PHANTOM plays at the Academy of Music March 19 – April 12, as part of BROADWAY PHILADELPHIA, presented by the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and the Shubert Organization. With newly reinvented staging and stunning scenic design, this new version of PHANTOM is impressive to say the least.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the story behind the show, it is based on the novel Le Fantome de L'Opera by Gaston Leroux. It tells the story of a masked figure who lurks beneath the catacombs of the Paris Opera House, exercising a reign of terror over all who inhabit it. He falls madly in love with an innocent young soprano, Christine, and devotes himself to creating a new star by nurturing her extraordinary talents and by employing all of the devious methods at his command.
While I knew the music from this show, I had never seen it before. Although I was not a fan of the dark theme of this show, it was incredibly well done. The staging and effects alone are enough to impress, not to mention the skill of the actors/singers on stage. The main scene wall rotates around the stage and accounts for most of the various settings, and it was immensely impressive. At one point the phantom and Christine are climbing down from the top of this set, and stairs just appear from inside the wall as they are walking down. It reminded me of something out of an Indiana Jones movie. Not only was the stage set impressive, but also the chandelier, comprised of over 6,000 beads, 632 strands, and weighing in at 1 ton. Staging, lighting, and the pyrotechnic effects were amazing. Sparks were flying during this show, both literal, and figuratively speaking. It was an impressive show!
For more information on this production, or upcoming performances please visit: http://kimmelcenter.org/
Many thanks to Kimmel Center for providing me with the opportunity to attend this show, for review, but all opinions are my own.
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