You may be familiar with the Phantom’s preferred Box number (Five) and know that lot 666 refers to the iconic chandelier, but do you know these other Phantom number facts?

From the moment The Phantom of the Opera opened in the West End in 1986, it’s been doing numbers. And, like the Phantom, we love a deep dive into a musical number – so let’s see how these figures all add up.

Typically, it takes about one hour to apply the Phantom’s make-up. 

Originally created by make-up and prosthetics designer Christopher Tucker, the Phantom’s facial scarring is applied to the face of the actor playing the Phantom before every performance. It may be hidden under his iconic mask for the majority of the show, but the revelation of the Phantom’s face is such a key moment there’s no room for errors of application.

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It took four weeks to build the original chandelier

Designed by original Phantom Production Designer Maria Björnson, the first iteration of the chandelier was put together by a team of five people. Today, the chandelier used in the London production weighs over 1500 pounds, features over 6,000 crystals and beads, and includes 50 pyrotechnical elements. 

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Christine has nine costume changes, and what beautiful costumes they all are.

Here’s the complete run down:

  1. The ‘Hannibal’ costume
  2. The ‘Think Of Me’ white dress
  3. The white dressing gown, worn after her ‘Think Of Me’ performance
  4. The ‘Il Muto’ costume 
  5. The ‘All I Ask Of You’ dress
  6. The ‘Masquerade’ dress
  7. The ‘Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again’ dress 
  8. The ‘Past The Point Of No Return’ dress
  9. The Wedding Gown, designed by The Phantom

The Broadway production of Phantom had a total of 16 actors playing the lead Phantom role during its run.

‍Phantom closed on Broadway on 16th April 2023, after a record-setting 35 year run. Actors who played the Phantom over the years included original London Phantom Michael Crawford – who transferred to Broadway when the show opened there – as well as Hugh Panaro, Howard McGillin, John Cudia, Norm Lewis and Laird Mackintosh, who played the Phantom during the Broadway production’s final performance when the usual actor, Ben Crawford, was unable to perform.

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The Phantom of the Opera has been performed in 21 languages around the world (and counting.)

Languages include French, German, Danish, Polish, Swedish, Japanese, Hungarian, Dutch, Korean and Portuguese.

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Listen up: there are 21 tracks on the original 1987 Phantom cast recording.

Including the ‘Prologue’, the ‘Entr’Acte’, and instantly recognisable classics like ‘Think Of Me,’ ‘All I Ask Of You’, and, yes, ‘The Phantom of the Opera.’ The original cast recording is still available, split across two discs. 

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“The Phantom of the Opera is here/there”… 22 times

That’s how often the full phrase “The Phantom of the Opera” is mentioned in the current London version of the show. He certainly knows how to haunt a place.

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30 francs…

…is what Raoul pays for Lot 665, the Phantom’s old favourite monkey music box, as the show opens in the Auction House. A collector’s piece indeed, Raoul.

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A total of 37 actresses played Christine on Broadway.

Just like London’s first Phantom Michael Crawford, original London Christine: Sarah Brightman was the first person to play the role during the Broadway production. Other actresses to play Christine during the show’s 35-year run include Rebecca Luker, Karen Culliver, Teri Bibb, Kimilee Bryant, Rebecca Pitcher, Jennifer Hope Wills, Marni Raab, Trista Moldovan, Sierra Boggess and Emilie Kouatchou, who played the role during the Broadway production’s final performance. 

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There are 39 cast members in the London production.

That number includes every single member of the Ensemble, also sometimes called the chorus, as well as every Swing (Swings are actors who understudy multiple roles).  Pretty much every member of the company is onstage at the same time during ‘Masquerade,’ so that’s your best chance to do some cast-spotting.

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The show has been performed in more than 200 cities

(and that number goes up every year.)

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There are a total of 350 costumes in the show 

– which is pretty spectacular, right?

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(Nearly) 2,000 

This is the number of times John Owen-Jones, London’s longest-running Phantom, has played the role over the course of his career. He first performed as Phantom during the 2000s, racking up a run of nearly 1,400 continuous performances, before returning to the role in 2015. 

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2,544

Over on Broadway, Howard McGillin is the actor to have played the role of Phantom the most – 2,544 times, in fact. He originally joined the cast in 1999 and was there for an incredible 20 years, playing his final performance on 25th July 2009. 

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13,919

That’s the number of continuous performances London’s Phantom had reached before the production was closed down, alongside other West End Theatres, in response to the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. The show reopened at His (then Her) Majesty’s Theatre in June 2021, and, when The Phantom of the Opera celebrates its 38th anniversary on 9th October, it will be performance number 15136.

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