What Play?


The credits says "Based on a play by____"


What play is this movie based on? I know it's not Webber's and not Ken Hill's...

reply

Well, I haven't seen this, but judging by the credits (written by Kopit), I'd say it was based off the original stage version, "Phantom" by Kopit and someone else whose name I forget.

reply

The stage musical Phantom published in 1984. The book was written by Arthur Kopit and the music and lyrics Maury Yeston.

reply

Originally this was a musical written by Arthur Kopit & Maury Yeston back in 83. When they learned that Andrew Lloyd Webber was making one, these guys shelved their project.

However, Arthur Kopit adapted the book into a mini-series and sold it to NBC.

Someone saw the mini-series, contacted Kopit and said that it would make a great stage play.

And now there are 3 different stage versions of Phantom of the Opera currently playing.

1. The Andrew Lloyd Webber version
2. The current European tour of the Ken Hill version
3. And this version currently playing in Glendale & Tustin in southern California.

reply

It is Kopit and Yeston's play. I have the soundtrack to it.

You'll find some interesting information in the "liner notes" or "book" that comes with it, including the synopsis, how the play was *before* the ALW version and how Geoffrey Holder wrote some of the music. I'm not sure if it's the same Geoffrey Holder who played "Punjab" in the Annie movie and 1980's 7-up commercials.

The last time I was on YouTube, it was playing there. I love both the musical *and* the 1990 NBC mini-series.

reply