According to Paul Schaefer, a cast member in The Phantom of the Opera and competitive CrossFit athlete, that physicality is evaluated early on in the casting process.

FORBES: Bright Lights, Big Fitness: The Business Of Keeping Broadway In Shape

In the 1920s Homo erectus distorted himself a bit, and took to swinging round church towers or chandeliers as the Phantom of the Opera and the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

ECONOMIST: The Creature from the Black Lagoon

Like the Hunchback of Notre-Dame or the Phantom of the Opera, Hugo lives a secret life in a public place a rubbishy room up in the clockworks, where he tinkers with inventions old and new.

NEWYORKER: Fantastic Voyages

It has been nominated again this year and is up against Billy Elliot the Musical, The Phantom of the Opera and Wicked for the BBC Radio 2 Audience Award - the only Olivier voted for by the public.

BBC: Matilda's 'marvellous' Broadway debut hailed by critics

Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection honors the studio's accomplishments with the most iconic monsters in motion-picture history including Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Phantom of the Opera and Creature from the Black Lagoon.

ENGADGET: Dracula, The Mummy and six other horror classics coming in a Blu-ray set October 2nd (video)

Hit Broadway shows The Lion King, Phantom of the Opera and Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark are among the New York productions which have closed in preparation for Hurricane Sandy.

BBC: Hurricane Sandy closes Broadway shows

The show is co-produced by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, the mega-successful producer of Cats and Phantom of the Opera.

NPR: 'Mary Poppins' Musical Adds to the Songbook

This lavish retelling of Gaston Leroux's immortal horror tale stars Claude Rains as the masked phantom who haunts the Paris Opera House.

ENGADGET: Dracula, The Mummy and six other horror classics coming in a Blu-ray set October 2nd (video)