Phantom of the Opera: Some Facts Unmasked

Perhaps no entertainment venture intended solely for a live audience has been seen as much as "Phantom of the Opera."

The Broadway production of Phantom, playing at the Majestic Theatre, is the Great White Way's longest running show of all-time. It surpassed the former record holder, "Cats," on January 6th, 2006.

Phantom can still be seen in London's West End at Her Majesty's Theatre. It began its run on September 27th, 1986 and celebrated its 9,000th performance on May 31st, 2008. It's the second longest running West End musical in history. Only "Les Misérables" has run longer.

The Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical has been seen by more than 80 million people in 124 cities in 25 countries, including Australia, Brazil, China, Japan and Poland.

A production in Argentina is scheduled to debut on March 19, 2009. And there's a rumor of a Russian production of Phantom opening in 2009.

If you're in Las Vegas you can see one of only two Phantoms allowed to deviate from the original staging. "Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular" is a 95-minute, intermission-less production of the show playing at The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino. The show features state-of-the art technology and a $40 million custom-built theater.

There are currently three touring productions of Phantom; one in the United States, one in Canada and the other in Southeast Asia.

In 2009, the American touring company will be performing "Phantom of the Opera" at the Temple Buell in Denver, Colorado; the Music Hall Kansas City in Kansas City, Missouri; the North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, Massachusetts; the Bushnell Theatre in Hartford Connecticut; and the Orange County Performing Arts Center at the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa, California.

While Phantom is one of the most familiar musicals of all-time there are still several aspects of the show you may not know.

For instance, Jim Steinman declined Lloyd Webber's offer to write Phantom's lyrics because of a previous commitment to produce a Bonnie Tyler Album.

Lloyd Webber then enlisted the services of Alan Jay Lerner ("Gigi," "My Fair Lady," "Camelot") but he died shortly after joining the project.

Before Michael Crawford originated the role of the Phantom, he was best known in England as star of the BBC comedy series "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em" and in America as the star of the Disney movie "Condorman."

When a theater is too small to accommodate Phantom's large orchestra, the show uses pre-recorded tracks. These pre-recorded tracks are employed during the Overture and the first two verses of the title song.

Pre-recorded tracks are also used for most of the Phantom's off-stage voiceovers and they are sometimes used for Christine's high note at the end of the title song. The recording help protects the actress' voice from the strain of singing that high note on a daily basis.

Rob Guest played the Phantom for 2,289 performances over a seven year period in Australia. That's more performances of that role than any other actor including Crawford.

Sarah Brightman, who originated the role of Christine Daaé, was married to Lloyd Webber from 1984 to 1990.

The first Phantom production permitted to change the original staging began in 2003 at the Madách Theatre in Budapest, Hungary. The production used original sets, costumes and direction.

"Phantom of the Opera" was adapted from the French novel by Gaston Leroux. The novel was first published as a serial in a French newspaper from September 23, 1909 to January 8, 1910.

Judy Kaye, who played Carlotta Giudicelli in the original Broadway cast of Phantom, later went on to star as Rosie in the original Broadway cast of "Mamma Mia!"

"Phantom of the Opera" has grossed more than $5 billion since it first premiered in 1986. It's the most successful entertainment venture of all-time, even out grossing the world's highest-grossing film "Titanic."