Day 324- North American Tour of The Phantom of the Opera --Enjoy the Music of the Night

The Phantom of  the Opera is a breathtaking visual and musical love story. It is one of my all-time favorite musicals. I saw the show in the 90’s and recall that is was “pure perfection” with a larger than life set that mirrored the spectacular musical score.  The North American Tour  with new set designs, choreography and special effects  brings back the drama of the  “Music of the Night ."

Reflection

Many of  Andrew Lloyd Webber’s compositions from this show have been revisited by symphonies and numerous accomplished voices (Think of Me,  The Phantom of the Opera, All I Ask of You ). When this music is combined with the dramatic story, it’s an explosive musical evening like no other.  

The show opens in the Paris Opera House  as items are being sold and the tale of the Phantom is remembered.  It begins with an opera dress rehearsal that  burst with song and dancers in vibrant reds, yellows and greens. Christine, the Phantom’s protégé, is part of the chorus. As in many operas, the love triangle is between the disfigured Phantom (Quentin Oliver Lee), his love interest  Christine (Eva Travres), and  her handsome suitor Raoul (Jordan Craig ).  

This production, with  a cast and orchestra of 52  members, produced the eeriness and opulence expected in this show. In the first act, the Phantom visits Christine through her dressing room mirror as her "Angel of Music." The Phantom leads Christine down a  revolving tower  with   protruding stairs  to his underground chamber as he belts the iconic “Phantom of the Opera ."  There was the anticipated boat ride in the fog, and of course, the crashing chandelier when the Phantom’s instructions were ignored. The second act popped with added ornate mirrored walls that opened for the grand festivities at the ball in "Masquerade."

 Quentin Oliver Lee, as the Phantom, gave a commanding and  powerful performance with  mesmerizing vocals. Eva Travres  made Christine as  beautiful as her soprano voice and Trista Moldovan  as  her friend, Charlotta, captivated her scenes with her sound. 

This version had a darker feel and the  Phantom did not pull on my symphony heart strings as much as I remembered in the 90’s, but the music superseded my expectations. Phantom is  always about the power  and love of music. This US tour with its powerhourse cast filled the evening once again with the  beautiful music of the night.

(Phantom of the Opera  runs from February 20^th-March 3, 2019 at the Benedum Theater. For tickets and for more on the PNC Broadway series go to Trustarts.org.) 

*All songs linked to original Broadway soundtrack 

Spiritual Reflection

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because, I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

Other Sources

Phantom US Tour 

https://ustour.thephantomoftheopera.com/

Trust  https://trustarts.org/