One of my biggest theater regrets is not seeing The Phantom of the Opera when it was staged in Manila in 2012. Back then, I wasn’t a fan of theater so I didn’t bother getting tickets. But since I became a convert, I was jealous of those who have seen the musical live and have heard my favorite song, also called “The Phantom of the Opera.”
Now I’ll get to finally see it because the show will be back in 2019 and you can already buy tickets!
For those who aren’t familiar, The Phantom of the Opera is based on the 1909 French novel Le Fantôme de L’Opéra by Gaston Leroux. It tells the story of a disfigured musical genius, who haunts the depths of the Paris Opera House and falls in love with a young soprano named Christine. He becomes obsessed with her and it sets the stage for a drama filled with passion, jealousy, and madness.
The novel was adapted to the stage by Andrew Lloyd Weber in 1986, starring Michael Crawford as the Phantom and Sarah Brightman as Christine. It became a blockbuster, winning over 70 major theatre awards, including seven Tony Awards and four Olivier Awards. It is now the longest-running show in Broadway history, performing its 13,000th show earlier this year.
It’s no surprise, when you consider that the show is brimming with jaw-dropping scenery, breathtaking special effects, more than 230 costumes, and 130 cast, crew, and orchestra members. The songs itself are unforgettable, including “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Think of Me,” and “Music of the Night.” The original cast recording is the best-selling cast recording of all time with 40 million copies sold worldwide.
In 2004, the musical was adapted to film starring Gerard Butler as the Phantom and Emmy Rossum as Christine. Critics praised the spectacle and the film went on to be nominated for Best Original Song, Best Art Direction, and Best Cinematography at the 77th Academy Awards.
The Phantom of the Opera will be returning to Manila on February 20, 2019 and will be produced by Lunchbox Theatrical Productions and Concertus Manila, which also produced Cats, Wicked, Chicago, Singin’ in the Rain, Mamma Mia!, Les Misérables, West Side Story, The Sound of Music and The Lion King.
This story is in partnership with Concertus Manila. The Phantom of the Opera will be staged at The Theatre at Solaire. Tickets are now on sale at www.ticketworld.com.ph. The show is a collaboration between Concertus Manila, Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, and Ticketworld. For more information, follow Concertus Manila’s Facebook and Instagram pages, and Lunchbox Theatrical Productions’ Facebook and Twitter pages.