A Review of Phantom of the Opera, 5/20/2010, Part 1
First things first: OMG I GOT TO SEE PHANTOM AGAIN!!!!! AND TOOK MY SISTERS WITH ME!!!!! PLEASE NOTE THE EXCLAMATION POINTS OF EXTREME JOY!!!!!
The trip itself? Not so much joy. We got off later than we planned (as usual) due to unforeseen delays (read: Kaitlyn suddenly deciding she did not want to hang out with Uncle Joe and also did not want Mum leaving, sorry). Got delayed LONGER because of unforeseen construction. After some quality time spent swearing at traffic, the world in general and Michigan in particular, we finally hit Lansing only to realize…. We had no bloody clue where we were. AND we’d forgotten to print out any directions. Cue freak-out. By this time we’re closing in on Curtains, and of course I’m practically frantic, Lia (20) is pissed off, and Rina (18…omg, HOW DID THEY GET THAT OLD??) is dialing every person she knows who might a) be available, and b) have internet access.
Show starts at 1:30
We finally get ahold of someone at 1:25.
Combined with a not-at-all-helpful GPS system and a very, VERY helpful friend of Rina’s (I DON'T REMEMBER YOUR NAME BUT WE LOVE YOU) we finally figure out how to get… close? Close enough to find a parking garage! Hurray! So we park, and then have another realization when I get the tickets out. There was. a map. in the envelope.
Needless to say we all felt a little sick and more than a little stupid at this point. And it’s 1:36. WE HAVE MISSED THE OVERTURE. And we STILL don’t know where we are in relation to the theater….
Well, long story short, we finally get there, ten minutes into the show. I’m torn between OMG PHANTOM and OMG MISSED THE BEGINNING MUST KILL SELF NOW. I’ve never been late for Phantom. Deliberately missed the entire first act, yes, been actually late, no. But luckily for us (and unluckily for the rest of the people in our row) the friendly usher said we could take our seats as soon as Think of Me was over. Which we did. Which means I can finally start talking about the show itself.
I teared up, people. I’ll admit it. Stood there, watching our Christine for the evening (Kelly Jeanne Grant) start off shy and fly up to that triumphant high note at the end, I got misty. Because it was Phantom of the Opera. And I haven’t seen it since February 2003, in that very theater to be exact. And thanks to ALW I thought my Phantom days were pretty much over. But there I was, and there it was, and I was so happy I nearly cried.
Anyway. Moving on, song by song.
Think of Me: Kelly Jeanne Grant is a decent Christine, as Christines go. Not unforgettable, but not a disaster either. Her voice has its moments where it sounds slightly nasal, usually on the lower notes, but her upper register is pure gold, so that made me happy. That cadenza was a thing of beauty.
Sean McLaughlin is Raoul right now, and I have to say it: even as a firm E/C shipper (most of the time), his Raoul is quite adorable. Not just looks either. But more on that later.
Angel of Music: Our Meg (Paloma Garcia Lee) is quite obviously a dancer, not a singer. Which doesn’t bug me that much, because she WAS a dancer, not a singer. To quote Carlotta from the Ken Hill production; “she has a sweet little voice. Weak, but sweet”. And clearly she cares for Christine. So nice to actually see that friendship again after hearing so much about Crazy Gun-Toting (Nut)Meg. Same thing with Madame Giry (Nancy Hess), who is wonderfully attentive of Christine in a “I know what’s going on in this Opera House” kind of way. :-)
(We interrupt this review to bring you this moment of squee: OMG D.C. ANDERSON YOU ARE MY ONLY ANDRE AND I LOVE YOU DEARLY FOR IT. YOU WILL BE SO MISSED)
Now, AoM is when we get to see a bit more of Sean’s interpretation of Raoul. First impressions are re-enforced-he is adorable, but with an arrogant streak. Truly still enamored with Christine while simultaneously expecting absolutely no refusal to his dinner invite. I don’t know if this is because he’s that sure of her feelings or if it’s just because he’s a rich and handsome Chagny and of course any woman would be happy to go to dinner with him.
