The world’s most enduring musical has taken over Romexpo in Bucharest, and it’s nothing short of spectacular. For decades, The Phantom of the Opera has been a rite of passage for theatre lovers, a story wrapped in velvet and shadow. This month, Romania gets its own taste of that mystery.

Originally announced as a limited run of six performances, the show quickly expanded due to overwhelming demand. By the time the curtain rose on opening night, it was clear this wasn’t just another touring production. It was a moment. The music hits deep. The visuals hold your gaze. And the air in the room changes as soon as it begins.

This is the original staging brought faithfully to Bucharest. Presented in English and performed by an international cast, the show preserves every note, costume, and theatrical beat from the 1986 West End version. For audiences here, many seeing it live for the first time, it is theatre at its most immersive.

Principal Cast (Romexpo, June 10–15, 2025)

Phantom (Erik) – Nadim Naaman
Christine Daaé – Bridget Castello (alternates; previously in Opera Australia)
Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny – previously portrayed by Nadim Naaman in London; here shared among cast
Carlotta Giudicelli – Lara Martins (West End veteran in the role for six years)
Monsieur Reyer – Paul Erbs
Monsieur Le Fèvre – Brian McCann

The wider company includes over 100 artists, orchestra members, and backstage crew, managing more than 230 costume changes and scene transitions that unfold with cinematic flow.

It hits different in Bucharest

Being in the room, you felt it immediately. The audience wasn’t just watching. They were locked in. The show unfolded with precision, but what gave it life was the way people reacted. The gasps were real. The applause felt earned. There was a quiet kind of reverence, especially during Christine’s solos. You could hear it in the silence. You could feel it in the final moments.

Romexpo, a convention space by design, isn’t known for stage magic. But here, it works. The production transforms the venue into something operatic. The staging is massive. The lighting is flawless. And the cast delivers with the kind of intensity that feels personal, even from the back rows.

Why it still holds

There’s a reason this musical hasn’t faded. It speaks to something timeless. Obsession. Longing. The kind of love that crosses the line into madness. The Phantom is one of the most complicated characters to ever step onto a stage. He’s terrifying and fragile. He’s cruel but desperate to be seen.

Christine’s journey remains powerful. Her voice, her choices, her presence at the center of this storm still feel relevant. And then there’s the music. Songs like All I Ask of You and Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again still hit like they did on their first night. You think you’ve heard them before. But when they’re performed live, they land in a completely different way.

Same structure, new energy

This is not a reimagined version. It is the original. The same sets. The same iconic moments. But what keeps it alive is the cast. These aren’t impressions of past performances. These are new voices making the story their own.

Compared to cities like London or New York, where the show is tradition, Bucharest brings a kind of raw excitement. The audience is discovering the show in real time. And that discovery changes the energy in the room.

It’s more than a show

The Phantom of the Opera is more than a cultural staple. It is an experience that still moves people. Not because of nostalgia, but because of the way it holds a mirror to what it means to want, to lose, to hide, and to hope. In Bucharest, that story found new life.

And for anyone lucky enough to be there, it was unforgettable.

‍