The Phantom of the Opera is meant to wow. From its glittering, back-stage pass to the drama-filled machinations of a Parisian opera house, to its soaring arias and duets, to its showy pyrotechnics and moody depths, there’s a reason it’s one of the most beloved and long-running Broadway musicals in history.
Telling the story of Christine Daaé (Katie Travis), a young ballerina who displays otherworldly talent as a soprano under the tutelage of a demented, disfigured musical genius, The Phantom of the Opera centres on forbidden love, forgiveness, and – like any good opera (or, rather, story about one) – a healthy dose of murder. Here, prolific musical producer Cameron Mackintosh and director Laurence Connor have given a gritty reboot to the glossy Andrew Lloyd Webber/Harold Prince original, and fans (fantoms?) were out in full force Friday night for this interpretation of the award-winning 1988 production.
Special effects still reign and political correctness is still tossed with aplomb out the window, but the audience at the July 14th performance was moved to its feet by the end, literally fist pumping when the Phantom – an impassioned Derrick Davis, who happens to be the first African-American star to tour in the blockbuster hit – stepped forward for his bows. And that’s thanks, in large part, to the strength of Act Two.
Act One is fortissimo from the moment the prologue comes to its explosive conclusion. A story based in the wings and watery bowels of the Palais Garnier, centred around a menacing mentor stalking a suggestible ingenue, should start with a whisper. And while, technically, the Phantom’s first appearance is a disembodied hiss, the rest of Act One plays out like a shout. The orchestra is cranked and the singers compete to keep up as they set the stage for the tragic and twisted gothic romance.
It’s a shame, as Davis and Travis are likely capable of the restrained performances that made their Broadway counterparts, Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess, household names. In this mix, much of the motivation and mystery of the relationships – the chemistry between Christine and her mentor, and Christine and her suitor Raoul, for that matter – is lost to sheer volume, leaving little for us to plumb in the shadows of their souls.
A number of the cast also seemed uninvested in the choreography at times, seemingly going through the motions of the dance – during the group ballroom number “Masquerade,” for example – rather than actually dancing.
But where the emotion of Act One – the cast’s fear and confusion, and Christine’s burgeoning obsession with her “Angel of Music” – gets lost in the overwhelming orchestration and highly elaborate, awe-inducing set piece (designer Paul Brown’s version of a Magic Box), the grief and rage of Act Two truly soars to the rafters, likely to stir the soul of our very own Opera Ghost, if the Queen Elizabeth were lucky enough to be possessed.
From the Phantom’s majestic Bowie-esque appearance in “Why So Silent” onward, the tension between Christine, the Phantom and Raoul starts to make sense. And by the time she’s finally forced to make a choice, her grief and regret is palpable. As is the Phantom’s.
Davis was wholly deserving of his Vancouver ovation, captivating with every menacing appearance on stage and presenting the most fully formed, fully motivated character in the show. As the Phantom wails “Pity comes too late” in the penultimate scene, you’re left as haunted as he is.
The Phantom of the Opera runs now until July 23 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre (630 Hamilton St.). Tickets available here.
