Pre-Recording

Due to the nature of "The Phantom of the Opera" it is impossible to sing every song live on stage - the actors are moving about, highly technical sets, actors who need to be singing are moving about backstage. Doubles are used for the title song whilst Christine and The phantom get into place. 

Not every production tapes everything - this is what is normally pre-recorded

The Phantom of the Opera, title song. The Phantom's "Sing, my angel of music" etc are not recorded. But when I saw the UK tour one, because Manchester Opera House is a smallish stage and backstage; a double is only used for when Christine and the Phantom appear at the front of the stage straight after the mirror. It may be pre-recorded when they are on the cat-walk at the back, but I am 100% certain that it is sung live with Peter Karrie and Debbie Dutchener when they are on stage in the boat.

The Phantom's notes, in the Notes scenes. 

The Phantom's laughs, when he drops the chandeliers and Buquet's body. 

The Phantom's lines as Red Death in Masquerade, while he is on the stairs. His lines to Christine ("Your chains are still mine...") are live (and the cue for the trap door). Obviously there is no WAY that the Phantom can sing and walk down the stairs in those big shoes and the death mask. (Ray said he fell down the stairs doing that!)

The Phantom's "seal my fate tonight, I hate to have to cut the fun short..." section. Peter Karrie chose to sing this live.  The "I'm here, the Phantom of the Opera" lines, before the curtain up on Don Juan Triumphant. Also, the "Secure"s in response to "Are the doors secure?" in this section. 

The lines before "Il Muto": "Gentlemen, if you would care to take your seats?..."  The lines before All I Ask Of You: "To the roof..."  The managers' lines in the chaos after Piangi's body is discovered: "Oh, my God, my God" and "We're ruined, Andre, ruined!" 

Some people say that the Overture is recorded, I think that it was for the UK tour because I saw it three times. 1st Peter Karrie the overture was loud TOO loud I think, then I saw it with his understudy Carl Sanderson, the overture was TOO quiet! and then I saw it again with Peter Karrie and it was a perfect overture!

Special Effects

The Mirror
Half-silvered mirror, and lighting.Cleverly controlled lighting and the mirror produce the effect  no lighting at the back + lit from the front =a normal mirror.  lights are dropped from the front + lit from the back = transparent, and the Phantom can be seen behind it.  When Christine has stepped through and the glass slid back, the lights are turned off behind the mirror, and it is once again lit from the front and reflects normally. 

The Labyrinth and Lair
The Phantom and Christine who walk across the stage are doubles; the pair who walk across the cat-walk are also doubles (Except in the case of Manchester Opera House).  The real Phantom and Christine come out in the boat, which is radio-controlled (which I didn't realise until I saw it third time and when it moves away is when I realised).  The candles and candelabras are under the stage, and rise up through trap doors. In touring productions where the stages don't have the necessary traps, the candelabras slide on from the side of the stage instead. (They needed their wheels squeaking! The Opera House used both methods)  Mannequin = with a plastic mask to make her face look less real. She is replaced by a real mannequin for the next scene in the blackout.  Music box = radio-controlled. (Some productions these may be replaced by infra-red signals, as radio controlls are prone to interference.) 

Doubles
As well as those in the title song, there is a Phantom double used at the end of the Masquerade scene - when the red death vanishes from the stage and then re-apears running down the stairs  appearing briefly in Box 5 ("I'm here... I'm here... I'm here!").  The Phantom who casts the shadows over the Il Muto ballet is a double - the "real" Phantom is already in the angel at this point. (Ray has told me that sometimes it depends for this - sometimes it *is* the "real" phantom and sometimes it's not...) 

Masquerade
Disapears through a trap door.  In London, there are two small raised points on the stage so he can feel through his shoes and make sure he's standing in the right place without looking down.  The Phantom's lines to Christine are the cue for the trap dropping him down. On tours with no trap doors, he runs off stage instead. 

Wishing you Were Somehow Here Again - the Grave Yard
The cross isn't solid; the Phantom is standing inside it. In some productions he may come from behind the cross instead.  Sometimes the Phantom appears playing a violin, but I think that has only been on a few occasions. 

The Final Scene - The Throne
The throne = a false back.  When the Phantom throws his cloak over himself, he attaches the top to wire which pulls out, keeping the shape of a head.  The back is released and he can move into the false back of the chair.