Day #406
The Phantom links up with his shadow
By Katherine Gougeon
Special to The Star
Kami Karimloo hopes her son, Ramin, who once wanted to be a doctor, is simply going through a phase. After all, how many 16-year-olds want to be phantoms when they grow up?
The Grade 11 student from Alexander Mackenzie High School, Richmond Hill, has seen the Toronto production of The Phantom of the Opera 10 times in the past five years. He knows every word to every song. And when auditioning for local musicals, “Music of the Night” is the piece he sings.
While his goal is to play the title role in The Phantom, the self-confessed “Phantom groupie” recently did the next best thing. As part of his school job-shadowing program, Karimloo spent the afternoon backstage with the show’s current lead, Peter Karrie, getting a feel for the job.
With a few hours to the matinee performance, the two had plenty of time to chat as Karrie’s makeup - enough powders, colors, plastics and wigs to make a beauty editor blush - was being applied.
Karimloo, who has a resume, an agent, drama courses and an an acting credit with a local theater under his belt, is anxious to know if he is on the right track.
Karrie admits he never took voice lessons or acting classes, and represented himself for the first 20 years of his career.
“When I was 16, I was playing rugby, putting together a rick band and belting out Elvis and B.B.King tunes around the house,” he recalls.
Karimloo’s next concern is his vocal range: there are certan notes he can’t seem to hit. Karrie advises him to keep practicing.
“Singing through a muscle when it gets sore is a good way to stretch it,” he says, adding that activities like running and swimming are great for the voice because they involve breath control.
To keep the larynx limber when on holiday, Karrie sings “Music of the Night” in the shower.
Karrie also stresses the importance of characterization, especially when the character’s face is obstructed. For his role, Karrie perfected the intricate finger movements which have become his character’s signature gesture. “Because the Phantom wears a mask, I had to find another way of interpreting what he is feeling.”
As the afternoon passes, Karimloo watches Karrie interact with crew members who impact information, the publicist who is updating his biography and the manager who takes his dinner order - he can’t leave the theater between the shows.
(What does a phantom eat? Boiled chicken on a bed of boiled rice and three toasted bagels.)
With half-an-hour to showtime, Karrie has time to sip honey and water. “We love to say things are ‘great for the voice’ - even when they’re not.”
One of the last things Karrie does before going on stage is read his fan mail, which he answers personally.
Recently, a fan who planned to propose to his girlfriend the night of the show arranged for Karrie to present her with a rose.
Upon bestowing the flower, Karrie asked her if she’s said yes - before her beau had worked up the nerve to pop the question. Fortunately, in life as in art the show went on: the sheepish suitor whipped out the ring and the woman accepted on the spot.
As Karrie advised Karimloo: “The most important thing is never stop singing - even if you forget the words.”