The Phantom of the Opera (July 22nd, 2016)

The Phantom of the Opera

July 22nd, 2016

My 60th time seeing Phantom! I've seen the show in three countries, with countless combinations of Christines, Phantoms, etc. Though not my favourite show (it's up there, but it's not my absolute favourite), Phantom will always hold a special place in my heart for the difficult times it got me through. Most of my favourite cast members left at the last cast change (just Lisa-Anne Wood remained), so I hadn't been to see it in a while (just a research trip for an essay), which made this visit so much more special. Anyway, I had a great cast of people I knew I loved and some exciting understudies that I had never seen but ended up loving. So here are my thoughts, organised by character :)

Seat/Venue Review: I sat F8 in the stalls, and it was £68 (Her Majesty's Theatre). Decent view aside from one pesky head, and the seats are nice and comfy, but the ushers in this theatre are terrible. People were taking photos and videos during the show, on their phones, playing games, talking loudly, and the ushers did absolutely nothing (except at curtain call, when suddenly stopping photography became their favourite hobby). Not too impressed. 

Lisa-Anne Wood (Christine)

Lisa-Anne Wood (Pinterest)

What can I say about Lisa that I haven't already? She is the perfect Christine; that wonderful combination of exquisite voice, thoughtful acting, and the exact right look. Of course, that means I walk into the theatre expecting quite a lot from her, which could be dangerous. However, Lisa rose to and exceeded expectations. There's too many things I love about her to narrow down to just a paragraph or two, so forgive me, but this is going to get long. She's also totally one of those Christines where you don't think there's much they can or need to improve on, but then somehow she does, and it's even better than the first time (and when the first - ok, first five - times were pretty incredible - it's an impressive feat). I think the first thing I noticed during this performance was her voice; it's really grown and matured a lot since I last saw her. She's not shrill in the least bit anymore, but she has still retained whatever it is that makes her voice unique. She doesn't sound 'girlish' anymore, and with the rest of her portrayal maturing quite a lot, it was the perfect adjustment. I love that even though she's been an incredible Christine all along, she's still constantly evolving and trying new things. It keeps her performances very fresh. So now's my favourite part; I get to talk about all the tiny little things I loved!

Lisa really blends in with the Ballet Girls at the beginning (right height and all), so it really does seem like she comes out of nowhere when Meg volunteers her to sing. She was very timid to start out, but you can clearly see when 'Christine's' resolve strengthens and she really starts to sing out. Easily rivals Harriet for best Think of Me. It's truly an experience. There's such joy and exuberance in that performance, and I loved how happy and excited she seemed by the end. You could really feel just how important this moment was to Christine (actually I think that's something that carries through Lisa's performance; every emotion she puts across is something the audience can feel and identify with. It's great).

Lisa-Anne Wood (Pinterest)

I actually forgot to watch Degas Ballet because Lisa's acting was so interesting (which hasn't happened since the days of Olivia-Christine). I just found it so cool seeing how her relationships with Meg, Mme Giry, and Raoul started out. It was the cutest thing when Meg got told off; Lisa just started giggling. It was such a cute moment, and a nice nod to Christine's youth and personality. Often, Christine can become far too moody, or too deer-in-headlights with no actual personality. Lisa gave her Christine a clear personality. Since I've seen the show so many times, I really care about the details of the acting, and I adore that Lisa's taken the time to put all of these unique little touches into her performance. Anyways! Cute little scene with Mme Giry; thought Lizzie and Lisa were a nice combo. Two detailed portrayals that mesh well; yay! Loved the Lisa/Nadim dynamic; he wasn't too overbearing, she played up Christine's childlike side. They're a nice duo, but I would've loved to see Lisa opposite Antony Hansen. The sheer amount of detail in both of their portrayals would've been incredible to witness. Maybe someday.

Onwards; we all know my feelings about the title song (my all-time favourite moment in the show is in that song). But Lisa's acting was good, her lip-synching is flawless (if you didn't know, you'd have no clue). Great sense of wonder coming from her. As well, Lisa's acting in Music of the Night is really unique. She plays it half trance, half "what the hell is going on right now?" It's a really interesting combination, and makes the scene fascinating to watch. Yes, Scott is the focus in that moment (more on that below), but Christine having a sincere and believable reaction to this entirely new situation is so important. In the rest of the first act, Lisa's obviously very good. Really touching acting in All I Ask of You coupled with enchanting vocals, and she's a really adorable Serafimo in Il Muto (thought I'm still made they changed the blocking and cut my favourite bit of Serafimo's). Not much to say there; just general awesomeness.

Onto the second act; really great ferocity when facing off with Carlotta in Notes II; it's great that Lisa's Christine really stands up for herself and is completely willing to get right in Carlotta's face. Her little emotional breakdown was realistic and hard to watch (way too identifiable!), and her storming off stage was the perfect combination of angry and distressed.

As for Lisa's performance of Wishing: flawless. Acting, voice, everything is just on point. Also she does that Olivia thing with "And speaks my name," where she almost belts 'name' rather than opera-sings it (that being the technical term, of course) and this makes me very happy. Can't say much about this other than she's one of two people's versions of this song I actually like (I'm sorry, it's a beautiful song, but only Lisa and Olivia Brereton can actually act it realistically. Everyone else is just too… staged). Anyhow, I really love how, in Wandering Child, Lisa at first looks confused, then goes into that trancelike state. When she turns towards the grave, her eyes almost rolled back into her head a bit. You can completely believe that the Phantom has some otherworldly power over her. As silly as I've always found that bit of blocking, I think Lisa makes it as believable as possible. Especially with Scott's melodic and enticing voice. When Raoul breaks the trance, Lisa shuddered a bit, again contributing to that illusion. It was a nice touch.

Lisa-Anne Wood (her twitter)

As much as I love Lisa's Wishing and Think of Me, her standout performance easily comes in Point of No Return. And this is also the song where I think Lisa's growth and improvement is most apparent; her PONR was always a bit of a stark contrast to the rest of her portrayal; she went from quite girlish and naive to completely confident and mature in one song. But now that her whole portrayal has matured, and her PONR has become more darkly sultry rather than peppy and sassy, it just gives a whole different dimension to the song. I'm not really sure how to describe it, but she just oozes confidence. It's an interesting dichotomy with Music of the Night; here, it's Christine's voice putting the Phantom under the trance (Scott's acting needs another mention here. These two are a fabulous combination). You can't take your eyes off of Lisa in this song, so you're almost seeing her the way the Phantom would. But I also love her complete and utter panic when she feels the mask, and she pulls her arms away at the exact right second. Her removal of the hood and mask are also more flawlessly executed than any other Christine; she moves as if she's about to take his hand, and then BAM hood off. Then she reaches up as if to kiss him… and there goes the mask. Great attention to detail, as usual. Didn't see the journey to the lair acting sadly; eyes were too busy tearing up.

I wish I could talk about the Final Lair, but all I remember is that I loved it. Lisa gets really fierce here, and really goes after the Phantom, sort of letting all that anger of how much he's screwed up her life get out. I appreciate that Lisa's Christine (or LAWstine, if you will) is never in love with the Phantom (or at least that's how I see it in her portrayal; would be interesting to hear from her how she's thinking of it). She appreciates him as a friend and teacher, and it is hard for her to let go of him, but she doesn't love him the way he loves her. The goodbye is heartbreaking, because you know they're both devastated for different reasons. Scott gripping Lisa's hands for dear life nearly destroyed me. I can't say much else about the Final Lair because it was all a blur of tears and sniffling. Only issue in this scene is I think she could've taken another second or two before the "Tears of hate" line. The theatre was dead silent and could've used a moment to appreciate the tension in the air.

And some other little things I loved about Lisa that don't fit anywhere else: clearly has ballet training. Hooray! Always love a Christine that can dance. The lipstick colour she picked: I want. Its a really cool colour. It looks fabulous on her, suits the colouring of the wigs and the costumes - excellent choice. Actually something interesting was that I brought my best friend to see the show for the first time, and even she said that Lisa just looked exactly like a Christine should. So there you go, I'm not the only person who thinks she's the quintessential Christine. Can we get a billboard with her on it, please? Also something another friend who saw the show the next day pointed out; Lisa has this great vulnerability that carries through the entire performance. Yes, her Christine can be very strong, and naive, and many other things. But this touch of vulnerability, that sense that she is under threat in her own 'home' is a lovely detail that lends some consistency to an ever-evolving portrayal.

