Dot McFarlane, one of the biggest Phantom fans in Canada, wrote an article for Christine Daae's Phantom newsletter on the celebrations. With two years to go before the West End production of Phantom reached its 10th anniversary, Christine suggested that fans write to the RUG and Cameron Mackintosh Ltd suggesting to them that they do something similar. She wrote herself too, and got a note back from Cameron Mackintosh Ltd saying it was too early for them to start planning things yet.

From then to October 1996, fans wrote in to the RUG with suggestions and ideas. Things hotted up when Les Miserables in London had its 10th anniversary in October 1995, celebrated by a huge concert at the Royal Albert Hall, for which fans got priority booking. Christine wrote again, hoping that she could secure similar treatment for Phantom fans. Again, it was too early for them to plan Phantom's celebration.

It carried on being too early until the last minute. Tickets for October went on sale, and fans tried to buy ones for the 9th. Most were told there were none on sale. A few were sold tickets. Nearly all of them were then contacted and told that the tickets had been sold in error and were not valid. By bizarre chance, Christine had got two tickets, two of the four which the theatre said they couldn't trace the buyers of. She held on to them.

Nerves were getting wracked. Fans wrote asking what was happening and how to get tickets. No announcement. No word. Some bought tickets for the matinee performance on that day, so at least they'd get to see Phantom on its anniversary. Then, at the end of September, the RUG sent letters to some of the people who had written in, offering them tickets in the Upper Circle. Many, many fans who had written numerous times, including Christine Daae who ran the fan club, did not get a letter at all. Complaints were heard. Then the RUG announced that they were raffling off a couple of hundred tickets free. (Most of the theater was filled up by celebrities and invited guests.) 7000 people applied for these tickets, though the raffle was badly publicized (Christine says the first she heard of it was when a journalist phoned her to interview her). Many fans missed out.

Next, the RUG cancelled the matinee performance. Did they offer fans who had booked for it replacement tickets for the evening, from the raffled seats? No, because they couldn't give a flying toss for the fans.

The theater were also saying that the holders of the 4 untraced tickets would not get into the show. We don't know what happened to the other two. Christine is sure she only got in because enough celebrities couldn't attend the event, and because she was vocal on the RUG's website forum about how much she'd sue them for if her tickets weren't honored.

Unlike the celebrations for Les Miserables and for Phantom in Toronto, the event was a non-event. There was a regular show, no special programs or souvenirs. At the end there were some speeches, and Sarah Brightman sang with some Phantoms and cast members from the past. The four Phantoms who had been chosen to take part were not even announced, so only real fans knew who they were. That was it.

Ah, no, that was it for the fans. The real celebration was a lush Masquerade Ball for invited guests only, which of course meant famous people, a few journalists, cast members, and people who work for the RUG. Even the orchestra weren't invited at first, but were hastily given invitations when they let it be known what they thought of this.