The original cast recording was the first in British musical history to enter the charts at number one and worldwide album sales now exceed 40 million.

The show has played to over 140 million people in 35 countries in 166 cities around the world, winning over 70 major theatre awards, grossing an estimated $6 billion. Phantom won the 1986 Olivier and 1988 Tony Awards for Best Musical, with Michael Crawford taking home Best Actor in a Musical at both ceremonies.

It is the longest-running show in Broadway history. The Broadway transfer officially opened at the Majestic Theatre on January 26, 1988, where it remains to this day.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical version of The Phantom of the Opera is one of the most successful pieces of entertainment of all time, produced in any media.ĭirected by Harold Prince, with sets and costumes by Maria Björnson and starring Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman, Phantom opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre on October 9, 1986, where it continues to captivate audiences after 30 years and more than 12,000 performances.

The phantom of the opera 1986