I can't believe I've finally got to see "The Phantom of the Opera" live and I was so near I could touch Messieurs André and Firmin and La Carlotta and Christine and... and The Phantom of course. I even felt the heat from the fire and blastings during "Bravo, Monsieur!" on my face. It felt so surreal--I kept telling myself that it's The Phantom in the flesh that I was seeing and not a screen projection. Oh my God. It happened. It actually happened, a dream come true.
I believe it was folly on my part that I have literally memorized the filmed 25th Anniversary Performance at the Royal Albert Hall. Throughout the show last night I can't help but compare almost every scene. The element of surprise was almost lost on me--"Oh, Raoul will come from that side," "Piangi wil say this," "I know what's under Firmin's cloak," "Phantom will do such and such," "'Christine, I love you...'"
And yet I have been entranced to a whole new level by this World Tour production. The Christine (Emilie Lynn) was as beautiful as she was amazing. There was youthfulness in her expressions and yet her strength reverberated in her scenes opppsite Raoul (Anthony Downing) and the Phantom (Jonathan Roxmouth). I was looking for more... angst, perhaps, in her Wishing You Were Somehow Here again. But it's a tiny concern really. (It's probably only because I kept thinking of Sierra Boggess.) Now the Phantom is another thing. Roxmouth was utterly awesome! His is the voice that brings chill to one's spines right at the very first note. I kept comparing him to Ramin Karimloo but Roxmouth was so different in many ways. I can't decide if it was the physical grit of Phantom's raw energy that we felt or his overflowing frustration and anger and passion gushing forth all at the same time. His would prolly be on of the best Phantoms I'd ever hear and see (and I've seen a handful of videos and seriously plan to see a lot more live). I didn't cry during The Final Lair scene (I truly thought I would, prolly my tears had dried up with the many many times I've watched the 25th anniversary performance), but Christine and Phantom's final encounter was as heartwrenching as it could be.
The CCP's main theater was tranformed into the Opera Populaire and the way every bit of space was utilized truly amazed me. One special trick during the Apollo's Lyre scene had me gaping at the stage muttering, "U...so! Uso! Uso deshou?!" Yes, the whole performance was the spectacle it was promised to be. It was all I could do not to take my phone out and take photos of Christine in her Hannibal costume or The Phantom in his lair beyond the lake or glorious masquerade ball at the grand staircase or the Don Juan Triumphant montage or... all of it really.
I know it's the way of theater productions but I wish recordings and photos of that night would be available. What a waste to leave everything to the fragile storekeeper that is memory. Still, I think it's what makes theater extraordinary--the transience and uniqueness of each and every performance. And that night of September 20th in the CCP was ours and ours alone. Seriously, it was worth all the months of anticipation and saving up, and the planning and the queasy feeling that we won't be able to make it and the wishing for a perfect weather that day and the pagluwas pa-Maynila.
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| The Phantom's fans since circa 2006. XD |
One down, five, perhaps six, more in my musicals-to-watch list. Next stop: West End.
Masquerade! Paper faces on parade.
Masquerade! Hide your face so the world will never find you.
