Alastair Muir
Gaston Leroux’s ‘Phantom of the Opera’ has been haunting imaginations since the book was first published in 1910. Lon Chaney brought the misunderstood monster to life in a classic silent film in 1925, and he’s visited audiences on TV and in the movies in various incarnations ever since.
In 1986, Andrew Lloyd Webber gave the Phantom new life and new fans when his lavish musical opened in London’s West End, followed by a Broadway edition that is still playing 31 years later with an unprecedented 13,000-plus performances to its credit, the longest running show on Broadway. The show has toured the country for almost as long, but a new production launched in 2013 has applied modern technological wizardy to the show, as well as new sets and production design that will simply wow audiences. Don’t worry though, Webber’s and Charles Hart’s classic score remains intact.
You probably know the story by now, so we’ll just give you a brief recap: The Paris Opera House has a diva problem in Carlotta Giudicelli (Trista Moldovan) who storms out of the theatre after new owners fail to acknowledge the strange goings-on for the past three years. Who will fill her shoes? Ballerina Christine Daaé (Emma Grimsley), who has been taking voice lessons from a very mysterious tutor. An old flame, Raoul (Jordan Craig), comes back into her life, setting the stage for a romantic triangle that will bring disaster to the theatre and, possibly, their lives.
This is the second time I’ve had the opportunity to see this version of the show (I saw the original tour back in the early 1990s and was a bit underwhelmed), and it remains as enchanting and exciting as ever. This newly staged production (not replacing the ‘brilliant original’ that is still on Broadway) takes what’s already familiar — the music, the story, the costumes, the characters — and adds a wow factor of, on a scale of one to ten, about one hundred. While much is made of the chandelier (and the new state of the art version weighs in at a hefty ton with lights, smoke and pyrotechnics built in), it really plays a small part in the first act of the show (and if you’re stuck in an area where you can’t really see it, it plays even less of a role), but for some members of the audience, it could be quite a heart-stopping moment. The last time I saw the show, I was unable to see the chandelier, but this time I was almost right under it and I have to tell you it is quite a thrill to watch it come down over the audience. The added pops right before the lights go out made me jump. Definitely a thrilling moment.
Aside from that, the real wow factor is right on stage. If you want your big Broadway musical to have sets and costumes, then you’ve come to the right place. The new Phantom set is simply spectacular with two rotating columns on either side of the stage that represent part of the proscenium, the box seats of the opera house, or the catacombs below. The centerpiece, however, is a ten-ton wall, a half circle that rotates, opens up, and splits in half to become various other parts of the set. One of the most amazing moments comes during ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ number with the Phantom and Christine at the top of the wall, probably 25 feet off the stage, and then descending down steps that magically slide out of the wall and back in before Christine can change her mind about following her ‘Angel of Music’. Seeing this for a second time was still an awe-inspiring experience, and getting some behind-the-scenes info on how it all works from Ms. Grimsley made it even more interesting and impressive to see. Check out our in depth interview with her for more on the show.
Before I talk about the cast, I also have to commend the tech crew on this show. I have never seen a more perfectly presented show than I have with Phantom. The lighting is amazing because it’s not overdone. Some shows have lighting that is sometimes much too bright, but everything in Phantom is perfectly balanced and pleasing to the eye. The sound was perfect as well. The powerful orchestra never over-powered the singing, and the audio trickery with the Phantom as his voice traveled around the inside of the theatre was also a nifty effect. This was the most technically perfect show I have ever seen.
With that out of the way, we can’t overlook the contributions of the cast. The first of the main characters we meet is the diva Carlotta, an impossible woman to deal with, but the toast of Paris, so what’s an opera house owner to do? Trista Moldovan brings a haughtiness to the character, but not enough that you want the Phantom to do her harm. Moldovan also has a lovely voice that soars into an operatic range, plays the comedic moments nicely, and is appropriately apoplectic whenever she’s not being treated as the prima donna she believes she is.
