'Phantom' Returns to Chicago in Oct.; Tix on Sale 6/17

Broadway In Chicago has announced the Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Theatre Company, Inc. production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, directed by Harold Prince, will return to Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre this fall for a limited ten-week holiday engagement running Wednesday, October 31 through Saturday, January 5, 2008.   

Chicago's history with The Phantom of the Opera dates back to May 1990 when the Second National Tour opened and played a 39-week premiere engagement.  That production went on to tour the United States through October 1998 including return engagements to Chicago in December 1993 (29 weeks) and May 1998 (17 weeks).  Most recently, the Third National Tour played a six-week engagement in March and April 2004.

With worldwide box office sales of over $3 billion, the show is the most successful entertainment venture of the twentieth century, surpassing such blockbuster films as Titanic, E.T., and Lord of the Rings. The winner of seven 1988 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Phantom has been seen by over 80 million people in 119 cities in 24 countries.  Based on the classic novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux, the musical 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 had its world premiere on October 9, 1986 at Her Majesty's Theatre in London, winning every major British theatre award including the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards.  The New York production opened on January 26, 1988 with a then-record advance of $18 million.  The musical went on to sweep the 1988 Tony Awards, winning seven, including Best Musical.  The Phantom of the Opera also won seven Drama Desk Awards and three Outer Critics Circle Awards.  The original London cast recording was the first in British musical history to enter the charts at number one.  It has since gone both gold and platinum in Britain and the United States, selling over 25 million copies.

The show will return to Chicago for a limited holiday engagement at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 West Randolph St.) from Wednesday, October 31, 2007 through Saturday, January 5, 2008.  The performance schedule is as follows: October 31 - November 4: Wednesday 7:30 p.m., Thursday 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m., Friday 8 p.m., Saturday 2 & 8 p.m., Sunday 2 & 7:30 p.m.; November 6 - January 5: Tuesday 7:30 p.m., Wednesday 2 & 7:30 p.m., Thursday 7:30 p.m., Friday 8 p.m., Saturday 2 & 8 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. Exceptions: Additional performances on Friday, November 22 at 2 p.m., Sunday, December 30 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, January 4 at 2 p.m.  No performances on Thursday, November 22 (Thanksgiving), Tuesday, December 25 (Christmas Day) or Tuesday, January 1 (New Year's Day). 

Ticket range in price from $28 to $85 and will be available starting Sunday, June 17 at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (151 W. Randolph St., 24 W. Randolph St. and 18 W. Monroe St.), by calling Ticketmaster at (312) 902-1400, online at ticketmaster.com, and at all Ticketmaster ticket centers (including Carson Pirie Scott stores, Hot Tix, select Coconuts and fye stores).  Groups of 20 or more may receive a discount by calling (312) 977-1710. 

For more information, log onto www.broadwayinchicago.com or visit the official Phantom website at www.thephantomoftheopera.com.  The musical is part of the 2007-2008 Walgreens Broadway In Chicago Season Series.