Side note: I loved how Kelly and Sean played the whole dressing room scene as a whole, but Kelly’s “Father said…” in particular. It was very natural, if you know what I mean. Like they really were long lost friends, and she was just telling him about this miraculous yet still very serious thing that had happened to her. It’s very, very important to her, and she has to impress this importance on Raoul. Of course she fails to do this, which leads us to…
The Mirror: When Stephen Tewksbury's voice first crackled across the theater I went “…huh”. Initially it was standard Jealous Phantom material; good ol’ genuine pissy-ness at the young pup moving in on his territory. Nothing to shiver about, though. All through Christine’s response, though, I was thinking about that split second change to sweet and hypnotic… and praying he would deliver.
Boy did he ever deliver.
I’ve been trying to find someone to compare his voice to since I walked out of the theater. Failing miserably, too. He’s a tenor with a very nice lower register, a hell of a set of pipes, and…. Seriously, I can’t think of anyone like him right now. He doesn’t remind me of Brad, he doesn’t remind me of Ted or Peter or Michael or.. anyone I remember hearing, really. It’s a very warm, very mellow sound, incredibly, surprisingly (after the ANGRY PHANTOM IS ANGRY snarling) sweet. And…. Well, one of my titles on the Old Phantom Board was She Who Loves Mirrors. Meaning, if the voice makes me want to get out of my seat and follow Christine through, it’s a Good Voice. This…. This was a Good Voice. Ho yes.
Phantom of the Opera: Needless to say I spent all of this song on the edge of my seat and trembling. Also… man, I missed this show. The fog machines, the levitating candles, the boat, the… just everything! It’s been so long I almost forgot how freaking GORGEOUS it can be, done live. Plus my sisters were there, so I was kinda trying to see it from their pov. In fact, maybe I’ll get their impressions of it later, since we were all baby phans once. :-) Voice-wise, it was very well done. Acting-wise…. Hehehehehe. Pardon me while I chuckle evilly. He didn’t do the hair slick but he DID do the cloak twirl and the hands-down-the-lapels move. I was very, very pleased. Because, yum. Then, having been thoroughly impressed by everything so far, I held my breath with the rest of the dead-silent theater in anticipation of….
Music of the Night: Oh man. Ohhhhh man. Oh yeah. I shed a tear over this one too. Because it was ERIK and I’d MISSED him so, so badly. Hadn’t even realized how much. Stephen was spot-on with this song. I’ve said it before and will say it again, he has the most indescribable voice. And he nearly kisses her in “turn your thoughts away.” And is very much the gentleman in “touch me, trust me”, so no Gerik-style groping (heh). I giggled a little at the “TA DA!” hands, with the mirror bride. So very much LOOK WHAT I DID ISN’T IT AWESOME YAY! The final note went on FOREVER. So yes, all in all, definitely an Oh god please do that again sort of moment. I really do like him.
Stranger Than You Dreamt It: OMG WOMAN STOP SCREAMING. If I were Erik I would strangle her myself just to make her stop squeaking every time I moved too fast. The one problem with this Christine, you see, is that she really seems to feel nothing for the Phantom this time around. I’ve heard the principle does this as well; plays it very much devoid of any romantic conflict. She loves Raoul, she does not love Erik, end of story. Once he’s unmasked, you really see that start to come out in her performance. Which is a little annoying. I mean, really. Flinching like he’s going to hit you? Come on. Come ON. And STOP F-ING SCREAMING. Though in her defense she was leaning in toward his hand there at the end. So.
Also; damn, man, that’s some upper body strength right there. You didn’t use your knees one bit. O_O
Scaring the ballet rats: was scaring the ballet rats. Did he always announce “the Punjab Lasso” before he plays hangman? I don’t know. Mme. Giry was properly threatening. I leaned over at this point and whispered “in other words, shut up or you’re screwed” to my little sister and made her snicker.
Notes/Prima Donna: Phan-damn-tastic. Yes I spelled it with a P. Shush. Man, it’s a treat watching veterans of the boards in the roles they’ve practically patented after so many years of playing them. Kim Stengel and D.C. Anderson… I mean, what more can I say? Perfect voices, perfect comedic timing, perfect EVERYTHING. I was giggling hysterically during most of it, mainly because omg, they so know their characters. And they have a BLAST. You can tell.
And my sisters got a kick out of the surround sound Phantom. I think Rina’s exact words were “creepy”. So, yay. And I only had to explain a little bit what was going on, which didn’t bother me any because hey, even long time phans have trouble with Prima Donna!
