It weighs close to 200kg, drops at a rate of four metres per second, and will be one of the stars when the Phantom of the Opera takes to the stage at the Regent Theatre next week.
The chandelier that drops from the ceiling of the theatre in performances of the Phantom was unpacked and raised yesterday.
Musical Theatre Dunedin technical stage manager Garry Gibson said the chandelier was made specifically for the Phantom's New Zealand showings, as were most of the wardrobe and props that would grace the stage at the Regent.
Those props, which included a motorised boat, a slightly disturbing looking pipe organ and some royal boxes that could be wheeled on and off made the Regent stage a weird and wonderful place yesterday.
Mr Gibson said the chandelier, which crashes on to the stage at the end of act one, was last used in Invercargill.
It was operated by computer and a motorised winch, and Mr Gibson said its fall involved actors being back from the front of the stage, a switch he operated that could be turned off immediately if something ''looked wrong'', and a ''big red fail safe button'' operated by another member of the crew.
''It's not a huge technical show compared to some, but with the likes of using the chandelier, it's new for Musical Theatre Dunedin.''
The production premieres on September 17.
