Photos by Matthew Murphy
By Tracie Maunders
When Ibrheard The Phantom of the Opera was playing at the Bass Performance Hall, I knewbrI had to see it—it's my all-time favorite Broadway show. I'd never seen thisbrnew production by Cameron Mackintosh, but I heard it was spectacular. This wasbrmy first time at this venue, and it's a truly beautiful place filled withbrornate details throughout. The Hall has 2,042 seats and every seat has anbramazing view of the stage. When I took my seat, which was orchestra center, Ibrcouldn't help but notice the beautifully painted dome above—just one morebrdetail that really sets the Bass Performance Hall apart from others.
I've seenbrPhantom several times in different cities, including Vegas where a venue wasbrbuilt specifically for the show, and I was looking forward to seeing thebrdifferences between this production and the original. Once it was time for thebrshow to begin, I had such excitement as there are a few times throughout thatbralways send chills up my spine—the chandelier moment in particular. (If you've seenbrthis show before, you know exactly what I am talking about.) In this newbrproduction, you can expect to see new set designs, painted illustrations andbrspecial effects. However, the music you've come to know and love is still thebrsame.
If you'rebra long-time fan like me, you'll notice the differences from the original, andbrif you've never seen it before, you'll no doubt leave a fan. One of the coolestbrparts is that you'll feel like you've been transported back in time to ThebrPhantom's opera house. I don't want to give too much away but, it's fun to bebrable to see it with a fresh pair of eyes. I can tell you that the infamousbrchandelier has had a bit of a redesign and while the haunting music thatbraccompanies it has not changed, the way it appears to the audience has. A fewbrother areas that differ from the original are the “Masquerade” number, the stairsbrthat lead Christine and The Phantom down to his lair (watch for a cool specialbreffect) and even the ending has a subtle difference.
I was impressedbrwith this cast as a whole, but I can't say enough good things about DerrickbrDavis, who plays The Phantom for the first time in his career. I was lucky tobrsee the original Phantom, Michael Crawford, when my parents took me to see itbrfor the first time when I was younger. I was captivated to say the least. SincebrMichael, Derrick is by far the best Phantom I have ever heard and he portrayedbrthe character so hauntingly well! He gave the most amazing vocal performance ofbrthe night. I couldn't wait for him to reappear, and luckily enough, he has morebrstage time with this new production. He alone is worth the price of admission!
ThebrPhantom of the Opera is in town through October 30. I highly recommend seeingbrit! Visit BassHall.com to purchase tickets. If you’d like to enjoy a meal priorbrto the show, the venue has light bites and beverages available for purchase,brbut there are also a few nearby dining options, like The Cheesecake Factorybrdirectly across the street or GRACE.
Did youbrsee the show? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Photos by Matthew Murphy