Recently, the Andrew Lloyd Webber smash surpassed the run of A Chorus Line to become the third longest-running show in the history of Broadway with well over 6,000 performances. The producers, Cameron Mackintosh//Really Useful Theatre Company, Inc., bill Phantom as the most successful stage musical of all time, with worldwide ticket sales exceeding $3.2 billion.

Based on the novel by Gaston Leroux, The Phantom of the Operatells of the deformed, masked musical genius who coaches and falls in love with a young soprano, Christine. He uses all his devious tricks to help her rise to the heights of the Paris Opera. One such trick includes sending the auditorium chandelier onto the stage in an attempt to frighten the shortsighted management of the opera house.

The performance schedule for The Phantom of the Opera is 8 PM Monday-Saturday, 2 PM Wednesday and Saturday. For $20-$90 ticket information, call (212) 239-6200 or (800) 432-7250 or visit the Majestic Theatre box office (247 West 44th Street).

Photo by Aubrey Reuben.