The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of Erik, a disfigured musical genius who haunts the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera House and wages a reign of terror over its occupants.
When he falls in love with the beautiful young soprano Christine, The Phantom devotes himself to creating a new star for the Opera. However, she has another admirer, her childhood sweetheart Raoul.
As the Phantom's fury at her betrayal mounts, his rage becomes murderous. He hatches a plot to win her back – with dramatic and terrifying repercussions for Christine, her co-stars and Erik himself.
The original Andrew Lloyd Webber production opened at Her Majesty's Theatre in 1986 with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman (Webber's wife at the time) in the leading roles. There have been more than twenty productions worldwide since.
In 2006, Phantom of the Opera gave its 7,486th performance and became the longest-running show on Broadway.