What is The Phantom of the Opera?

The Phantom of the Opera is an award-winning stage musical created by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Charles Hart, and Richard Stilgoe, adapted from Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel. The romantic melodrama follows Christine Daaé, a gifted singer at the Paris Opéra, who is haunted and mentored by a secretive music teacher, the Phantom, who develops a dangerous obsession with her. The Phantom, hiding his facial scars with a white mask, manipulates the opera, sabotages rivals, and threatens Christine’s childhood friend, Raoul, with whom she is falling in love. The West End production earned an Olivier Award in 1986, and the Broadway production won seven Tony Awards in 1988, including best musical. In 2006, it broke the record held by Cats as Broadway’s longest-running production. A film adaptation was released in 2004.

Who wrote the musical The Phantom of the Opera?

The musical The Phantom of the Opera is an award-winning stage production by Andrew Lloyd Webber (composer) and Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe (lyricists). It was adapted from Gaston Leroux ’s 1910 novel of the same name. The musical premiered in London’s West End in 1986 and on Broadway in 1988. The Phantom of the Opera follows Christine Daaé, a singer at the Paris Opéra who is mentored and haunted by a secretive music teacher, the Phantom, who develops a dangerous obsession with her.

What is the basic story or plot of the musical?

The Phantom of the Opera musical centers on Christine Daaé, a gifted young singer at the Paris Opéra, who is mentored and haunted by a secretive music teacher, the "Angel of Music". In reality, Christine’s tutor is the Phantom, who hides his facial scars with a white mask and lives in an underground cavern beneath the opera house. As the musical unfolds, the Phantom develops a dangerous obsession with Christine, manipulating the opera's business, sabotaging rivals, and even killing those who interfere. His behavior escalates when Christine falls in love with her childhood friend Raoul, leading the Phantom to threaten Raoul's life. The first act climaxes with the Phantom triggering a massive chandelier crash.

Who are the main characters in The Phantom of the Opera?

The Phantom of the Opera follows Christine Daaé , a gifted young singer at the Paris Opéra who is mentored and haunted by a secretive music teacher she calls her “Angel of Music”. Her tutor is the Phantom who hides his facial scars with a white mask and lives beneath the opera house. As the musical progresses, the Phantom's behavior intensifies, and he threatens the life of Raoul , Christine’s childhood friend, with whom she is falling in love.

What are some famous songs from the musical?

The Phantom of the Opera is a musical created by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Charles Hart, and Richard Stilgoe, adapted from Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel. The musical includes many famous songs, such as: "The Phantom of the Opera" "Think of Me" "The Music of the Night" The musical premiered in London in 1986 and on Broadway in 1988. In 2006, it earned the title of Broadway’s longest-running production.

Why is The Phantom of the Opera considered one of the most successful musicals in history?

The Phantom of the Opera is considered one of the most successful musicals in history because of the passionate audience reaction to the production, sometimes called “Phantom-mania”. The West End production earned an Olivier Award for musical of the year in 1986. The Broadway production quickly attracted devoted fans and earned massive commercial success and glowing critical reviews, winning seven Tony Awards in 1988, including best musical. In 2006, it broke the record held by Cats as Broadway's longest-running production.

The Phantom of the Opera

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Anthony Crivello as the Phantom, wearing a white mask, stands behind Elizabeth Loyacano as Christine Daae, both in period costumes, performing on stage with lit candles in the background.

Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber plays a grand piano on stage, with a red curtain and lit candelabra in the background.

Large cast of Phantom of the Opera in elaborate, colorful costumes and masks performs on stage, with Sylvia Rhyne and John Ruess in front center during a dress rehearsal.

Lon Chaney as the Phantom stands in a dramatic pose wearing dark clothing and theatrical makeup in a scene from thefilm The Phantom of the Opera.

Quick Facts

Awards And Honors:: Tony Awards (1988)

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The Phantom of the Opera

musical by Hart, Lloyd Webber, and Stilgoe

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Meg Matthias

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Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 12, 2026 •History

Top Questions

What is The Phantom of the Opera?
The Phantom of the Opera is an award-winning stage musical created by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Charles Hart, and Richard Stilgoe, adapted from Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel. The romantic melodrama follows Christine Daaé, a gifted singer at the Paris Opéra, who is haunted and mentored by a secretive music teacher, the Phantom, who develops a dangerous obsession with her. The Phantom, hiding his facial scars with a white mask, manipulates the opera, sabotages rivals, and threatens Christine’s childhood friend, Raoul, with whom she is falling in love.

The West End production earned an Olivier Award in 1986, and the Broadway production won seven Tony Awards in 1988, including best musical. In 2006, it broke the record held by Cats as Broadway’s longest-running production. A film adaptation was released in 2004.
2 Britannica Sources
1. The Phantom of the Opera
2. The Phantom of the Opera
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Who wrote the musical The Phantom of the Opera?
The musical The Phantom of the Opera is an award-winning stage production by Andrew Lloyd Webber (composer) and Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe (lyricists). It was adapted from Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel of the same name. The musical premiered in London’s West End in 1986 and on Broadway in 1988. The Phantom of the Opera follows Christine Daaé, a singer at the Paris Opéra who is mentored and haunted by a secretive music teacher, the Phantom, who develops a dangerous obsession with her.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What is the basic story or plot of the musical?
The Phantom of the Opera musical centers on Christine Daaé, a gifted young singer at the Paris Opéra, who is mentored and haunted by a secretive music teacher, the "Angel of Music".

