Phantom of the Opera

Phantom of the Opera ranks as one of my favorite musicals, dating back to when I first saw it as a teenager in the summer of 1991. I was thrilled to rekindle that youthful fascination with its Gothic romance by purchasing a ticket when the national tour came to Salt Lake City in 2018. Naturally, I eagerly anticipated seeing it again during this season of Broadway at the Eccles. The current production thoroughly captivates the audience with an exceptional cast, decadent costumes, and a return to much of the beloved original staging.

The passionate intrigue still resonates 35 years after first seeing it. A mysterious figure (Isaiah Bailey) haunts the Paris Opera House, demanding a monthly salary and exclusive access to Box Five. This Phantom further orchestrates peculiar phenomena to frighten managers Firmin (William Thomas Evans) and André (Carrington Vilmont) and artists Carlotta (Midori Marsh), Ubaldo (Christopher Bozeka), and Madame Giry (Lisa Vroman) into obeying his will. When a backdrop falls during a rehearsal of Hannibal, Carlotta storms out in disgust. Faced with closing the show, Madame Giry proposes that chorus girl Christine Daaé (Jordan Lee Gilbert) take Carlotta’s place, noting recent vocal instruction Christine has received. Though initially reluctant, Christine steps forward and impresses everyone with her transcendent voice. She instantly becomes the opera house’s newest sensation, attracting the attention of childhood friend and opera patron Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny (Daniel Lopez). After her triumphant debut, Christine reveals that an Angel of Music has coached her, believing this to be the fulfillment of her father’s deathbed promise. Alone in her dressing room, this Angel, actually the Phantom, appears to Christine and transports her to his underground lair. Here, Christine sees the Phantom more vividly. He is not the angel her father promised, nor is his interest in her mere infatuation. It is a deep obsession born of a real desire to be loved, complicated by his lifelong disfigurement. Christine is equally mesmerized and afraid. The Phantom returns Christine to the opera house above, yet this intensifies, rather than diminishes, the hold he has on her. Driven by his unyielding fixation on Christine, the Phantom’s machinations at the opera house threaten his protégée’s own ambitions, her emerging love for Raoul, and the opera company as a whole. The stage is set, and Christine must decide her fate and that of her colleagues.

While I enjoyed the version of Phantom of the Opera that I saw in 2018, this current production surpasses it! The creative team in 2018 utilized updated costumes and staging which were understated and restrained compared to the original. Currently, audiences are again able to enjoy the opulence and glamour they had known and loved in earlier versions. This is notable in Carlotta and Ubaldo’s vibrant costumes, and Madame Giry’s costume, though black, has more sheen and sparkle than in 2018. Even more stunning is the staging of the Phantom and Christine’s descent to his underground lair, once again illumined by multiple candelabras. Equally magnificent is the return of the grand staircase during “Masquerade” and the more elaborate interpretation of the Red Death. Reincorporating these elements thoroughly elevates the sensory impact of the production!

The current cast boasts superb singing voices across leading and supporting roles, creating an incredibly well matched ensemble that complements one another’s rich, robust sound. While some portray the Phantom as a misunderstood genius with whom Christine and the audience should sympathize, Bailey’s characterization unequivocally establishes him as a calculating madman who keeps everyone firmly in his grip. Bailey’s rich, yet incredibly nuanced, baritone entices and holds the audience’s attention from his first menacing notes in “The Mirror,” through an insidious “Past the Point of No Return,” to his plaintive reprise of “All I Ask of You.” Though Christine is an impressionable young character, Gilbert renders her as strong and decisive as well as vulnerable. Gilbert conveys Christine’s growing fortitude through commanding, versatile vocals that rival the power of Bailey’s Phantom. A personal favorite, “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” allows Gilbert to showcase her full technical and emotional range. From the song’s pensive beginning through its liberating crescendo, Gilbert imbues her performance with beautiful resonance. In “Past the Point of No Return,” Gilbert’s Christine confronts the Phantom with great resolve that is incredibly satisfying to watch. Lopez’s Raoul is a formidable counterpoint in the love triangle who exhibits polished vocal chemistry with Gilbert’s Christine. His thoughtful phrasing in “All I Ask of You” imparts an accessible conversational quality to their duet. Marsh’s Carlotta and Bozeka’s Ubaldo balance the leading trio with equally powerful vocals. Their strong performances give the “show-within-a-show” the same credibility as the main narrative.

This Phantom of the Opera offers a visceral, high-caliber experience that is well worth the investment! If circumstances allow, purchase a ticket before they sell out. The production will be in Salt Lake City through Sunday, April 26. Click here for more information. To learn more about the national tour, click here.