The Phantom Returns!

Transcription

1 For Immediate Release The Phantom Returns! Andrew Lloyd Webber s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is coming to Hong Kong s AsiaWorld Expo in a spectacular grand theatre setting Priority booking starts Monday, August 4 exclusively for American Express Members (HONG KONG, 01 August, 2014) The world s most popular musical, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, makes a long-awaited return to Hong Kong, playing from 21 December 2014 for 17 performances only, in a brand new theatre space in the AsiaWorld Expo Arena. The Andrew Lloyd Webber blockbuster has played to more than 80 million people in 124 cities around the world. The show has been honoured with more than 50 major theatre awards, including seven Tony Awards and two Olivier s, and even this year was nominated again for the Olivier Audience Award in London s West End. Broadway s biggest hit! Daily news, USA P. 1 of 8

2 Now, for the first time in Hong Kong, a new theatre space will be created especially for THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. The international production will be staged in a specially constructed 4,000-seat theatre environment, inside AsiaWorld Expo Arena. Audiences will experience the full West End and Broadway spectacle, with the addition of a multi-camera live shoot, feeding onto giant screens erected either side of the stage enhancing the details of the stunning sets and enabling audiences to see more than 230 luxurious costumes in close-up. The Phantom s presence will fill the theatre and surround audiences like never before and the signature chandelier will be as magnificent as ever. Chinese surtitles will be used at all performances. Broadway star Brad Little returns to Hong Kong as The Phantom and is joined by a stellar international cast of 37, accompanied by a full live orchestra. The production will open on 21 December 2014 in time for the Christmas and festive holidays for a strictly limited season. American Express Card Members will have the privilege of Exclusive Priority Booking. As the show s Co-Title Sponsor, American Express offers priority booking for Card Members to purchase tickets before the general public from August. American Express Centurion members have the added privilege of having exclusive access to book from 4 August. General ticket sales commence on 1 September. God s Gift To Musical Theatre! The Times, UK PHANTOM is undoubtedly a musical classic. The critically acclaimed masterpiece is enjoying its 28th year on the West End stage, and 27th year on Broadway, and continues to play to full houses around the world. We re very excited to be able to bring the show back to Hong Kong for its many faithful fans, as well as for those who have never had the chance to see this legendary show, said Kerry Comerford, Vice President, Asia Pacific of Andrew Lloyd Webber s The Really Useful Group. P. 2 of 8

3 This is a unique and wonderful opportunity to bring this touring production of the musical, which is every bit as good as the version you would see in the West End or on Broadway, to Hong Kong audiences, explained James Cundall, CEO of Lunchbox Theatrical Productions. What is really special is to be able to create a new theatre environment tailored to the needs and technical requirements of this massive musical. We have 130 cast, crew and orchestra members, jaw-dropping scenery, breathtaking special effects and fantastic costumes, and now we will have a venue to match the scale of the epic story and the magnificence of the music. Lunchbox is delighted to welcome back two invaluable title sponsors, who together are supporting the return of THE PHANTOM to Hong Kong, American Express and Infiniti. We recognize that American Express Card Members have a passion for music and this explains why we have a long-standing heritage to provide access to the most memorable music events for them. We are extremely proud to be the Co-Title Sponsor of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and offer our Card Members in Hong Kong with priority booking to this wonderful musical again. We look forward to the fantastic performance and know the entire audience will find it an enjoyable experience, notes Ms. Susanna Lee, Vice President and General Manager, Card Services, Hong Kong, American Express International, Inc. Infiniti is delighted to be a part of bringing this iconic musical masterpiece to our hometown of Hong Kong, said Infiniti Vice President for Global Marketing, Vincent Gillet. As a premium automotive brand and the only car company headquartered in Hong Kong, we are proud to extend our partnership with renowned productions such as THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. If you see only one show, make sure it is this one! The Daily Mirror, UK THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA contains some of Andrew Lloyd Webber s most famous and stirring music, including The Phantom of the Opera, Think of Me and Music of the Night. The original cast recording, with over 40 million copies sold worldwide, is the best-selling cast recording of all time. P. 3 of 8

