Phantom of the Opera San Diego 2026: Review, Cast & Tickets

 

There are musicals you remember for their songs, others for their stories, and a rare few that become part of your own history. For me, The Phantom of the Opera is one of those.

I first saw Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom in London in the late 1980s, while I was living in England. Nearly four decades later, sitting in the San Diego Civic Theatre on press night, I wondered whether a musical so intertwined with my memories could possibly have the same effect. Then the chandelier came to life. And there it was again. The music. The spectacle. The romance. And that unmistakable feeling that Phantom creates before we ever descend beneath the Paris Opera House.

Now in its 40th year in London’s West End, The Phantom of the Opera has returned to North America in a revitalized touring production presented by Cameron Mackintosh and LW Entertainment. The Phantom of the Opera is now playing at the San Diego Civic Theatre through September 13 as part of Broadway San Diego’s 2026–27 season.  This is not a reinvention of Phantom so much as a reminder of why the musical became a phenomenon in the first place.

Based on Gaston Leroux’s novel, the story remains deliciously gothic: Christine Daaé, a gifted young soprano at the Paris Opera House, has been secretly tutored by a mysterious figure she believes to be the “Angel of Music.” Her unseen teacher is, of course, the Phantom—a brilliant, disfigured musical genius who lives beneath the opera house and whose devotion to Christine gradually becomes obsession. When Christine reconnects with her childhood sweetheart, Raoul, the Phantom’s carefully constructed world begins to unravel.

Isaiah Bailey leads the North American touring company in the title role, opposite Jordan Lee Gilbert as Christine Daaé and Daniel Lopez as Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny. Gilbert brings something especially important to Christine: a voice that makes us understand why both men are so captivated by her. With an operatic background, she has the vocal clarity and range the role demands, but she also allows Christine to grow before us—from an impressionable young singer entranced by her mysterious teacher into a woman capable of making her own choices.

Bailey faces a different challenge. The Phantom has become one of musical theater’s most recognizable characters, and it would be easy simply to reproduce what audiences expect. Instead, the character works best here when we glimpse the wounded, frighteningly vulnerable man beneath the mask. The Phantom’s behavior is possessive, manipulative and often terrifying, yet Lloyd Webber gives him some of the score’s most beautiful music. That contradiction is what has always made the character so compelling.

And then there is “The Music of the Night.” Hearing that song performed live again reminded me how much of Phantom depends not simply on spectacle, but on atmosphere—the candles, shadows, mist and music combining to create a world that feels removed from reality. Lopez gives Raoul warmth and confidence, particularly opposite Gilbert, and their “All I Ask of You” remains one of the evening’s loveliest moments. The supporting company is equally strong. Midori Marsh plays the gloriously temperamental Carlotta Giudicelli, with William Thomas Evans as Monsieur Firmin, Carrington Vilmont as Monsieur André, Lisa Vroman as the enigmatic Madame Giry, Christopher Bozeka as Ubaldo Piangi and Melo Ludwig as Meg Giry.

But Phantom has never belonged only to its three central characters. It belongs to the entire world created around them.

Maria Björnson’s extraordinary original production design remains central to that experience: the grand staircase, the lavish costumes, the underground lair, the candles seemingly emerging from darkness—and, of course, that chandelier. The current production is directed by Seth Sklar-Heyn, based on Harold Prince’s celebrated original direction. Gillian Lynne’s musical staging and choreography are recreated and adapted by Chrissie Cartwright, with Matt Kinley adapting Björnson’s set design. The result preserves the visual identity generations of theatergoers associate with Phantom while giving the touring production an impressive sense of scale. And scale matters here.

“Masquerade” should overwhelm you. The Phantom’s underground world should feel mysterious and slightly dangerous. The chandelier should make newcomers wonder exactly what is about to happen. This production delivers those moments. Yet what surprised me most about returning to Phantom after so many years was how differently I viewed the story itself.

When I first saw the musical as a much younger woman in London, it was easy to be swept up in its grand romanticism. Seeing it now, the darker elements of the Phantom’s obsession are much harder to ignore. Christine’s journey consequently feels more significant. This isn’t simply a story about which man she will choose. It is about emerging from the spell cast by someone who has convinced her that his voice should be more powerful than her own. That gives the final scenes an emotional complexity that the spectacle can sometimes obscure.

Of course, The Phantom of the Opera is still unabashedly theatrical. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s score contains one instantly recognizable melody after another: “Think of Me,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” “The Music of the Night,” “All I Ask of You,” “Masquerade” and “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again.”

Forty years after its 1986 London premiere, audiences are still coming to hear them. I understand why. Sitting in the Civic Theatre all these years after my first encounter with the Phantom, I wasn’t trying to recreate the experience I had in London. Too much time has passed—for the show and for me. Instead, I found something more interesting: a musical I knew extraordinarily well revealing itself differently. The chandelier still rises. The organ chords still thunder through the theater. The mask is still there.

And somehow, after all these years, the music of the night still casts its spell.

The Phantom of the Opera — San Diego

The Phantom of the Opera plays September 2–13, 2026, at the San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Avenue at B Street in downtown San Diego.

The North American tour stars Isaiah Bailey as the Phantom, Jordan Lee Gilbert as Christine Daaé and Daniel Lopez as Raoul, with Midori Marsh as Carlotta Giudicelli, William Thomas Evans as Monsieur Firmin, Carrington Vilmont as Monsieur André, Lisa Vroman as Madame Giry, Christopher Bozeka as Ubaldo Piangi and Melo Ludwig as Meg Giry. Alexa Xioufaridou Moster performs Christine Daaé at certain performances.

Music is by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Charles Hart and additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. The production is directed by Seth Sklar-Heyn, based on the original direction by Harold Prince, with musical staging and choreography by Gillian Lynne, recreated and adapted by Chrissie Cartwright.

Running time is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission. The production is recommended for ages 8 and older.

Tickets and complete performance information are available through Broadway San Diego.