Erik (The Phantom of the Opera) took roughly four hours per performance to put the prosthetics on in the original London productions. On Broadway, it was cut to roughly three, and over the years has been reduced to 45 minutes. More than one Phantom has described make-up disasters onstage. Michael Crawford recounts a story where he pulled away from the kiss at the end only to see that "[his] lower lip was now hanging off Sarah [Brightman]'s face!". To cover the flub, he pulled her back for another kiss and "took back the lips" and kept that side of his head turned away from the audience.
The Phantom (play) 1856, where it opened at the National Theatre in Philadelphia on 12 May 1856. Boucicault then took the play to Wallack's Theatre in New York City, under the theatre manager William Stuart. In 1858, it played in Niblo's Garden. In New York City, "The Phantom" had a successful long run. It was a hit when it came to New York, with Boucicault's and Robertson's performances. In 1873, "The Phantom" was performed in Chicago at the McVicker's Theatre in 1873. In the second week of the engagement at the McVicker's Theatre, a reviewer for the "Chicago Daily Tribune" wrote: "Only moderately