On Oct.9, 1986, at Her Majesty’s theatre in London, the official premiere of the Phantom of the Opera was held. I would LOVE to have been there, but since I was not quite 8 years old at the time and didn’t have a clue what musical theatre was, not to mention the fact that I live on a different continent, I suppose it wasn’t too likely! 🙂
Of course, once I discovered this fabulous musical I have been trying to make up for lost time. On May 12, 1993, my high school band took a trip to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to see the Canadian touring company of Phantom. It was my first such experience, and I knew from the second the lights went down that it would not be my last! If you’d like, you can read more about my experiences.
What do I love about Phantom? It might be easier to ask what I don’t love, although I still may not be able to give an answer. The story, of course, is a large part of it, but almost equally important is the music. All of the music is gorgeous…it has been described as “gothic”, but to me it is pure romance! I never really knew what it meant to FEEL music until I saw this show. Of course, the show is incredible live as well. The staging is incredible, and the effects are amazing! I firmly believe that everyone in the world should see this show at least once!
It is especially the role of the Phantom that is so wonderful: his songs, his actions, his costume…everything exactly as I would have imagined! I suppose it only stands to reason that many of my favorite performers have been in this show. Or, see if you can figure out who the Phantoms in the pictures are in my quiz!
This is the show that I have seen the greatest number of times (17 so far!!), and I enjoy it more everytime I see it! I’ve now seen eleven different Phantoms, twelve different Christines, and eleven different Raouls (and interestingly enough, I’ve never seen the same combination of leads twice!). Although I enjoy comparing the performances, more often than not I just sit back and let the show work its magic on me.
My favorite places to see the show so far have been the Pantages theatre in Toronto, the Majestic Theatre in New York City and Her Majesty’s in London…they’re all really beautiful!!
| (left) Pantages Theatre, Toronto, Canada   (center) Majestic Theatre, New York City, New York, U.S.A.   (right) Her Majesty’s Theatre, London, England | ||||
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The show is currently playing in London, New York, Budapest, Copenhagen and Madrid, as well as a national tour in the U.S.