'Phantom of the Opera' returns to Seoul for 40th anniversary

"Phantom of the Opera" is coming back to South Korea as part of a celebration of the musical's 40th anniversary.

The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical will open Dec. 22 at Blue Square in Seoul and run through Feb. 28, 2027, according to producer S&Co. The Korean-language production is a two-month, Seoul-only engagement — one of several special seasons staged in major cities around the world this year to mark the show's 40th anniversary.

The show last played in Korea in 2023, when it ran in Busan before moving to Seoul's Charlotte Theater for a run that closed in November of that year. This will be only the fourth Korean-language production since "Phantom" first opened in Seoul in 2001, and 2026 also marks the 25th anniversary of that Korean premiere.

"'Phantom of the Opera' always sets a new milestone whenever it returns to Korea," Rainer Fried, the associate director who has led every Korean production of the show since its 2001 debut, said in the release. "It wouldn't have kept this staying power for so long without the unwavering love and support of Korean audiences."

Producer Shin Dong-won of S&Co. called the musical a foundational work for Korea's musical theater industry. "'Phantom of the Opera' is the starting point of the industrialization of Korean musical theater and a work that always brings excitement," Shin said. "We're preparing this production, which carries the added meaning of the 25th anniversary of its Korean premiere alongside the global 40th anniversary, so it can be a special experience Korean audiences can celebrate together."

"Phantom of the Opera," based on Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel and known for songs including "The Music of the Night," "All I Ask of You" and "Think of Me," opened in London's West End in 1986 and on Broadway in 1988. It has been staged in 217 cities across 52 countries in 23 languages and has been seen by more than 160 million people worldwide, according to the release. The show has won more than 70 awards, including Tony and Olivier honors, and its Broadway and West End productions ran simultaneously for more than 30 years — an accomplishment recognized by the Guinness World Records.

Korea's first production, in 2001, drew about 240,000 attendees and is widely credited with helping establish the modern Korean musical theater industry. Cumulative attendance across all Korean productions topped 1 million by 2012 and passed 1.5 million by the time of the 2023 Busan run, according to the company.

Tickets and additional casting details for the Seoul run have not yet been announced. The 2023 run rotated four actors in the title role — Cho Seung-woo, Jeon Dong-suk, Kim Joo-taek and Choi Jae-rim — opposite Sohn Ji-soo and Song Eun-hye as Christine.