The Phantom of The Opera (1986 Musical) - Other Productions

Other Productions

Phantom has been translated into several languages and produced in over 27 countries on six continents. With only two exceptions (Hungary and Poland), these productions have all been “clones”, using the original staging, direction, sets and costume concepts. International productions include the following:

• Argentina: The Argentine production premièred in March 2009 at Buenos Aires' Teatro Ópera and closed 29 November 2009 after 194 performances.
• Australia: 1990 – 1998: Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth; 2007 – 2009: Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Auckland, Perth and Adelaide, both starring Anthony Warlow. Marina Prior starred as Christine in the original production. In the original Australian production, Rob Guest later took over the title role. The final leg of the more recent tour was staged in Adelaide in an arena format featuring giant screens on either side of the stage that presented footage shot simultaneously with the performance.
• Austria: The German language production premiered at the Theater an der Wien in December 1988.
• Belgium: The Dutch production toured to Belgium.
• Brazil: São Paulo, premièred at Teatro Abril in April 2005.
• Canada: The Toronto production of Phantom ran for just over ten years, ending abruptly when Livent collapsed. The Music Box Tour (Third U.S. National Tour) played dates across Canada in 2006 – 2007 including Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Saskatoon and Ottawa.
• Canadian International Touring Company: 11 March 1991 – October 1995 toured Canada, Hawaii, Alaska, Hong Kong and Singapore
• China: The Shanghai production played 97 performances at the Shanghai Grand Theatre
• Denmark: Det Ny Theater, Copenhagen (2000–2001, 2003–2004, 2009)
• Germany: There have been three German productions: Hamburg (1990-2001), Stuttgart (2002-2004) and Essen (2005-2007).
• Hong Kong: First tour – at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Grand Theatre June to October 1995; Second tour – July to August 2006 at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Grand Theatre.
• Hungary: Madách Theatre, Budapest. This production, which began in 2003, was the first to modify the original staging with new sets, costumes and direction. The five hundredth performance on 20 September 2007 featured four successive sets of casts. After the final curtain, three Christines and four Phantoms performed the title song once again.
• Japan: Shiki Productions produced the show in 1988, the first production performed in a language other than English. It was still running at the Dentsu Shiki Theatre "Umi" in Tokyo as of February 2012.
• Korea: Opened in 2009 at Charlotte Theater in Seoul.
• Mexico: Mexico City, premiered at Centro Cultural Telmex in December 1999.
• Netherlands: At the Circus Theatre in Scheveningen. More than 1,000 performances (1993–1996) with Henk Poort as the Phantom.
• New Zealand: Auckland
• Philippines: Originally performed in 1997 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and in 2012, at the same venue. (This later production used the sets that were used in the 2011 - 2012 South African tour of the show. It also featured several cast members that also performed in South Africa).
• Poland: Warsaw production premiered in March 2008 at Teatr Muzyczny Roma, featuring original sets, costumes, and direction. Closed June 2010.
• Singapore: First tour at the Kallang Theatre from 26 February 1995 to 20 May 1995, 2nd tour at the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay from 23 March 2007 to 20 May 2007.
• South Africa: 2004, Cape Town, The South African State Theatre, Pretoria. 2011, Cape Town Artscape Theatre and 2012, Johannesburg Teatro at Montecasino.
• Spain: Madrid, premiered at Teatro Lope de Vega on 4 September 2002.
• Sweden: 1989 – 1995, Oscarsteatern, Stockholm. More than 1,000 performances. Starring Mikael Samuelson as the Phantom.
• Switzerland: Performed in both English and German at the Musical Theatre Messe Basel in Switzerland for over a year in 1996 – 1997.
• Taiwan: began on 18 January 2006 at National Theater and Concert Hall (Taiwan) and July 2009 at Taipei Arena, with Brad Little as the Phantom.
• United States: Los Angeles (1989–1993), San Francisco (1993–1999). A US National tour commenced in 1991 in Los Angeles, and closed on 31 October 2010 at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, California, after nearly 2 decades. The closing-night tour performance was attended by many former cast- and crew-members, including Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sarah Brightman.

An edited production renamed Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular opened 24 June 2006 at The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, in a theatre built specifically for the show to resemble the Opéra Garnier in Paris. The production runs 95 minutes with no intermission, and was directed and choreographed by Harold Prince and Gillian Lynne, with scenic designs by David Rockwell. The show features updated technology and effects, including a re-engineered chandelier capable of reassembling in midair during the overture while the entire interior of the venue (not merely the stage) returns to its 1880s halcyon days. Almost 45 minutes' worth of material was eliminated, such as the Don Juan Triumphant rehearsal. "Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh" and "The Point of No Return" were significantly shortened. Other changes resembled those in the 2004 film, such as staging the chandelier crash at the plot's climax (during performance of "The Point of No Return") rather than mid-story. The Las Vegas edition at The Venetian will close on 2 September 2012.

A film version, starring Gerard Butler as the Phantom, Emmy Rossum as Christine, Patrick Wilson as Raoul, Minnie Driver as Carlotta, and Miranda Richardson as Madame Giry opened in limited release on 22 December 2004 in the U.S. and later in nationwide release on 21 January 2005.

In 2011 The Really Useful Group (copyright owners of Phantom) released certain rights to the play in celebration of its 25th anniversary. Any educational or non-profit organization, including schools and amateur dramatic groups, can now perform the musical without copyright fees. In May 2011 H. B. Beal Secondary School in London, Ontario, became the first school to perform Phantom under the new rights.

In March 2012 a new production directed by Laurence Connor began a UK and Ireland tour to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the show, beginning at the Theatre Royal Plymouth and traveling to Manchester, Bristol, Dublin, Leeds, Edinburgh, Milton Keynes, Cardiff and Southampton. John Owen-Jones and Earl Carpenter alternate as the Phantom with Katie Hall as Christine and Simon Bailey as Raoul.