what year is the phantom of the opera book set in

RELATED: Pink Floyd: Was ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ Stolen From Them?Īnother one of the many memorable moments from The Phantom of the Opera is loosely based in fact. Sadly, the counterweight killed someone when it fell. That year, a counterweight used to hold up a chandelier fell through the roof of the Palais Garnier, the most famous opera house in Paris. This was inspired by an actual incident from 1896. For example, one of the more famous scenes in Lloyd Webber’s version of the story is the sequence where the chandelier falls. However, Mental Floss reports parts of The Phantom of the Opera are based on historical events. The story of Erik and Christine Daaé is fictitious. This raises an interesting question: Is The Phantom of the Opera based on a true story? The Phantom of the Opera and Christine Daaé | Simon Fergusson/Getty Images That famous falling chandelier Many of the most famous musicals, from The Sound of Music to Hamilton take some inspiration from historical events. In the years since the book’s publication, it’s been adapted into numerous films as well as a Broadway musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

So although 26 years should have passed, everyone remains remarkably youthful.The Phantom of the Opera began as a novel by Gaston Leroux. Various characters keep referring to this as “10 long years” after the Phantom disappeared in Paris, but as any fan of the original musical can tell you, that show was set in 1881.

The action moves to New York’s Coney Island in 1907. And the songs, though perceptively crafted, don’t vault into the realm of instant classics. Plot developments meant to be shocking are easily guessed beforehand. But the storytelling requires viewers to make leaps of logic and to reassess several beloved characters. The compositions are grandly written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the portrayals thrillingly well sung and the staging terrifically sumptuous.

So of course we’d like to see a sequel do more of the same. The famously hypnotic Phantom and his namesake show have thrilled audiences for 30 years on Broadway and 31 1/2 on London’s West End, drawing new people to live theater and becoming embedded in our culture.

What year is the phantom of the opera book set in