Michael Crawford is the Phantom once more. The 84-year-old, who originated the title role when The Phantom of the Opera opened in London in 1986, took the stage at His Majesty’s Theatre on October 9 for the musical’s 40th anniversary gala, singing “The Music of the Night” for the finale.
The gala performance featured the 40th anniversary cast, led by Jordan Donica as the Phantom and Beatrice Penny-Touré as Christine Daaé, followed by a celebratory curtain call with alumni from the past four decades. Sarah Brightman, the original Christine Daaé, joined Crawford on stage for a special performance of the title song.
Fan footage from inside the theater captured the moment Crawford stepped forward in a tuxedo to sing, and the clips have been racing around social media since last night.
The anniversary gala was filmed for an international cinema release in 2027, the first time the West End production has been captured live at His Majesty’s Theatre, its home since the 1986 premiere. Brett Sullivan is directing the live capture for the screen.
The celebration stretched beyond the theater. Landmarks in London, Cologne, Shanghai and New York were illuminated with projections of the Phantom’s iconic mask, with the London projections appearing near St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Shard and Hammersmith Bridge.
The milestone also brought a new recording. The Phantom of the Opera (The Andrew Lloyd Webber 2026 Mix), a remaster of the 1986 original London cast recording built from the rediscovered analogue master tapes, arrived on digital platforms on October 9, with vinyl and CD editions following November 6.
As Trevor Decker News previously reported, the musical launched a multi-year North American tour in 2025, and the Broadway production closed in 2023 after a 35-year run as the longest-running show in Broadway history.