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THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Celebrates 25 Years on Broadway, 1/26 with Gala

The longest-running show in Broadway history, Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, directed by Harold Prince and produced by Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Company, Inc., will once again make theater history when it becomes the first Broadway show ever to celebrate its 25th Anniversary on Saturday, January 26, 2013. The unprecedented milestone will be marked by a Special Gala Performance that night. While many of the evening's details are being kept under wraps, the special night will begin with an early 6:30 PM performance at The Majestic Theatre (247 West 44th Street), the musical's home for its entire run. Details for the historic performance and celebration will be announced in the coming weeks.

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA became the longest-running show in Broadway history on January 9, 2006 with its 7,486th performance (surpassing the previous record-holder Cats, also by Andrew Lloyd Webber and also produced by Mackintosh). Incredibly, since breaking that record, PHANTOM has played both an additional 6½ years and 2,800 performances – which by itself would be a smash hit run for a Broadway musical.

On Broadway, since its debut on January 26, 1988, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has grossed over $875 million. Even now – in its incredible 25th year on Broadway – it is consistently among Broadway's highest-grossing shows and remains a box office champ. Earlier this year, the production shattered the house record at The Majestic by having its best weekly gross in its entire 24-year history. Total attendance is now over 15 million and it continues to play with no end in sight.

The musical's international success – equally staggering – is represented by total worldwide grosses estimated at over $5.6 billion. This colossal figure makes PHANTOM the most successful entertainment venture of all time, with revenues higher than any film or stage play in history, including Titanic, Star Wars and far surpassing the world's highest-grossing film Avatar (at $2.8 billion). Worldwide, over 65,000 performances have been seen by 130 million people in 28 countries and 148 cities in 13 languages.

The flagship London production, which opened in 1986 at Her Majesty's Theatre, celebrated 25 years in October 2011. That milestone was celebrated with a special production at London's Royal Albert Hall starring two notable PHANTOM alumni, former London Phantom Ramin Karimloo and former U.S. Christine Sierra Bogess (star of the Vegas production and Broadway star of The Little Mermaid), to tremendous acclaim. Earlier this year, a live recording was released on CD by Decca and a DVD of the event was released by Universal Home Entertainment.

There are currently six productions around the world: London, New York, Budapest (Hungary), Tokyo (Japan), Manila (The Philippines) and Cameron Mackintosh's all-new production of the musical which is currently enjoying a highly-acclaimed, record-breaking UK National Tour, which is planned to come to the U.S. in the not-too-distant future. The next international opening will be Seoul, Korea this December.

The show has won more than 60 major theater awards, including seven 1988 Tony Awards (including Best Musical) and three Olivier Awards in the West End. The original cast recording, with over 40 million copies sold worldwide, is the best-selling cast recording of all time. In September 2010, student productions of PHANTOM started being licensed through R&H Theatricals, and so far have been performed at hundreds of high schools and colleges across the U.S. and in Canada.

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 is produced by Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Theatre Company, Inc., has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and is directed by Harold Prince. Lyrics are by Charles Hart (with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe) and the book is by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber. THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has production design by the late Maria Björnson, lighting by Andrew Bridge and sound design by Mick Potter with original sound by Martin Levan. Musical staging and choreography is by Gillian Lynne. Orchestrations are by David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber.