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114-564: The theater foyer is 3,000 square feet (280 m) and the adjacent Great Hall features 10,000 square feet (930 m) of meeting space. The property contains parking for 1,200 cars. Fulfilling its primary usage as a concert venue, the Stranahan Theater presents approximately 170 theater events a year. Broadway shows sponsored by Theater League have included The Phantom of the Opera , Chicago , The Lion King and Wicked . It

228-457: A masquerade ball . The Phantom, who has been conspicuously absent since the chandelier disaster, appears in costume as the Red Death . He announces that he has written an opera entitled Don Juan Triumphant , and demands that it be produced with Christine (who is now secretly engaged to Raoul) in the lead role. He pulls Christine's engagement ring from the chain around her neck and vanishes in

342-416: A putto holding up a medallion bearing the letter ("E") and the imperial crown. One with a trumpet and a palm, the other with a torch and a palm. There were four repetitions of these themes. Two groups have a globe and a lyre on the ground and the two other groups have two scrolls, a mask, and a laurel wreath. Seven low reliefs with medallions surrounded by scrolls with two children on either side holding up

456-459: A 1992 interview. Maria Björnson designed the sets and over 200 costumes, including the elaborate gowns in the "Masquerade" sequence. Her set designs, including the chandelier, subterranean gondola, and sweeping staircase, earned her multiple awards. Hal Prince , director of Cabaret , Candide , Follies , and Lloyd Webber's Evita , directed the production, while Gillian Lynne , associate director and choreographer of Cats , provided

570-504: A backdrop inexplicably falls from the flies, causing anxious chorus girls to shout, "He's here! The Phantom of the Opera!" The new owners, Firmin and André, try to downplay the incident, but Carlotta angrily storms offstage. Madame Giry , the Opéra's ballet mistress , suggests that Christine Daaé , a chorus girl and orphaned daughter of a prominent Swedish violinist, has been "well taught" and can sing Carlotta's role. As their only alternative

684-483: A demand that Christine replace Carlotta in the starring role of the new opera, Il Muto ("Notes"). Firmin and André assure the furious Carlotta that she will remain the star ("Prima Donna"). The première of Il Muto initially goes well, until the Phantom suddenly enchants Carlotta's voice, reducing it to a frog-like croak. Firmin rushes to defuse the situation by announcing to the audience that Christine will take over

798-429: A flash of light ("Masquerade/Why So Silent"). Raoul accosts Madame Giry and demands that she reveal what she knows about the Phantom. She reluctantly explains that the Phantom is a brilliant scholar, magician, architect, inventor, and composer, who was born with a deformed face. Feared and reviled by society, he was cruelly exhibited in a cage as part of a travelling fair until he eventually escaped and took refuge beneath

912-467: A garland of flowers and fruits. Five are in the central part of the attic storey having the letter ("N") in the medallion and alternate the high reliefs and the other two at the east and west of the avant-corps. The letters "N" and "E" in the medallions are the imperial monogram (Napoléon Empereur). At the west pediment a sculpture of two women sitting down representing Architecture and Industry by Jean Claude Petit . The women surround an escutcheon with

1026-411: A lively defence in his 1871 book Le Théâtre : "What else could fill the theatre with such joyous life? What else could offer the variety of forms that we have in the pattern of the flames, in these groups and tiers of points of light, these wild hues of gold flecked with bright spots, and these crystalline highlights?" On 20 May 1896, one of the chandelier's counterweights broke free and burst through

1140-455: A monkey figurine. He eyes it sadly, cryptically observing that it appears "exactly as she said". The next lot – Lot 666 – is a broken chandelier, portions of which have been renovated with electrical wiring. The auctioneer states that this chandelier was involved in a famous disaster, connected to "the strange affair of the Phantom of the Opera , a mystery never fully explained". He commands

1254-461: A newer production that had previously toured the UK, speculation mounted that the original production of The Phantom of the Opera was to be overhauled or replaced entirely. Confirmation of this speculation was given on 28 July 2020, when Mackintosh announced that he and Lloyd Webber had decided to "permanently close" the original London production after a 33-year run, but that the two were "determined" for

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1368-486: A rather strange and bestial type, illuminated by the spirit." She would be like the fortune tellers of India "with tamed snakes curled around their forehand." The Avant foyer is twenty meters long with doors leading to an open salon at each end, in the east to the "Sun" and at the west side to the "Moon" salons. At its north it open to the Grand Escalier, while at its south is connected by three monumental doors to

1482-726: A site on the east side of the Place du Palais-Royal as part of an extension of the Rue de Rivoli . However, with the Revolution of 1848 , Rambuteau was dismissed, and interest in the construction of a new opera house waned. The site was later used for the Grand Hôtel du Louvre (designed in part by Charles Rohault de Fleury). With the establishment of the Second Empire in 1852 and Georges-Eugène Haussmann 's appointment as Prefect of

1596-599: A symbol of Paris like Notre Dame Cathedral , the Louvre , or the Sacré Coeur Basilica ". This is at least partly due to its use as the setting for Gaston Leroux 's 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera and, especially, the novel's subsequent adaptations in films and the popular 1986 musical . Another contributing factor is that among the buildings constructed in Paris during the Second Empire , besides being

1710-606: A wedding dress; when the mirror image spreads its arms towards the real Christine, she faints from shock. The Phantom lays her on a bed and covers her tenderly with his cloak (" The Music of the Night "). As the Phantom is composing music at his organ, Christine awakens to the sound of the monkey music box ("I Remember"). She slips behind the Phantom, lifts his mask, and beholds his disfigured face. The Phantom rails at her prying, then ruefully expresses his longing to be loved ("Stranger Than You Dreamt It"). Moved by pity, Christine returns

