Phantom Of The Opera

Broadway In Chicago has announced Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, directed by Harold Prince, will return to Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph St.) this fall for a limited eight-week holiday engagement running Wednesday, October 31 through Saturday, January 5, 2008.  Tickets are currently on sale to groups of 20 or more by calling (312) 977-1710.  Individual tickets will go on sale to the general public on Sunday, June 17.

Chicago’s history with The Phantom of the Opera dates back to May 1990 when the Second National Tour opened and played a 39-week premiere engagement.  That production went on to tour the United States through October 1998 including return engagements to Chicago in December 1993 (29 weeks) and May 1998 (17 weeks).  Most recently, the Third National Tour played a six-week engagement in March and April 2004.

With worldwide box office sales of over $3 billion, The Phantom of the Opera is the most successful entertainment venture of the twentieth century, surpassing such blockbuster films as Titanic, E.T., and Lord of the Rings. The winner of seven 1988 Tony® Awards, including Best Musical, The Phantom of the Opera has been seen by over 80 million people in 119 cities in 24 countries.  Worldwide, The Phantom of the Opera consistently plays to larger audiences and in longer engagements than any other musical in history.  On January 9, 2006, The Phantom of the Opera became the longest-running show in Broadway history surpassing Cats’ record-holding run of 7,485 performances.  The show then celebrated its nineteenth anniversary on Broadway January 26, 2007.

Based on the classic novel Le Fantôme de l’Opéra by Gaston Leroux, The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a masked figure who lurks beneath the catacombs of the Paris Opera House, exercising a reign of terror over all who inhabit it.  He falls madly in love with an innocent young soprano, Christine, and devotes himself to creating a new star by nurturing her extraordinary talents and by employing all of the devious methods at his command.

The Phantom of the Opera had its world premiere on October 9, 1986 at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London, winning every major British theatre award including the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards.  The New York production opened on January 26, 1988 with a then-record advance of $18 million.  The musical went on to sweep the 1988 Tony Awards, winning seven, including Best Musical.  The Phantom of the Opera also won seven Drama Desk Awards and three Outer Critics Circle Awards.  The original London cast recording was the first in British musical history to enter the charts at number one.  It has since gone both gold and platinum in Britain and the United States, selling over 25 million copies.

The Phantom of the Opera will return to Chicago for a limited holiday engagement at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 West Randolph St.) from Wednesday, October 31, 2007 through Saturday, January 5, 2008. 

Tickets are currently on sale to groups of 20 or more by calling (312) 977-1710.  Individual tickets will go on sale to the general public on Sunday, June 17.