4 Based on the classic novel Le Fantôme de L Opéra by Gaston Leroux, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA tells the tale of a disfigured musical genius known only as The Phantom who haunts the depths of the Paris Opera House. Mesmerised by the talents and beauty of a young soprano Christine, the Phantom lures her as his protégé and falls fiercely in love with her. Unaware of Christine s love for Raoul, the Phantom s obsession sets the scene for a dramatic turn of events where jealousy, madness and passions collide. The Original London production by Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Group. Produced by Lunchbox Theatrical Productions and David Atkins Enterprises in association with The Really Useful Group. American Express and Infiniti are the proud title sponsors of the Hong Kong season of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA; The Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong is the Official Hotel; OOCL is the Official Ocean Carrier; Convey and Pacific Coffee Company are Official Partners. For more information, please visit For more updates, please visit * * * The above press release is issued by Lunchbox Theatrical Productions Ltd. through PRO Marketing Services Company Limited To download images, press material and information on THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA please visit: For further Information and interview requests, please contact: PRO Marketing Services Company Limited Catherine Cheung and Priscilla Lui Ph: (852) Mob: (852) info@propublicity.com P. 4 of 8

5 Ticketing Information American Express Centurion Members priority ticket booking from 4 August, 2014 American Express Card Members booking from 11 August, 2014 General ticket sales from 1 September, 2014 Andrew Lloyd Webber s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Performance Dates: 21 st December th January 2015 Venue: AsiaWorld Expo Arena in Theatre Mode Show Date Show Time 21 Dec 2014 (Sun) 6pm 23 & 30 Dec 2014 (Tue) 8pm 24 Dec 2014 (Wed) 5pm 25 Dec 2014 (Thurs) 3pm 26 Dec 2014 (Fri) 3pm 27 Dec 2014 & 3 Jan 2015 (Sat) 2:30pm & 8pm 28 Dec 2014 & 4 Jan 2015 (Sun) 1pm & 6pm 31 Dec 2014 (Wed) 8pm 1 Jan 2015 (Thurs) 8pm 2 Jan 2015 (Fri) 8pm Ticket Prices*: $1,195 (VIP), $995 (Premium), $795, $595, $495, $295 A limited quota of Family Packages (2 adults / 2 children) and Full-Time Student tickets are available for all performances in Premium, A, B & C-Reserves. *Ticket prices are exclusive of HK Ticketing booking fees. Tickets priced from HK$295 to HK$1,195 are available during American Express Priority Booking period from August 4 for Centurion Members and from August 11 for all other American Express Card Members: - HK Ticketing hotline: HK Ticketing website: General Ticket sales commence from Monday, 01 September via all HK Ticketing outlets or by calling the HK Ticketing purchase hotline or website as follows: - HK Ticketing hotline: HK Ticketing website: - HK Ticketing outlets: K11 Select, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, The Academy s Landmark Heritage Campus-Bethanie, AsiaWorld-Expo, Fringe Club, Kowloonbay International Trade & Exhibition Centre, and all Tom Lee Music outlets P. 5 of 8