1824-425: Is "a reduced, cheaper version, with 14 musicians in an orchestra that used to have 27". Alterations were additionally made to the show's set design by Matt Kinley in order to "reduce running costs". This included, among other modifications, the loss of Maria Björnson's sculptures covering the sides of the proscenium (previously described by Harold Prince as the "key to the show" ) and the levitating Angel statue during

1938-619: Is accessible to the general public. In 1821 the Opéra de Paris had moved into the temporary building known as the Salle Le Peletier on the rue Le Peletier . Since then a new permanent building had been desired. Charles Rohault de Fleury , who was appointed the opera's official architect in 1846, undertook various studies in suitable sites and designs. By 1847, the Prefect of the Seine , Claude-Philibert de Rambuteau , had selected

2052-821: Is also the site of Pops concerts by the Toledo Symphony Orchestra , The Nutcracker by the Toledo Ballet, and A Christmas Carol by the Toledo Rep. In addition, the Great Hall hosts over 140 banquets, receptions, and trade shows each year. The Stranahan Theater is the largest proscenium stage in Northwest Ohio . It operates primarily as a rental house and is owned and operated by a 501c3 non-profit trust. Former executive directors include Penny Marks and Ward Whiting. Steve Hyman

2166-543: Is as the Broadway score but with 1 percussion part and 7 violins. The current Broadway orchestration is licensed by R&H Theatricals for amateur and professional productions. The only difference between the Broadway 29- and 27-piece orchestras is the smaller orchestra's lack of Violins VII & VIII. The Broadway production originally used a 29-piece pit orchestra: Percussion is split between two books – regular percussion and mallets: Cast recordings have been made of

2280-469: Is cancelling the sold-out show, the managers reluctantly audition her, and discover that she is indeed talented. As Christine sings the aria during the evening performance, the Opéra's new patron, Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny, recognizes her as his childhood friend and playmate ("Think of Me"). Backstage after her triumphant debut, Christine confesses to her friend, Madame Giry's daughter Meg , that her singing has been inspired by an unseen tutor she knows only as

2394-720: Is flanked by two octagonal salons with ceilings painted by Jules-Élie Delaunay in the eastern salon and Félix-Joseph Barrias in the western salon. The octagonal salons open to the north into the Salon de la Lune at the western end of the Avant-Foyer and the Salon du Soleil at its eastern end. There are eight canvases representing the Muses from the Greek mythology. In mythology, the Muses were nine, but because of lack of room, Polyhymnia

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2508-853: Is the largest in Europe and can accommodate as many as 450 artists. The canvas house curtain was painted to represent a draped curtain, complete with tassels and braid. The ceiling area which surrounds the chandelier was originally painted by Jules-Eugène Lenepveu . In 1964 a new ceiling painted by Marc Chagall was installed on a removable frame over the original. It depicts scenes from operas by 14 composers – Mussorgsky , Mozart, Wagner , Berlioz , Rameau , Debussy , Ravel , Stravinsky , Tchaikovsky , Adam , Bizet , Verdi , Beethoven , and Gluck . Although praised by some, others feel Chagall's work creates "a false note in Garnier's carefully orchestrated interior". The seven-ton bronze and crystal chandelier

2622-605: The 9th arrondissement of Paris , France. It was built for the Paris Opera from 1861 to 1875 at the behest of Emperor Napoleon III . Initially referred to as le nouvel Opéra de Paris (the new Paris Opera), it soon became known as the Palais Garnier, "in acknowledgment of its extraordinary opulence" and the architect Charles Garnier 's plans and designs, which are representative of the Napoleon III style . It

2736-593: The COVID-19 pandemic . A new production of Phantom, with a "smaller orchestra and redesigned set", opened in the same theatre in July 2021. The original Broadway production played its final performance on 16 April 2023. In the year 1919, the Paris Opéra House hosts an auction of old theatre memorabilia. Among the attendees is an aged Raoul de Chagny , who purchases Lot 665, a papier-mâché music box with

2850-459: The "All I Ask of You" sequence (replaced by a replica of Lequesne 's La Renommée retenant Pégase that appears on the stage). Other sequences, including that of the descent to the lair (in which doubles of the Phantom and Christine were excised, previously mobile candelabra became stationary, and the number of candles populating the lake were reduced), were also restaged by Seth Sklar-Heyn. The use of sweeping red curtain that had concluded each act of

2964-461: The "Angel of Music" ("Angel of Music"). Raoul visits Christine in her dressing room and the two reminisce about "Angel of Music" stories that her late father used to tell them. Christine confides that the Angel has visited her and taught her to sing ("Little Lotte"). Raoul indulges what he assumes are fantasies and insists on taking Christine to dinner. When Raoul leaves to fetch his hat, Christine hears

3078-424: The 2020 tour would be moved into the show's original home at Her Majesty's Theatre. Lloyd Webber and Mackintosh announced a planned reopening on 27 July 2021. Planning documentation submitted by LW Theatres confirmed considerable redesigns of Maria Björnson's set, with the removal of the Angel statue, reductions in the mobility of the travelator and candelabra, and fewer gargoyles on the proscenium as had featured in

3192-550: The 25th Anniversary UK and US Tours, these productions have all been "clones", using the original staging, direction, sets, and costume concepts. Notable international productions include the following: An edited production renamed Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular opened 24 June 2006 at The Venetian Las Vegas . The show starred Brent Barrett and Anthony Crivello as the Phantom, Sierra Boggess and Elizabeth Loyacano as Christine, and Tim Martin Gleason as Raoul. The theatre

3306-612: The Broadway production had played 13,981 performances (exceeding its London counterpart by 62 performances). Immediately following the closure of the Broadway production, Andrew Lloyd Webber appeared on the Tonight Show and hinted a likely revival of Phantom in the near future at a different theater. This is widely speculated by industry insiders to constitute a Broadway transfer of the downscaled second London production, particularly in light of that smaller production's planned US tour in 2024. A 25th-anniversary stage performance

