‘Phantom’ to capture ears and hearts in Daegu

“The Phantom of the Opera,” the musical that has enchanted 130 million people around the world, will be staged in Daegu in February next year in a rare opporunity for regional audiences to witness the original cast.

The original cast members of the full-scale production will visit Daegu Gemyung Art Center on Feb. 27 as part of their world tour commemorating the show’s successful 25-year run. The cast includes Broadway stars such as Brad Little playing the role of the Phantom, Claire Lyon as Christine and Anthony Dawning as Raul. Little will attend a press conference for the musical in Daegu on Nov. 18.

“The Phantom of the Opera” is one of the most successful shows in musical history. Premiered in 1988, it is the longest-running musical on Broadway, beating other classics such as “Cats.” More than 65,000 performances have been held in 145 cities in 27 countries. Profits from ticket sales alone are estimated at $5.6 billion, surpassing Hollywood blockbuster films such as “Avatar” and “Star Wars.”

A commemorative run of the musical was staged in Seoul from Dec. 7 last year to March 24 at Hannam-dong’s Blue Square. The organizers said the success of the first run in Daegu in 2010, which attracted 120,000 audience members, led them to choose the city for the upcoming performances.

Ticket prices range from 60,000 won to 160,000 won and will be available for purchase online from Nov. 26 at Interpark, Auction, YES24, Hana Ticket and Ticket Link.

By Cha Yo-rim (yorimcha@heraldcorp.com)