Il Muto: Once again I will simply say Kim Stengel. I adore this woman. I truly do. I am going to go on her facebook and tell her how happy I was to see her as Carlotta again. In addition, the cast was… they were actually having FUN, you know? They were enjoying themselves. Don Attilio (I think that’s the old cuckold’s name) was a ham, acting wise instead of voice wise, Kim had me in stitches with her croaking, and the managers…. And the BALLET. OMG WHEN DID THE BALLET GET TO BE SO FUNNY?? No, seriously. I don’t remember the Shepherd Boy flailing around so much in an attempt to get someone’s attention before! And when I say flailing I mean “how can I get someone to notice that SOME SERIOUS SHIT IS GOING DOWN while still making it look like I’m dancing… sort of…OMG HALP”. So. Cute.
I also giggled evilly when Buquet died. But then again, I’m twisted.
AIAOY: ah yes. This song.
Me: Time for Ami to take a nap.
Sisters: What? Why?
Me: Ok, ok, I won’t really take a nap. Just… I get bored during this scene.
Alright, I’ll admit they did very nicely on this song. Very nicely indeed. Frankly, Sean is a pleasure to watch even with his inherent I Am A Vicomte attitude going on, and truly seems to love Christine to little soprano-sized pieces.
Raoul: “You’re safe, no one can harm you…”
Me: unless I push you off the roof, in which case, not so safe.
Sisters: ::snicker::
Raoul: “Anywhere you go let me too.”
Me: off the roof?
Sisters: ::chortle::
And good heavens, was someone watching Patrick and Emmy recently, because I swear there was tongue in that kiss. Other than that, they were of course adorable.
AIAOY reprise: My exact whispered comment at this point was “…fuck”. I swear, there is no other scene in any musical or movie that makes me cry and get angry at the same time. With a good Phantom I’m right there the entire time, if that makes any sense. I feel rotten along with him, then feel righteously indignant with him as well. True to form, Stephen dragged me with him. He cried, oh how he cried. Not wailing and gnashing of teeth, mind you, but to be honest his subdued grief was a lot more believable. And more painful. Damn those little twits, they made Erik cry.
CHANDELIER SMASH.
If my sisters have something to add I will be posting their impressions as well. :-D
The trip itself? Not so much joy. We got off later than we planned (as usual) due to unforeseen delays (read: Kaitlyn suddenly deciding she did not want to hang out with Uncle Joe and also did not want Mum leaving, sorry). Got delayed LONGER because of unforeseen construction. After some quality time spent swearing at traffic, the world in general and Michigan in particular, we finally hit Lansing only to realize…. We had no bloody clue where we were. AND we’d forgotten to print out any directions. Cue freak-out. By this time we’re closing in on Curtains, and of course I’m practically frantic, Lia (20) is pissed off, and Rina (18…omg, HOW DID THEY GET THAT OLD??) is dialing every person she knows who might a) be available, and b) have internet access.
Show starts at 1:30
We finally get ahold of someone at 1:25.
Combined with a not-at-all-helpful GPS system and a very, VERY helpful friend of Rina’s (I DON'T REMEMBER YOUR NAME BUT WE LOVE YOU) we finally figure out how to get… close? Close enough to find a parking garage! Hurray! So we park, and then have another realization when I get the tickets out. There was. a map. in the envelope.
Needless to say we all felt a little sick and more than a little stupid at this point. And it’s 1:36. WE HAVE MISSED THE OVERTURE. And we STILL don’t know where we are in relation to the theater….
Well, long story short, we finally get there, ten minutes into the show. I’m torn between OMG PHANTOM and OMG MISSED THE BEGINNING MUST KILL SELF NOW. I’ve never been late for Phantom. Deliberately missed the entire first act, yes, been actually late, no. But luckily for us (and unluckily for the rest of the people in our row) the friendly usher said we could take our seats as soon as Think of Me was over. Which we did. Which means I can finally start talking about the show itself.
I teared up, people. I’ll admit it. Stood there, watching our Christine for the evening (Kelly Jeanne Grant) start off shy and fly up to that triumphant high note at the end, I got misty. Because it was Phantom of the Opera. And I haven’t seen it since February 2003, in that very theater to be exact. And thanks to ALW I thought my Phantom days were pretty much over. But there I was, and there it was, and I was so happy I nearly cried.
Anyway. Moving on, song by song.
Think of Me: Kelly Jeanne Grant is a decent Christine, as Christines go. Not unforgettable, but not a disaster either. Her voice has its moments where it sounds slightly nasal, usually on the lower notes, but her upper register is pure gold, so that made me happy. That cadenza was a thing of beauty.
Sean McLaughlin is Raoul right now, and I have to say it: even as a firm E/C shipper (most of the time), his Raoul is quite adorable. Not just looks either. But more on that later.
Angel of Music: Our Meg (Paloma Garcia Lee) is quite obviously a dancer, not a singer. Which doesn’t bug me that much, because she WAS a dancer, not a singer. To quote Carlotta from the Ken Hill production; “she has a sweet little voice. Weak, but sweet”. And clearly she cares for Christine. So nice to actually see that friendship again after hearing so much about Crazy Gun-Toting (Nut)Meg. Same thing with Madame Giry (Nancy Hess), who is wonderfully attentive of Christine in a “I know what’s going on in this Opera House” kind of way. :-)
(We interrupt this review to bring you this moment of squee: OMG D.C. ANDERSON YOU ARE MY ONLY ANDRE AND I LOVE YOU DEARLY FOR IT. YOU WILL BE SO MISSED)
Now, AoM is when we get to see a bit more of Sean’s interpretation of Raoul. First impressions are re-enforced-he is adorable, but with an arrogant streak. Truly still enamored with Christine while simultaneously expecting absolutely no refusal to his dinner invite. I don’t know if this is because he’s that sure of her feelings or if it’s just because he’s a rich and handsome Chagny and of course any woman would be happy to go to dinner with him.
Side note: I loved how Kelly and Sean played the whole dressing room scene as a whole, but Kelly’s “Father said…” in particular. It was very natural, if you know what I mean. Like they really were long lost friends, and she was just telling him about this miraculous yet still very serious thing that had happened to her. It’s very, very important to her, and she has to impress this importance on Raoul. Of course she fails to do this, which leads us to…
The Mirror: When Stephen Tewksbury's voice first crackled across the theater I went “…huh”. Initially it was standard Jealous Phantom material; good ol’ genuine pissy-ness at the young pup moving in on his territory. Nothing to shiver about, though. All through Christine’s response, though, I was thinking about that split second change to sweet and hypnotic… and praying he would deliver.
Boy did he ever deliver.
I’ve been trying to find someone to compare his voice to since I walked out of the theater. Failing miserably, too. He’s a tenor with a very nice lower register, a hell of a set of pipes, and…. Seriously, I can’t think of anyone like him right now. He doesn’t remind me of Brad, he doesn’t remind me of Ted or Peter or Michael or.. anyone I remember hearing, really. It’s a very warm, very mellow sound, incredibly, surprisingly (after the ANGRY PHANTOM IS ANGRY snarling) sweet. And…. Well, one of my titles on the Old Phantom Board was She Who Loves Mirrors. Meaning, if the voice makes me want to get out of my seat and follow Christine through, it’s a Good Voice. This…. This was a Good Voice. Ho yes.
Phantom of the Opera: Needless to say I spent all of this song on the edge of my seat and trembling. Also… man, I missed this show. The fog machines, the levitating candles, the boat, the… just everything! It’s been so long I almost forgot how freaking GORGEOUS it can be, done live. Plus my sisters were there, so I was kinda trying to see it from their pov. In fact, maybe I’ll get their impressions of it later, since we were all baby phans once. :-) Voice-wise, it was very well done. Acting-wise…. Hehehehehe. Pardon me while I chuckle evilly. He didn’t do the hair slick but he DID do the cloak twirl and the hands-down-the-lapels move. I was very, very pleased. Because, yum. Then, having been thoroughly impressed by everything so far, I held my breath with the rest of the dead-silent theater in anticipation of….