3420-608: The Emperor via a double ramp to the building. When the Empire fell, work stopped, leaving unfinished dressed stonework. It now houses the Bibliothèque-Musée de l'Opéra de Paris (Paris Opera Library-Museum) which is home to nearly 600,000 documents including 100,000 books, 1,680 periodicals, 10,000 programs, letters, 100,000 photographs, sketches of costumes and sets, posters and historical administrative records. Located on

3534-627: The Grand Foyer. The Avant Foyer is lit by five big chandeliers designed by Charles Garnier in Byzantine style. There are two Greek mosaic inscription, written in the 8th century Byzantine style letters ( Greek uncial ), which read: "Decorative mosaic was applied for the first time in France to the ornamentation of this vault and the popularisation of this art." (Greek inscription 1) "The figures painted by Curzon, were executed by Salviati,

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3648-650: The Las Vegas production closed on 2 September 2012, after five years and almost 2,700 performances. A production was originally planned for the first ever French production in Paris at the Mogador Theatre in September 2016. Sierra Boggess was set to reprise her performance as Christine and Garðar Thór Cortes was cast as The Phantom. A few days before the premiere, a fire damaged the stage floor and most of

3762-520: The London, Austrian, Dutch, German, Japanese, Swedish, Korean, Hungarian, Mexican, Polish, Russian and Canadian productions. Palais Garnier The Palais Garnier ( French: [palɛ ɡaʁnje] , Garnier Palace), also known as L'Opéra Garnier ( French: [ɔpeʁa ɡaʁnje] , Garnier Opera), is a historic 1,979-seat opera house at the Place de l'Opéra in

3876-590: The Opera began Broadway previews at the Majestic Theatre on 9 January 1988 and opened on 26 January. Michael Crawford , Sarah Brightman , and Steve Barton reprised their respective roles from the West End. The rest of the original Broadway cast included Judy Kaye as Carlotta, Cris Groenendaal as Monsieur André, Nicholas Wyman as Monsieur Firmin, Elisa Heinsohn as Meg Giry, Leila Martin as Madame Giry, and David Romano as Piangi. When Crawford left

3990-476: The Opera used seventeen different kinds of material, arranged in very elaborate multicolored marble friezes, columns, and lavish statuary, many of which portray deities of Greek mythology . The principal façade is on the south side of the building, overlooking the Place de l'Opéra and terminates the perspective along the Avenue de l'Opéra . Fourteen painters, mosaicists and seventy-three sculptors participated in

4104-465: The Phantom ("Why Have You Brought Me Here?/Raoul, I've Been There"). Raoul is skeptical but promises to love and protect her (" All I Ask of You "). The Phantom, who overheard their conversation, is heartbroken and swears revenge on Christine. In the auditorium, the chandelier crashes onto the stage during the Il Muto curtain call ("All I Ask of You (Reprise)"). Six months later, the Opera house hosts

4218-404: The Phantom that he's not alone and kisses him. Having experienced both kindness and compassion for the first time, the Phantom frees Raoul. He also tells Christine that he loves her and she tearfully exits the lair with Raoul. As the angry search mob closes in, the Phantom huddles on his throne beneath his cloak. Meg is the first to enter the lair. She approaches the Phantom's throne and pulls away

4332-437: The Phantom's masterwork, Don Juan Triumphant . "Here, Lloyd Webber pastiched various styles from the grand operas of Meyerbeer through to Mozart and even Gilbert and Sullivan ." These pieces are often presented as musical fragments, interrupted by dialogue or action sequences in order to clearly define the musical's "show within a show" format. The musical extracts from the Phantom's opera, "Don Juan Triumphant", heard during

4446-540: The Phantom, Sierra Boggess as Christine, Hadley Fraser as Raoul, Wynne Evans as Piangi, Wendy Ferguson as Carlotta, Barry James as Monsieur Firmin, Gareth Snook as Monsieur Andre, Liz Robertson as Madame Giry, and Daisy Maywood as Meg Giry. Former West End Phantom Earl Carpenter played the Auctioneer. Lloyd Webber and several original cast members, including Crawford and Brightman, were in attendance, as well as Colm Wilkinson and Anthony Warlow who originated

4560-480: The Phantom, Christine visits her father's grave, begging for his guidance ("Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again"). The Phantom appears atop the mausoleum ("Wandering Child"). Christine begins to succumb to the Phantom's influence, but Raoul arrives to rescue her. The Phantom taunts Raoul, hurling fire balls at him until Christine begs Raoul to leave with her. Furious, the Phantom declares war upon them both. Don Juan Triumphant premieres with Christine and Piangi singing

4674-500: The Phantom, and international stage performer Steve Barton as Raoul. It won the 1986 Olivier Award and the 1988 Tony Award for Best Musical, with Crawford winning the Olivier and Tony for Best Actor in a Musical. A film adaptation , directed by Joel Schumacher , was released in 2004. The Phantom of the Opera was the longest running show in Broadway history , and celebrated its 10,000th performance on 11 February 2012, becoming

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4788-428: The Phantom, it was there!" Lloyd Webber first approached Jim Steinman to write the lyrics because of his "dark obsessive side", but he declined in order to fulfill his commitments on a Bonnie Tyler album. Alan Jay Lerner (1918—1986) was then recruited, but he became seriously ill after joining the project and was forced to withdraw; none of his contributions (mostly involving the song "Masquerade") are credited in

4902-425: The Phantom, with Katie Hall as Christine and Simon Bailey as Raoul. In November 2019, the co-producers of The Phantom of the Opera , Mackintosh and Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group (RUG), announced that the show would again tour the UK and Ireland, but this time with a return to the original production rather than the 2012 production. Although this announcement stated that the tour would be an "exact replica" of

