1. Aspects of Love
    1. Aspects of Love Opens
    2. ‘Love Changes Everything’ performed at Kennedy memorial
  2. Bombay Dreams
    1. Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40 Musical Years
    2. Bombay Dreams Movie Announcement
    3. Bombay Dreams opens
  3. By Jeeves
    1. The film version of By Jeeves is released
  4. Cats
    1. Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40 Musical Years
    2. Stagecoach perform Cats at the NIA
    3. The film version of Cats is released
  5. Evita
    1. Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40 Musical Years
    2. Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar Tony nominations
    3. Andrew helps the Dutch find their Evita
    4. The 2006 revival of Evita
  6. Jesus Christ Superstar
    1. Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40 Musical Years
    2. Jesus Christ Superstar to tour Australia
    3. Jesus Christ Superstar UK Arena Tour 2013
    4. Jesus Christ Superstar LIVE Arena Tour DVD/Blu-Ray released!
    5. Andrew joins the cast on stage at the M.E.N. [Photos]
    6. Stars turn out for opening weekend of Jesus Christ Superstar
    7. Fourth London show added to Arena Tour!
    8. Watch the official trailer for ITV’s Superstar
    9. First O2 show sold out! Second date added
    10. Superstar – Live Show Announcement
    11. Jesus Christ Superstar UK Arena Tour
    12. Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar Tony nominations
    13. Andrew announces casting panel for ITV1 Superstar
    14. ITV1 and Andrew Lloyd Webber today announce ‘Superstar’
    15. Jesus Christ Superstar celebrates 40 years!
    16. Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway
    17. Jesus Christ Superstar to move to La Jolla Playhouse
    18. Andrew and Tim Rice appear on The Culture Show
    19. The 25th Anniversary production of Jesus Christ Superstar
    20. Jesus Christ Superstar Opens in London
  7. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
    1. Joseph voted Best Musical Revival
    2. Lee Mead’s final performance as Joseph in the West End
    3. Joseph is still amazing audiences 40 years on
    4. Supporting Children in Need
    5. ‘Any Dream Will Do’ reaches number one in the UK singles chart
    6. The London Palladium revival of Joseph
  8. Love Never Dies
    1. Love Never Dies number 1 in mid-week charts
    2. Love Never Dies released in the UK
    3. Love Never Dies US Movie Release
    4. Andrew attends Love Never Dies final performance at The Adelphi
    5. Love Never Dies receives 10 Helpmann Award nominations
    6. Andrew attends Love Never Dies premiere in Melbourne
    7. Love Never Dies’ Leading Men win Whatsonstage.com Awards
    8. Love Never Dies Australian premiere announced
    9. Love Never Dies album number one across key retailers in China
    10. Andrew and Katherine Jenkins on Dancing On Ice
    11. Andrew Lloyd Webber to appear on Weekend Wogan this Sunday
    12. ‘Love Never Dies’ premieres at The South Bank Show Awards
    13. Love Never Dies World Exclusive for The South Bank Show Awards
    14. Love Never Dies global launch
  9. Song and Dance
    1. Song and Dance Opens
  10. Starlight Express
    1. Starlight Express celebrates 20 years of productions in Bochum, Germany
    2. Starlight Express opens
  11. Stephen ward
    1. Pre-order “Theme from Stephen Ward”
  12. Sunset Boulevard
    1. Sunset Boulevard opens in LA
  13. Tell Me on a Sunday
    1. Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40 Musical Years
    2. Tell Me on a Sunday national tour, starring Claire Sweeney
    3. Tell Me on a Sunday West End revival
  14. The Beautiful Game
    1. Andrew and Ben Elton in Toronto
    2. The Boys in the Photograph opens in Canada
    3. Andrew and Ben visit Liverpool
    4. The Beautiful Game opens
  15. The Likes of Us
  16. The Phantom of the Opera
    1. Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40 Musical Years
    2. Phantom to tour North America
    3. Andrew at The Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary
    4. The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall
    5. Phantom celebrates 10,000 performances in the West End
