The Opera, anyone?

Anyone seen "The Phantom of the Opera?" Well, get ready to hear the story behind the famous Paris Opera House.

Napoleon III was arriving to the premiere at the old Opera House with his wife, when the royal procession was bombed by a group of dissenters. Over eighty people were killed, prompting Napoleon III to commission an new opera house with a covered side entrance where royalty could enter discreetly.

Work on this structure began in 1861 and ended fifteen years later. This beautiful building seats two thousand and has seventeen stories. There are chorus rooms, green rooms, ball rooms, set rooms, cellars for waste props, closets, dressing rooms, etc. Seven of these are below the ground, including the bottom floor with the famous lake (as well as many hidden passages) later depicted in Gaston Louis Alfred Leroux's "The Phantom of the Opera."

An unexpected accident occurred in 1896 - one of the counterweights of the chandelier fell from the ceiling killing one opera patron. This event sparked Leroux's imagination and inspired him to write the novel!

Viola!

If you're going to go see it, I recommend buying tickets to a show. This way you get to have a leisurely look-see in the lobby and front areas, and also get a great show in.