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Time Out
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
'Phantom of the Opera' musical review: A hauntingly beautiful gothic romance masterpiece
Don your masquerade ball finery – the longest-running musical on Broadway has returned to grace Singapore's stages after six long years. First debuting at West End in 1986, The Phantom of the Opera by musical maestro Andrew Lloyd Webber has been captivating audiences for decades, with a grand total of close to 14,000 curtain calls completed over its 35-year New York theatre tenure. Surely, this tale possesses a certain allure that keeps pulling both fresh and longstanding fans in – and I wasn't about to miss out on my first Phantom experience with this new run at Marina Bay Sands' Sands Theatre. A love triangle, jealousy, manic obsession and elements of horror – Phantom has all the trimmings of a classic gothic romance. It goes without saying that unlike titles like Wicked and Disney's Beauty and the Beast, The Phantom of the Opera isn't one of those upbeat feelgood musicals with toe-tapping tunes you'd be itching to dance along to. This dark narrative will grip you in wide-eyed rapture and bated breath – right from the start where the foreboding title track invades the stage with electric guitar riffs, all the way till the bittersweet ending scene where calmness finally settles after the tumult. Set in Paris Opera House circa the 19th Century, Phantom is essentially a musical production within a musical production – its story is centred around an opera troupe and its dancer-turned-soprano-lead Christine Daaé (Grace Roberts), who soon becomes the object of the Phantom's (Ben Forster) desire and all-consuming infatuation. It's only fitting that many of its tunes take on operatic influences – a friendly introduction to an otherwise niche category of classical music, if you will. With such a singing style, some portions of the lyrics might admittedly be hard for the untrained ear to make out, so expect minor moments where you'll strain your ears only to find the words unintelligible – at least for some of the side characters who stick towards a more traditional opera vocal technique. Thankfully, all the leads' voices ring clear and strong, with the overall story remaining unaffected and easy to follow even for first-timers who haven't done their pre-show homework. And oh, what a treat we were served by the treacle-throated Roberts, who hit all the toughest high notes with masterful precision. While the title song and other hits like 'Think of Me' and 'Music of the Night' are certainly set to wow, it's Roberts' hauntingly beautiful rendition of the ballad 'All I Ask of You' – a heartfelt duet with Matt Leisy who plays Raoul – that blew us away with its delicate and ethereal, yet powerful, delivery. Both male leads Leisy and Forster bring forth a commendable performance, with Leisy's warm vocals perfectly complementing Roberts' in their shared pieces, and Forster commanding the stage as the tortured antagonist. The latter did mildly falter on holding some of his higher notes, but his overall portrayal of the Phantom as a mentally distraught, tormented outcast of society is one to watch. All this to say: the boys are great in their own right, but the clear star of the show is Roberts – much like the character she plays. Though I haven't had the privilege of witnessing any other Christines on stage, it's clear as day that Roberts was made for the role. Other supporting characters like Carlotta (Raquel Suarez), Madame Giry (Marni Raab), and especially Meg Giry (Claire Lander) also hold their own. One underrated tune we loved amidst the chaos of it all was 'Notes / Prima Donna' – an ironically cheerful-sounding ditty mainly sung between the opera house's co-owners Andre (Curt Olds) and Firmin (James Borthwick). With a springy beat and fun rhyming lines, it starts off with a tinge of cheekiness before eventually segueing into something with more sinister undertones. Story-wise? More discerning modern audiences may not necessarily sympathise with the Phantom as the infamous 'tragic figure' of the story. Perhaps I'm no empath, but I certainly didn't feel much for the disfigured character and his inexcusable actions, as much as his circumstances were unfortunate. While I can't speak for others, this for me was likely due to the lack of a heart-wrenching backstory delving into how he ended up in his plight. That said, it's also worth remembering that this musical was written in a wildly different era of entertainment, where times were much simpler. But forget overly complex storylines and character lore – The Phantom of the Opera is to be appreciated purely for being a theatrical masterpiece, and in that regard, it hits the spot. Powerhouse vocals aside, its graceful ballet numbers, glittering costumes and dazzling sets are guaranteed to impress as you're whisked from stage to cemetery and dark mysterious lair. We'll refrain from spoiling it for new watchers, but we'll say this: So cleverly designed are the sets that they'll completely rewrite your perspective of the depth that a theatre stage can hold. You'll know exactkt what we mean once you watch the show. If you haven't already witnessed this spectacle, it's high time you get swept up in the whirlwind. This is one musical that's fully worth splurging on better seats for – we strongly recommend going for something in the centre column towards the front for the full immersive experience.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
GCSC Visual and Performing Arts hosted a recital to showcase faculty musical talents
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – For students in the audience it was an unforgettable experience. The faculty best known for their expert teaching in everything from theory to performance proved they're just as skilled at performing as they are instructing. The recital hosted by Gulf Coast State College Visual and Performing Arts featured everything from classical piano solos to opera. Panama City will host 4th annual health fair 'We have had so much fun practicing, rehearsing, getting ready, picking out music, doing all the things I'll be playing today as well. And so that's something that's kind of not something I do every every month or every week. And so it's a really fun time for us, too, to be able to collaborate with people that are, you know, within your level, that are colleagues,' GCSC Visual and Performing Arts Chair Jennifer McAtee said. The theme of the event musical quotations leans into borrowed melodies from different times or one person taking over a melody and crafting it into their voice. The free concert welcomed all in the community, but they are accepting donations that will go towards the Gulf Coast State College Scholarship Fund. 'It goes into a foundation fund that does help students participate either in the music department if they are non-majors or as majors for their actual scholarships to do their degrees with us,' Assistant Professor Steven Diblasi said. Some performances featured well-known classics such as 'Think of Me' from Phantom of the Opera and 'Somebody to Love' by Freddie Mercury. Faculty members say they love seeing students watch them in action. 'We're usually in the classroom teaching and so they don't actually see us as we are as a musician. And so it's a chance for them to see us as musicians and not just as our teacher who talks about all that stuff. But you never actually see it in practice,' Diblasi said. Bay County mourns death of the honorable community leader Don Crisp Members of the Panama City theatre company joined the staff as special guests. The Gulf Coast State College Visual and Performing Arts hosts two recitals a year and members say they hope to continue this tradition. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