5016-519: The Plan of the New Opéra . When the paintings were first fixed in place two months before the opening of the building, it was obvious to Garnier that they were too dark for the space. With the help of two of his students, Pils had to rework the canvases while they were in place overhead on the ceiling and, at the age of 61, he fell ill. His students had to finish the work, which was completed the day before

5130-589: The Seine in June 1853, interest in a new opera house revived. There was an attempted assassination of Emperor Napoleon III at the entrance to the Salle Le Peletier on 14 January 1858. The Salle Le Peletier's constricted street access highlighted the need for a separate, more secure entrance for the head of state. This concern and the inadequate facilities and temporary nature of the theatre gave added urgency to

5244-454: The apex of the south gable of the stage flytower , is the work of Aimé Millet . On either side of the stage gable wall are two identical bronze sculptures by Eugène-Louis Lequesne representing Fame holding back Pegasus . Also known as the Rotonde de l'Empereur, this group of rooms is located on the left (west) side of the building and was designed to allow secure and direct access by

5358-448: The apex of the stage flytower; 32 metres (105 ft) to the top of the façade. The building is 154.9 metres (508 ft) long; 70.2 metres (230 ft) wide at the lateral galleries; 101.2 metres (332 ft) wide at the east and west pavilions; 10.13 metres (33.2 ft) from ground level to bottom of the cistern under the stage. The structural system is made of masonry walls; concealed iron floors, vaults, and roofs. The opera

5472-439: The auction assistants to turn on the power and light up the chandelier for all to see. As the overture plays, it flickers to life and ascends to the ceiling, as a transition back in time restores the opera house to its former grandeur ("Overture"). The year is 1881 – the cast of a new production, Hannibal , is rehearsing ("Hannibal Rehearsal"). Carlotta, the Opéra's resident soprano prima donna , begins to perform an aria when

5586-693: The audience with fantasy and fun, and which often succeeds, at any price." Howard Kissel from New York Daily News commended the production, calling it "a spectacular entertainment, visually the most impressive of the British musicals", and praised Lloyd Webber's score despite its "synthetic, borrowed quality" as well as Michael Crawford's "powerful" performance. Maria Björnson's set and costume design in particular garnered critical acclaim, with reviewers calling it "a breathtaking, witty, sensual tribute to 19th century theater" as well as "marvels of period atmospheric detail and technical savvy". On 12 March 2020,

5700-624: The backdrops and set pieces leading to the cancellation of the production. In 2011, the Really Useful Group (copyright owners of The Phantom of the Opera ) released certain rights to the musical in celebration of its 25th anniversary. In March 2011 Reed-Custer High School in Braidwood, Illinois, became the first school to perform The Phantom of the Opera under the new rights. Later in 2011, Stanwell School in Penarth became

5814-474: The building of a new state-funded opera house. By March, Haussmann settled on Rohault de Fleury's proposed site off the Boulevard des Capucines, although this decision was not announced publicly until 1860. A new building would help resolve the awkward convergence of streets at this location, and the site was economical in terms of the cost of land. On 29 September 1860 an Imperial Decree officially designated

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5928-603: The cast to open the Broadway production they were replaced by Dave Willetts , Claire Moore , and Michael Ball respectively. The production celebrated its 10,000th performance on 23 October 2010, with Lloyd Webber and the original Phantom, Crawford, in attendance. The 30th anniversary was on 10 October 2016 with a special appearance of the original cast during the curtain call. It is the second longest-running musical in West End history behind Les Misérables , and third overall behind The Mousetrap . The production played its final and 13,919th performance on 14 March 2020, due to

6042-468: The ceiling into the auditorium, killing a concierge. This incident inspired one of the more famous scenes in Gaston Leroux 's classic 1910 gothic novel The Phantom of the Opera . Originally the chandelier was raised up through the ceiling into the cupola over the auditorium for cleaning, but now it is lowered. The space in the cupola was used in the 1960s for opera rehearsals, and in the 1980s

6156-440: The cloak, finding only his mask ("Finale"). In 1984, Lloyd Webber contacted Cameron Mackintosh , the co-producer of Cats and Song and Dance , to propose a new musical. He was aiming for a romantic and tragic piece, and suggested Gaston Leroux 's book The Phantom of the Opera as a basis. They screened both the 1925 Lon Chaney and the 1943 Claude Rains motion picture versions, but neither saw any effective way to make

6270-771: The countries in Greek (Egypt=ΑΙΓΥΠΤΟΣ, Greece=ΕΛΛΑΣ, Italy=ΙΤΑΛΙΑ and France=ΓΑΛΛΙΑ). At the east and west end of the Avant foyer there are the Salon du Soleil (Salon of the Sun) and the Salon de la Lune (Salon of the Moon). They were designed as the entrance vestibules for the smoking room and the Galerie du Glacier. Their themes were heat for the smoking room and cold for the Glacier, but because they completed in haste in order to be ready for

6384-554: The creation of its ornamentation. The two gilded figural groups, Charles Gumery 's L'Harmonie (Harmony) and La Poésie (Poetry), crown the apexes of the principal façade's left and right avant-corps . They are both made of gilt copper electrotype. Fifty-three comic and tragic antique masks in gilt cast iron by Jean-Baptiste Klagmann . The attic storey consist of high reliefs by Jacques-Léonard Maillet and low reliefs by Louis Villeminot . Four sets of ornamental figures. Each group consists of two winged women on either side of

