Charles Hart News

According to a report by Variety, Cameron Mackintosh is set to launch a UK tour of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA in 2012. LES MISERABLES tour director, Laurence Conner, is on board to direct the production. Casting has not yet been announced.

A joyful musical adaptation of Oliver Goldsmith's classic comedy She Stoops to Conquer, Howard Goodall and Charles Hart's vibrant musical receives its professional premiere at Jermyn Street Theatre.

We catch up with ex-Christine Gina Beck, to find out what she's been up to of late, and learn more about her exciting upcoming show.

Country music star and American Idol alum Carrie Underwood paid a visit to Broadway's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA on January 28 with her husband, Mike Fisher. Check out the photo of Carrie with the cast below!

The longest-running show in Broadway history, the Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Group, Inc. production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, directed by Harold Prince, reached an unprecedented milestone on January 26, 2011, when it celebrated its Twenty-Third Anniversary on Broadway. Playing its 9,566th & 9,567th performances at The Majestic Theatre (247 West 44th Street), it becomes the first Broadway production ever to have run 23 years. Broadway Beat was there for the occasion and brings you coverage below.

The longest-running show in Broadway history, the Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Group, Inc. production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, directed by Harold Prince, reaches an unprecedented milestone today, Wednesday, January 26, 2011, when it celebrated its Twenty-Third Anniversary on Broadway. Playing its 9,566th & 9,567th performances at The Majestic Theatre (247 West 44th Street), it becomes the first Broadway production ever to have run 23 years.

The longest-running show in Broadway history, the Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Group, Inc. production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, directed by Harold Prince, reaches an unprecedented milestone today, Wednesday, January 26, 2011, when it celebrates its Twenty-Third Anniversary on Broadway. Playing its 9,566th & 9,567th performances at The Majestic Theatre (247 West 44th Street), it becomes the first Broadway production ever to have run 23 years.

The longest-running show in Broadway history, Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, directed by Harold Prince, last week shattered the house record at The Majestic Theatre (247 West 44th Street) to have its best weekly gross in the production's nearly 23 year history. For the week ending January 2, 2011, the production grossed $1,390,530.53 for 8 performances. This surpasses the show's previous record of $1,374,874.96 for the week ending January 3, 2010. Set to celebrate an unprecedented 23 Years on Wednesday, January 26, the Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Group, Inc. production continues to play at The Majestic with no end in sight.

On Monday December 6, Sean MacLaughlin and Liz McCartney took over the roles of Raoul and Carlotta, respectively, in the longest-running show in Broadway history - The Phantom of the Opera.

Principal cast changes have been announced for the Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, the longest-running show in Broadway history.

Principal cast changes have been announced for the Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, the longest-running show in Broadway history.

Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Theatre Company, Inc. are proud to announce that, due to popular demand, they are extending the final engagement of the national tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA by two weeks. Added performances October 19th through 31st will go on sale to the public on Sunday August 29th at 10am. The national tour of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, known as The Music Box Company has been running continuously for 17 years, and will play its farewell performances in Los Angeles at the Pantages Theatre. This national tour remains the most successful and longest continuously-running tour in U.S. history. THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA began performances in Los Angeles in May 1989 (Christine Company), and played for over 4 years. Performances of this farewell engagement will begin September 23rd, 2010.

On Saturday 23rd October, the cast of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA celebrated the show's 10,000th performance in the West End. The audience at today's matinee performance were treated to a special appearance from Andrew Lloyd Webber during the curtain call. Andrew said a few words thanking the audience for their support over the last 10,000 performances before introducing the original Phantom, Michael Crawford. Michael's appearance was accompanied by the familiar strains of The Music of the Night. Andrew and Michael were then presented with a cake to celebrate the landmark performance. Crawford will next be see starring as 'The Wizard' in Andrew Lloyd Webber's upcoming THE WIZARD OF OZ.

On Saturday 23rd October, the cast of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA celebrated the show's 10,000th performance in the West End. The audience at today's matinee performance were treated to a special appearance from Andrew Lloyd Webber during the curtain call. Andrew said a few words thanking the audience for their support over the last 10,000 performances before introducing the original Phantom, Michael Crawford. Michael's appearance was accompanied by the familiar strains of The Music of the Night. Andrew and Michael were then presented with a cake to celebrate the landmark performance. Crawford will next be see starring as 'The Wizard' in Andrew Lloyd Webber's upcoming THE WIZARD OF OZ.

On Saturday 23rd October, the cast of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA celebrated the show's 10,000th performance in the West End. The audience at today's matinee performance were treated to a special appearance from Andrew Lloyd Webber during the curtain call. Andrew said a few words thanking the audience for their support over the last 10,000 performances before introducing the original Phantom, Michael Crawford. Michael's appearance was accompanied by the familiar strains of The Music of the Night. Andrew and Michael were then presented with a cake to celebrate the landmark performance.

According to a report by Baz Bamigboye for Uk Daily Mail, LOVE NEVER DIES lyricist Charles Hart has made some changes to the lyrics in the show, that will be implemented during their previously reported four-day break in November.

Produced by Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Group, Inc. and directed by Harold Prince, The Phantom of the Opera is in its 23rd year in New York, playing at The Majestic Theatre. On September 7, Broadway favorite Hugh Panaro returned to the title role alongside former Phantom National Tour star Sara Jean Ford as Christine. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you production photos of the pair in performance!

Currently the record-holder for being the longest-running show in Broadway history (and still counting), Andrew Lloyd Webber's most widely-seen masterwork THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has now taken up residence at Los Angeles' historic Pantages Theatre in Hollywood for the national tour's final engagement of shows, ending fittingly on Halloween night, October 31. After more than two decades of award-winning, capacity-crowd performances across several continents in several languages, the traveling troupe will soon hang up their masks and corsets after a continuous, highly-successful trek of 17 years.

I will say upfront that I have never been a great fan of Phantom. I have always found it hokey in part, even though it has pretty music and some dazzling effects. This touring production, I must admit, has held up fairly well after so many years, and the production is fresh and vibrant - more vibrant, with one major exception, than the production that I first saw in LA in the late eighties (1986-first performed in the UK).

Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Theatre Company, Inc. have confirmed that the third national tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA , known as the Music Box Company, will play its final performance on Halloween Night -- Sunday, October 31, 2010 -- at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles.