The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall Celebrates the 25th Anniversary of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Record-Breaking Hit with a Lavish Production, on THIRTEEN's Great Performances in March on PBS

Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess star in a spectacular presentation from the ornate London concert venue with a host of special guest stars at the conclusion

NEW YORK, Feb. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall, a fully-staged, lavish 25th anniversary mounting of Andrew Lloyd Webber's long-running Broadway and West End extravaganza, comes to Great Performances in March (check local listings) on PBS. (In New York, THIRTEEN will air the program on Sunday, March 4 at 7 p.m.)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110413/MM83011LOGO)

To mark the musical's Silver Anniversary, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh presented "The Phantom of the Opera" in the sumptuous Victorian splendor of London's Royal Albert Hall. International audiences were invited to join the celebration when the evening was transmitted live to cinemas worldwide.  This dazzling restaging of the original production recreates the jaw-dropping scenery and breathtaking special effects of the original, set to Lloyd Webber's haunting score.

The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall stars Ramin Karimloo as The Phantom and Sierra Boggess as Christine.  Both had triumphed in the London premiere of "Love Never Dies," Lloyd Webber's sequel to "The Phantom of the Opera," both earning prestigious Olivier Award nominations for their roles.

Karimloo and Boggess are joined by Barry James as Monsieur Firmin, Gareth Snook as Monsieur Andre, Liz Robertson as Madame Giry and Wynne Evans as Piangi, together with a cast and orchestra of more than 200 including special guest appearances by the original Phantom and Christine, Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. Illustrious past Phantoms Peter Joback, John Owen-Jones, Anthony Warlow, and Colm Wilkinson join forces for a powerful "Music of the Night," all introduced by a beaming Lloyd Webber.  Besides that hit tune, the show contains such favorites as "All I Ask of You," "Think of Me," "Prima Donna," "Masquerade" and "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again."

Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera" first opened in 1986 at Her Majesty's Theatre in London and is based on the French novel Le Fantome de l'Opera by Gaston Leroux. Set against the glamor and spectacle of the Paris Opera House, Leroux told of a horribly disfigured Phantom, once a promising musician, who now terrorizes the opera company.  Shamed by his physical appearance and feared by all, the Phantom is drawn to the beautiful ingenue Christine Daae and begins coaching her secretly, as a tragic romance unfolds between the unlikely pair.

Worldwide, "The Phantom of the Opera" has grossed over $5.6 billion.  It has been seen in 145 cities in 27 countries and played to more than 130 million people.  The show has won more than 50 major theatre awards, including seven Tony® and three Olivier® Awards in the West End.  It is currently showing in London, New York, Budapest, Las Vegas and Kyoto.  In 2006, it became Broadway's longest running show ever.

Cast:

The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall was directed by Laurence Connor with musical staging and choreography by Gillian Lynne, based on the original London Production Directed by Hal Prince with Musical Staging and Choreography by Gillian Lynne. The Royal Albert Hall was transformed with a spectacular and unique design by Matt Kinley inspired by Maria Bjornson's original design. Lighting was by Patrick Woodroffe and Andrew Bridge and Sound by Mick Potter. The production was produced by Cameron Mackintosh.

The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall was directed for television by Nick Morris.

The fully-staged production will be released on Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand by Universal Studios Home Entertainment on February 7.

THIRTEEN's Great Performances is a production of THIRTEEN for WNET, one of America's most prolific and respected public media providers. For nearly 50 years, WNET has been producing and broadcasting national and local arts programming to the New York community.

For Great Performances, Bill O'Donnell is series producer; David Horn is executive producer.

Great Performances is funded by Vivian Milstein, The Starr Foundation, the Philip and Janice Levin Foundation, Joseph A. Wilson, public television viewers, and PBS. 

Visit Great Performances Online at www.pbs.org/gperf for additional information about this and other programs. 

About WNET

New York's WNET is America's flagship public media outlet, bringing quality arts, education and public affairs programming to over 5 million viewers each week. The parent company of public television stations THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and operator of NJTV, WNET produces such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Need to Know, Charlie Rose, Tavis Smiley and a range of documentaries,  children's programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online.  Pioneers in educational programming, WNET has created such groundbreaking series as Get the Math, Noah Comprende and Cyberchase and provides tools for educators that bring compelling content to life in the classroom and at home. WNET highlights the tri-state's unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13, NJ Today and the new online newsmagazine MetroFocus.

SOURCE THIRTEEN/WNET New York