Andrew Lloyd Webber's smash musicalization
of the Gaston Leroux novel won the 1988
Tony Award for Best Musical. Now in its
twentieth year on Broadway.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's romantic musical
masterpiece is based on Gaston Leroux's
gothic novel of life beneath the stage of
the Paris Opera House where The Phantom
reigns. Hideously deformed, he passes his
time terrorizing the members of the Opera
until he falls in love with Christine Daae,
a chorus girl who he teaches to sing the
'Music of the Night'.
Christine, believing the phantom to be
the 'Angel of Music' sent by her dead father,
is transformed to sing centre stage after
Senora Carlotta refuses to perform. She
is a sensation and the audience want more,
but the new owners of the Paris Opera House
insist that Carlotta returns to the lead
role, enraging the Phantom with deadly consequences.
In the midst of this turmoil Christine's
moment in the spotlight reunites her with
Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny, a childhood friend,
and they fall hopelessly in love the moment
he hears her spellbinding voice.
Rejected all his life, The Phantom is a
gifted man that uses music as his utlimate
emotional expression. He fights for her
love after hearing Raoul and Christine express
their undying love for each other on the
roof of Paris Opera House. The outcome exposes
the nature of the masquerade that everyone
performs to disguise their inner self, only
truly being set free when that mask is dropped.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's masterpiece has been
running on the stage of Her Majesty's Theatre
London for over 21 years. It combines a
quality of music genius with a strength
of storyline and use of breathtaking theatrical
effects that have enthralled audiences across
generations.
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