Welcome to BWW's New Daily ON THIS DAY Series celebrating theatrical birthdays, openings and special events that took place on this day in theatre history!
Today in 1988, The Phantom of the Opera opened at the Majestic Theatre, where it has played for 9980 performances and still running. Written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Charles Hart, the musical opened in the West End in 1986, celebrating its 25th anniversary in October 2011. It won the 1986 Olivier Award and the 1988 Tony Award for Best Musical, and Michael Crawford (in the title role) won the 1986 Olivier and 1988 Tony for Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical. It is the longest-running Broadway show by a wide margin, the second longest-running West End musical, and the third longest-running West End show overall.
In celebration of this day, we bring you a the title number as performed at the 1988 Tony Awards. Click below to check it out!
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