Ken Hill's Phantom of the Opera
Encyclopedia
Phantom of the Opera is a 1976 musical
with book and lyrics by Ken Hill
. It is the first musical adaptation of the novel The Phantom of the Opera
by Gaston Leroux
, about the hideously disfigured Phantom's amorous obsession with the magnificent, naive singer, Christine. Hill wrote the original English lyrics to the music of Verdi, Gounod, Offenbach
, Mozart, Weber
, Donizetti, and Boito
.
’s Phantom of the Opera was the first musical version of the story by Gaston Leroux and has enjoyed financial success. Hill's musical inspired the award-winning Andrew Lloyd Webber musical version
of the story, although he never received any formal royalty for it.
As Ken Hill rummaged through a used bookstore, he picked up a copy of Gaston Leroux's Phantom of the Opera novel and eventually produced it as a stage musical. The show started off as a production at Morecambe Pier as the first staged musical version, but was also first staged when Hill was working as Director of Productions for the Newcastle Playhouse. This first production was produced at The Duke’s Playhouse, Lancaster
on July 26, 1976, where it proved to be a hit. It was directed by John Blackmore, designed by Clare Lyth, with musical direction by Gary Yershon. It differed from the later version of Ken Hill’s musical, in having a modern musical score by Ian Armit (who also worked with Hill on his production of The Curse of the Werewolf) in addition to excerpts from the opera Faust
by Charles Gounod
.
In 1984, Hill revived his musical version of The Phantom of the Opera. This time though, he wanted to add the kind of music that would have been heard at the Opéra Garnier in the late nineteenth century. Consequently he discarded the modern score by Ian Armit and wrote original English lyrics that told Gaston Leroux’s tale. By placing them to opera arias by Gounod, Offenbach, Verdi, Weber, Mozart, Donizetti, and Boito, he created a musical that reflected the era in which the original novel was written. This updated version of The Phantom of the Opera was produced in a joint production by the Newcastle Playhouse and the Theatre Royal Stratford East, and premiered at the Newcastle Playhouse on April 3, 1984, before shortly moving to the Theatre Royal Stratford East. In between, the show had two very brief runs at the New Tyne Theatre, Newcastle and the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton - neither of those productions did very well. When the show got the Theatre Royal Stratford East, Sarah Brightman
, who created the role of Christine in the Lloyd Webber version, was famously asked to perform the role of Christine in the 1984 cast but she turned it down, leaving the role for the opera singer Christina Collier.
Andrew Lloyd Webber
, who at the time was married to Brightman, and Cameron Mackintosh
attended a performance of Ken Hill’s Phantom of the Opera at the Theatre Royal Stratford East. Prompted by the good reviews, they approached Hill about the possibility of their collaborating on developing a grand scale version of his Phantom in the West End
, and offered to produce it. In fact, Hill and Lloyd Webber had worked together earlier on a revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
at the Winchester Theatre. Lloyd Webber and his producer, Cameron Mackintosh had been highly enthusiastic when they broached Hill about his Phantom of the Opera. But in the end, Lloyd Webber chose to pursue the musical without Hill.
Phantom of the Opera then emerged on the other side of the Atlantic in 1987 for its American premiere in St. Louis
at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. This production starred Sal Mistretta as The Phantom - his performance won him the St. Louis Theatre Critics Award. A second US production was mounted in 1988 in San Francisco at the Theatre in the Square, produced by Jonathan Reinis.
The productions of Phantom of the Opera in St. Louis and San Francisco were so successful that Hill was asked to mount a national tour of the United States. Jonathan Reinis (who later produced Ken Hill’s The Invisible Man in London) formed Phantom Touring Company Inc. who acted as the producers for the tour, along with Electric Factory Concerts
. The tour began in 1989, with musical arrangements and designs by the original Newcastle Playhouse team. It performed for a few years to packed houses all over America, travelling to approximately 110 cities, and grossing a total of $72 million.
In 1991, Phantom of the Opera returned to the United Kingdom where it embarked on a national tour and then transferred to London’s West End. It opened at The Shaftsbury Theatre on December 18, 1991, with a similar cast to the 1984 production - Peter Straker was The Phantom and Christina Collier as Christine. But despite positive reviews, the West End production did poorly at the box office and was forced to close earlier than expected, on April 11, 1992. However, the production was nominated for two Olivier Awards (equivalent of the Broadway Tony Awards) for Best New Musical and Best Director of a Musical, the latter of which placed Ken Hill against Simon Callow and Judi Dench.