6498-506: The direction of Hal Prince, then opened on 9 October. It was choreographed by Gillian Lynne and the sets were designed by Maria Björnson, with lighting by Andrew Bridge . Michael Crawford starred in the title role with Sarah Brightman as Christine, Steve Barton as Raoul, Rosemary Ashe as Carlotta, David Firth as Monsieur André, John Savident as Monsieur Firmin, Mary Millar as Madame Giry, Janet Devenish as Meg Giry, and John Aron as Piangi. When Crawford, Brightman, and Barton left

6612-482: The entire face and remained in place throughout the performance, obscuring the actor's vision and muffling his voice. Maria Björnson designed the now-iconic half-mask to replace it, and the unmasking sequence was added. Clips of this preview performance were included on the DVD of the 2004 film production. The Phantom of the Opera began previews at Her Majesty's Theatre in London's West End on 27 September 1986 under

6726-664: The first Broadway production in history to do so. It is the second longest-running West End musical , after Les Misérables , and the third longest-running West End show overall, after The Mousetrap . With total estimated worldwide gross receipts of over $ 6 billion and total Broadway gross of over $ 1 billion, The Phantom of the Opera was the most financially successful entertainment event until The Lion King surpassed it in 2014. By 2019, it had been seen by over 140 million people in 183 cities across 41 countries. The original West End production at His Majesty's Theatre , London, ended its run in 2020, its run cut short by

6840-682: The first school in the UK to perform the show. A film adaptation, directed by Joel Schumacher and starring Gerard Butler as the Phantom, Emmy Rossum as Christine, Patrick Wilson as Raoul, Minnie Driver as Carlotta, and Miranda Richardson as Madame Giry, opened on 22 December 2004 in the US. The original casts of the English-speaking productions of The Phantom of the Opera : Source Notes The original orchestrations were written by David Cullen and Lloyd Webber. There are several orchestrations: The original London score

6954-427: The inauguration of 1875, in the rush there was a mistake and the themes were reversed. This hall, 18 metres (59 ft) high, 54 metres (177 ft) long and 13 metres (43 ft) wide, was designed to act as a drawing room for Paris society. It was restored in 2004. Its ceiling was painted by Paul-Jacques-Aimé Baudry and represents various moments in the history of music. The foyer opens onto an outside loggia and

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7068-765: The integral musical staging and choreography. A preview of the first act was staged at Sydmonton Court (Lloyd Webber's home) in 1985, starring Colm Wilkinson (later the star of the Toronto production) as the Phantom, Sarah Brightman as Kristin (later Christine), and Clive Carter (later a member of the London cast) as Raoul, West End star David Burt was also featured as Monsieur Firmin and Jeff Shankley played opposite him as Monsieur André. This very preliminary production used Richard Stilgoe 's original unaltered lyrics, and many songs sported names that were later changed, such as "What Has Time Done to Me" ("Think of Me"), and "Papers" ("Notes"). The Phantom's original mask covered

7182-529: The jealous Phantom's voice and entreats him to reveal himself. The Phantom obliges by appearing in her mirror ("The Mirror/Angel of Music (Reprise)"). Christine is hypnotized and irresistibly drawn through the mirror to the Phantom, who leads her down into the shadowy sewers below the Opéra house. The two board a small boat and cross a subterranean lake to his secret lair (" The Phantom of the Opera "). The Phantom explains that he has chosen Christine to sing his musical compositions. A mirror reflects an image of her in

7296-447: The last two weeks on Broadway, Crawford was out sick. From 2 to 8 April and 13 April, understudy Jeremy Stolle played the Phantom. At four performances from 3 to 15 April, Ted Keegan played the Phantom. Laird Mackintosh played the Phantom during the 14 and 15 April evening performances and for the final performance on 16 April, becoming the last person to play the title role in the original Broadway production. By its closing date,

7410-441: The latter stages of the show, are dissonant and modern—"suggesting, perhaps, that the Phantom is ahead of his time artistically". In the musical's title song, the signature, chromatic five-note descending eighth-note run from the major root to the flat 6th below is directly similar to a riff created by Pink Floyd for the track "Echoes" on their 1971 album Meddle , something noted with indignation by Pink Floyd's Roger Waters in

7524-503: The leap from film to stage. Later, in New York, Lloyd Webber found a second-hand copy of the original, long-out-of-print Leroux novel, which supplied the necessary inspiration to develop a musical: said Lloyd Webber, "I was actually writing something else at the time, and I realised that the reason I was hung up was because I was trying to write a major romantic story, and I had been trying to do that ever since I started my career. Then with

7638-642: The left and right lateral returns of the front façade are busts of the librettists Eugène Scribe and Philippe Quinault , respectively. The bases of the two avant-corps are decorated (from left to right) with four major multi-figure groups sculpted by François Jouffroy ( Poetry , also known as Harmony ), Jean-Baptiste Claude Eugène Guillaume ( Instrumental Music ), Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux ( The Dance , criticised for indecency), and Jean-Joseph Perraud ( Lyrical Drama ). The façade also incorporates other work by Gumery, Alexandre Falguière , and others. The sculptural group Apollo, Poetry, and Music , located at

7752-402: The mask to the Phantom, and he escorts her back above ground. Meanwhile, Joseph Buquet , the Opéra's chief stagehand, regales the chorus girls with tales of the "Opéra Ghost" and his terrible Punjab lasso. Madame Giry warns Buquet to restrain himself ("Magical Lasso"). Arguments break out in the managers' office between Firmin, André, Raoul, and Carlotta over notes sent by the Phantom, including

7866-399: The mosaic panels with the mythological couples include theatre masks, musical instruments, birds, all surrounded by flowers, fruits and gold. There are four bronze gilt medallions representing musical instruments ( sistrum for Egypt, lyre for Greece, tambourine and pan flute for Italy, ivory horn for France), encircled by leaf-work characteristic of each country and have the name of

