The Phantom of the Opera has always been recognized for its lush orchestration, weaving Wagnerian-style leitmotifs with late-Romantic symphonic color. Sources consulted include the 2005 and 2022 Broadway Playbills and the 2023 Korean licensed production program book (1st edition).


🎼 1988 Broadway Opening

The original Broadway orchestration used a 27-piece orchestra, with 11 strings (including harp), 6 woodwinds, 6 brass, 2 percussionists, and 2 keyboards. This full pit delivered the classic “original sound” of the production.
📌 Source: Wikipedia.


🎼 2005 Broadway

By 2005, the orchestra expanded slightly to 28 players, the largest in the show’s history. The string section grew to 13 (including harp), though woodwinds were reduced to 5. Brass (6), percussion (2), and keyboards (2) remained consistent. This version represented the richest string texture, and many musicians from this era later overlapped with the final 2022 cast.
📌 Source: 2005 Broadway Playbill.


🎼 2022 Broadway (Final Cast)

The final Broadway orchestra returned to the 27-piece setup of the opening, with 11 strings (including harp), 6 woodwinds, 6 brass, 2 percussionists, and 2 keyboards. Remarkably, the percussion team — Eric Cohen and Jan Hagiwara — remained part of the pit, a link across decades of performances.
📌 Source: 2022 Broadway Playbill.


🎼 2023 Korean Licensed Production

In contrast, the 2023 licensed production in Korea used a 15-piece orchestra. The ensemble was trimmed to 5 strings (including contrabass), 5 woodwinds, and just 1 brass instrument (horn). There were no percussionists, but 4 keyboards carried much of the harmonic and rhythmic weight. This leaner orchestration reflected both practical touring considerations and localized adaptation, while still aiming to preserve the essential color of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s score.
📌 Source: 2023 Korean licensed program book (1st edition).

📌 Together, these orchestrations trace the evolution of Phantom’s sound world: from the grandeur of a late-20th-century Broadway pit to the streamlined forces of contemporary licensed productions.