The full cast of the 1991 Shaftesbury Theatre production was as follows -;
Peter Straker [the Phantom],Christina Collier [Christine Daae], Reginald Marsh
[Richard],
Steven Pacey
[Raoul],Toni Palmer [Madame Giry],Michael McLean [Faust], Haluk Bilginer
[Mephistopheles/the Persian],Gary Lyons [Remy],Richard Tate [Debienne/Groom/Gravedigger/Old Man/Mauclair], Kate Harbour
[Jammes],Tracy Gillman [Carlotta/Dominique/Chorus Girl],
Jacqueline Barron [Lady in box/Lisette],Quentin McLain [Stagehand],Richard Shilling [Stagehand].
In the summer of 1992, the show toured Japan and the Philippines with the following cast changes -;
Frank Ellis [Debienne etc.],Garth Bardsley [Raoul], Michae N. Harbour [Mephistopheles/Persian]
Ruth Madoc
[Madame Giry],Grace Kinirons [Lady in Box/Lisette],Steve Bennion [Stagehand],Martin Croft [Stagehand].
The evening performance begins ("Accursed All Base Pursuit of Earthly Pleasure"). The ghost provides his first warning in the form of the murder of Mephistopheles - "You don't exist…" After the performance, Richard's handsome (if somewhat dim) son - Raoul, madly in love with the chorus girl Christine Daae - goes to her dressing room, only to hear her speak with another man. Jealous, Raoul enters the room to find it empty. This "ghost" seems very real, as is his love for Christine and woe betide anyone who gets in his way. ("How Dare She")
A Groom comes to talk to Richard in his office about the disappearance of a horse named Caesar ("Late Last Night I'm In The Cellars"). Richard decides that the man is an idiot and promptly fires him. We catch up with Raoul, the young and betrayed lover, and Christine at a local graveyard ("All Of My Dreams Faded Suddenly"). He is then introduced to the angelic voice of the Angel Of Music ("While Floating High Above"). Christine leaves and The Phantom attempts to throttle Raoul, but is disturbed by a Grave Digger, and runs off. Back at the Opera House, the unfortunate Richard has had to stand by while his son pursues the chorus girl Christine Daae, and now must convince his diva - Carlotta, who feels she is too ill to perform - to sing at the performance later that evening, with the help of his staff ("She Says She's Got The Nodules"). An agreement is made that Christine Daae will sing the role, while Carlotta mimes the act.
This wasn't what The Phantom had in mind ... He'll not cease causing "accidents" and will do all in his power to disrupt the proceedings, including rubbing out the lead singer. At the evening performance, Carlotta mimes the act incorrectly and very clearly out-of-sync with Christine ("What Do I See"). Christine faints before the end of the performance and The Phantom drops a large candelabra on Carlotta.
After the performance, Christine and Raoul meet on the rooftop of the Opera House to discuss running away from the Opera House and The Phantom together. But The Phantom isn't very far away at all ... He appears from behind the statue of Apollo and towers above them ("To Pain My Heart Selfishly Dooms Me"). Christine and Raoul leave the roof, leaving The Phantom alone. An Old Man enters, throwing bird-seed down for the pigeons on the Opera House's roof. The Phantom's hurt turns to anger, and he throws the unfortunate man off the building. The Phantom screams that Christine will be his and the first act ends.
Meanwhile, the search party above ground migrates to the boiler room and The Persian reveals his true identity, and fills us in on the Phantom's history ("Born With A Monstrous Countenance"). Raoul searches for a way down to the cellars below the Opera House ("In The Shadows, Dim And Dreay"). He succeeds and slips through a manhole with the rest of the group, into a boiler room. However things quickly heat up, literally, as The Phantom traps them inside. It looks like the end for the motley group, and they break into a chorus of ("What An Awful Way To Perish").
The final scene takes place in the Phantom's Chapel, with his organ and its unkempt riot of sheet music as a center-piece. He seems determined to wed Christine and expresses his love for her ("Ne'er Forsake Me, Here Remain"). As the song ends, Christine tears off his mask and The Phantom screams in anger and shame, hiding his face from Christine. His sobs fade and he turns back, with a determined and violent look in his eyes, and produces a Priest and Chorus Girl to bear witness to the forced marriage between him and Christine. But just in time (of course), Raoul, The Persian and the rest of the group burst in, having escaped the Boiler Room and come through The Phantom's traps. The Phantom, suddenly finding himself in a tight spot, produces a knife and pulls Christine in front of him - a union sealed in death seems his only option...
