Broadway's Phantom Is 19 Years Old Jan. 26

By Kenneth Jones
26 Jan 2007

Michael Shawn Lewis, Julie Hanson and Howard McGillin celebrate The Phantom of the Opera's 19th anniversary.
Michael Shawn Lewis, Julie Hanson and Howard McGillin celebrate The Phantom of the Opera's 19th anniversary.
Photo by The Phantom Company

The Phantom was always fond of candles, so birthdays must be extra special for him. The Harold Prince production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera turns 19 years old Jan. 26 at the Majestic Theatre.

Cast members celebrated the milestone after the Jan. 25 performance with a nosh backstage — including cake — and a rousing champagne toast by George Lee Andrews, the last original cast member still with the show.

The company includes Howard McGillin (as The Phantom), Jennifer Hope Wills (Christine), Michael Shawn Lewis (Raoul), George Lee Andrews (Monsieur Andre), David Cryer (Monsieur Firmin), Anne Runolfsson (Carlotta), Marilyn Caskey (Madame Giry), Roland Rusinek (Piangi), Heather McFadden (Meg Giry) and Julie Hanson (Christine Alternate).

The Jan. 26 performance is No. 7,923.

The winner of seven 1988 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, The Phantom of the Opera became the longest-running show in Broadway history on Jan. 9, 2006. It surpassed Cats' record-holding run of 7,485 performances.

The musical, based on the Gaston Leroux novel, 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. Production design is by Maria Björnson, lighting by Andrew Bridge and sound by Martin Levan. Musical staging and choreography is by Gillian Lynne. Orchestrations are by David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The Phantom of the Opera is a Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Group, Inc., production.

For more information, visit www.thephantomoftheopera.com.