Originally debuted at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London in 1986, Andrew Lloyd Weber’s famous production, The Phantom of the Opera, was re-staged for television in a twenty-fifth anniversary performance at the Royal Albert Hall (PR Newswire 1). As a special televised performance, props and sets were designed for close-up viewing, and the regular Royal Albert Hall cast was augmented by special guest performances from original 1986 cast members such as Michael Crawford (the original Phantom) and Sarah Brightman (Christine Daae) (PR Newswire 1). These aspects lent a particularly surprising enhancement to an already classic and timeless production, providing a wonderfully stark juxtaposition between the innocence of first love and the darkness of obsession, desire, and betrayal.
The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of an opera house haunted by a dark “phantom” with a disfigured face. He appears to a young novice soprano, Christine Daae (Leroux and Coward 11). He falls in love with her, seducing her with darkness, coaching her, and using his power to ensure she is cast as a lead. Meanwhile, a childhood sweetheart, Raoul, also courts Christine. Eventually, obsession overcomes the Phantom and he kidnaps Christine as his bride (Leroux and Coward 261), leading to a large, grand finale highlighting Christine’s struggle between love and desire, darkness and light.
Act I begins with a beautifully set stage, immediately drawing attention to the striking elegance and intricacies of the props; the monkey with cymbals is ornately carved and appears to be handmade. The transition from mundane auction to the collapse of the chandelier leading to an elaborate opening with dramatic musical overtones that are beautifully executed does not disappoint. One also immediately notices the traditional sets blended with a raised orchestra and use of minimalist backdrops. These lend simple elegance, do not detract from the actors, but still lend a full appearance to the stage.
Christine’s first solo, “Think of Me”, is executed beautifully. Her voice is talented and full, but not too full; the innocence of the character was retained while the maturity and beauty of her voice was expressed. “The Music of the Night”, the classic duet between Christine and the Phantom, was similarly memorable. The use of the screen in the background of the production, first introduced during the “Music of the Night”, then utilized throughout, blended perfectly both the traditional aspects of theatre and new technology of film.
Act II continues with costumes reminiscent of those used during “day of the dead” ceremonies - the phantom in a mask and elaborate red costume – it serves as a reminder that, after a beautiful closing to Act I, in which the Phantom’s voice conveys softness and inner humanity, the Phantom still has an evil within that is not to be forgotten.
The finale of the musical is an elaborate showcase of vocal talent between Christine, Raoul, and the Phantom. The transition of darkness into light – Christine’s gain of knowledge and choice between light and dark, love and desire - is highlighted by seemingly brilliant staging techniques. The Phantom, Christine, and Raol are strategically placed in triangle formation to illustrate the struggle between the three. The background is often completely black, to highlight the actors, rather than the props or sets. The use of the monkey beautifully highlights the end of this scene and showcases the sadness felt by the Phantom after a glimpse of his humanity and ability to forgive.
Overall, this was a beautiful production, which showcased amazingly strong performances by the famous cast, and, because of having been televised, was able to highlight specific areas that traditional theatre may not have. New technology, such as the use of projection screens onstage, contributed to the surrealism and immersed the audience in the performance as if they were inside of it themselves, feeling every change between darkness and light, obsession and betrayal, as Christine is seduced by the darkness and chooses the light.
Works Cited
PR, Newswire. "The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall Celebrates the 25th Anniversary of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Record-Breaking Hit with a Lavish Production, on THIRTEEN's Great Performances in March on PBS." PR Newswire US 07 Feb. 2012: Regional Business News. Web. 5 Dec. 2014.
Leroux, Gaston, and David Coward. The Phantom of the Opera: A New Translation by David Coward. New York: Oxford University Press. 2013. Print.
Neto, Luzardo. “The Phantom of the Opera – at the Royal Albert Hall FULL part 1”. Online video. YouTube. YouTube, 8 Sept 2013. Web.
Neto, Luzardo. “The Phantom of the Opera – at the Royal Albert Hall FULL part 2”. Online video. YouTube. YouTube, 8 Sept 2013. Web.
