Being the prime candidate for the role of the Phantom in the musical, Harley ended up auditioning in front of the creative team and was given the role the following day. He then spent five months rehearsing, including working with producer Hal Prince. He also recorded other tracks from the musical including "The Music of the Night" and "All I Ask of You". However, days before the cast was announced to the public, Harley was surprised to be told he would be replaced by Michael Crawford.