25 years on and a reunion for the surviving members of the original cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Phantom of the Opera'
The first Phantom, Michael Crawford, and the woman the composer once described as his angel of music, his former wife Sarah Brightman.
She reprised the role of Christine that made her famous in a special anniversary celebration at London's Royal Albert Hall....
SOUNDBITE: Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer, saying (English):
"That does bring back a whole you know flood of emotions, I mean I've worked with Sarah you know since we were married quite a lot of times and you know therefore -- it's great to have her back again, but we have worked together before but -- seeing Michael and Sarah back on stage together I never thought that would really happen."
The performance to a packed house was broadcast live into selected cinemas across the world.
Phantom remains one of the most successful and longest running musicals, with more than 9,000 performances in London alone.
It's also the longest run in Broadway history, with performances before more than 100 million people since it opened in 1986.
Producer Cameron Mackintosh attributes the success to the timelessness of the music and talent of the actors.
SOUNDBITE: Cameron Mackintosh, producer, saying (English):
"It remains fantastically contemporary and appealing and when you get truly great artists doing it, it's fresh as ever and it takes on a new life. But of course we wouldn't have been here if it wasn't for the fact that Michael and Sarah gave us an amazing performance when we first opened."
And of course, a quarter of a century on, it was also a chance for Sarah Brightman to revisit the most famous high note in musical theatre...
Edward Baran, Reuters
