There are exactly three musicals that I actually like. The Phantom of the Opera is one of them. As my wife is very used to by now, when Autumn rolls around, I start playing the Phantoms ominous music. Its sort of a childhood tradition. For some reason during the days leading up to Halloween, my mom used to blast the 1986 version on the living room speakers. So, I suppose its learned behavior. It’s as much a part of Halloween for me as Dracula. And frankly, I think the Phantom is creepier. I was fortunate enough to see The Phantom of the Opera live in Toronto when I was ten years old – and I’ll never forget it because it scared the crap out of me. As soon as the lifeless body of the murdered stagehand came swinging down from the rafters in a noose, I knew this was a different kind of show. So for this Halloween season, my favorite season of the year, I wondered if perhaps I could do an Almost Episode of the inspiration behind the novel. I’ve always heard that the author claimed it was based on a true story, but I had never actually looked into it. I was pleasantly surprised with what I found. Hopefully you will be too. So close your eyes, start a journey to a strange new world, as we discover the real story behind the music of the night, in this Almost Episode: Finding the Phantom.