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 (Andrew Lloyd Webber song) as a single to promote the upcoming musical of the same name. The duet was performed by Sarah Brightman and Steve Harley. The song became a Top 10 hit in the UK, peaking at #7, and remaining within the Top 100 for ten weeks. In 1984, Andrew Lloyd Webber and producer Cameron Mackintosh began working on the "Phantom of the Opera" musical. Sarah Brightman, whom Webber married in 1984, was set to play the heroine Christine. As development of the musical continued, Webber decided that releasing the title track as a pop single would be a good way of promoting