THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Orchestra Will Be Reduced Upon Reopening in the West End

The Phantom of the Opera's orchestra will be cut in half upon the production's return to the West End, The Stage reports. The orchestra previously consisted of 27 musicians and now will include just 14.

Instruments being cut include an oboe, percussion, harp, trumpets and horns. The number of violins will also be reduced.

All 27 members previous members of the orchestra were released from their contracts last year when the production closed due to the pandemic, allowed for refurbishments to the theatre.

The Musicians' Union general secretary Horace Trubridge says the union is "sad and disappointed" with the decision.

"These orchestrations are just as thrilling and rich as the original but would not have been possible with the technology available in 1986," said Cameron Mackintosh Ltd and the Really Useful Group in a join statement. "The new Phantom orchestra will remain one of the largest in the West End - the orchestration featuring a contemporary line-up of top-flight soloists with modern instrumentation which will give this timeless score the freshness of a new musical to ensure that the music of the night will soar for decades more."

Read more on The Stage.

As previously reported, The Phantom of the Opera is currently planning for a June 2021 return to the West End.

The show is currently planning previews from June 5, provided that government social distancing rules are lifted in time.

Irish actor Killian Donnelly will don the Phantom's iconic mask when the show makes its return to Her Majesty's Theatre. This summer, Mackintosh confirmed that a "brand new physical production" of the show will run in the West End when it returns.

Learn more about the redesigned theater here.