Still, their connection remains inviolable, even when Christine tumbles for Raoul. She responds in kind, until she sees his face. He shows her his lair in the river below the city. Soon the Phantom is overtaken by his own passion for Christine as a woman and a singer, and he becomes reckless. When he hears Christine Daaé sing, however, his heart bursts open and he dedicates himself to nurturing her talent. He hides in the bowels of a Paris opera house where he toys with and torments the occupants just because he can. The Phantom of the Opera, based on the classic novel by Gaston Leroux, is the story of a man who was born with a horribly deformed face. Watching him in person one realizes that singing with a mask and several layers of latex on your face is no easy feat. James Barbour (the 15th Phantom on Broadway) is menacing and vulnerable, and his passion takes up the entire stage whenever he is on it. Jeremy Hays (Raoul) has the difficult job of playing second romantic fiddle to the Phantom, and he manoeuvers up that river without flagging for an instant. She is a young woman who opens her heart and her voice to whatever adventure the world offers, including the power and dark magic of the Phantom. Julia Urdine as Christine is no shrinking violet. The three principals have spectacular voices that span several octaves, and each knows exactly how to deliver the goods. When I say actor-proof, I don't mean that this cast is in any way deficient.

Top it off with staging that is actor proof and voila! Add impeccable design - 19th century costumes and a set that is so enormous it dwarfs the cast and so spectacular that you can hardly keep track of where you are. Then you add music that weaves motif after motif together in a manner that even a tone deaf person could grasp. Well, you start with a story that reeks of sexuality, mystery, innocence and passion. A recent revisit to this lavish production got me to thinking about what it takes to make a show age so beautifully. Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, directed by theatre legend Harold Prince and produced by Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Group, is the longest-running show in Broadway history.

Join me for a little jaunt down memory lane to a magical place that is alive and well.

Erik phantom of the opera costume