When the curtains fell, there were rousing applause and a standing ovation from the audience – it was a performance that rightly deserved this honour.
I first caught The Phantom of the Opera more than ten years ago and back then, I didn’t know how to appreciate musicals and my knowledge of theatre was zero to none. But I remember leaving with a feeling of unexplainable sorrow after the show and I made a promise to myself that I would watch it again. I guess that’s the power of good theatre productions – some will make you think, some make you laugh, some make you cry, some challenge your values but above all, some will move you. And The Phantom of the Opera is one such production that moved me and left me in awe. Sure, Broadway has given birth to a lot of great productions but among its line up of spectacular works, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera remains one of the most successful and well loved musical. This is why when I knew that it’s finally made its way back to Singapore, I had to catch it.
If I have to sum up my experience in one word, it would be ‘electrifying’. For one, apart from the alluring music, it commanded a splendid cast. Brad Little put up an amazing performance as The Phantom – his voice was amazing and he has incredible stage presence that takes your breath away each time he enters a scene. On top of it all, he shared great chemistry with Claire Lyon who played the female protagonist Christine. But beyond the grandeur stage design, beautiful costumes and powerful cast, I think the enduring success of this musical boils down to the fact that it tells a timeless tale. It’s a tragic love story of a disfigured Phantom who falls in love with a young singer Christine, and devotes to grooming her into the new opera star, who ends up falling in love with another man, Raoul.
My only gripe? The famed crashing chandelier scene – which is the climax of the musical – could have been better executed. In fact, it was over so fast and lacked any impact that I was left disappointed, sad to say. But for such a beautiful and haunting overall performance, I am more than willing to look past that. This is one show that deserves front row seats tickets for you will leave the show feeling overwhelmed, in a good way, of course.
P.S: A few more shows before the season ends so be sure to catch it! For more information, log on to www.marinabaysands.com/Singapore-Entertainment/Shows/The-Phantom-of-the-Opera.
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The Phantom is here
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