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The Tony-award winning musical Phantom of the Opera opened at Prague’s Congress Centre on March 19. The show, which runs until April 6 and features the West End cast from London’s Her Majesty’s Theatre, will be performed in English with Czech subtitles.
The spectacle features a crew of nearly 100 actors and musicians and 230 costumes consisting of more than 1,000 individual parts. A total of 23 performances is slated to take place.
"Audiences can look forward to music filling the hall, fully immersing them in the experience," said Roman Sovják, Sales and Marketing Director of the Congress Centre. He added that the orchestra will be positioned beneath the stage to ensure optimal sound while remaining hidden from view, preserving the visual integrity of the performance.
With music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, grand staging, and a deeply emotional story, The Phantom of the Opera is inspired by Gaston Leroux’s 1909 novel. The musical tells the tragic tale of a mysterious man haunting the Paris Opera House and his doomed love for the young soprano Christine.
The Prague production will star members of the original London cast, including Nadim Naaman as the Phantom, Lara Martins as Christine Daaé, Paul Erbs as Raoul, Brian McCann as Piangi, Lara Martins as Carlotta, Arvid Lasran as Andre, Nicholas Garrett as Firmin, and Valerie Cutko as Madame Giry.
Nadim Naaman played Raoul in London from 2015 to 2017, while Lara Martins performed as Carlotta for six years, making her the longest-running actress in that role. Bridget Costello, who portrayed Christine in the Sydney Opera House’s 2022 production, will also take the stage.
One of the musical’s most iconic moments is the falling chandelier scene. The chandelier, measuring 3.2 meters wide and weighing 650 kilograms, requires several hours to assemble and a team of technicians to set up. Each descent, at a speed of 2.5 meters per second, is precisely synchronized with the music and lighting effects for a dramatic impact.
Since its 1986 debut at London’s Her Majesty’s Theatre, The Phantom of the Opera has become one of the most successful musicals of all time. It has been performed in 193 cities across 46 countries, translated into 21 languages, and seen by 160 million people. The production has won 70 major theater awards, including seven Tony Awards and four Olivier Awards, with recognition for Best Musical.
Staging famous musicals in their original form is relatively rare in the Czech Republic. In 2007, a London production of Mamma Mia!, based on the hits of the Swedish group ABBA, was performed in the Czech capital. A Czech version of 'Phantom' premiered on the Prague Exhibition Grounds in 2014.
Tickets start at CZK 2,190 on the TicketLIVE network.
