So, You Want to Be a Phan? The Ultimate Guide to The Phantom of the Opera Phandom

Since 1988, The Phantom of the Opera has amazed Broadway fans with its mix of romance, melodrama, suspense and vocal acrobatics. Phantom celebrates its 32nd anniversary on Broadway on January 26, and in its 32 years at the Majestic Theatre, it has given birth to generations of theater fans. It was many people's first show, the one that made them fall in love with theater. But what separates a casual Phantom fan from a Phantom uber phan? Is it mainlining the two-disk deluxe original cast album? Knowing every single lyric in “Masquerade”? Watching every episode of Daae Days, Dear Daae and Face Off? Below, we've compiled a guide on becoming the ultimate phan: things you should see, do, know and own. 

Must See: The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall
For the 25th anniversary of the London run of Phantom, the show was restaged and reconfigured for the historic Royal Albert Hall—but have no fear, the chandelier and boat were still intact. This recording of the show is perfect for new fans and old phans alike, and it beats any bootleg. The performance features Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom and Sierra Boggess as Christine. Fun phact: Karimloo had a photo-only cameo in the 2005 The Phantom of the Opera movie as Christine’s father. Karimloo in a movie and he's not singing? Talk about something that's twisted every way!

Must Read: Unmasked
Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 2018 memoir Unmasked is a treasure trove of Phantom phactoids. Did you know that director Harold Prince wanted live pigeons to fly over the audience, but then the possibly of “passing bird shit” nixed that idea? The most eye-opening story is the time original star Michael Crawford and producer Cameron Mackintosh got into an actual fistfight in the streets of London. Apparently, Crawford originally wanted his part in “The Point of No Return” to be pre-recorded because as Lloyd Webber wrote, "He performed the song with a hood over his face. He thought he’d sound muffled." Mackintosh strongly disagreed and the two got into "a mini bout of fisticuffs." Drama! Pigeons! Read more about the making of Phantom from the real-life Angel of Music in Unmasked.

Must Read: The Other Phantom Novel
Even though the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera is never given a first name in the musical, it is common knowledge that his name is Erik (as it is in the original 1909 Gaston Leroux novel on which the musical is based). Leroux’s novel (and the musical) is from Christine’s point of view as she is simultaneously terrified and entranced by the opera ghost, so we never know much about Erik’s backstory. Where did he grow up? Why does he love that monkey music box so much? Who built that sweet underground lair for him? Susan Kay’s 1990 novel Phantom answers those questions and more, and has been taken as part of the canon by many Phantom phans and fanfiction writers.

Must See: Love Never Dies
Whether or not Love Never Dies is considered part of the Phantom canon is one of those debates that continually divides the Phantom community. Whatever your opinion on Lloyd Webber’s sequel to Phantom, there’s no doubt that Love Never Dies is epic and worth seeing. You can purchase the recording of the 2012 Australian production, which answers the question of what happened after Phantom and most crucially, lets us know who Christine loves more, the Phantom or Raoul. And though the musical is set in Coney Island, Love Never Dies has never played New York City (it’s played everywhere else, though). When you see Love Never Dies, you will leave it loving Phantom more than ever. 

Must Do: Tour the Paris Opera House
Leroux’s novel takes place at the Palais Garnier, which is a real 19th-century opera house in Paris (on stage it was renamed to the Opera Populaire). The Palais Garnier offer public tours, so you can walk through the hallways and pretend you're Christine on her way to work. Unfortunately, the tour does not include the famed underground lake, which is real! The opera house was built on a drained swamp, but the water refused to recede completely and would bubble up periodically. So, the engineers created a stone tank to house the water. And there are masked men in that water; the Parisian fire fighters use the tank to practice swimming in the dark. 

Must Do: Recreate the Makeup 
Are you really a Phantom fan if you haven’t fantasized about a man entering your life while wearing a half mask and a tuxedo (preferably while singing “Music of the Night”)? If you want to create your own Phantom at home using a friend who can sing or yourself, use this 2014 Broadway.com video as your guide. In it, former star Hugh Panaro takes us through his detailed makeup process to become the Phantom (he’s done the production four different times, proving that it’s not just Christine who can’t quit Erik). The original makeup job used to take four hours but these days, the crew and actor can get it done in less than half an hour. What an efficient masquerade!

Must Own: Christine’s Engagement Ring
Any Phantom fan can own masks, posters or DVDs, but the uber phan knows how to treat themselves. Etsy has a replica of Christine’s engagement ring from the 2004 Phantom of the Opera film, which unlike the stage version, shows off the jewel multiple times in close-up. In the film, the ring is given to Christine by Raoul, but she gives it to the Phantom in a gesture of kindness. Like the one precious ring in The Lord of the Rings, Christine’s ring gets around. This replica is perfect for wearing the next time you’re singing “Think of Me” at Phantom karaoke. And if you buy it for yourself, you won’t have to give it back when your musical mentor decides not to kill your fiancé. 

Must Know: Where to Meet the Stars
The current Phantom cast is led by hilarious vlogger Ben Crawford (no relation to Michael Crawford) and golden-voiced Meghan Picerno, whom you probably want to meet. Here's a tip: the Phantom stage door is actually on West 45th Street, one block away from the main entrance to the Majestic Theatre on West 44th Street, perfect for any fan wanting to take selfies with their favorite performers or an opera ghost looking to make a quick exit.