![]() ![]() The use of bright gold as well as shadowed hues in both upstage and downstage instances added to the actors’ presence and ultimate purpose throughout the performance. However, the fantasy ultimately trumped with both shadowy elements, the magical quality of the cast’s voices, and the idea of the phantom as a personified, alienated ghost. Having the performance as a technical “show within a show,” this contrast in lighting added to the binary between realism and fantasy. In this, the center spot lighting took effect however, it is important to note that even in the dimness, especially the instances in which the Phantom arose, the musical styling was even more powerful because it was the only true element the audience was physically exposed to. The spotlight which shone on each individual actor for every solo glorified the pristine voice that echoed throughout the theatre. ![]() The cast members continuously delivered in stage presence, each with a unique, compelling voice that distinguished one’s role from the other. I had not expected the whole musical to have been in song, and to my surprise, it not only contributed to the story stylistically, but elevated the plot and characters beyond expectation. The cast of The Phantom of the Opera was second to none in terms of both acting and singing. It was in the piece I felt the musical really come to life. ![]() The importance of the song, having been named after the musical itself, was celebrated so beautifully and concentrated with such strong instrumentation that I was left extremely overwhelmed, in complete awe and admiration. Out of all the elegant ensembles, I felt the leading piece, “The Phantom of the Opera” was indefinitely the crowd pleaser. The room was filled with such power that it simply could not be contained people were moving their feet and swaying their hands in an almost spiritual sense, overcome by the medley of classical tempos, hard-rock elements, and operatic styling. PHANTOM OF THE OPERA COSTUME DESIGNER CRACKAlthough the audience was not posed on eye-level with the orchestra, the music itself was felt vibrantly through the massive speakers that decked each crack of the theatre. The orchestra pit, comprised of a diverse array of instrumentation including, but not limited to: violins, harps, drums, cellos, flutes, clarinets, oboes, bass, bassoon, French horns, and the occasional keyboard, was a collaborative, decadent ensemble that cut through the all-black attire of the musicians. The lighting, intertwined with the sound effects and prop movement, took the musical over-the-top, and made it perhaps, the most inspiring, exhilarating, and well-developed performance I have ever experienced in my life.Īs a novel, The Phantom of the Opera is itself an incredible piece however, as a musical, it’s even more of a delight. The most wonderful part of the whole musical, though, had to be the changing sets, and more specifically, the effects that fed into the performance’s mysterious aura. The costume design was rhythmic, colorful, and enchanting. The cast was dynamic, filled with both charisma and very, very powerful lungs. The orchestration, under the direction of David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber, was a pure musical delight. The Tony Award winning production, which continues to reign at the Majestic Theatre of Times Square, has been performed well over 10,000 times and the afternoon show I attended emulated just that: a perfect articulation of one of the most revered pieces to have ever been written. The longest-running Broadway show The Phantom of the Opera is not only a New York musical masterpiece, but a global phenomenon. ![]()
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