VIDEO: PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Pays Tribute to Hal Prince

Before Wednesday night's performance of Broadway's longest-running musical, The Phantom of the Opera, the show's original music director, David Caddick, made a poignant speech about the show's beloved director Hal Prince, who passed away that morning. Check out the full tribute below.

The Phantom of the Opera celebrated its 31st Anniversary on January 26, 2019 and reached an unprecedented 13,000 performances this past April. Both are feats achieved by no other Broadway show. PHANTOM has been the longest-running show in Broadway history for well over a decade, and its astounding longevity in New York and around the world is unprecedented. The musical has played to 18.5 million people at The Majestic Theatre (247 West 44th Street), having grossed a staggering more than $1.1 billion.

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 Group, 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. Musical staging and choreography is by the late Gillian Lynne. The Phantom of the Operahas production design by the late Maria Björnson®, lighting by Andrew Bridge and sound by Mick Potter with original sound by Martin Levan. Musical supervision and direction is by David Caddick and orchestrations are by David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber.