The Point of No Return - Phantom of the Opera

The side of the Pantages

We had been planning this trip to Toronto for a long time, and seeing Phantom wasn’t actually in the original plan. But, there was no way I could be in Toronto and not see it! 🙂 The day before the show, we went out to dinner with some fellow phans from the Phantom mailing list, and went to the stage door with them as well. It was a lot of fun!!

The show was incredible! We were sitting up in the balcony since we had only bought our tickets the day before, and it was my first time seeing it from “on high”. 🙂 It was definitely interesting to get the whole view of the stage, but I missed the intimacy you feel when you’re closer, and, of course, being able to see the actor’s faces and facial expressions!

Ethan Freeman was the Phantom that day, and he was AMAZING!! I knew very early on that I had a new favourite Phantom. 🙂 There are so many things that he does that are so wonderful…I love how he said “Brava, brava, bravisimma” at his very first appearance…that is the proper way to say those lines, but most say “Bravi” instead. His Music of the Night was just breathtaking. His laugh during “Il Muto” was enough to almost send me into hysterics…which earned me some strange looks from the people around me, who were more concerned with the fact that Bouquet had just been hung. 🙂 The angel scene was gorgeous and the final scene was simply beyond description. For more about his performance, read my Seventh Experience.

Me and Ethan Freeman

Me, Kim Stengel, and Alice

Margaret Ann Gates was Christine that day, and I really enjoyed her performance as well! It only struck me as strange for a minute that they would have an Oriental Christine, and then I forgot all about it. It was Laird Mackintosh again as Raoul, and I just really don’t care for his interpretation at all. Kim Stengel and Roland Rusinek as Carlotta and Piangi were great, and the rest of the cast was really good as well!

The stage door afterwards was a lot of fun, since it was Easter and we had little gifts to give to everyone! Unfortunately, we missed Margaret Ann, but Roland, Kim and Laird were all very pleased with the gifts and very sweet to talk to! Then finally Ethan came out, and my obsession with the man was solidified. 🙂 He’s incredibly nice, and funny, and sweet, and talented, and so on. 🙂 He was already eating candy as he came out, but that didn’t stop us from giving him more. 🙂

The Quotes:

“I am *not* going to cry this time.”
Me, before the show.

“I look handsome, I look smart…”
Roland Rusinek, inspired by our Joseph bags.

“Ooh, you’re Ethan Freeman!”
Alice, to Ethan Freeman.

The Phantom of the Opera	ETHAN FREEMAN
Christine Daaé	MARGARET ANN GATES
Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny	LAIRD MACKINTOSH
Carlotta Giudicelli	KIM STENGEL
Monsieur André	BLAINE PARKER
Monsieur Firmin	TERRY HODGES
Madame Giry	CATHERINE DUFF
Ubaldo Piangi	ROLAND RUSINEK
Meg Giry	BRENDA MATTHEWS
Monsieur Reyer	GERALD ISAAC
Don Attilio (“Il Muto”)/Passarino	SCOTT WATANABE
Porter/Marksman	BRIAN C. DUŸN
Monsieur Lefèvre	GARY KRAWFORD
Auctioneer/Joseph Buquet	JOHN DODINGTON
Lion Man/Fireman	JOHN DAVEY-HATCHER
Slave Master (“Hannibal”)	MARK SNOW
Flunky/Stagehand	KIRK HANSEN
Policeman	ROBERT MEILLEUR
Page (“Don Juan Triumphant”)	JAYNE SMILEY
Porter/Fireman	PAUL MULLOY
Page (“Don Juan Triumphant”)	PAMELA MacDONALD
Wardrobe Mistress/Confidante (“Il Muto”)	LISA GAASENBEEK
Princess (“Hannibal”)	SANDRA MARGOLESE
Madame Firmin	LISA COSENS
Inkeeper’s Wife (“Don Juan Triumphant”)	JANET MARTIN
The Ballet Chorus of the Opera Populaire	SAMANTHA ADAMSON SHEENA BELLINGHAM SARAH DAURIE ANITA BOSTOK DEANNA PIDWERBESKI MIMI F. PINEAU
Dance Captain/Ballet Swing	BARBARA SMITH-LEESE

Phantom Experience Index