'I am thrilled to be able to bring this exciting new production of The Phantom of the Opera to Arts Centre Melbourne with its spectacular new staging by director Laurence Connor and fabulous designs by Paul Brown and Maria Bjornson,' says Mackintosh.

And you can bet it's going to dazzle, right down to the fateful plunge of the centrepiece chandelier. This spectacular staging, conjured by Cameron Mackintosh, will be brought to life in Melbourne by director Laurence Connor and will show off the fabulous original costume designs of Maria Björnson. Unbelievably, it's the first time the box office smash will grace the Arts Centre Melbourne in its 35-year history. The main cast is rounded out by Amy Manford as Christine and Blake Bowden as Raoul. The Phantom of the Opera is coming to Arts Centre Melbourne in 2022, with West Side Story star Josh Piterman in the title role (and ghoulish half face mask). The Aussie star was recently bringing The Music of the Night to the West End, playing the Phantom in London right up until that production was forced to shut down. But now the greatest phantom of them all is set to haunt the performance hall. Opera Australia, in association with the Really Useful Group, are striking up the discordant organ to announce, with a caped flourish, the arrival of arguably Andrew Lloyd Webber's most famous musical.

We've spoken about ghosts at the Arts Centre Melbourne before, and the lights left on to keep them company.

Phantom of the opera costume christine