7980-493: The most expensive, it has been described as the only one that is "unquestionably a masterpiece of the first rank". The Palais Garnier also houses the Bibliothèque-Musée de l'Opéra de Paris (Paris Opera Library-Museum), which is managed by the Bibliothèque Nationale de France and is included in unaccompanied tours of the Palais Garnier. The Palais Garnier is 56 metres (184 ft) from ground level to

8094-401: The movement of large numbers of people and space for socialising during intermission. Rich with velvet, gold leaf, and cherubim and nymphs, the interior is characteristic of Baroque sumptuousness. The building features a large ceremonial staircase of white marble with a balustrade of red and green marble, which divides into two divergent flights of stairs that lead to the Grand Foyer. Its design

8208-416: The musical on Broadway and in the West End, alterations were made to the set design in order to make the tour "lighter". These included a scaling down of the production's false proscenium, with the centrepiece Angel statue designed by Maria Björnson removed. Performances of this latest 2020 tour were suspended from 16 March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic . In May 2020, Mackintosh and RUG announced

8322-498: The musical to return to the West End. In response to this announcement, the Really Useful Group denied that the original production was permanently closing, stating that the extended closure was simply to enable a refurbishment of the theatre and that the show would return "unchanged" and any returning production would "not be a new version of the show", but without confirming upon request by The Stage as to whether

8436-522: The novel by Gaston Leroux , it tells the tragic story of beautiful soprano Christine Daaé , who becomes the obsession of a mysterious and disfigured musical genius living in the subterranean labyrinth beneath the Paris Opéra House . The musical opened in London's West End in 1986 and on Broadway in New York in 1988, in a production directed by Harold Prince and starring English classical soprano Sarah Brightman (Lloyd Webber's then-wife) as Christine Daaé, screen and stage star Michael Crawford as

8550-624: The opening and the scaffolding was removed. At the foot of the Grand staircase, Garnier wanted to place a white marble statue of Orpheus , but there weren't enough funds for this. Then there were talks about moving the La Danse (Carpeaux) from the main façade, but instead Garnier chose the Pythia by Adèle d'Affry (the artist also known by the pseudonym Marcello). There are two bronze lamps on each side of Pythia, made by Jules Corboz. The intrados of

8664-645: The opera house plunges into chaos. An angry mob, vowing vengeance for the murders of Buquet and Piangi, search for the Phantom. Madame Giry tells Raoul how to find the Phantom's subterranean lair and warns him to beware the magical lasso ("Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer"). In the lair, the Phantom forces Christine to don a wedding dress. Raoul comes to the rescue but is ensnared in the Punjab lasso. The Phantom offers Christine an ultimatum: if she will stay with him, he will spare Raoul, but if she refuses, Raoul will die ("The Point of No Return Reprise"). Christine tells

8778-467: The opera house. Raoul plots to use the première of Don Juan Triumphant to trap the Phantom and end his reign of terror, knowing he will attend the opera's debut. He begs Christine to help lure the Phantom into the trap ("Notes/Twisted Every Way"). During rehearsals, Piangi, the house tenor, sings his role incorrectly, causing chaos. The piano suddenly plays by itself, with the entire cast singing in harmony. Torn between her love for Raoul and her loyalty to

8892-450: The original production was replaced by a painted flat, and the mobility of the 'travelator' bridge was reduced. Whereas Prince had envisioned the show as a "black box" production requiring the use of black velour and paint around the proscenium, this was removed as part of the restoration to Her Majesty's Theatre, with once blacked-out stage boxes returned to their original green and red colours and reintroduced for audience use. The orchestra

9006-399: The original production. It was additionally confirmed on 12 April 2021 that, contrary to claims by Lloyd Webber that the original production would return "in its entirety", the orchestra of the original production (once the largest for any West End musical) was to be halved for the show's return to the West End using the reduced tour orchestrations. On 15 April 2021, Mackintosh confirmed that

9120-517: The original staging would not be reinstated at Her Majesty's Theatre and that the designs of Maria Björnson, direction of Hal Prince, and choreography of Gillian Lynne would be "reimagined by a new team". The producer reconfirmed in an interview with the Daily Telegraph in April 2021 that the 2020 reduced touring redesigns would replace the originals at Her Majesty's Theatre. Full casting for

9234-592: The ornaments by Facchina. The architecture is by Charles Garnier." (Greek inscription 2) The mosaic represent four couples from the Greek mythology ( Hermes and Psyche , Artemis and Endymion , Orpheus and Eurydice , Eos and Cephalus ). In two of the panels the scenes are more erotic (Artemis - Endymion, Eos - Cephalus), while the other two depict the couples leaving the underworld and are more about death than love (Hermes - Psyche, Orpheus - Eurydice). The theme of death and love alternate. The decoration framing

9348-416: The premature closure of the tour as a result. Rather than resume the tour following the end of COVID-19-related shutdowns, the producers installed that production into Her Majesty's Theatre in London in July 2021, where it replaced Hal Prince's original production. The Phantom of the Opera has been translated into several languages and produced in over 40 countries on 6 continents. With some exceptions like

9462-436: The production celebrated its 25th anniversary with its 10,400th performance. It is, by over 3,500 performances, the longest-running show in Broadway history . The 30th anniversary was on 26 January 2018 with special activities and an extra performance during the week. By April 2019, The Phantom of the Opera had been staged over 13,000 times. Howard McGillin and Hugh Panaro are the two longest running principal Phantoms in

9576-591: The production in October 1988 to appear in the first national tour he was replaced by noted baritone Timothy Nolen . Nolen was replaced by Groenendaal six months later. In March 1990, Barton returned to the production for a nine-month stint as the Phantom. The production continued to play at the Majestic, where it became the first Broadway musical in history to surpass 10,000 performances on 11 February 2012 before ultimately closing on 16 April 2023. On 26 January 2013,

