(© Joseph Marzullo/Retna)
Producer Cameron Mackintosh will launch a brand new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera for a worldwide tour in early 2012, according to a report in Variety. Laurence Connor — who co-directed the new touring production of Les Miserables — will direct.
Phantom is based on the novel by Gaston Leroux, and tells the story of the hideously deformed title character who lurks beneath the stage of the Paris Opera, exercising a reign of terror over its occupants. The phantom falls in love with the young soprano Christine Daae, devoting himself to creating a new star for the opera by nurturing her extraordinary talents and employing all the skills at his disposal.
The production will feature new sets and costumes by Paul Brown and lighting by Paule Constable. Casting will be announced at a later date.
Variety reports that Mackintosh plans to open the new production at a regional U.K. house, prior to its international tour.
