Music to the Phantom of the Opera
Listen to the haunting and beautiful music of the Phantom of the Opera while reading about the history and origins of this classic tale.
History
The first musical, The Phantom of the Opera, was written by Gaston Leroux and published in 1909. The book was quickly made into a play, and the first performance was in 1910. The first musical adaptation was by Claude Autant-Lara and premiered in Paris in 1913. The first English-language adaptation was by Andrew Lloyd Webber and premiered in London in 1986.
The original novel by Gaston Leroux
The novel was first published in French in 1909 as Le Fantôme de l’Opéra, and was translated into English later that year by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos. It was then published in the United States by G. P. Putnam’s Sons in January 1910 with illustrations by Duane Van Lith.
The book tells the story of a hidden figure who haunts the Paris Opera House and the efforts of a young musician to uncover his identity. The novel introduces the character of Erik, also known as “the Phantom”, a skeletal figure who is disfigured and wears a half-mask. Erik is in love with Christine Daaé, a young soprano who has been tormented by the Phantom since she was a child.
The novel has been adapted into numerous stage and film productions, most notably Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1986 musical, which won 7 Tony Awards and became the longest-running musical on Broadway.
The first musical adaptation by Andrew Lloyd Webber
The first musical adaptation of the Phantom of the Opera was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and released in 1986. It was a commercial success, running for more than 13 years on Broadway and winning seven Tony Awards. The Phantom of the Opera has been adapted into several other forms, including a film version directed by Joel Schumacher in 2004.
The Plot
The Phantom of the Opera is a novel by Gaston Leroux. The novel is about a phantom who hauntsthe Paris Opera House. The phantom falls in love with a young singer named Christine Daaé and becomes obsessed with her. The phantom’s obsession leads him to commit murder, and he is ultimately hunted down by the police.
The basic story of the musical
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical with a book by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart. The music was composed by Lloyd Webber. Based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l’Opéra by Gaston Leroux, its central character is a masked figure who haunted the Palais Garnier opera house in Paris, causing mayhem in an attempt to make the woman he loves, Christine Daaé, a star.
The musical debuted in London’s West End in 1986, and on Broadway in 1988. It won the 1986 Olivier Award and the 1988 Tony Award for Best Musical. The musical has been translated into several languages and produced in many cities around the world. It remains Broadway’s longest-running musical (28 years as of September 2015).
The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a masked figure who lurks beneath the Paris Opera House, exercising control over all who inhabit it. He falls in love with Christine Daaé, an aspiring young soprano starlet, and exerts his power to ensure that she achieves her dreams of stardom while preventing any other suitors from winning her affections. However, as Christine begins to discover more about the Phantom’s tragic past, she starts to question whether or not he is truly evil or simply a victim of circumstance.
The characters of the musical
The musical tells the story of a beautiful soprano, Christine Daaé, who is taken under the wing of a mysterious, masked figure, known as the Phantom of the Opera. The Phantom is a talented composer and lives in the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera House. He falls in love with Christine and strives to make her a star. However, when she meets and falls in love with another man, Raoul de Chagny, the Phantom becomes jealous and enraged. He takes Christine captive and tries to force her to love him. In the end, she Choose Raoul over him and he disappears into the night.
The Music
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart with additions from Richard Stilgoe. Lloyd Webber and Stilgoe also wrote the book together. The musical opened in London’s West End in 1986, and on Broadway in 1988. It won the 1986 Olivier Award and the 1988 Tony Award for Best Musical.
The songs of the musical
The musical consists of songs like “Think of Me”, “Angel of Music”, “The Phantom of the Opera”, “The Music of the Night”, “All I Ask of You”, and many more.
The score of the musical
The score of The Phantom of the Opera was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics written by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe. Lloyd Webber and Stilgoe also wrote the musical’s book together. The musical premiered in London’s West End in 1986, and on Broadway in 1988. It won the 1986 Olivier Award and the 1988 Tony Award for Best Musical. The Phantom of the Opera is the longest-running musical in Broadway history, and was one of Lloyd Webber’s first big successes.