    6. 9,000 performances of Phantom on Broadway
    7. The Phantom of the Opera goes digital!
    8. The opening of The Phantom of the Opera
  17. The Sound of Music
    1. Andrew attends The Sound of Music in Norwich
    2. Backstage with Connie Fisher
    3. Problem Solved, Elicia Mackenzie is Canada’s Maria
    4. Andrew appears in Hollyoaks
    5. How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? nominated for Emmy Award
    6. Canada to be the next nation to Solve a Problem Like Maria…
    7. The Sound of Music opens at the London Palladium
  18. The Wizard of Oz
    1. Danielle Wade wins CBC’s Over The Rainbow
    2. Wizard of Oz nominated in 2012 Olivier Awards
    3. There’s NOSE place like home
    4. Royal Variety Performance broadcast
    5. Andrew Lloyd Webber to greet the Royal Party at this year’s Royal Variety Performance
    6. Over The Rainbow…Where Are They Now?
    7. We’re off to see the Wizard – and it’s Michael Crawford!
    8. Andrew visits Cardiff for a special announcement about Sophie Evans
    9. Oz Blog: The winner is revealed
    10. The last Dorothy mission….
    11. Oz Blog: The Final Countdown
    12. Danielle you are Dorothy… and here comes Dangerous Dave as Toto!
    13. Danielle, Lauren and Sophie have a go at Polo!
    14. The winning Dorothy to release charity single
    15. Sierra meets the Dorothys!
    16. Oz: Blog: Andrew makes his final choice and the final three are revealed
    17. Oz Blog: The Fantastic Four
    18. Andrew meets Bobby…
    19. Oz Blog: The second sing-off
    20. Oz Blog: A Dorothy Cull…
    21. We’re off to see The Wizard of Oz!
    22. From Nancy to Dorothy: A message from Sam and Niamh
    23. Oz Blog: An Emotional Goodbye
    24. Oz Blog: An audience with the Lord
    25. Andrew and the Dorothys get ready for their close up…
    26. An Over the Rainbow update from Andrew
    27. Andrew gets ready for next week’s Over The Rainbow
    28. It’s Toto time for Andrew…
    29. Oz Blog: Standing ovations as we say another goodbye
    30. Oz Blog: A chorus of Angels…
    31. Oz Blog: Another sad goodbye…
    32. Behind the scenes at Over The Rainbow
    33. Oz Blog: Making a Song and Dance
    34. Oz Blog: It’s goodbye to another of our Dorothies…
    35. Oz Blog: A Class Act
    36. Oz Blog: The first Dorothy flies over the rainbow
    37. Oz Blog: The first live show… and the public get to choose
    38. Oz Blog: 20 become 10…
    39. Oz Blog: Over The Rainbow kicks off with weekend special
    40. BBC ONE Follows the Yellow Brick Road, Over the Rainbow
    41. Andrew in Manchester
    42. Andrew begins his search for Dorothy
    43. Could you be Dorothy?
  19. The Woman in White
    1. The Woman in White opens
  20. Whistle Down the Wind
    1. Boyzone reach number one with ‘No Matter What’
    2. Whistle Down The Wind opens in the West End
Home / Shows / The Phantom of the Opera / The opening of The Phantom of the Opera
The opening of The Phantom of the Opera

9th, October, 1986

The opening of The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera is now a musical phenomenon which has played all over the world, but the show originally opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London on 9th October 1986 with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman playing the leading roles of The Phantom and Christine.

Phantom is now the most financially successful musical of all time. Based on the novel Le Fantôme de l’Opéra, written by French author Gaston Leroux, the musical is set in the Paris Opera House in the late Nineteenth Century and tells the story of Christine Daaé; her lover Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny; and the mysterious masked figure who lives beneath the Opera House – the Phantom of the Opera.

Within months of opening, the show – described as “Fantastic, fabulous and phantasmagorical!” by The Daily Mirror and “A gorgeous operatic extravaganza that is a thrill to the blood and a sensual feast for the eye” by the Sunday Express – scooped the 1986 Oliver Award for Musical of the Year, with Michael Crawford winning the Outstanding Performance in a Musical Award. Phantom also won the 1986 Evening Standard Award for Best Musical.