Music of the Night: Oh man. Ohhhhh man. Oh yeah. I shed a tear over this one too. Because it was ERIK and I’d MISSED him so, so badly. Hadn’t even realized how much. Stephen was spot-on with this song. I’ve said it before and will say it again, he has the most indescribable voice. And he nearly kisses her in “turn your thoughts away.” And is very much the gentleman in “touch me, trust me”, so no Gerik-style groping (heh). I giggled a little at the “TA DA!” hands, with the mirror bride. So very much LOOK WHAT I DID ISN’T IT AWESOME YAY! The final note went on FOREVER. So yes, all in all, definitely an Oh god please do that again sort of moment. I really do like him.
Stranger Than You Dreamt It: OMG WOMAN STOP SCREAMING. If I were Erik I would strangle her myself just to make her stop squeaking every time I moved too fast. The one problem with this Christine, you see, is that she really seems to feel nothing for the Phantom this time around. I’ve heard the principle does this as well; plays it very much devoid of any romantic conflict. She loves Raoul, she does not love Erik, end of story. Once he’s unmasked, you really see that start to come out in her performance. Which is a little annoying. I mean, really. Flinching like he’s going to hit you? Come on. Come ON. And STOP F-ING SCREAMING. Though in her defense she was leaning in toward his hand there at the end. So.
Also; damn, man, that’s some upper body strength right there. You didn’t use your knees one bit. O_O
Scaring the ballet rats: was scaring the ballet rats. Did he always announce “the Punjab Lasso” before he plays hangman? I don’t know. Mme. Giry was properly threatening. I leaned over at this point and whispered “in other words, shut up or you’re screwed” to my little sister and made her snicker.
Notes/Prima Donna: Phan-damn-tastic. Yes I spelled it with a P. Shush. Man, it’s a treat watching veterans of the boards in the roles they’ve practically patented after so many years of playing them. Kim Stengel and D.C. Anderson… I mean, what more can I say? Perfect voices, perfect comedic timing, perfect EVERYTHING. I was giggling hysterically during most of it, mainly because omg, they so know their characters. And they have a BLAST. You can tell.
And my sisters got a kick out of the surround sound Phantom. I think Rina’s exact words were “creepy”. So, yay. And I only had to explain a little bit what was going on, which didn’t bother me any because hey, even long time phans have trouble with Prima Donna!
Il Muto: Once again I will simply say Kim Stengel. I adore this woman. I truly do. I am going to go on her facebook and tell her how happy I was to see her as Carlotta again. In addition, the cast was… they were actually having FUN, you know? They were enjoying themselves. Don Attilio (I think that’s the old cuckold’s name) was a ham, acting wise instead of voice wise, Kim had me in stitches with her croaking, and the managers…. And the BALLET. OMG WHEN DID THE BALLET GET TO BE SO FUNNY?? No, seriously. I don’t remember the Shepherd Boy flailing around so much in an attempt to get someone’s attention before! And when I say flailing I mean “how can I get someone to notice that SOME SERIOUS SHIT IS GOING DOWN while still making it look like I’m dancing… sort of…OMG HALP”. So. Cute.
I also giggled evilly when Buquet died. But then again, I’m twisted.
AIAOY: ah yes. This song.
Me: Time for Ami to take a nap.
Sisters: What? Why?
Me: Ok, ok, I won’t really take a nap. Just… I get bored during this scene.
Alright, I’ll admit they did very nicely on this song. Very nicely indeed. Frankly, Sean is a pleasure to watch even with his inherent I Am A Vicomte attitude going on, and truly seems to love Christine to little soprano-sized pieces.
Raoul: “You’re safe, no one can harm you…”
Me: unless I push you off the roof, in which case, not so safe.
Sisters: ::snicker::
Raoul: “Anywhere you go let me too.”
Me: off the roof?
Sisters: ::chortle::
And good heavens, was someone watching Patrick and Emmy recently, because I swear there was tongue in that kiss. Other than that, they were of course adorable.
AIAOY reprise: My exact whispered comment at this point was “…fuck”. I swear, there is no other scene in any musical or movie that makes me cry and get angry at the same time. With a good Phantom I’m right there the entire time, if that makes any sense. I feel rotten along with him, then feel righteously indignant with him as well. True to form, Stephen dragged me with him. He cried, oh how he cried. Not wailing and gnashing of teeth, mind you, but to be honest his subdued grief was a lot more believable. And more painful. Damn those little twits, they made Erik cry.
CHANDELIER SMASH.
If my sisters have something to add I will be posting their impressions as well. :-D