The Phantom of the Opera (play)
"The Phantom of the Opera" is a musical created by Andrew Lloyd Webber, inspired by Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel. Premiering in 1986, the musical blends romantic and horror elements, reviving interest in the largely forgotten story. Set in the 1880s, it features elaborate stage effects, including gas-lit candles and a dramatic chandelier fall, immersing the audience in both the fictional opera house and the unfolding drama. The character of the Phantom is portrayed as a misunderstood genius, whose modern musical style, represented through his opera "Don Juan Triumphant," highlights his incompatibility with society. The show has achieved remarkable success, winning seven Tony Awards and becoming a cultural icon, with its title song and popular ballads like "Music of the Night" becoming standards in the music world. Its appeal has crossed generational lines, attracting both avid theatergoers and newcomers. "The Phantom of the Opera" remains a significant and enduring piece of musical theater, known for its emotional depth and spectacular presentation.
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The Phantom of the Opera (play)
Identification Hit musical based upon Gaston Leroux’s classic horror novel
Director Hal Prince
Authors Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; lyrics by Charles Hart, with Richard Stilgoe and Mike Batt; book by Stilgoe, Hart, and Lloyd Webber
Date Opened on Broadway on January 26, 1988
Among the most successful Broadway musicals in history, The Phantom of the Opera was a national phenomenon in the late 1980’s.
Key Figures
Hal Prince (1928- ), musical directorAndrew Lloyd Webber (1948- ), composerCharles Hart (1962- ), lyricistRichard Stilgoe (1943- ), lyricistMike Batt (1949- ), lyricist
When Andrew Lloyd Webber decided to create a musical based on Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel Fantôme de l’opéra (The Phantom of the Opera, 1911), the book was largely forgotten, and the story was known primarily through campy horror-film adaptations. While Lloyd Webber emphasized the romantic aspects of the book, the horror and mystery elements provided opportunities for him to indulge his love of spectacle: In the play, gas candles mysteriously appear, lighted, from a fictional lake, and chandeliers fall to the stage. As he had in Cats (pr. 1982), Lloyd Webber brought the audience into the spectacle. The set was designed to merge the fictional opera house with the actual theater, so that, when the characters in the musical were performing operas, the play’s audience would become the fictional audience within those operas as well. As a result, when the Phantom’s face was dramatically revealed in the show’s climax, the audience participated as part of the drama.
Like many of Lloyd Webber’s works, The Phantom of the Opera combines older musical and theatrical elements with modern music and effects. Elements of twentieth century music, including rock, are used to symbolize the Phantom’s incompatibility with society. The story is set in the 1880’s, and Lloyd Webber wrote the Phantom’s opera, Don Juan Triumphant, as a twentieth century opera. The cast members scoff at it, but the Phantom is merely ahead of his time.
Impact
In 1988, The Phantom of the Opera won seven Tony Awards. The Phantom’s mask joined the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building as symbols of New York City. Many theatergoers saw the show more than once, and its success was driven in part by repeat business, a rarity on Broadway. The show spawned three national tours and a long-running Los Angeles production. Two of its ballads, “All I Ask of You” and “Music of the Night,” became instant standards, recorded by numerous artists. At the same time, its title song, originally recorded as a heavy metal single, became quite popular for rock groups to cover. In the late 1980’s, even young people who otherwise had no interest in musicals were excited about The Phantom of the Opera. Its ominous theme was recognized all over the country.
Bibliography
Leroux, Gaston. The Phantom of the Opera: The Original Novel. New York: HarperPerennial, 1988.
Perry, George. The Complete Phantom of the Opera. New York: Owl Books, 1991.