking he can save her, but the Phantom insists that Christine sing the lead in an opera that he has written. When she reluctantly does so, the Phantom kidnaps her from the stage, leading to a towering climax of rage, jealousy, pain, and finally redemption.

Phantom of the Opera is full of Andrew Lloyd Webber's trademark show-stopping songs. "Angel of Music" is a joyous, though naive, affirmation of Christine's devotion to her mysterious teacher, as she begs him to "grant to me your glory." Of course, she has no idea of what she must sacrifice for her request to be fulfilled.

Then, there is, of course, the titular "Phantom of the Opera," a soaring duet sung by Christine and the Phantom, as he leads her into the dark home he has made for himself under the opera house.

Just as beautiful, and far more emotionally complex, is the next song in the show, "Music of the Night.” It is a darkly erotic solo sung by the Phantom as he seduces Christine into the underworld where he has been forced to hide for so many years. Many performers, both male and female, have recorded this song, but none has captured the tortured, confessional whisper of Michael Crawford, the original Phantom.

The next love song, "All I Ask of You," a duet between Christine and Raoul, finds Christine an active participant. She has decided that "all I want is freedom/ a world with no more night" and turns to Raoul for an easier, less demanding love. The Phantom overhears her betrayal and is devastated.

The second act is less memorable, musically speaking, than the first. Songs include "Masquerade," "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again," and "Past the Point of No Return.” "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again," Christine's requiem to her dead father, is the song from the second act most frequently recorded by solo artists.

Phantom of the Opera is a treat for the eyes as well as the ears. The costumes are simply unforgettable, beginning with the white, virginal gown Christine wears when she first enters the Phantom's lair. The Phantom himself is dressed in an elegant tuxedo and his ever-present haunting white mask. While the Phantom's costume may seem spare and simple, many factors went into selecting exactly the right clothing to emphasize both his deformity and his physicality.

Later in the show, the gala that starts the second act treats the audience to an array of brightly colored costumes and masks. Yet there is a hint of menace along with the fun--all of the costumes slyly evoke some hint of the Phantom and his world. When the Phantom finally does appear with his death's head and blazing red costume, the audience is primed for the horror.

The production team spared no expense on the scenery. Beyond doubt, the most spectacular set is the Phantom's candlelit underground lair, filled with wonders like the full-sized organ and the monkey music box. But the scenery in the mausoleum, where Christine grieves for her dead father and contemplates returning to the Phantom, is also amazing, as are elaborate opera sets for Hannibal and Don Juan Triumphant.

Phantom of the Opera also utilizes a wide array of special effects; most of them requiring the Phantom to suddenly appear or disappear from the stage. With so many trapdoors in use, it is little wonder that actors have sometimes been injured while playing the title role.

The genius behind the Phantom design was Maria Bjornson. Before her turn at Phantom, she had worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the English National Opera, but she had never before done a mainstream musical. Her unique operatic vision gives the world of the Phantom a distinctive, dream-like quality.

Performances of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera are currently being staged throughout the world. Lloyd Webber maintains tight artistic control over these shows, so the sights and sounds remain faithful to the original production.

Locations of long-term productions of Phantom include London (where the show recently celebrated its twenty-year anniversary) Sao Paulo, New York, Budapest, Essen, and Tokyo. Additionally, trained traveling companies are performing Phantom of the Opera in the United States and in Hong Kong.

Productions are not unreasonably priced compared to other Broadway spectaculars. In New York, tickets will probably set you back anywhere between $65 and $115 depending on seating.

Most recently, a production of Phantom of the Opera opened at the Venetian Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas where it has been renamed Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular. The Venetian custom built a 40-million dollar theater to accommodate this show, and for the attention-inhibited Vegas crowd, the show has been cut from its usual running time of two hours and thirty minutes to just ninety-five minutes. Again, all this was done with Lloyd Webber's approval. Hal Prince, the show's original director, also directed the Vegas Spectacular. The reviews have been largely positive with several reviewers, perhaps unkindly, implying that the missing minutes are scarcely noticeable.

People looking for tickets to any production of Phantom can go to the official Phantom of the Opera website, click the location where they wish to see the show, and be guided to the appropriate place to buy tickets.

The story of Phantom of the Opera has been filmed several times. Perhaps the most notable filming was the 1925 version that starred a grotesquely made up Lon Chaney as the Phantom. Other versions have included a blood drenched slasher flick starring Robert Englund and Jill Schoelen, and a 1990 made for television movie starring Charles Dance.

In 2004, the musical version of Phantom of the Opera finally made it to film with Gerard Butler in the role of the Phantom, Emmy Rossum playing Christine, and Patrick Wilson as Raoul. Joel Schumacher was the director. In general, the film received only lukewarm reviews. Many critics felt that the Phantom craze had simply lost its momentum by the time the movie limped into theaters nearly twenty years after the musical's stunning debut.

