South Africans with a taste for the spectacular, the dramatic and things sweepingly romantic, can prepare themselves for the experience of a lifetime. The Phantom of the Opera, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical of unrequited love and romantic obsession, set inside the Paris Opera House, will be produced in Cape Town and Pretoria by Pieter Toerien next year.

Bookings open on November 26, sparking off the start of a gradual build up of excitement to the opening night on April 8. It will bring an end to the nearly 20-year long waiting period for thousands of South Africans who know the immensely popular music, but have not been able to experience the show first hand.

When the musical first opened in London in 1986, few people could have imagined that it would become one of the greatest and most successful artistic endeavours of all time. Since its premiere there have been 16 productions worldwide, staged in more than 100 cities, and Phantom has become the definitive theatrical event for more than 100 million people.

Although parts of the score are well known due to several of the songs that became international hits, seeing the show is simply unforgettable. The touching story, provocative and gripping music, magical sets and fascinating atmosphere of glamour and nostalgia, all create an unrivalled theatrical experience.

Together with CATS and Les Miserables, the other two mega-musicals that have overwhelmed the world with their magic and beauty, Phantom of the Opera will be the third Internationally acclaimed show to be performed in South Africa in recent years.

Performances take place at Artscape Opera House in Cape Town from April 2 and at the State Theatre in Pretoria from July 13, 2004. Booking is at Computicket nationwide.