Phantom Of the Opera (full review + podacast)

Phantom of the Opera podcast

Phantom of the Opera

I went to see the longest running musical, Phantom of the Opera on Wednesday, November 18 at the Majestic Theatre for the second time. The first time I saw it I was still in elementary school and I can still recall how mesmerized I was by the play. It is the type of show that lingers forever in your heart.

The Phantom of the Opera has been produced in 149 cities, in more than 25 countries around the world, including UK, US, New Zealand, Japan, Austria, Canada, Sweden, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Holland, Switzerland, Belgium, Korea, Denmark, Spain and Russia. It is estimated that Phantom has been seen by more than 100 million people worldwide having been played in no fewer than 14 languages.

Both romantic and scary, The Phantom of the Opera is a thrilling night of theater with grand emotions. The play is based on Frenchmen Gaston Leroux’s book the The Phantom of the Opera that was released in 1910. It is a tale of a deformed man who “haunts” an opera house. He lives beneath the theatre in the underground, complete with a boat, ornate candelabra for light and a pump organ for music. He falls in love with a talented woman singer, Christine, over whom he casts a sort of spell. She fights these advances as she falls in love with another man. This induces the Phantom to wreak even more havoc on the opera house and its players. This continues until the final dramatic scenes where choices must be made by both Christine and the Phantom.

No matter how many musicals I have attended, none affects me with the utter emotional magic of Phantom of the Opera. The sets, the story, the characters, and most of all, the music are still, in my opinion, incomparable. The Phantom of the Opera became Broadway’s longest running show ever when it overtook the record set by Cats with its 7,486th performance on January 6th 2006. It is the only Broadway show ever to reach 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st birthdays with the 22nd fast approaching in January 2010.

From the beginning, what really struck me as unusually outstanding was the sets and props. The nature of the play is that there are a lot of set changes, with many different scenes, often in fairly rapid succession. The neo-classical design of the theatre is the perfect compliment to the show that contains a show within the show. The Phantom works his mischief in an Opera House and much of the set is a theatre.
The huge chandelier that plays an important role in the play looks like it belongs in the Majestic Theatre yet, it’s just a prop for the show. The huge hanging drapes and gaudy costumes of the opera’s actors were well suited to the play and the opera within it. From the first time the stage is transformed into the famous opera house, I felt transformed totally into another time and place. Of course, the special effect of the falling chandelier is very melodramatic and never ceases to fill me with amazement. Equally amazing were the rapid costume changes of some of the actors as they would participate in plays within the play.

Composer and co-book writer Andrew Lloyd Webber just has the knack for crafting memorable melodies. Phantom is a spectacle, in the best sense of that word. From the first haunting chords of “Masquarade” as the mysterious gentleman appears on the stage, until he reappears at the end, again to the same melancholy tune, the show holds me spellbound. I love almost all of the songs from the production, but my favorites are ” Angel of Music “, ” Music of the Night ,”” Point of No Return “, ” Think of Me “, and of course ” Phantom of the Opera “. Every so often, I put on my CD of this production, and I never tire of the beautiful and emotional melodies from this show. The original cast album of The Phantom of the Opera was the first in British musical history to enter the music charts at number one. Album sales now exceed forty million worldwide and it is the biggest selling cast album of all time. Winner of seven 1988 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s masterwork is more than the longest-running musical in Broadway history – it’s an international phenomenon that unmasks emotions like no other show can, leaving audiences everywhere breathless.

There are 130 cast, crew and orchestra members directly involved in each performance. The leads were all great actors with great voices. John Cudia, as Phantom, was exceptional in every way. His singing was strong, detailed, and beautiful, and he convincingly portrayed the various emotions of this tortured creature.  Jennifer Hope Wills sang the role well and conveyed the innocence and apprehension of Christine clearly. Ryan Silverman acts and sings Raoul professionally and suitably. In the role of the opera diva Carlotta, Patricia Phillips displayed a wonderful voice and nailed the obnoxious tones of the role well. David Cryer and George Lee Andrews, as Monsieur Firmin and Monsieur Andre respectively, provided a broad interpretation of the opera managers, exaggerating the comedic aspects to good effect. All and all, their voices captivated the audience and their acting and movements seemed as though they couldn’t have done a better job. A talented and versatile chorus is also to be commended.

The show has won over 50 major theatre awards including three Olivier Awards, the Oliver Audience Award for Most Popular Show, an Evening Standard Award, seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, seven Drama Desk Awards and three Outer Critic Circle Awards. In its over 20-year Broadway run it has become popular with viewers of all kinds. The staging, the orchestra, the performances — all excellent and enthusiastic, fresh as bread from a hot oven. Who could ask for anything more? Well, as far as the audiences who fill up the Majestic night after night, nothing at all! “Fabulous” is the adjective of choice one hears at the intermission. It is no wonder Phantom of the Opera has won so many awards.