If I recall correctly, the documentary Behind the Mask: The Story of The Phantom of the Opera contains some footage of the crew manually operating props, such as the rising and sliding candelabra, via pulleys and ropes from the trap space below the stage. I think the footage is from Her Majesty's Theatre in London, where the show's sets are mostly manipulated without automation.
==> this board is a nest of vipers <==
"Michael Riedel...The Perez Hilton of the New York Theatre scene"
- Craig Hepworth, What's On Stage