The Phantom of the Opera, the First Year Backstage

This is a catalogue of photographs taken behind the scenes during the first year of the musical 'Phantom of the Opera'. The photographs contained give a unique insight into life backstage at Her Majesty's theatre, London, and include images of the original cast members, from the principals, Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman and Steve Barton, to the chorus. These photos capture the ambiance, and eeriness, of a production that takes the audience back to 19th century Paris, as well as including many shots of real life backstage. Over 80 million people have seen 'Phantom' worldwide, but it is this original London cast which made the only available recording of the show, so it is this cast that is known best to the worldwide audience. Few of these photos have even been seen by others, although Hal Prince, the original director of the show, said these were the best photographs of the show he had ever seen. This publication is intended primarily as a source of the prints. But is a valuable archive in itself.