Most of the reviewers were kind to ingénue Emmy Rossum, whose sweet, lilting soprano voice and pale, lovely face made her perfect for the part of Christine. They were less nice to Gerald Butler, many complaining that he lacked the talent and musical ability to carry the role of the Phantom; others noting that at 35, he was simply too young to play the part. Patrick Wilson as Raoul was largely ignored.

The most savage criticisms were reserved for Joel Schumacher's heavy-handed direction and for the elaborately creepy sets. What in theaters appeared mysteriously seductive simply didn't translate well onto the silver screen.

The music was largely unchanged. Aside from Minnie Driver (the diva Carlotta), whose singing voice was dubbed, the lead actors sang their own numbers. Andrew Lloyd Webber gave his fans a treat by adding an extra number, "Learn to Be Lonely," which played as the credits rolled.

The original recording of Phantom of the Opera--and many people would argue still the best--was released on two CDs in 1986 and featured the original London cast (Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman, and Steve Barton). At well over ninety minutes, this version contained all the songs one would expect, as well as many musical transitions from one scene to the next.

A shorter version of that recording, titled Highlights from the Phantom of the Opera was released in 1990 and offered thirteen of the best known tracks including "Music of the Night," "All I Ask of You," "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again," etc.

Since the Broadway show starred the same performers, no original Broadway cast CD of Phantom of the Opera was ever released. However, a Canadian cast recording released in 1989 featured the voices of Colm Wilkinson as the Phantom and Rebecca Caine as Christine. (Listeners may remember that these two performers starred in the original London cast of Les Miserables as Valjean and Cosette, respectively.)

There are also foreign language cast recordings of Phantom from Japan, Spain, and Germany.

Another interesting recording is Phantasia, selections from Phantom played by Andrew Lloyd Webber's younger brother, internationally acclaimed cellist Julian Lloyd Webber.

In 2004, the movie soundtrack to Phantom of the Opera starring Gerald Butler, Patrick Wilson, and Emmy Rossum was released into stores and added a new song, "Learn to Be Lonely" to Phantom lore.

Fans can also find selections from Phantom of the Opera on numerous Broadway and Andrew Lloyd Webber compilation CDs. Many actors and actresses include selections from Phantom on their solo albums (e.g., Michael Ball, Barbra Streisand, etc.) There are even karaoke versions available for amateur singers who want to try their hands at Christine's soaring operatic soprano.

The wild success of the musical Phantom of the Opera has sparked many reader's interests in books about both the musical and the original story.

Phantom of the Opera was originally written by Gaston Leroux, a French journalist and detective in 1910. More mystery and penny-dreadful than love story, something about the plight of the hideously deformed genius who dared to pursue a beautiful singer nevertheless sparked the imagination of Andrew Lloyd Webber. He found the pure vein of emotion in the rather stilted book and mined it into a stunning glimpse into the human heart. For those who want to see how the legend started, Leroux's original Phantom is still sold in paperback and is available for free download at several online sites as well.

The story of the lonely genius has also attracted the notice of several other writers. Many novelists and short story writers have written "prequels" to Phantom (e.g., Phantom by Susan Kay, The Trap-Door Maker by Pete Bregman), sequels to Phantom (e.g., The Phantom of Manhattan by Frederick Forsyth), and companion pieces to Phantom (e.g., Angel of Music: Tales of the Phantom of the Opera by Carrie Hernandez).

Those wanting a look at the history of the Phantom of the Opera might be interested in John L. Flynn's Phantoms of the Opera. Flynn takes a look at how the Phantom has evolved in literature, film, and theater from Leroux to Lloyd Webber.

Finally, readers wanting information about the musical or movie versions of Phantom can turn to The Complete Phantom of the Opera and Phantom of the Opera: A Film Compilation by George Perry.

Phantom of the Opera logos can be found on just about everything from t-shirts to bath towels to key rings to coffee mugs. There are also some very unique Phantom items that should be perfect for the Phantom fan on your holiday shopping list.

One always popular piece of merchandise is a theater poster print, original programs, and playbills. If you can get these items autographed by Phantom stars, so much the better. Some art stores carry such items. They can also often be found at reasonable prices on online auction sites.

There are also several Phantom of the Opera music boxes available. The re-creation of the monkey music box is a natural, of course, but there are also music boxes featuring the Phantom's unmasking, and the Phantom wearing his scarlet death's head costume. Musical globes include images of the mirror scene when Christine first meets the Phantom face to face, the scene on the roof when Christine first declares her love for Raoul, and a scene of chorus girls dancing as the Phantom towers menacingly overhead.

You can even get Christmas ornaments featuring various scenes from Phantom of the Opera, and Steinbach makes an enchanting Phantom nutcracker.

Other unique gift ideas include a decorative wine bottle and glasses, a decorative perfume bottle, a night light, a set of candles with candle snuffer (incorporating the single rose theme), and a set of Phantom-themed poker chips from the Venetian Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas where Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular is currently being staged.