Phantom (musical) - Productions

Productions

Original production

In January 1991, Houston Texas’s Theater Under the Stars presented the world premiere of the Yeston/Kopit musical, renamed simply Phantom to separate it further from Lloyd Weber's and other productions of Phantom of the Opera. Richard White starred in the title role. Members of the Houston cast recorded a cast album released by RCA records.

Early regional U.S. productions

That summer of 1991, Yeston and Kopit made a few cuts and changes to the musical. In the fall, the revised version was presented in Seattle and at the California Theatre of Performing Arts in San Bernardino in California and was received warmly. In Chicago, Bill Pullinsi, Artistic Director of the Candlelight Playhouse staged the production, receiving rave reviews in publications including Variety and the Wall Street Journal. This led to other editions in other cities, including 1992 productions at Casa Mañana in Ft. Worth, Texas, Seaside Music Theater in Daytona Beach, and at the Westchester Broadway Theatre in Elmsford, New York, starring Robert Cuccioli in the title role; and 1993 productions at Music Theater of Wichita (Kansas), Musical Theatre Southwest in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the Gateway Playhouse in Bellport, New York.

International productions

The Australian premiere was held in 1996 at Altona City Theatre.

A Japanese language translation was produced by the Cosmos Troupe of Takarazuka Revue in 2004 (featuring Yoka Wao and Mari Hanafusa) and in 2006 and 2011 by Flower Troupe (featuring Sumire Haruno and Ayane Sakurano in her Grand Theater debut in 2006). A German-language version ran for three years in Germany. An Estonian-language version of Phantom was performed from November 15 to December 1, 2007 at the Linnahall in Tallinn.

2007–2008 Westchester revivals

In October and November 2007, the show played at the Westchester Broadway Theater, in Elmsford, New York, and continued from December 2007 to February 2008, featuring Robert Cuccioli reprising the title role.

2013 London premiere

The UK premiere of Phantom is scheduled to be performed at the Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre Pub, Walthamstow from 14 – 31 May 2013. It is to be directed by Dawn Kalani Cowle with movement direction by Brendan Matthew. The show is produced by the theatre's resident company, All Star Productions.