The Phantom of the Opera celebrates its 20th anniversary today.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's enduring hit first opened in the West End in October 1986 with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman in the lead roles.
It is still going strong at Her Majesty's Theatre.
The show has won more than 50 theatre awards, including three Olivier Awards and seven Tonys.
It opened in New York in 1988 and in January this year became the longest-running show in Broadway history.
The production has grossed over £1.7 billion worldwide - more than Titanic or any of the Harry Potter films.
It has played to more than 100 million people in 124 cities in 25 countries.
The musical is currently showing in London, New York, Budapest, Tokyo, Brazil, Essen, Las Vegas and Hong Kong, while a touring production will
visit Cape Town and Pretoria this autumn.
West End bookings are being taken until December 2007.
Lloyd Webber is putting the finishing touches to his latest show, a revival of The Sound of Music.
It opens on November 3 with Connie Fisher, winner of BBC talent show How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, in the lead role.
