The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical) place long ago), "a chandelier in pieces", alluding to a connection with "the Phantom of the Opera". As the porters remove the drop cloth covering the fixture, it flickers to life and ascends to the ceiling as the auditorium's former grandeur is restored ("Overture"). It is now 1881 and the cast of a new production, "Hannibal", are rehearsing onstage when they learn that new owners, Firmin and André, are taking over the Paris Opéra House ("Hannibal Rehearsal"). Carlotta, the Opéra's resident soprano prima donna, begins to perform an aria for the new managers when a backdrop inexplicably falls from the
The Phantom of the Opera (audio drama) The Phantom of the Opera (audio drama) The Phantom of the Opera, an adaptation of the novel of the same title by Gaston Leroux, is an audio drama created by Big Finish Productions for BBC Radio 7, broadcast in December 2007. The story was written and directed by Barnaby Edwards in four half-hour episodes. The four-part dramatization is the first to feature the original operatic sequences described in the novel, which have been freshly recorded and orchestrated by composer Tim Sutton. The play features Anna Massey, Peter Guinness, Alexander Siddig and James D’Arcy. Barnaby Edwards has said it will be