In reality, Christine’s tutor is the Phantom, who hides his facial scars with a white mask and lives in an underground cavern beneath the opera house. As the musical unfolds, the Phantom develops a dangerous obsession with Christine, manipulating the opera's business, sabotaging rivals, and even killing those who interfere. His behavior escalates when Christine falls in love with her childhood friend Raoul, leading the Phantom to threaten Raoul's life. The first act climaxes with the Phantom triggering a massive chandelier crash.
2 Britannica Sources
1. The Phantom of the Opera
2. The Phantom of the Opera
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Who are the main characters in The Phantom of the Opera?
The Phantom of the Opera follows Christine Daaé, a gifted young singer at the Paris Opéra who is mentored and haunted by a secretive music teacher she calls her “Angel of Music”.

Her tutor is the Phantom who hides his facial scars with a white mask and lives beneath the opera house. As the musical progresses, the Phantom's behavior intensifies, and he threatens the life of Raoul, Christine’s childhood friend, with whom she is falling in love.
2 Britannica Sources
1. The Phantom of the Opera
2. The Phantom of the Opera: Cast
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What are some famous songs from the musical?
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical created by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Charles Hart, and Richard Stilgoe, adapted from Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel.

The musical includes many famous songs, such as:
- "The Phantom of the Opera"
- "Think of Me"
- "The Music of the Night"
The musical premiered in London in 1986 and on Broadway in 1988. In 2006, it earned the title of Broadway’s longest-running production.
2 Britannica Sources
1. The Phantom of the Opera
2. The Phantom of the Opera
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why is The Phantom of the Opera considered one of the most successful musicals in history?
The Phantom of the Opera is considered one of the most successful musicals in history because of the passionate audience reaction to the production, sometimes called “Phantom-mania”. The West End production earned an Olivier Award for musical of the year in 1986. The Broadway production quickly attracted devoted fans and earned massive commercial success and glowing critical reviews, winning seven Tony Awards in 1988, including best musical. In 2006, it broke the record held by Cats as Broadway's longest-running production.
2 Britannica Sources
1. The Phantom of the Opera
2. The Phantom of the Opera
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

The Phantom of the Opera, award-winning stage musical by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricists Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe, adapted from Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel of the same name. A romantic melodrama, The Phantom of the Opera premiered in London’s West End on October 9, 1986, and began its Broadway run on January 26, 1988. The passionate audience reaction to the production, stemming from both stages, has been described as “Phantom-mania.” In 2006 The Phantom of the Opera earned the title of Broadway’s longest-running production. It celebrated its 35th anniversary on Broadway in 2023 and closed later that year.

The Phantom of the Opera follows a gifted and beautiful young singer at the Paris Opéra, Christine Daaé, who is both haunted and mentored by a secretive music teacher she calls her “Angel of Music.” In actuality, Christine’s tutor is the titular “Phantom,” who nurtures a dangerous obsession with his protégée. Hiding his facial scars with an iconic white mask, the brilliant and troubled Phantom skulks beneath the opera house, making his home in an underground cavern. As the musical progresses, the Phantom’s ominous behavior intensifies: he manipulates the business of the opera, sabotages Christine’s rivals, kills those who thwart him, and eventually threatens the life of Raoul, Christine’s childhood friend with whom she is falling in love. The end of Act I exemplifies the glamor and spectacle the production became known for: as Christine bows to her audience after promising to run away with Raoul, the Phantom triggers a massive chandelier’s crash to the floor. Inspired by an actual accident in which a tiered chandelier fell on the Paris Opéra stage in 1896, the Broadway replica used 6,000 beads and weighed one ton.

With its 7,486th show, in 2006, The Phantom of the Opera broke the record previously held by Cats for longest-running Broadway production.

Starring Michael Crawford (Phantom), Sarah Brightman (Christine), and Steve Barton (Raoul), the West End production earned an Olivier Award for musical of the year in 1986. The subsequent Broadway production quickly attracted an audience of devoted fans, colloquially called “phans.” In 1987 nearly $12 million in advance tickets had been sold by November for the show opening in January the next year. Audience hopefuls even queued overnight at the box office that year for a chance to purchase tickets. In addition to achieving massive commercial success, the show met with glowing critical reviews. At the 1988 Tony Awards ceremony, The Phantom of the Opera won in seven categories, including best musical and best actor in a musical for Crawford. In 1989 Phantom launched its first national tour, putting on more than 3,000 performances; the musical did not leave the touring circuit until 2010.

A feature film adaptation, directed by Joel Schumacher, was released in 2004. Though the film retained most of the songs from the stage musical, it found its cast away from the Broadway stage: its stars—Gerald Butler (Phantom), Emmy Rossum (Christine), and Patrick Wilson (Raoul)—were primarily film and television actors. The adaptation received mixed reviews: indeed, The New York Times described a divide between fans of the musical who were “enthusiastic about the new-fangled Phantom” versus those “outraged that Michael Crawford, the star of the original Broadway production,…does not play the lead.”

Other Phantom films

The Phantom of the Opera (1925), starring Lon Chaney
The Phantom of the Opera (1962), starring Herbert Lom

Love Never Dies, Lloyd Webber’s sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, premiered in the West End in 2010. The musical, which meets Christine, Raoul, and the Phantom about 10 years after the events of the original, was divisive but generally poorly received. For instance, The Times of London snarked that “for some, Love Never Dies is ‘Paint Never Dries.’ ” A filmed version of the live show was released in 2012.

Meg Matthias

The Phantom of the Opera

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