9690-442: The production's 27-piece orchestra would return. In October 2020, Mackintosh contradicted this clarification by stating that the "new version" based on the 2020 UK tour would in fact be the production that would be staged at Her Majesty's Theatre post-pandemic. Mackintosh confirmed in an interview on 4 December 2020 that the original London staging had officially ended, with investors having been given their closing notices, and that

9804-466: The production. Norm Lewis was the first African American actor to portray the Phantom on Broadway. Critical reviews were mostly positive on opening. The New York Times ' Frank Rich writes: "It may be possible to have a terrible time at The Phantom of the Opera , but you'll have to work at it. Only a terminal prig would let the avalanche of pre-opening publicity poison his enjoyment of this show, which usually wants nothing more than to shower

9918-403: The reopening was announced on 27 April 2021, with all previous longtime cast members having departed the show. The second West End production of Phantom opened on 27 July 2021 at Her Majesty's Theatre, where the original production had premiered 35 years previously. Although Lloyd Webber described the show as "substantially identical" to the original production, this second West End production

10032-413: The respective lead roles of Aminta and Don Juan. During Don Juan and Aminta's duet, Christine realizes that the Phantom has somehow replaced Piangi ("Don Juan Triumphant/The Point of No Return"). She calmly removes his mask, revealing his deformed face to the horrified audience. Exposed, the Phantom hurriedly drags Christine off the stage and back to his lair. Piangi's garrotted body is revealed backstage and

10146-495: The right (east) side of the building as a counterpart to the Pavillon de l'Empereur, this pavilion was designed to allow subscribers ( abonnés ) direct access from their carriages to the interior of the building. It is covered by a 13.5-metre (44-ft) diameter dome. Paired obelisks mark the entrances to the rotunda on the north and the south. The interior consists of interweaving corridors, stairwells, alcoves and landings, allowing

10260-806: The role of the Phantom in Canada and Australia respectively. A DVD and Blu-ray of the performance was released in February 2012, and it began airing in March 2012 on PBS 's "Great Performances" television series. In March 2012, a new production directed by Laurence Connor began a UK and Ireland tour to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the show, beginning at the Theatre Royal Plymouth and travelled to Manchester , Bristol , Dublin , Leeds , Edinburgh , Milton Keynes , Cardiff , and Southampton . John Owen-Jones and Earl Carpenter alternated as

10374-423: The same story by Ken Hill , Lloyd Webber's score is sometimes operatic in style but maintains the form and structure of a musical throughout. The full-fledged operatic passages are reserved principally for subsidiary characters such as André and Firmin, Carlotta, and Piangi. They are also used to provide the content of the fictional operas that are taking place within the show itself, viz., Hannibal , Il Muto , and

10488-525: The show suspended production due to the COVID-19 pandemic , and resumed performances on 22 October 2021. Unlike the West End production, the Broadway show returned with the original Harold Prince-directed production and Maria Björnson's original set and costume designs. After Prince's death in 2019, his daughter Daisy, who is also a theater director, began serving as an informal advisor for the production. The production struggled to return to pre-pandemic attendance levels after its return. In September 2022, it

10602-439: The show. Richard Stilgoe , the lyricist for Starlight Express , was then hired and wrote most of the original lyrics for the show. However, Charles Hart , a young and then-relatively unknown lyricist, later rewrote many of the lyrics, along with original lyrics for "Think of Me". Some of Stilgoe's original contributions are still present in the final version nevertheless. Inspired in part by an earlier musical version of

10716-480: The shutdown of theatres resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic . The following month, it was announced that an "extended closure" of the original London production would be required to refurbish the sets and the theatre. In July 2020, social media outlets posted photographs of the sets, props, and costumes being loaded out from Her Majesty's Theatre. As Mackintosh had only recently closed the original 1985 London production of Les Misérables in order to replace it with

10830-431: The site for the new Opéra, which would eventually occupy 12,000 square metres (1.2 ha; 130,000 sq ft). By November 1860 Rohault de Fleury had completed the design for what he thought would be the crowning work of his career and was also working on a commission from the city to design the façades of the other buildings lining the new square to ensure they were in harmony. However, that same month Achille Fould

10944-443: The staircase have plant motifs and musical instruments, masks and shells, the artist imagine it as a Nymphaeum . According to the Greek mythology, Pythia was the priestess of Apollo, the god of arts, and she delivered the oracles of the god. Marcello wanted her Pythia to look different from Pythias of other artists. She wrote: "will be an Indian Pythia, the one whose tongue Alexander set wagging. A kind of gypsy." "A poor woman of

11058-429: The starring role, and he instructs the conductor to bring the ballet forward to keep the audience entertained. Buquet's corpse drops from the rafters, hanging from the Punjab lasso. Mayhem erupts and the Phantom's evil & sinister laugh is heard throughout the auditorium ("Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh"). In the ensuing chaos, Christine escapes with Raoul to the rooftop and tells him about her subterranean encounter with

11172-577: The use of an iron framework, which had been pioneered in other Napoleon III buildings, including the Bibliothèque Nationale and the markets of Les Halles . The façade and the interior followed the Napoleon III style principle of leaving no space without decoration. Garnier used polychromy, or a variety of colors, for theatrical effect, achieved different varieties of marble and stone, porphyry , and gilded bronze. The façade of

11286-537: The venue (not merely the stage) returned to its 1880s halcyon days. Almost 45 minutes' worth of material was eliminated, such as the Don Juan Triumphant rehearsal. "Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh" while "The Point of No Return" were significantly shortened. Other changes resembled those in the 2004 film , such as staging the chandelier crash at the plot's climax (during performance of "The Point of No Return") rather than mid-story. Due to economic reasons,

