THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA to Play Orpheum Theatre, 12/13-1/5

The spectacular new production of Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA will make its Twin Cities' premiere December 13, 2013 through January 5, 2014 at Hennepin Theatre Trust's Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis. With newly re-invented staging and stunning scenic design, this new version of PHANTOM has been an enormous success since its U.K. unveiling in March 2012.

Tickets are available now in person at the State Theatre Box Office, online at www.HennepinTheatreTrust.org, by calling 1.800.982.2787 or visiting a Ticketmaster Ticket Center. It is presented by Hennepin Theatre Trust as a part of its 2013/14 Broadway Across America-Minneapolis Season.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said, "It's wonderful to have a new production of PHANTOM touring America in the same year that the show celebrates 25 years on Broadway. Director Laurence Connor has done an amazing job and this production has received huge critical acclaim in the U.K."

Cameron Mackintosh said, ''After a glorious celebration of 25 phenomenal years on Broadway with no end in sight, I'm delighted to be able to bring this dazzling new production of PHANTOM-which has been phenomenally well-received by both audiences and critics in the U.K. this past year-to America. With an exciting new design and staging, retaining Maria Björnson's amazing costumes, I am confident American audiences will fall in love with the PHANTOM in his new guise-for the first time or all over again."

This new production of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is directed by Laurence Connor (director of the 25th Anniversary LES MISERABLES now in Toronto and headed for Broadway and Jesus Christ Superstar) with choreography by Matthew Bourne protégé Scott Ambler, set design by Paul Brown, Tony Award-winning original costume design by Maria Björnson, lighting design by Paule Constable, sound design by Mick Potter and musical supervision by John Rigby. The production is overseen by Matthew Bourne and Cameron Mackintosh.

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; lyrics are by Charles Hart (with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe) and the book is by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Orchestrations are by David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

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 phenomenal cast features Mark Campbell portraying the man behind the mask, 'The Phantom,' with Julia Udine as 'Christine Daaé,' Ben Jacoby as 'Raoul,' Jacquelynne Fontaine as 'Carlotta Giudicelli,' Craig Bennett as 'Monsieur Firmin,' Edward Staudenmayer as 'Monsieur André,' Linda Balgord as 'Madame Giry,' Frank Viveros as 'Ubaldo Piangi' and Hannah Florence as 'Meg Giry'.

Mark Campbell has been seen across the country in the National Tours of Mamma Mia! and Guys & Dolls. His regional credits include The Old Globe, Cape May Stage, Virginia Stage Company and Arkansas Rep. Julia Udine makes her touring debut with PHANTOM. Regionally, she starred as Maria in West Side Story and appeared on "Law and Order SVU." Chicago native, Ben Jacoby has performed at the Marriott Theatre, Milwaukee Rep., Maine State Music Theatre and the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Jacquelynne Fontaine's stage and opera credits include The Student Prince (Kathie, Pittsburgh CLO), A Little Night Music (Charlotte, Indiana Rep), La Traviata (Violetta) and she was Miss California 2006. Craig Bennett's Broadway credits include A Tale of Two Cities, South Pacific and Miss Saigon. Edward Staudenmayer's Broadway credits include Wonderland, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me and Beauty and the Beast (First National Tour). Linda Balgord received a Drama Desk Award nomination for The Pirate Queen and has also been seen on Broadway in Gypsy, La Cage Aux Folles, Cats and Passion. Frank Viveros originated the roles of Bloat The Blowfish in Disney's Finding Nemo: The Musical and Iron Chef in Yellow Brick Road. Hannah Florence appeared in Scandalous (Broadway) as well as Where's Charley (Encores!), Anna Nicole (NYC Opera/BAM) and Mary Poppins (1st National Tour).

The Ensemble includes Adam Bashian, Nick Cartell, Dan Debenport, Amy Decker, Mark Emerson, Cooper Grodin, Michael Thomas Holmes, Celia Hottenstein, Christopher Howard, Merritt David Janes, Amy Justman, Edward Juvier, Dustin Layton, Luke Lazzaro, Jay Lusteck, Katie McCreary, Grace Morgan, Christy Morton, Quinto Ott, Eric Ruiz and Marguerite Willbanks. The Corps de Ballet includes Morgan Cowling, Anjelica Bette Fellini, Ramona Kelley, Abigail Mentzer, Lily Rose Peck, Tara Sweeney and Micki Weiner.

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA continues its record-breaking runs in London and on Broadway. There are currently five productions around the world: the flagship London production (26 years and counting), New York (25 years and counting - PHANTOM celebrated its 25th Anniversary on Broadway on January 26, 2013), Budapest (Hungary), Kyoto (Japan) and Seoul (Korea).

Since its debut, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has grossed over $890 million on Broadway. Even now, 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 25-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 of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, 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 directed by Laurence Connor.

The show has won more than 70 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.

The new touring production of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA will be the first to tour the U.S. in three years. There have been three previous U.S. national tours that grossed over $1.5 billion in combined box office sales and played 216 engagements in 77 cities for an unprecedented total of 36 years and over 14,500 performances to 31 million people.

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