Best of Budapest & Hungary

A ceremony was held at the Madách Theater this Friday night in Budapest after the 900th performance of The Phantom of the Opera. The theatre premiered the musical, directed by Tamás Szirtes, on 30 May 2003.

According to a statement by Madách Theater, their team and director Tamás Szirtes had the honor of presenting the world's first ever non-replica version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's world-famous work. "The premiere in May 2003 was a huge success, and this success has not changed in the last two decades, with the interest in the performance undiminished and the artists performing to sold-out audiences night after night. The production is now in its 900th performance, and next year will mark the 20th anniversary of the show's premiere," the statement said.

The 900th production featured a rotating cast of the leading actors who have made the production a success over the past almost two decades.

A photographic exhibition covering the past 19 years will open in the Tolnay Salon of the theater before the anniversary performance on November 11.

The Phantom of the Opera is recognized worldwide as one of the most beautiful and spectacular productions in musical history. It has been performed in 183 cities in 41 countries, translated into 17 languages and seen by more than 145 million people.