VIDEO: On This Day, January 26- THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Begins His 30 Year Broadway Haunt

Today, the New York production of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA celebrates 30 years on Broadway - an unprecedented feat achieved by no other Broadway show.

The musical will enter its fourth decade having played 12,500 performances to 18 million people at The Majestic Theatre (247 West 44th Street), and having grossed a staggering more than $1.1 billion. PHANTOM has been Broadway's longest-running show for more than a decade and its astounding longevity in New York and around the world is unprecedented.

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.

Celebrate the landmark anniversary of this Broadway classic with their performance from the 1988 Tony Awards, featuring original stars Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford.