The Phantom of the Opera — Opera Australia

Overview

Before donning a face covering became a regular part of life for everyone during the pandemic, one of the most famous mask-wearing figures in popular culture was doing it first. And, the fictional character will be doing so again in Australia — in Sydney from August.

The Phantom of the Opera was actually set to head to Sydney from September last year; however, the famed musical's 2021 dates were postponed due to lockdowns. Now, the production's schedule for this year is locked in, so get ready for the music of the night to croon its way into the Sydney Opera House.

Kicking off on Friday, August 19, this new season of the acclaimed Tony-winner arrives Down Under after breaking records in the UK — and touring the US for seven years. Australia becomes just the third country to witness this take on the tale, in fact.

Michael Le Poer Trench.

Obviously, all of the familiar songs are part of it, such as 'All I Ask of You', 'Masquerade' and the titular number. You'll also be lapping up Maria Björnson's original costumes, too. But, if you've seen the show before, expect the chandelier to look a little different.

Australian musical theatre performer Josh Piterman is set to play the Phantom, after first wearing the character's mask in London pre-pandemic. He'll be joined by Amy Manford and Blake Bowden as Christine and Raoul, as part of a cast and orchestra of 65 people — which'll make The Phantom of the Opera one of the largest musical productions in Australia.

If you need a refresher on the musical's story, it follows soprano Christine Daaé and the masked musical genius who lives beneath the Paris Opera House — and the latter's obsession with the former. Although first turned into a stage musical in the 80s, it's based on Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel. And yes, you might've seen the 2004 movie, which starred Gerard Butler as the Phantom.

Top image: Earl Carpenter and Katie Hall in The Phantom of the Opera. Photo by Alastair Muir.