Matthew Murphy
Jordan Craig is a dashing Raoul, a man who has loved Christine since they were teenagers. Raoul probably has the least character development as he just shows up and is in love with Christine and then tries to convince her the Angel of Music is just in her head, and then puts himself in charge of capturing (or killing) The Phantom when he sees that he is just a man. Craig overcomes any shortcomings of the character with a powerful stage presence and a beautiful voice. He also has great chemistry with Grimsley so it’s not hard to believe that Christine could so easily fall in love with a man she hasn’t seen in several years.
Ms. Grimsley has a beautiful and powerful voice, demonstrating a wide range and can almost shatter glass when she has to hit those high notes at the end of the ‘Phantom of the Opera’ number when he keeps telling her to sing. Higher and higher she goes, and you wonder how she does it. She also brings a naivety to Christine as she goes from chorus girl/ballerina to star, all the while believing she has a ghost or guardian angel watching over her (and the Phantom makes it quite clear she must obey him … which is kind of creepy). But she grows over the course of the show, even using her wiles to convince the Phantom she is his. Grimsley makes it all very convincing, from her almost childlike belief in her Angel, to the fear she has about setting foot on stage after she sees what the Phantom is capable of. She’s beautiful, talented and commands your attention whenever she’s on stage.
Matthew Murphy
The Phantom, Derrick Davis (who is the third African-American to play the role, and the first on the tour), has almost the same problem with his character as Craig does with Raoul. The Phantom is a bit of an obsessive control freak once Christine actually meets him, and while he has helped her hone her talents, his obsession borders on dangerous. It’s a bit one-note. How could anyone be expected to fall in love with that personality? I mean, the Phantom is actually the villain of the show. But Davis has a stage presence that draws you in to the character, helps you identify with this man who has been an outsider due to his deformity. All he wants is to be loved, and while his methods are a bit overboard, Davis makes sure the Phantom remains a sympathetic character (I even felt my eyes get a bit watery towards the end). There are times when Davis is required to go from calm to very intense and you can see his muscles tense and quiver as he puts his all into the part. And even then, his beautiful voice never loses it’s tone or pitch, going from quiet to powerful when needed. Davis gives a majestic performance and is sure to become as beloved by the Phantom Phans as any of the past Phantoms have. And meeting Davis briefly after the show, he seems to be a very humble and appreciative man, accepting glowing compliments from the fans with great humility.
I also want to give a shout out to the rest of the cast for always being engaged while on stage, even if their character isn’t really doing anything. I’ve seen shows where sometimes it feels like the supporting players are only giving half the effort to perform, but whenever people are on stage, even far in the background, they’re always doing something instead of just watching and reacting to the main action. Credit also goes to director Laurence Connor for having the wherewithal to give the supporting cast things to do. It really helps the audience get into the show as well.
After I saw The Phantom of the Opera in 2016, I knew it was a show I wanted to see again if possible. I’m grateful to have been able to see the show twice now, to compare and contrast the two different casts and, not intending to slight anyone from 2016, but this group of folks currently on tour are outstanding in every way, and the show itself loses none of its power after repeat viewings. Sadly, after six years the show is on its final leg of the North American tour with just a handful of cities remaining before its final stop in Toronto. Hopefully the show will just be taking a breather and will hit the road again sometime in the future. With packed houses over the six years, and none of the enthusiasm dimming for a show that’s been in the public consciousness for more than 30 years, this is one show that should remain on the road for at least that same amount of time.
The Phantom of the Opera runs through October 20 at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre (which Davis said in an interview is the first stop on the tour that’s actually made him feel that he was in a Broadway venue — and the theatre does have that classic look and feel, having been around since the 1920s). Other cities on the schedule include Lincoln NE, Denver CO, Minneapolis MN, Appleton WI and Toronto. Visit the official Phantom website for more information.
Running time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission
Special effects: Theatrical Haze and Fog, Strobe lighting and gun shots
The Phantom of the Opera – Meet the Phantom Derrick Davis
The Really Useful Company
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