Act II
. The title of it was "All Of My Dreams Faded Suddenly" and is sung by the character Christine. It replaced "Love Has Flown, Never Returning," but not before the latter had been recorded onto the West End cast recording of Phantom of the Opera. It still remains there, and the newer song was never recorded and released officially.
Since 1992, Phantom of the Opera has toured the world, in countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Italy
, Germany
, Japan
, Korea
and the United Kingdom
. The most recent UK tour took place in 2000/2001 and was produced by Chris Moreno at the Theatre Royal, Lincoln. It has been said that modern productions of Phantom of the Opera tend to place emphasis on the camp side of the show, sometimes poking fun at the Lloyd Webber version.
The most recent production of Phantom took place in 2004 in Tokyo
, Japan running from November 10, 2004 to November 28, 2004. It was produced by Stewart Macpherson who originally produced the West End production in 1991.
and New Zealand
, on national tours.
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
with book and lyrics by Ken Hill
Ken Hill
Ken Hill was a critically acclaimed English playwright, and theatre director.He was a protege of Joan Littlewood at Theatre Workshop...
. It is the first musical adaptation of the novel The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera
Le Fantôme de l'Opéra is a novel by French writer Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serialisation in "Le Gaulois" from September 23, 1909 to January 8, 1910...
by Gaston Leroux
Gaston Leroux
Gaston Louis Alfred Leroux was a French journalist and author of detective fiction.In the English-speaking world, he is best known for writing the novel The Phantom of the Opera , which has been made into several film and stage productions of the same name, notably the 1925 film starring Lon...
, about the hideously disfigured Phantom's amorous obsession with the magnificent, naive singer, Christine. Hill wrote the original English lyrics to the music of Verdi, Gounod, Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach was a Prussian-born French composer, cellist and impresario. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s–1870s and his uncompleted opera The Tales of Hoffmann. He was a powerful influence on later composers of the operetta genre, particularly Johann Strauss, Jr....
, Mozart, Weber
Carl Maria von Weber
Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber was a German composer, conductor, pianist, guitarist and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school....
, Donizetti, and Boito
Arrigo Boito
Arrigo Boito , aka Enrico Giuseppe Giovanni Boito, pseudonym Tobia Gorrio, was an Italian poet, journalist, novelist and composer, best known today for his libretti, especially those for Giuseppe Verdi's operas Otello and Falstaff, and his own opera Mefistofele...
.
History
Ken HillKen Hill
Ken Hill was a critically acclaimed English playwright, and theatre director.He was a protege of Joan Littlewood at Theatre Workshop...
’s Phantom of the Opera was the first musical version of the story by Gaston Leroux and has enjoyed financial success. Hill's musical inspired the award-winning Andrew Lloyd Webber musical version
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
of the story, although he never received any formal royalty for it.
As Ken Hill rummaged through a used bookstore, he picked up a copy of Gaston Leroux's Phantom of the Opera novel and eventually produced it as a stage musical. The show started off as a production at Morecambe Pier as the first staged musical version, but was also first staged when Hill was working as Director of Productions for the Newcastle Playhouse. This first production was produced at The Duke’s Playhouse, Lancaster
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
on July 26, 1976, where it proved to be a hit. It was directed by John Blackmore, designed by Clare Lyth, with musical direction by Gary Yershon. It differed from the later version of Ken Hill’s musical, in having a modern musical score by Ian Armit (who also worked with Hill on his production of The Curse of the Werewolf) in addition to excerpts from the opera Faust
Faust (opera)
Faust is a drame lyrique in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Carré's play Faust et Marguerite, in turn loosely based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, Part 1...
by Charles Gounod
Charles Gounod
Charles-François Gounod was a French composer, known for his Ave Maria as well as his operas Faust and Roméo et Juliette.-Biography:...
.