Lloyd Webber started work on The Phantom of the Opera in 1983; it premiered three years later. The duo wrote several drafts of the script before they presented it to producer Cameron Mackintosh, who agreed to produce it. They began casting in late 1984, and auditions were held early the following year. Composer Maria Björnson designed the sets and costumes, while Harold Prince directed the musical.
The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a masked figure who haunts the catacombs beneath a Parisian opera house, waging a reign of terror over its occupants. He falls in love with Christine Daaé, a beautiful young soprano singer, and becomes obsessed with making her a star. When she rejects him he takes his revenge by unleashing his rage on the entire opera house.
The score includes such well-known songs as “The Phantom of the Opera”, “Think of Me”, “Angel of Music”, “Music of the Night”, “All I Ask of You”, and “Masquerade”.
The Production
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe. Based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l’Opéra by Gaston Leroux, its central character is a deformed man who hides his face beneath a mask.
The original production of the musical
The original production of the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber opened in London’s West End in 1986, and on Broadway in 1988. It was a huge success, and still is to this day. The musical tells the story of the Phantom, a masked man who lives in the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera House, and his obsession with the young soprano Christine Daaé.
The original production was directed by Harold Prince, with set and costume design by Maria Björnson. It starred Michael Crawford as the Phantom and Sarah Brightman as Christine. Lloyd Webber himself played the piano during some of the show’s early previews.
was staged again on Broadway in 2006, with actors Howard McGillin as the Phantom and Sierra Boggess as Christine. This production was nominated for three Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical.
The current production of the musical
The phantom of the opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the novel of the same name by Gaston Leroux. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1988, and was later adapted for film in 2004. The story revolves around a masked figure who lives in the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera House, and his obsession with a young soprano, Christine Daaé.
The current production of the musical premiered on Broadway in 2006, with Sarah Brightman and Gerard Butler in the lead roles. Since then, it has been performed in numerous cities around the world, including London, New York City, Toronto, and Melbourne. The Phantom of the Opera is one of the most successful musicals of all time, having grossed over $5.6 billion dollars worldwide.
The Critical Reception
Music to the Phantom of the Opera was met with generally positive reviews from music critics. Some called it a ” return to form” for the band, while others praised its “atmospheric” and “emotionally engaging” sound. The album was a commercial success, debuting at number one in the United States and United Kingdom.
The reviews of the musical
The reviews of the musical were mixed, with some critics calling it “boring” and “lackluster”, while others praised its “visual spectacle” and “ambitious scope”. The New York Times’s Ben Brantley wrote that the musical was a “majestic spectacle”, while The Daily Telegraph’s Charles Spencer called it a “dull bore”.
The awards the musical has won
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart. with additions from Richard Stilgoe. Lloyd Webber and Stilgoe also wrote the musical’s book together. Based on the eponymous French novel by Gaston Leroux, its central plot revolves around a beautiful soprano, Christine Daaé, who becomes the obsession of a shadowy, disfigured musical genius known as “The Phantom” who lives beneath the Paris Opéra House.
The musical opened in London’s West End in 1986, and on Broadway in 1988. It won the 1986 Olivier Award and the 1988 Tony Award for Best Musical. It is Broadway’s longest-running show (27 years) as well as being Broadway’s second longest-running musical (behind Les Misérables).
In addition to having been nominated for numerous other awards worldwide, The Phantom of the Opera has won over 70 major theatre awards, including 7 Tony Awards, 2 Olivier Awards, 7 Drama Desk Awards out of 15 nominations, 3 Grammy Awards out of 6 nominations, 3 Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre and 3 Special Tony Awards (including a Lifetime Achievement Award to Cameron Mackintosh). The original production in London also won an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre.
