Phantom Of The Opera

Andrew Lloyd Weber's glittering musical is one of the most widely-seen shows of theatre. It first opened in the West End in 1986, travelling to Broadway in 1988 and becoming the district's longest-running show. With an Olivier and Tony award for 'Best Musical', the show is a staple among theatre-goers everywhere. The Phantom of the Opera has sold over $5.6 billion of tickets worldwide, retelling Gastron Leroux's stunning novel to audiences across the globe. The French novel centres around a beautiful soprano, Christine who performs at the Paris Opera House. Beneath the dazzle and majesty of the theatre lurks the Phantom, who quickly becomes enchanted by Christine. Wearing a mask to disguise his disfigurement, he appears before her each night to help train her. But when Christine falls for another, the Phantom's feelings quickly transpire to obsession and jealousy. What will he do to keep Christine his? The music behind the haunting story features theatre's most unforgettable tracks. 'Phantom of the Opera' reached number 7 in the UK charts just before the production made its debut. It is now immortalised in pop culture, making it an iconic scene from the show. Other big numbers powerfully played out on stage include 'All I Ask of You' and 'The Music of the Night'. Ever since Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman stepped on stage as the Phantom and Christine in 1986, audiences have been nothing but mesmerised by the spellbinding show. When Andrew Lloyd Webber partnered with 'Cats' producer Cameron Mackintosh, they wanted to transform Lerouz's novel into an epic romance, brimming with dark passion. Over three decades on, tickets to see the Phantom of the Opera still fly from box offices. With a hypnotic soundtrack, it perhaps one of the greatest tragic love stories ever told.