In 1984, Hill revived his musical version of The Phantom of the Opera. This time though, he wanted to add the kind of music that would have been heard at the Opéra Garnier in the late nineteenth century. Consequently he discarded the modern score by Ian Armit and wrote original English lyrics that told Gaston Leroux’s tale. By placing them to opera arias by Gounod, Offenbach, Verdi, Weber, Mozart, Donizetti, and Boito, he created a musical that reflected the era in which the original novel was written. This updated version of The Phantom of the Opera was produced in a joint production by the Newcastle Playhouse and the Theatre Royal Stratford East, and premiered at the Newcastle Playhouse on April 3, 1984, before shortly moving to the Theatre Royal Stratford East. In between, the show had two very brief runs at the New Tyne Theatre, Newcastle and the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton - neither of those productions did very well. When the show got the Theatre Royal Stratford East, Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...
, who created the role of Christine in the Lloyd Webber version, was famously asked to perform the role of Christine in the 1984 cast but she turned it down, leaving the role for the opera singer Christina Collier.
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
, who at the time was married to Brightman, and Cameron Mackintosh
Cameron Mackintosh
Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh is a British theatrical producer notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "the most successful, influential and powerful theatrical producer in the world" by the New York...
attended a performance of Ken Hill’s Phantom of the Opera at the Theatre Royal Stratford East. Prompted by the good reviews, they approached Hill about the possibility of their collaborating on developing a grand scale version of his Phantom in the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
, and offered to produce it. In fact, Hill and Lloyd Webber had worked together earlier on a revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story is based on the "coat of many colors" story of Joseph from the Hebrew Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice musical to be performed publicly...
at the Winchester Theatre. Lloyd Webber and his producer, Cameron Mackintosh had been highly enthusiastic when they broached Hill about his Phantom of the Opera. But in the end, Lloyd Webber chose to pursue the musical without Hill.
Phantom of the Opera then emerged on the other side of the Atlantic in 1987 for its American premiere in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. This production starred Sal Mistretta as The Phantom - his performance won him the St. Louis Theatre Critics Award. A second US production was mounted in 1988 in San Francisco at the Theatre in the Square, produced by Jonathan Reinis.
The productions of Phantom of the Opera in St. Louis and San Francisco were so successful that Hill was asked to mount a national tour of the United States. Jonathan Reinis (who later produced Ken Hill’s The Invisible Man in London) formed Phantom Touring Company Inc. who acted as the producers for the tour, along with Electric Factory Concerts
Electric Factory Concerts
Electric Factory Concerts is the name of a longtime Philadelphia-based concert promotion firm, affiliated with the Electric Factory venue in that city and also owned by Larry Magid....
. The tour began in 1989, with musical arrangements and designs by the original Newcastle Playhouse team. It performed for a few years to packed houses all over America, travelling to approximately 110 cities, and grossing a total of $72 million.
In 1991, Phantom of the Opera returned to the United Kingdom where it embarked on a national tour and then transferred to London’s West End. It opened at The Shaftsbury Theatre on December 18, 1991, with a similar cast to the 1984 production - Peter Straker was The Phantom and Christina Collier as Christine. But despite positive reviews, the West End production did poorly at the box office and was forced to close earlier than expected, on April 11, 1992. However, the production was nominated for two Olivier Awards (equivalent of the Broadway Tony Awards) for Best New Musical and Best Director of a Musical, the latter of which placed Ken Hill against Simon Callow and Judi Dench.
The full cast of the 1991 Shaftesbury Theatre production was as follows -;
Peter Straker [the Phantom],Christina Collier [Christine Daae], Reginald Marsh
Reginald Marsh
Reginald Marsh may refer to:* Reginald Marsh , American painter most notable for his detailed depictions of life in New York City in the 1920s* Reginald Marsh , actor in many British sitcoms...
[Richard],
Steven Pacey
Steven Pacey
Steven Pacey is an English actor, best known for his role as Del Tarrant in the third and fourth seasons of the sci-fi series Blake's 7....
[Raoul],Toni Palmer [Madame Giry],Michael McLean [Faust], Haluk Bilginer
Haluk Bilginer
Haluk Bilginer is a Turkish actor. In addition to his acting career in Turkey, he has also worked in the United Kingdom and remains best known for his role as Mehmet Osman in the television soap opera EastEnders during the 1980s. He has also starred in Hollywood movies as a minor actor...
[Mephistopheles/the Persian],Gary Lyons [Remy],Richard Tate [Debienne/Groom/Gravedigger/Old Man/Mauclair], Kate Harbour
Kate Harbour
Kate Harbour is a voice actor who provides many voices for the television series Bob the Builder including Wendy, Dizzy, Mrs. Potts, Mrs. Broadbent and Mrs...
