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| Chris Mann as The Phantom and Katie Travis as Christine Daaé Photo by Matthew Murphy |
highlights from local critics reviews - (click link at bottom of each review to read complete review)
"“The Phantom of the Opera” still entertains but a lackluster cast, an ill-reconceived staging, and disappointing new sets will never erase the brilliant perfection of Hal Prince’s dynamic and stunning initial staging that audiences practically know by heart...“The Phantom of the Opera’s” new production disappoints in every way. The new sets aren’t as grandly spectacular and...looks cheaper ...The lush, melodic score still soars...lacks the original version’s sweep, grandeur, and stylish flow....Both Chris Mann’s oily Phantom and Katie Travis’ flighty Christine aren’t of the stature to hold audience interest or attention and neither performer sings with the soaring grandeur required by Lloyd Webber’s beautiful tunes. The rest of the performers fade into the scenery as this production places emphasis on spectacle as opposed to telling the story....Yes, the new “Phantom of the Opera” entertains but it lacks the original’s panache, beauty, and shining brilliance. It would have been better to just remount the original production." -Chris Curcio, KBAQ (click here to read the complete review)
"Advertising "the spectacular new production" of "The Phantom of the Opera" is partly the usual hype and partly a case of protesting too much....Any attempt to update one of the most popular and eye-popping musicals of all time is bound to disappoint some of the faithful...some of the visual wow moments just don't have the same impact as before....Nonetheless, you can't really say the revamped "Phantom" looks cheap. ...for those who love "Phantom" primarily for Andrew Lloyd Webber's score, this is very much the same show it has always been: that is, a pseudo-operatic excursion into musical excess both lush and bombastic....the current star is memorable only for a certain shallow and callow impression... Mann lacks the booming gravitas you expect in a good villain, something that's most apparent in his speaking voice, which sounds more like the Boy Scout of the Opera than the Phantom. Most unmenacing....For those "Phantom" fans who prefer the original spectacle to the 2.0 version, the bad news is that this incarnation will be the touring version for the foreseeable future. The good news is the Broadway production is still going after 27 years, the longest run in history." -Kerry Lengel, Arizona Republic (click here to read the complete review)
for more information on this production, that runs through June 7th, click here
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