The Phantom of the Opera/Trivia


 * Based on a True Story/Very Loosely Based on a True Story: Many of the events and people in Leroux's original novel were real; likewise places like the lake under the Opera House exist.  There is some evidence that the novel, in broad strokes, at least, depicts real events.
 * Executive Meddling: The original screenplay of the 1943 version revealed that Erique was Christine's father. But the execs at Universal were afraid that viewers would think the relationship between Christine and The Phantom had incestuous overtones, so that revelation was cut out.
 * Incidentally, it's entirely possible to watch the movie with this in mind, and it makes just as much sense as the canonical unrequited-love plot (since Erique's interest in Christine, unlike his counterparts in other versions, is more of an ambiguous deep concern for her that could go either way).
 * Hey, It's That Guy!:
 * Madness? THIS! IS! THE MUSIC OF THE NIIIIIIGGGGGHHHHTTTT.....
 * THIS IS OPERA!
 * Cornelius Hackl, Angel of the Night.
 * Dan Dreiberg, Vicomte de Chagny.
 * Bulma, Christine Daae.
 * Cosette, Christine Daae.
 * Charles Dickens, Firmin (or is it Andre?).
 * Jane, La Carlotta.
 * The Other Marty: Steve Harley (see What Could Have Been below).
 * Playing Against Type: Michael Crawford was a well-established light comedy/musical actor in the U.K. when he originated the role of the Phantom in the original London staging. Even he was surprised at the casting. He has been quoted saying that when Andrew Lloyd Webber told him he wanted him for Phantom, he thought he meant for the part of Raoul.
 * Throw It In: At the end of the show, as Christine leaves the Phantom, he picks up her discarded wedding veil and cradles it as he weeps her name. This was never in the original script and was ad-libbed by Michael Crawford at some point in the show's original run. Earlier in the show, when Christine faints at the end of "The Music of the Night", the Phantom kneels beside her and takes her hand as he sings the final lyrics. This too was not part of the original script and was improvised by a Phantom during a production in San Francisco. When word spread about how well this gesture was received by the audience, it quickly became part of the standard Phantom performance.
 * An inverted example: In the original London production, the Phantom catches Christine as she faints and carries her to the bed (see the Music Video that was made for "The Music of the Night"). This was initially done in the Broadway version, but when an actor injured his back during the stunt, the actors' union forbade it. Ever since then, London is the only venue where the Phantom carries Christine. In every other location, she faints and falls to the floor.
 * What Could Have Been: There were plans for a live-action film of the musical in 1990, to star Crawford and Brightman in their roles from the musical. The original script was being written before Brightman's divorce from Webber, and the project was left in Development Hell for some time before becoming the 2004 film.
 * Said script's first draft had Phantom getting into bed with Christine as "The Music of the Night" ended and for the scene to fade out as he drew the curtain around them, leaving little doubt as to his intentions. Probably changed as it would have been hard to continue presenting him as a romantic hero after such a blatant violation.
 * On the casting of the musical side of things, Steve Harley, an UK singer trying to make a comeback, was actually cast to star as the Phantom and went as far as recording the first single of the titular "Phantom of the Opera" song, but was sacked just before rehearsals began and replaced with Michael Crawford. Needless to say, the comeback never happened.
 * In the late 1990s, Antonio Banderas was being considered for the role of the Phantom in the film adaptation, perhaps alongside Kate Winslet as Christine.
 * Back in the late '80s, Michael Jackson tried to convince Lloyd Webber he should play the Phantom in the movie!
 * Alan Jay Lerner, one of the most renowned librettists of all time and co-writer of shows like My Fair Lady, was going to write the words for Phantom but died when he had only just started.
 * After Lerner's death, Andrew Lloyd Webber asked Jim Steinman to write the lyrics, but Steinman was forced to decline because he was contractually obligated to produce for Def Leppard at the time.
 * Why is the Phantom's mask on the poster different from the one seen in the show? It's because that was the original mask design. However, it was soon realized that this 3/4 mask would make it REALLY hard for the Phantom to emote for the cheap seats, so the mask was cut in half.