[Jammes],Tracy Gillman [Carlotta/Dominique/Chorus Girl],
Jacqueline Barron [Lady in box/Lisette],Quentin McLain [Stagehand],Richard Shilling [Stagehand].
In the summer of 1992, the show toured Japan and the Philippines with the following cast changes -;
Frank Ellis [Debienne etc.],Garth Bardsley [Raoul], Michae N. Harbour [Mephistopheles/Persian]
Ruth Madoc
Ruth Madoc
Ruth Madoc is a British actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Gladys Pugh in the 1980s BBC television comedy Hi-de-Hi!, and as Daffyd Thomas's mother in the second series of Little Britain.-Early life:...
[Madame Giry],Grace Kinirons [Lady in Box/Lisette],Steve Bennion [Stagehand],Martin Croft [Stagehand].
Act one
The story of The Phantom of the Opera begins ("Introduction") with the new manager, Richard, previously president of Northern Railways (and a proud member of the Stock Exchange Choir), arriving at the Paris Opera House. He is greeted by the artists and staff ("Welcome Sir, I'm So Delighted"). The previous managers of the Paris Opera did not last very long, due to problems with the legend of the Opera Ghost, who demands 20,000 francs a month and his own private box. These requests are defied by the adamant and foolish Richard, little knowing the mayhem that will take place if he refuses to accept the Ghost's demands. Madam Giry, the box keeper, warns Richard that he may have upset the "Ghost". She is horrified when Richard demands use of Box Five (the Ghost's box). She knows the “Ghost” won't stand idly by while Richard refuses to accept his demands. She warns Richard to expect a run of horrific events, which they are...though they're as funny as they are fearsome.The evening performance begins ("Accursed All Base Pursuit of Earthly Pleasure"). The ghost provides his first warning in the form of the murder of Mephistopheles - "You don't exist…" After the performance, Richard's handsome (if somewhat dim) son - Raoul, madly in love with the chorus girl Christine Daae - goes to her dressing room, only to hear her speak with another man. Jealous, Raoul enters the room to find it empty. This "ghost" seems very real, as is his love for Christine and woe betide anyone who gets in his way. ("How Dare She")
A Groom comes to talk to Richard in his office about the disappearance of a horse named Caesar ("Late Last Night I'm In The Cellars"). Richard decides that the man is an idiot and promptly fires him. We catch up with Raoul, the young and betrayed lover, and Christine at a local graveyard ("All Of My Dreams Faded Suddenly"). He is then introduced to the angelic voice of the Angel Of Music ("While Floating High Above"). Christine leaves and The Phantom attempts to throttle Raoul, but is disturbed by a Grave Digger, and runs off. Back at the Opera House, the unfortunate Richard has had to stand by while his son pursues the chorus girl Christine Daae, and now must convince his diva - Carlotta, who feels she is too ill to perform - to sing at the performance later that evening, with the help of his staff ("She Says She's Got The Nodules"). An agreement is made that Christine Daae will sing the role, while Carlotta mimes the act.
This wasn't what The Phantom had in mind ... He'll not cease causing "accidents" and will do all in his power to disrupt the proceedings, including rubbing out the lead singer. At the evening performance, Carlotta mimes the act incorrectly and very clearly out-of-sync with Christine ("What Do I See"). Christine faints before the end of the performance and The Phantom drops a large candelabra on Carlotta.
After the performance, Christine and Raoul meet on the rooftop of the Opera House to discuss running away from the Opera House and The Phantom together. But The Phantom isn't very far away at all ... He appears from behind the statue of Apollo and towers above them ("To Pain My Heart Selfishly Dooms Me"). Christine and Raoul leave the roof, leaving The Phantom alone. An Old Man enters, throwing bird-seed down for the pigeons on the Opera House's roof. The Phantom's hurt turns to anger, and he throws the unfortunate man off the building. The Phantom screams that Christine will be his and the first act ends.
Act two
A performance of Faust begins with Christine singing the lead role of Marguerite ("Ah! Do I Hear My Lover's Voice?"). However, during the song there's an unscheduled blackout and when the lights come back up, Christine has disappeared. The show quickly adjourns and the rest of the cast search high and low for her all over the Opera House, taking their lanterns into the audience ("No Sign! I See No Sign!"). But to no avail. The scene switches to The Phantom's underground domain where he takes Christine in his boat and ties her to a post at his mist-shrouded dock before rowing slowly back into the darkness, leaving Christine behind ("Somewhere Above The Sun Shines Bright").Meanwhile, the search party above ground migrates to the boiler room and The Persian reveals his true identity, and fills us in on the Phantom's history ("Born With A Monstrous Countenance"). Raoul searches for a way down to the cellars below the Opera House ("In The Shadows, Dim And Dreay"). He succeeds and slips through a manhole with the rest of the group, into a boiler room. However things quickly heat up, literally, as The Phantom traps them inside. It looks like the end for the motley group, and they break into a chorus of ("What An Awful Way To Perish").
