The Phantom¹ of the Opera的原型出自法国作家Gaston Leroux的小说Le Fantom De L'opera。电影《夜半歌声》就是根据此书改编的。然而，Phantom也只是吸血鬼一类的怪物，这种情形一直持续到英国音乐剧作家Andrew Lloyd Webber的出现。他所谱写的音乐剧旋律超越了年龄与风格的界限，为全世界的人们所喜爱，如：Cats、Avita、Les Miserables。尤其是The Phantom of the Opera，汇集了精雕细琢、优美绚丽、深沉淳厚的名曲，堪称是他的最高杰作。

        The Phantom of the Opera于1986年在伦敦首度公演，20年来历久弥新，风靡全球。迄今为止在全球拥有8000万观众，票房收入超过3.2亿美元，在22个国家赢得了50多个舞台剧的奖项。剧中Andrew Lloyd Webber创作的同名歌曲The Phantom of the Opera同样风靡世界。

The Phantom of the Opera

CHRISTINE
In sleep he sang to me
In dreams he came
That voice which calls to me and speaks my name
And do I dream again for now I find
The Phantom of the Opera is there
Inside my mind

PHANTOM
Sing once again with me
Our strange duet
My power over you grows stronger yet
And though you turn from me to glance behind
The Phantom of the Opera is there
Inside your mind

CHRISTINE
Those who have seen your face
Draw back in fear
I am the mask you wear
PHANTOM
It's me they hear ...

CHRISTINE/PHANTOM
Your/My spirit and your/my voice in one combined
The Phantom of the Opera is there
Inside your/my mind
CHRISTINE
He's there, the Phantom of the Opera

PHANTOM
Sing, my Angel² of Music
Sing, my Angel
Sing for me
I have brought you
to the seat of sweet music's throne
to this kingdom where all must pay homage³ to music
music
You have come here,
for one purpose, and one alone
I first heard you sing,
I have needed you with me,
to serve me, to sing,
for my music ...
my music ...