With all these conflicting passions aroused, the situation can only end in tragedy. However the Phantom jealously guards his protégé, and is enraged when Raoul is attacted to Christine and tries to woo her. He is attracted by the purity of Christine's voice, coaches her singing and ensures that she is given leading parts in the House's productions.

The mysterious Phantom is a musical genius who lives beneath the Opera House and hides his disfigured face with a mask. In case you need reminding, the story is set in a Paris Opera House where Christine's singing is initially over-shadowed by the opera's Prima Donna.

Casting started in early 2003, with the film ready for general release in time for Christmas 2004. Remarkably though the project was given a second chance, again under director Joel Schumacher. But the divorce of Sarah Brightman and Andrew Lloyd Webber had an impact on these plans and the project was put on hold. The original stage version starred Michael Crawford as the Phantom and Sarah Brightman as Christine and in the late 80s when plans for a film version were first underway, this winning combination were set to repeat their stage roles. It is strange then that it has taken so long for the film version to appear. There have been 65,000 stage performances worldwide with 80 million people seeing this spectacle in person and 24 million copies of the original cast recording. The Phantom of the Opera is one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's greatest and most popular musicals. The Phantom of the Opera - by Andrew Lloyd Webber

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