6 About THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA continues its record-breaking runs in London and on Broadway. There are currently five productions around the world: the flagship London production (28 years and counting), New York (27 years and counting), Budapest (Hungary), Japan and Hamburg (Germany). The first Russian language production will open in Moscow in October Since its debut, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA has grossed over US$890 million on Broadway. Even now, it is consistently among Broadway s highest-grossing shows and remains a box office champ. Last year, the production shattered the house record at The Majestic by having its best weekly gross in its entire 28-year history. Total attendance is now over 15 million and it continues to play with no end in sight. The musical s international success equally staggering is represented by total worldwide grosses estimated at over US$5.6 billion. This colossal figure makes PHANTOM the most successful entertainment venture of all time, with revenues higher than any film or stage play in history, including Titanic, Star Wars and far surpassing the world s highest-grossing film Avatar (at $2.8 billion). Worldwide, the musical has been seen by 80 million people in 124 cities in 13 languages. The flagship London production of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, which opened in 1986 at Her Majesty s Theatre, celebrated its 25 years in October That milestone was celebrated with a special production at London s Royal Albert Hall directed by Laurence Connor. The Broadway production celebrated its 25 th anniversary on January 26, About The Really Useful Group THE REALLY USEFUL GROUP LTD (RUG) (Producer) was founded in 1977 by Andrew Lloyd Webber and is wholly owned by him. At the heart of RUG s business are the musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber, including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, By Jeeves, Evita, Variations, Tell Me on a Sunday, Cats, Starlight Express, The Phantom of the Opera, Aspects of Love, Sunset Boulevard, Whistle Down the Wind, The Boys in the Photograph, The Woman in White, Love Never Dies and Stephen Ward. In addition to his own musicals, Andrew s productions include A. R.Rahman s Bombay Dreams, the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic The Sound of Music and The Wizard of Oz (London Palladium and Toronto). The Really Useful Group is an international entertainment company, with offices in London and Sydney that produce and coordinate Lloyd Webber s works throughout the world. The company s theatre and concert production, recording, merchandising, music publishing and licensing divisions provide specialised services for Lloyd Webber s works and also to other producers and authors. P. 6 of 8

7 About Lunchbox Theatrical Productions Founded in Hong Kong in 1992 by James Cundall, Lunchbox Theatrical Productions has established an unrivalled reputation for producing top quality international entertainment across five continents, and is now headquartered in the UK with companies in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines. The company has staged a vast array of productions in Hong Kong to date, including Les Miserables, Cirque du Soleil's Alegria, Chicago, Riverdance, Miss Saigon, Singin in the Rain, Saturday Night Fever, We Will Rock You, Cats, Stomp, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Annie, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, The Mousetrap, Dirty Dancing, Starlight Express, Potted Potter, Slava s Snowshow, The Woman in Black, Thomas the Tank Engine, Barney s Space Adventures; The Imperial Ice Stars productions of The Sleeping Beauty on Ice, Swan Lake on Ice, Cinderella on Ice and The Nutcracker on Ice. Productions for 2014 in Hong Kong include Tap Dogs, Potted Potter, MAMMA MIA! and Andrew Lloyd Webber s The PHANTOM of the OPERA. About David Atkins Recognised in the 2003 Queen s Birthday Honours with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to the entertainment industry, David Atkins is Australia s most awarded producer, choreographer and director. He has starred in, produced, directed, choreographed and created more than 20 musicals in Australia, Britain, the United States, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. In 2000, Juan Antonio Samaranch, the president of the International Olympic Committee, presented David with a Gold Olympic Pin for his outstanding and innovative work as artistic director and producer of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies. David is the first and only Australian to win an MTV award for choreography. His original production Hot Shoe Shuffle was the first Australian musical on London s West End, for which he won the prestigious Olivier Award and this year the Green Room Award for Excellence in Choreography for Music Theatre. David has directed and produced some of the largest live events, across continents, languages and international audiences, including the Ceremonies of the Doha 2006 Asian Games, the Opening, Closing and Victory Ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and the Opening Ceremony of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo. In 2011 David directed and produced the Moscow City Day Anniversary Celebrations, the Opening Ceremony of the New Zealand 2011 Rugby World Cup and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Doha 2011 Arab Games. P. 7 of 8

8 David is the only Australian director and producer whose work on Olympic Ceremonies won Emmy awards, with three wins for the Vancouver 2010 Opening Ceremony. His work in Shanghai, Vancouver, Moscow, Doha and New Zealand earned him Best Export Productions and in 2010 he was awarded the highly prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award by the annual Australian Event Awards. Over and above the enormous body of work that David has directed and produced, beyond the vast number of awards and nominations, he has revolutionised the way shows are created and produced. * * * P. 8 of 8