<P> Inspired in part by an earlier musical version of the same story by Ken Hill, Lloyd Webber's score is sometimes operatic in style but maintains the form and structure of a musical throughout . The full - fledged operatic passages are reserved principally for subsidiary characters such as Andre and Firmin, Carlotta, and Piangi . They are also used to provide the content of the fictional "operas" that are taking place within the show itself, viz., Hannibal, Il Muto, and the Phantom's masterwork, Don Juan Triumphant . "Here, Lloyd Webber pastiched various styles from the grand operas of Meyerbeer through to Mozart and even Gilbert and Sullivan ." These pieces are often presented as musical fragments, interrupted by dialogue or action sequences in order to clearly define the musical's "show within a show" format . The musical extracts from the Phantom's opera, "Don Juan Triumphant", during the latter stages of the show, are dissonant and modern--"suggesting, perhaps, that the Phantom is ahead of his time artistically". </P> <P> Maria Björnson designed the sets and over 200 costumes, including the elaborate gowns in the "Masquerade" sequence . Her set designs, including the chandelier, subterranean gondola, and sweeping staircase, earned her multiple awards . Hal Prince, director of Cabaret, Candide, Follies, and Lloyd Webber's Evita, directed the production, while Gillian Lynne, associate director and choreographer of Cats, provided the integral musical staging and choreography . </P> <P> A preview of the first act was staged at Sydmonton (Lloyd Webber's home) in 1985, starring Colm Wilkinson (later the star of the Toronto production) as the Phantom, Sarah Brightman as Kristin (later Christine), and Clive Carter (later a member of the London cast) as Raoul . This very preliminary production used Richard Stilgoe's original unaltered lyrics, and many songs sported names that were later changed, such as "What Has Time Done to Me" ("Think of Me"), and "Papers" ("Notes"). The Phantom's original mask covered the entire face and remained in place throughout the performance, obscuring the actor's vision and muffling his voice . Björnson designed the now - iconic half - mask to replace it, and the unmasking sequence was added . Clips of this preview performance were included on the DVD of the 2004 film production . </P> <P> Phantom began previews at Her Majesty's Theatre in London's West End on 27 September 1986 under the direction of Hal Prince, then opened on 9 October . It was choreographed by Gillian Lynne and the sets were designed by Maria Björnson, with lighting by Andrew Bridge . Michael Crawford starred in the title role with Sarah Brightman as Christine and Steve Barton as Raoul . The production, still playing at Her Majesty's, celebrated its 10,000 th performance on 23 October 2010, with Lloyd Webber and the original Phantom, Michael Crawford, in attendance . It is the second longest - running musical in West End (and world) history behind Les Misérables, and third overall behind The Mousetrap . </P>

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