In The Phantom of the Opera, what is the Phantom’s underground home called?

In The Phantom of the Opera, the Phantom’s underground home is called the Phantom’s lair.

The lair is a distinctive setting in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, which is based on Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel Le Fantôme de l’Opéra. It lies beneath the Palais Garnier-inspired opera house and is reached by Christine Daaé during the story. The setting includes a subterranean lake, candles, and the Phantom’s organ.

The lair helps establish the Phantom as both a theatrical genius and a mysterious outsider. The famous boat journey through the underground waterway leads into the musical number “The Phantom of the Opera,” performed by Christine and the Phantom.

The show opened in London in 1986 and on Broadway in 1988. Its visual staging, including the falling chandelier and underground lair, became central to productions around the world. The Phantom is also sometimes called Erik, following Leroux’s novel, although the stage musical rarely emphasizes that name.