PHOTO FLASH: Michael Crawford Commemorates 30th Anniversary THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA's First Rehearsal

Unless you were around for the first rehearsal of Agatha Christie's THE MOUSETRAP, whose original West End production celebrates its 64th anniversary in October, it's hard to imagine looking back 30 years to the day of your first rehearsal for a new show that is still in its original run. Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera became a world-wide mega-hit and, if only London's second longest runner (for now), the reigning long-distance champion of Broadway.

Today, Michael Crawford offered fans a taste of what it was like thirty years ago.

Far beneath the majesty and splendor of the Paris Opera House, hides the Phantom in a shadowy existence. Shamed by his physical appearance and feared by all, the love he holds for his beautiful protegee Christine Daae is so strong that even her heart cannot resist.

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA opened at Her Majesty's Theatre on 9 October 1986 with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman in the leading roles, and there have been dozens of productions worldwide since then.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's mesmerizing score along with jaw-dropping scenery and breathtaking special effects, magically combine to bring this tragic love story to life each night.