Broadway in Chicago announces Cameron Mackintosh presents the new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.
In one word, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is Extraordinary!
I was supposed to see PHANTOM in 1990. My friend’s father had a heart attack and we gave our tickets to my parents. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s score has haunted and eluded me for 24 years. Although I know every word to every song, I’ve only imagined what the live production would be. I saw the movie a few years back and it was good. I saw the theatrical production last night and it was phenomenal.
I had the great fortune of being sat in the second row. A seat that in other theatres might be considered a pain in the neck…literally. For this production, it only adds to the experience. PHANTOM has all kinds of special effects. From my vantage point, I watched the fog roll over the conductor in the orchestra pit. I felt the heat from the torches blazing on the stage. And I picked out a plastic shard of chandelier explosion from my hair. Webber’s score is so passionately pulsating, it’s mesmerizing. In such close proximity to the singers, my trance came dangerously close to becoming audibly embarrassing. I fought the urge to sing along.
The story is about a disfigured man who haunts a Parisian opera house. The Phantom falls for Christine, a chorus girl and tutors her to stardom. Proving drama doesn’t happen just onstage, Cooper Grodin (Phantom) assumed the title role only recently. Grodin was pitch perfect. In some scenes, I could hear his rapid breathing. It was as if he was building his physical capacity to belt out the notes. And he did, marvelously!
When every PHANTOM song is my favorite, it’s hard to pick the best. In my head this morning, it’s a toss up between “The Point of No Return” and “Masquerade.” Grodin evocatively sings “The Point” with the lovely Julia Udine (Christine). Udine has powerful synergy with both Grodin and Chicago native, Ben Jacoby (Raul). Udine and Jacoby pledge their love in a heartfelt “All I ask of you.”
The entire cast is terrific! They’d enchant performing in a high school gymnasium in street clothes. Lucky for the audience, Set Designer Paul Brown and Tony-award winning original Costume Designer Maria Bjornson define the visual aesthetic. Brown’s set continually evolves and revolves into various locales. From the opera house roof to the hidden caverns, the scenery is dynamic. Characters descend into the Phantom’s liar by a steep and disappearing staircase. It looks treacherous which add to the dangerous thrill of a crazy monster in the basement. Filling Brown’s innovative set is Bjornson’s beautiful costumes. The “Masquerade” number is unforgettable partly for the music, mostly for the spectacle. Bjornson’s unique party frocks are a frivolity explosion of masks, capes, and crinoline. With multiple ‘pretend operas‘ within the actual musical, Bjornson’s rolls out a variety of looks for a mega-amazing fashion show.
With 24 years of anticipation, I had high expectations for THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. It exceeded all my imagined preconceptions. This is a show to see. I loved THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.
Running Time: Two hours and forty-five minutes includes an intermission
At Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph
Based on the novel, Le Fantome de L’Opera, by Gaston Leroux
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics by Charles Hart
Additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe
Book by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber
Orchestrations by David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber
Production overseen by Matthew Bourne and Cameron Mackintosh
Directed by Laurence Connor
Musical supervision by John Rigby
Music direction by Richard Carsey
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays at 7:30pm
Saturdays at 8pm
Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays at 2pm
Thru March 2nd
Buy Tickets at www.broadwayinchicago.com