For twenty-five years those lyrics have started the culmination of my favorite piece of entertainment (and if box office receipts mean anything, the World's as well), The Phantom of the Opera. For those of you who know me well and those who don't I am what you would call a theatre junkie. I honestly can't get enough of the stuff and Phantom is the bug that bit me to start it all. I was 9 when my family took a trip to the west coast in the summer of 1989 and went to see Phantom starring original cast members Michael Crawford and the late Steve Barton at the Ahmanson Theatre. Even from the back of the theatre I was hooked, and over the following 22 years I have seen Phantom 11 times (and the sequel once). Shortly after I moved to Germany in April it was announced that for the 25th anniversary of the show there would be a special staging of the production at London's Royal Albert Hall (I have a slight obsession w/ this venue too based on my Killers DVD), and from the moment it was announced I knew I was going, this is one of those things where price was not going to be of issue (like a Buckeyes title game, or that glorious day in the future when the Browns play in the Super Bowl). Luckily I was able to hop online the day tickets went on sale and secured a ticket for the show at face value, in the 10th row no less.
After the flight and hotel were secured (seriously London, is there a hotel in the center city area under 150 pounds a night?) it was all a matter of time before I was winging my way to London for this epic (in my mind) event. I got into London pretty late on Friday and really didn't have time to do much other than grab a quick bite and a pint at a pub and then call it a night (also, the pubs closing at 11:30...unacceptable). On Saturday, after walking around the center of London during the day checking out sites I had seen before and having an internal monologue on how this city is going to be a zoo during the Olympics (seriously, London is crazy packed on a random weekend in October, those 2 weeks are going to be psycho) it was time to head back and suit up for the show. Changed and ready I set off on the mile or so walk from my hotel to the Albert Hall and the show...let's just say as soon as I saw the Albert Hall, I knew this would be an awesome event.
As I arrived a little early there was plenty of time for a couple of cocktails before, so I headed to the bar nearest to my seat and had a few beers and made sure I pre-ordered a cocktail for intermission (OK, so this is a brilliant idea, you buy your intermission drink before the show then at intermission your drink is just sitting there waiting for you...amazing! This needs to catch on more). One quick point here, the only beer they had at the Albert Hall was Asahi. I found this slightly weird as I don't think I have ever had one when I wasn't enjoying sushi as well (although Asahi is my go to beer with sushi). Anyway, after my tasty beverages it was time to find my seat...and as I showed my ticket to the usher, he just politely says, yes just head toward the front...so I do and wouldn't you know it, row 10 was actually the 4th row of my section!
Show time...the principles for the performance were: The Phantom - Ramin Karimloo (Phantom - London, original Phantom - Love Never Dies); Christine - Sierra Boggess (original Christine - Las Vegas, original Christine - Love Never Dies); Raoul - Hadley Frasier (Javert - Les Mis, London). The cast was Phantastic (ok, that was cheap), but honestly it was just a tremendous cast top to bottom. The staging was impeccable given the challenges of staging a full production on the scale of Phantom in the Albert Hall including a full orchestra that was elevated above the main stage.
 |
| Yep, super cool. |
 |
| Now that's what I call close! |
From the very first strike of the auctioneer's gavel "Sold! Your number sir...thank you" I was gripped in this performance. I had seen Ramin and Sierra in the sequel a year prior when I was in London and although that show had its faults, the performers were not one of them, and they did not disappoint on this evening either. Ramin Karimloo has a tremendous voice that powers through the songs and gives a bit of a rock star flair to the role (it is well documented that ALW views the show as a "rock opera") that doesn't detract from the emotion that the character of the Phantom needs to evoke. Where a lot of the performers you see in the role have what I would call a more classic voice that brings out the sadness of the character, the performance that Ramin gave brought out a certain edge to the role (he really is a bad guy...I mean he kills two people) while also enabling the audience to feel that vulnerability that hides beneath the surface. Sierra Boggess, I don't know that words could do her performance justice...flat out amazing. I generally don't care for the character of Christine all that much, I mean yes it is an incredibly difficult part to sing but most of the time she is this sort of blah character that you don't feel a lot of emotion from. Not this night, she brought a new energy to the role and a level of independence and empowerment that I had never really seen from this part (maybe Christine is bumpin' Beyonce now). During Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again (my least favorite song in the show) I literally had goosebumps from the delivery...it brought the house down, I think the applause had to have lasted for 2-3 minutes (I really thought an impromptu standing ovation was about to occur). Even Hadley Frasier brought some new nads to Raoul, usually he is kind of a wuss just taking Christine away at the end but this guy was still pissed at the Phantom and looked like he wanted to go back for a fight at the end.
