Look at your face in the mirror, who’s there inside: The Phantom of the Opera

The lights dim, the skin shrivels, the organ plays. and the dusty cloth falls from the chandelier which drops to the ground, shattering into a million pieces. A mysterious, menacing laugh. Horrifying and thrilling, The Phantom of the Opera has been performed around 14,000 times and met with incredible satisfaction from the audience. Set in the Paris Opera House, it was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber who based it on the novel, The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. The fact it attracts even a non-musical fan is fascinating. Perhaps the Phantom himself hypnotised the world?

The Phantom of the Opera is an absolute phenomenon, but it is uncommon for people to guess who the true creator of The Phantom of the Opera is or what took to inspire him. The librettist of The Phantom of the Opera is Gaston Leroux, who discovered an underground lake below the Paris Opera House. It is portrayed in the performance when the Phantom rows in a magnificent boat underground with Christine. The chandelier is far more unpleasant and was called after a real chandelier fell onto an unlucky crowd. The Phantom is also inspired after a ghost which is rumoured to live in the Paris Opera House. Even the love triangle in The Phantom of the Opera is ludicrous - the Phantom and Raoul both loving Christine who loves the duo - and as we all could guess: it is inspired by a true event.

The Phantom of the Opera tells the tale of a disfigured musical genius who roams the Paris Opera House. The Phantom, or Erik, is obsessed by the talents and beauty of a young soprano: Christine. The Phantom lures and falls in love with her. After many practices, Christine shocks even the old Madame Giry. The news goes out like wildfire and Raoul, a past sweetheart, meets with Christine, falling in love. Meanwhile, a former lead singer is now mad to the bone and demands Christine be replaced by herself. At last, her wish was granted but an outraged Phantom cut the strings of the chandelier, causing it to plummet and ignite the Opera House. To add insult to injury, he abducts Christine, and now nothing can stop the Phantom, or can it?

Those who have swept to the stage to see The Phantom of the Opera can tell firsthand the plot was exhilarating, and the set was authentic. The last The Phantom of the Opera in Australia was a runaway success though a few novelties were modified. Statues and underground catacombs were detailed as well as the mist lake while making The Phantom of the Opera more realistic. The haunting music made up as they gave chills when the crystal chandelier plummeted. The Phantom was depicted more human though the previous producers made the Phantom look more like a serial killer, more deformed, than a more sympathetic human was turned down by the world. In addition, the actors lip-synch, meaning they are not singing live due to their surroundings and therefore moves to a prerecorded edition. This has been met with controversy but Michael Crawford’s legs once caught on fire as he was standing 6 inches from where he was supposed to be.

The Phantom of the Opera develops stunning sets and the music is wonderful with dark and poignant melodies fitting the dark story, and sad. It is undoubtedly a masterpiece, both mesmerising and understandable. Though The Phantom of the Opera was played for the first time around 36 years ago, it is still striving across the world today, intriguing fans for endless days to come. After you listen to the organs and the music, you will declare it as the music of the night.