The Phantom of the Opera (Original 1986 London Cast)

Before It All Began

October 9, 1986. Her Majesty’s Theatre, London.

The chandelier had not yet risen. No one knew this show would become one of the longest-running musicals in history; no one knew that the cast recording made months later would make the whole world remember that half-mask before ever entering a theatre.

Crawford’s Phantom

Michael Crawford’s Phantom is unlike any Phantom since.

His voice holds a fragility—“The Music of the Night” sounds like a plea rather than a command. This is not a monster luring a girl; it’s a man rejected by the world, believing for the first time that someone might stay.

Fifteen years later, on the 25th Anniversary stage at the Royal Albert Hall, he stood smiling without singing, while a new generation of Phantoms took up his song.

We’ve written about that night elsewhere. This recording—is where it all began.

Brightman’s Christine

Sarah Brightman’s high note in “Think of Me” was a miracle of 1986.

She was Webber’s wife then, his personally chosen Christine. Critics called it nepotism; but four decades later, when people speak of this role, hers is still the first name that comes to mind.

She later left the theatre for a wider world—but every time she returns to sing opera selections, there’s still that girl from the dressing room in her voice.

Three Phantoms in Taiwan

The production itself has stepped onto Taiwanese soil three times: 2006 at the National Theater, 2020 at Taipei Arena, and the 2026 island-wide tour.

And Brightman herself had just finished concerts at Taipei Music Center in July 2025. The original cast didn’t come along—but their voices arrived long ago, through this album.

Further Listening

For another look at the “25th anniversary,” see our article on The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall—Karimloo and Boggess live, with four former Phantoms sharing one legendary curtain call.