The final scene takes place in the Phantom's Chapel, with his organ and its unkempt riot of sheet music as a center-piece. He seems determined to wed Christine and expresses his love for her ("Ne'er Forsake Me, Here Remain"). As the song ends, Christine tears off his mask and The Phantom screams in anger and shame, hiding his face from Christine. His sobs fade and he turns back, with a determined and violent look in his eyes, and produces a Priest and Chorus Girl to bear witness to the forced marriage between him and Christine. But just in time (of course), Raoul, The Persian and the rest of the group burst in, having escaped the Boiler Room and come through The Phantom's traps. The Phantom, suddenly finding himself in a tight spot, produces a knife and pulls Christine in front of him - a union sealed in death seems his only option...
Musical numbers
Act I- Welcome Sir I'm So Delighted - Debienne, Remy, Faust, Mephistopheles, Richard, Raoul, Jammes
- Accursed All Base Pursuit Of Earthly Pleasure - Faust
- How Dare She - Raoul
- Late Last Night I'm In The Cellars - The Groom
- All Of My Dreams Faded Suddenly - Christine
- While Floating High Above (Music: Bizet, The Pearl Fishers) - The Phantom
- She Says She's Got The Nodules - Faust, Carlotta, Richard, Remy, Jammes, Debienne, Christine
- What Do I See - Christine (as Carlotta)
- To Pain My Heart Selfishly Dooms Me (Music: OffenbachJacques OffenbachJacques Offenbach was a Prussian-born French composer, cellist and impresario. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s–1870s and his uncompleted opera The Tales of Hoffmann. He was a powerful influence on later composers of the operetta genre, particularly Johann Strauss, Jr....
, Les contes d'HoffmannLes contes d'HoffmannLes contes d'Hoffmann is an opéra by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on short stories by E. T. A...
) - The Phantom, Raoul, Christine
Act II
- The Entr'Acte
- Ah! Do I Hear My Lover's Voice? - Faust, Christine
- No Sign! I See No Sign! - Debienne, Richard, Raoul, Remy, Dominique, Faust, Jammes, Madam Giry
- Somewhere Above The Sun Shines Bright - Christine
- Born With A Monstrous Countenance - The Persian
- In The Shadows, Dim And Dreary - Raoul, The Persian
- 'What An Awful Way To Perish - Faust, The Persian, Madam Giry, Richard, Jammes, Raoul
- The Final Drama
- Ne'er Forsake Me, Here Remain - The Phantom
- Ne'er Forsake Me, Here Remain (Reprise) - The Phantom, Christine
- He Will Not Go Without A Friend - Company
Further productions
A new song was added to the show in 1992, especially for the first Japanese Tour, based upon an aria by Antonín DvořákAntonín Dvorák
Antonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many...
. The title of it was "All Of My Dreams Faded Suddenly" and is sung by the character Christine. It replaced "Love Has Flown, Never Returning," but not before the latter had been recorded onto the West End cast recording of Phantom of the Opera. It still remains there, and the newer song was never recorded and released officially.
Since 1992, Phantom of the Opera has toured the world, in countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The most recent UK tour took place in 2000/2001 and was produced by Chris Moreno at the Theatre Royal, Lincoln. It has been said that modern productions of Phantom of the Opera tend to place emphasis on the camp side of the show, sometimes poking fun at the Lloyd Webber version.
The most recent production of Phantom took place in 2004 in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan running from November 10, 2004 to November 28, 2004. It was produced by Stewart Macpherson who originally produced the West End production in 1991.
Recording
The official cast recording of the show, was released in 1993 by D Sharp Records. It featured the entire West End (Shaftesbury Theatre) cast, and includes all the songs in the show. It was also later released by two other record labels; Stetson Records (an off-shoot of The Stetson Group), and BMG. The latter versions of the CD were mainly sold in Japan (in Japanese packaging), AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, on national tours.