Fried adds that he was especially impressed with the translation team, who stayed close by in the room during the rehearsals in Shanghai, an unusual practice compared to other international productions.

"I realized the great difficulty in translating a show as big as the Phantom into Chinese. … I am grateful for the devoted and passionate translation team. Their input ensured the first Chinese production would be a beautiful show," he says.

According to Zhao Chenlin, executive producer of the show, the installation of the stage settings and technical rehearsals required an entire month because of the amount of work involved. She notes that the props and equipment alone filled 22 trucks, and unloading them took three whole nights.

The scene of the secret lake under the Opera Garnier, Zhao points out, is one example of how detailed the settings for the Chinese production are. To achieve a misty, fantasy-like effect on the lake surface, the production crew will use more than 280 candles, dry ice weighing 250 kilograms and 10 smoke machines.