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Phantom a simple tale spectacularly told
The Phantom of the Opera
At the Q.E. Theatre until Aug. 27
Tix: 604-280-4444
Reviewed by Jo Ledingham
The phantom that used to haunt the Paris Opera House in the late 19th century has now moved into Queen Elizabeth Theatre. On opening night, only a few minutes into Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, the colossal chandelier that is supposed to rise up to the ceiling, failed to get off the ground. Like an arthritic behemoth, it lurched and swayed, its fringed lamp shades bobbing, but the bulky thing simply would not levitate. Then the announcement came that technical difficulties were being experienced and, when solved, the show would resume. It was almost funny: a show about an opera house haunted by a phantom, being haunted, perhaps, by a phantom. The curtain came down, the performers left the stage. After something like 10 minutes, the show resumed. Having seen the show before and knowing that the chandelier would eventually swing out over the audience before crashing back onto the stage, I would have vacated the front row had I been seated there. Just how far was this phantom prepared to go? Perhaps Sir Andrew was taking his revenge against a growing number of critics who take him less and less seriously.
Mocked as he is, Webber and Phantom still deliver stunning entertainment. Produced by Broadway Across Canada, a division of Live Nation, this show is a full-on spectacle: a fabulous proscenium arch with gilt fauns, satyrs and angels; various layers of swagged, silk and velvet curtains; hundreds of detailed costumes including period gowns from operas staged in the late 1800s; a candle-lit grotto and gondola; thousands of lighting cues; a full orchestra; and, of course, the infamous chandelier.
To get a fresh perspective, I took a nine-year-old guest. I didn't discuss the plot beforehand. At the interval I asked her if she was getting it all. "Not really, but it's really pretty." By the end, however, she was completely awe-struck and although she may not have understood everything, she certainly got the gist of it.
The Phantom of the Opera is a Faustian tale crossed with Beauty and Beast ("Only longer," said my young guest.) When Carlotta, the Paris Opera Company diva, refuses to go on stage because of continuing, unexplained disasters in the theatre, young dancer Christine steps in. Coached by a mysterious music teacher in the bowels of the opera house, she hasn't fully realized the implications of the bargain she has struck: in exchange for fame she's destined to become the bride of the disfigured phantom. When handsome young Raoul turns up, Christine knows she cannot honour the deal she has unwittingly made.
As you would expect from a production of this international touring calibre, there's not a false note. Pretty Jennifer Hope Wills sings Christine (alternating with Sarah Lawrence and for the Aug. 12 matinee, Erin Stewart). Adam Monley sings Raoul; Kim Stengel is Carlotta. John Cudia is The Phantom.
But it's not really about stars: it's all about spectacle. The masquerade scene is designed to dazzle us with masks and costumes-and dazzle it does. Fabulous creatures, exotically costumed, crowd a vast staircase. The stage shimmers with light. Dancers whirl and sway in a kaleidoscope of colour. It's a feast for the eyes and ears.
Seeing Phantom a second or third time won't give you new insights into the story: it's a simple tale, spectacularly told. But taking a Phantom newbie with you lets you experience it freshly through someone else's eyes. After the show (11 p.m. and past her bedtime), my guest chattered excitedly on and on until she fell asleep in the car. Soon, she'll be picking out with one finger on the piano "The Music of the Night," the melody we sang on the way out of the theatre. My own not-so-mysterious ploy to turn her into a musician or at least a patron of the arts is working.
published on 08/11/2006
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