Phantom began previews at Her Majesty 's Theatre in London 's West End on 27 September 1986 under the direction of Hal Prince, then opened on 9 October. It was choreographed by Gillian Lynne and the sets were designed by Maria Björnson, with lighting by Andrew Bridge. Michael Crawford starred in the title role with Sarah Brightman as Christine and Steve Barton as Raoul. The production, still playing at Her Majesty 's, celebrated its 10,000 th performance on 23 October 2010, with Lloyd Webber and the original Phantom, Michael Crawford, in attendance. It is the second longest - running musical in West End (and world) history behind Les Misérables, and third overall behind The Mousetrap.
who played raoul in original phantom of the opera
Steve Barton