11400-543: The words "ARCHITECTURE" and "INDUSTRIE" in gold. The woman who represents architecture holds a compass and a plan of the Opéra Nouvel , at her feet is a winged genius holding a torch. The woman representing industry holds a lead pig and a hammer, while a winged genius stands at her feet, carrying a cup full of jewels. At the east pediment a sculpture of two women sitting down representing Painting and Sculpture by Theodore Gruyere . The women surround an escutcheon with

11514-542: The words "PEINTURE" (painting) and "SCULPTURE" in gold. The woman who represents painting holds a brush and a palette, at her feet is a putto holding a pencil. The woman representing sculpture holds a hammer and a chisel, at her feet is a putto sculpturing a bust with a mallet and a gouge. Gilded galvanoplastic bronze busts of many of the great composers are located between the columns of the theatre's front façade and depict, from left to right, Rossini , Auber , Beethoven , Mozart , Spontini , Meyerbeer , and Halévy . On

11628-530: Was "sacrificed". Victorin de Joncières protested against this and wrote that it would be better if Urania was "sacrificed", since she was the Muse of Astronomy. Nuitter responded that Polyhymnia has a statue in the Grand Foyer among the Qualities. Polyhymnia is also depicted in the big Parnassus panel on the far right corner. The auditorium has a traditional Italian horseshoe shape and can seat 1,979. The stage

11742-474: Was built specifically for the show to resemble the Opéra Garnier in Paris. The production ran 95 minutes with no intermission, and was directed and choreographed by Harold Prince and Gillian Lynne, with scenic designs by David Rockwell . The show featured updated technology and effects, including a re-engineered chandelier capable of reassembling in midair during the overture while the entire interior of

11856-553: Was constructed in what Charles Garnier (1825–1898) is said to have told the Empress Eugenie was "Napoleon III" style The Napoleon III style was highly eclectic, and borrowed from many historical sources; the opera house included elements from the Baroque , the classicism of Palladio , and Renaissance architecture blended together. These were combined with axial symmetry and modern techniques and materials, including

11970-414: Was designed by Garnier. Jules Corboz prepared the model, and it was cast and chased by Lacarière, Delatour & Cie. The total cost came to 30,000 gold francs . The use of a central chandelier aroused controversy, and it was criticised for obstructing views of the stage by patrons in the fourth level boxes and views of the ceiling painted by Lenepveu. Garnier had anticipated these disadvantages but provided

12084-542: Was held in London on 1 and 2 October 2011 at the Royal Albert Hall and was screened live in cinemas worldwide. The production was produced by Cameron Mackintosh, directed by Laurence Connor, musical staging & choreography by Gillian Lynne , set design by Matt Kinley, costume design by Maria Björnson, lighting design by Patrick Woodroffe, and sound design by Mick Potter. The cast included Ramin Karimloo as

12198-538: Was inspired by Victor Louis 's grand staircase for the Théâtre de Bordeaux . The pedestals of the staircase are decorated with female torchères, created by Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse . The ceiling above the staircase was painted by Isidore Pils to depict The Triumph of Apollo , The Enchantment of Music Deploying its Charms , Minerva Fighting Brutality Watched by the Gods of Olympus , and The City of Paris Receiving

12312-523: Was named Executive Director in May 2014. This article about a theater building in the United States is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical) The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber , lyrics by Charles Hart , additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe , and a libretto by Lloyd Webber and Stilgoe. Based on

12426-409: Was not completed in the original design. On the third attempt to introduce it since 1875, a restaurant was opened on the eastern side of the building in 2011. L'Opéra Restaurant was designed by French architect Odile Decq . The chef was Christophe Aribert ; in October 2015, Guillame Tison-Malthé became the new head chef. The restaurant, which has three different spaces and a large outside terrace,

12540-510: Was reduced to 14 players from the original 27. The reopened show's cast featured Killian Donnelly as the Phantom, Lucy St. Louis as Christine, Rhys Whitfield as Raoul, Saori Oda as Carlotta, and other cast members from the aborted 2020 UK tour. New casting was announced on 18 January 2023 with Earl Carpenter and Jon Robyns starring as the Phantom respectively from 13 February to 1 April and from 3 April 2023, and Holly-Anne Hull starring as Christine Daae from 23 January. The Phantom of

12654-621: Was remodelled into two floors of dance rehearsal space. The lower floor consists of the Salle Nureïev ( Nureyev ) and the Salle Balanchine , and the upper floor, the Salle Petipa . The grand organ was built by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll for use during lyrical works. It has been out of service for several decades. Garnier had originally planned to install a restaurant in the opera house; however, for budgetary reasons, it

12768-448: Was replaced as Minister of State by Count Alexandre Colonna-Walewski . His wife Marie Anne de Ricci Poniatowska had used her position as mistress of Napoleon III to obtain her husband's appointment. Aware of competing designs and under pressure to give the commission to Viollet-le-Duc , who had the support of Empress Eugénie , Walewski escaped the need to make a decision by proposing to mount an architectural design competition to select

12882-488: Was scheduled to close on 18 February 2023, shortly after its 35th anniversary. After this announcement, attendance surged, and the closing was pushed back to 16 April 2023. The final Broadway cast included Ben Crawford as the Phantom, Emilie Kouatchou as Christine, John Riddle as Raoul, Raquel Suarez Groen as Carlotta, Nehal Joshi as Monsieur André, Craig Bennett as Monsieur Firmin, Maree Johnson as Madame Giry, Carlton Moe as Piangi, and Sara Etsy as Meg Giry. However, during

12996-524: Was the primary theatre of the Paris Opera and its associated Paris Opera Ballet until 1989, when a new opera house, the Opéra Bastille , opened at the Place de la Bastille . The company now uses the Palais Garnier mainly for ballet . The theatre has been a monument historique of France since 1923. The Palais Garnier has been called "probably the most famous opera house in the world,

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