Ken Hill's "PHANTOM OF THE OPERA" Kevin Gray / Sarah Rice 1988 San Francisco

Description

This is a rare October 1988 "Performing Arts" playbill from the Original West Coast engagement of the
KEN HILL musical "THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA" at Theatre on the Square in San Francisco, California. (The American premiere took place on March 18th, 1987 at the Repertory Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri. The San Francisco production was the second production mounted in the United States, opening September 17th, 1988.) ..... The musical premiered on July 26th, 1976 at the Duke's Playhouse in Lancaster, England with a book by KEN HILL and a modern score by IAN ARMIT. In 1984, Hill revised the show, discarding the modern score and writing original English lyrics backed by 18th, 19th and early 20th century opera arias, creating a musical that reflected the era in which the original novel was written. This updated version was first produced jointly in Newcastle, England and London in 1984 ....
. The San Francisco engagement starred KEVIN GRAY in the title role, SARAH RICE as "Christine Daae" and MERWIN FOARD as "Raoul" and featured CRISTA MOORE, STAN RUBIN, BOB AMARAL, STEPHEN BERGER, PAUL SCHOEFFLER, MICHAEL CONE, RUTH KOBART and NANCY A. MAYANS ..... Side note: ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER, his wife SARAH BRIGHTMAN and producer CAMERON MACKINTOSH attended a performance of Ken Hill's
Phantom of the Opera
at London's
Theatre Royal Stratford East in May 1984. Prompted by the good reviews, they approached Hill about the possibility of collaborating on a grand scale version of his
Phantom of the Opera
in the West End. But in the end, Lloyd Webber chose to pursue the musical on his own, and the rest is history
..... CREDITS: Book, Music and Lyrics by KEN HILL based on the original novel by GASTON LEROUX; Music by VERDI, GOUNOD, OFFENBACH, MOZART, WEBER and DONIZETTI; Sets designed by JOE VANEK; Costumes designed by JIM BUFF; Directed by PETER FARAGO; Produced by DON HUGHES and JONATHAN REINIS
..... DETAILS: The 72 page playbill measures 5 1/2" X 8 1/2" inches and includes full production credits, cast list, a synopsis of the story, list of musical numbers, individual photos and bios of each of the actors and bios of each member of the creative team ..... CONDITION: With the exception of heavy creasing and surface rubbing to the front cover, this rare playbill is in excellent condition and will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any musical theatre aficionado or historian. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective, carded sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard.