Now that it has been announced that Bounce will not arrive on Broadway this season, the actor has agreed to return to Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom at the Majestic Theatre. The New York Times reports that McGillin , who holds the record for the longest-running Phantom in the show's history, will begin a two-week stint as the masked opera lover Dec. 22. (McGillin is stepping in for current Phantom Hugh Panaro during Panaro's vacation. Panaro returns to the role Jan. 5, 2004.)

A Tony Award nominee for his performances in Anything Goes and The Mystery of Edwin Drood, McGillin has also appeared on Broadway in Kiss of the Spider Woman, She Loves Me, The Secret Garden and Sunday in the Park with George. On the London stage he starred in Mack and Mabel, and his solo recording is titled "Howard McGillin: Where Time Stands Still." McGillin most recently starred in the Chicago and D.C. productions of Sondheim and John Weidman's Bounce.

The Phantom of the Opera — directed by Harold Prince — had its world premiere on October 9, 1986, at Her Majesty's Theatre in London, winning every major British theatre award including the Olivier and Evening Standard awards. The New York production opened on Jan. 26, 1988, with a then-record advance of $18 million. The musical went on to sweep the 1988 Tony Awards, winning seven, including Best Musical.

Lyrics are by Charles Hart (with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe), and the book is by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Designers are Maria Björnson (scenic and costumes), Andrew Bridge (lighting) and Martin Levan (sound). Musical staging and choreography is by Gillian Lynne. Orchestrations are by David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

For ticket information, call (212) 239-6200 or (800) 432-7250 or visit the Majestic Theatre box office (247 West 44th Street).