7 Origin Stories Behind Classic Film Musicals

As with many of the musicals on this list, Phantom was originally based on a novel and adapted for stage many years after. The story was based off Gaston Leroux's Le Fantome De L'Opera. The story was partially based on the French ghost tales in the theatres of the time, especially from one Paris opera house in which a fire in the roof of the building caused the centre chandelier to drop, with one death and many injured.

The underground river used in the musical to lead to the Phantom's lair was said to be located under the opera house's very own stage as a training route for firefighters swimming.

The French theatre goers swore that a spirit caused the accidents and the rumours have since spread to casts up and down the world who perform certain rituals to keep the spirits from ruining their own run, such as leaving ghost lights on overnight and not uttering "Macbeth" anywhere near the stage.

Phantom has since gone on to be one of the longest running shows, excluding Les Misérables, and even had a film adaptation starring Gerard Butler as the evil burnt spirit.