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Today in History: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom opens West End

By Drooid · Oct 9, 2026, 10:35 AM UTC · How we work

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Summary

Story summary

On 9 October 1986, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical “The Phantom of the Opera” premiered at London’s West End Her Majesty’s Theatre, launching the show that would become Broadway’s longest-running production. The adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel follows soprano Christine Daaé and the disfigured genius haunting the Paris Opera House.

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Story summary

On 9 October 1986, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical “The Phantom of the Opera” premiered at London’s West End Her Majesty’s Theatre, launching the show that would become Broadway’s longest-running production. The adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel follows soprano Christine Daaé and the disfigured genius haunting the Paris Opera House.