Ok, so a million apologies if this is a duplicate pick. I couldn't remember and I didn't feel like sifting through EVERYTHING to find out.
And just as a note for all of you non-believers out there: The counterweight for the chandelier DID fall, killing one; There is a lake in the 5th cellar (even if it is kinda puny); apparently Leroux swore on his death bed that it was true; there were (and still are to an extent) rumours of a Ghost that haunts the Opera; The column in Box 5 is hollow; An old worker at the Opera swore up and down that when they went to retrieve the cylanders that were buried in the time capsule (which is documented proof. The Smithsonian did an article on them) they found not only a skeleton down there but a small apartment; persons of interest in the story can be connected to actual people (Christine Daae to Christine Nilsson for example).
So, some food for thought.

I definitely believe that there was an Erik. And...sorry for my anti-duplicate content obsessiveness: link

I think that there really was a "Phantom" in the Opera Garnier, but the whole plot of the story was probably fabricated.

i think so.

absolutley!

It's definitely on my bucket list to go to the opera, straight to box 5 on the first tier, just to see what happens. XD

yes