Other highlights of the show included Masquerade, with an increased number of cast on the stage this normally big number took on a new life and exploded. The first trip to The Phantom's layer lair, Phantom of the Opera/Music of the Night was as always incredible. There is something about the first time the boat appears on stage that always amps this show up a notch for me, and Ramin handled Music of the Night in an effortless manner that was perfect. Finally, the finale...the final decent to the layer, always my favorite scene in the show...and this was not a disappointment. As I stated before, Ramin balanced the pure psychopath / broken man sides of the Phantom better than anyone I can remember, Hadley Fraser really bringing some fight to Raoul and Sierra's Christine in the middle of it all...it was really gritty, sexy, and passionate...everything you want out of this show. Easily the best collective casting I have ever witnessed to take on Phantom.
For as special as the actual performance was, after the curtain calls (as with any of these anniversary type things) Andrew Lloyd Webber came out and gave a couple of words to the crowd then brought out the original creative team for Phantom, the original London cast (sans Michael Crawford...which was disappointing, but he is currently starring in The Wizard of Oz in the West End) and Sarah Brightman who sang the title song with a quintet of Phantoms: Colm Wilkenson (original Toronto), John Owen-Jones (current London), Anthony Wardlow (original Australia), Peter Joback (taking over in London next year I guess...sort of unfortunate, he was the weak link), and Ramin. The Phantom's then used the bridge into Music of the Night to serenade ALW while they played a video montage of his career above the stage before going into Music of the Night to close out the show. As I was at the first of three performances that weekend and given ALW's reaction to the little serenade, he had no idea it was coming and was truly taken back by it. It was really cool being there for the first of the performances as you really just saw all of the emotion from everyone on that stage who was involved in the original and in the evening's cast. A few quick thoughts on the encores, Colm has still got it. Really impressed for someone who is 67 to get out there and not just be a nice add to the mix, he really nailed it. John Owen-Jones, would really like to see him in the role someday and may have to make a trip to London before he leaves the show...that dude can flat out sing. Anthony Wardlow as well was tremendous and if this Peter Joback dude is the next Phantom then I will be in no rush to catch it, wasn't impressed at all.
 |
| Sarah and Andrew |
 |
| Sarah and the 5 Phantoms |
The performance was not without a few flaws in presentation, but this is mostly due to the limited size of the stage and technical aspects of the RAH. The chandelier doesn't crash (they shot fireworks out of it instead), the elephant doesn't make an appearance in Hannibal, the use of the moveable video screens (although, I imagine these looked good for the cameras), and the managers weren't all that funny. The lack of Michael Crawford in the encore was a disappointment as well, he did make an appearance at the Sunday encore that was beamed live to movie theaters but didn't sing...so I wasn't totally jipped on that. Overall, just a tremendous performance and if you have the chance to see it in a theater or can rent the DVD when it comes out, I totally encourage you to do that especially if you haven't seen the show before. The 2004 movie didn't do the stage production of Phantom any justice and I have a feeling that once you see this version you will agree. Plus kudos to the people I was sitting next to who were personal friends of Michael Crawford, you guys rocked and were fun to chat with!
As always, see you on the flip.
No comments:
Post a Comment