Anyway, honestly the only reason Lisa doesn't top my favourite Christine's list is because she's too perfect (and also I don't like how she handles the Don Juan skirt, but that's just me being exceptionally pedantic). She's just missing a bit of that rawness. She's completely flawless, but almost too much so.  Interestingly, she actually does a lot more things the way I want them than my official favourite Christine. But I absolutely think that anyone would be hard-pressed to find a more textbook perfect Christine; What really makes her special is that she's the total package, and I do entirely believe that Lisa is probably the best and most well-rounded Christine currently performing (and maybe ever). 

Scott Davies (Phantom)

Scott Davies (Pinterest)

Love a Scotty show! Since he was likely my very first ever Phantom (age 6! Whew!), he's got a special place in my Phantom history book. I love seeing Scott because he's such a fluid performer; every movement is flawlessly executed (the cape flip, disappearing Phantom - you name it, Scott does it perfectly) without feeling over rehearsed. Even though I must've seen him a dozen times by now, it always feels as though I'm watching him for the first time. He's never stale or dull. I do find that Scott can overact at times (final lair, anyone?), but it bothers me less when he's paired with Lisa, who's also a big personality onstage. They work off of each other nicely and are a really solid Phantom/Christine pairing.  Anyway, one of the moments I really liked (mostly because it felt so spontaneous) was just before "You try my patience;" Scott lunged towards LAWstine and threw out an arm as if to strike her; she ducked backwards just in time, and looked at him with this intriguing combination of fear and loathing. I'd never seen anyone do that before, but it worked so well. The dynamic that they both brought to that relationship was really interesting. I also like that he's toned down the hissing in that part. One of my other favourite details is when Christine comes back to the lair at the end, and Scott stands up and straightens his clothing before turning around. He is so desperate to be loved by her, even though he knows it's not possible. I teared up; it was quite a sad moment, even though you knew Christine was making the right decision. The final highlight I want to mention has to be Scott's Music of the Night. It's so wonderfully sung; there's a moment of silence when Scott just breathes in, and in that moment I realised I was breathing in time with the rhythm of the music. You can see why Christine could be hypnotised by a voice like that. It just sucks you right in, and you're living in that moment. Scott's acting in that scene is great too, but the voice and the breath is what pulls it all together. 

Nadim Naaman (Raoul)

(Pinterest)

I love Nadim, but I thought he blended in a bit too much. I didn't really feel the relationship between him and Christine (to be totally honest, I kind of forgot it existed…). Nadim has a very strong voice though; you can clearly hear his lines in all of the songs where Raoul's voice is usually obscured. I liked how clearly he was struggling during the Final Lair, and how he made it evident that Raoul was really upset and confused by the Phantom and Christine's twisted relationship. I also really liked his interaction with Christine in the dressing room scene; very sweet and gentlemanly, and not overwhelming as some Raouls can be. So great voice, good acting, but could've made his presence felt more. 

Michael Matus (Firmin) and Christopher Dickins (Andre)
There's not much to say about these guys other than the fact that I really enjoyed them. I think they both bring the right amount of comedy coupled with enough intensity/seriousness to make the characters believable. I thought Christopher could've milked Andre's funnier moments (skeleton costume reveal, Il Muto ballet intro). Michael does a really wonderful job at bringing a fresh approach to Firmin; instead of boringly serious, Michael's Firmin is sort of the long-suffering, aggravated, manager who is firmly under the thumb of Carlotta. He's less the authoritative figure and more the equally confused buffoon, attempting to do his best under threat of grisly demise. Because of this, Michael and Christopher's characters seem to be more on equal footing, rather than Andre being the 'dippy' one. I liked a lot of Michael's details, like the shrug instead of the gasp in Notes when they're all looking at each other (I know, how vague can I be? Those that've seen the show will know what I'm talking about), and him actually getting on his knees (painfully!) to implore Carlotta to stay. It was a really fresh, unique approach. Anyway, loved them both, no complaints. 

Megan Llewellyn (Carlotta) and John Ellis (Piangi)

Megan Llewellyn

Megan is hysterical; she has a great voice, but she uses it to enhance the comedic aspect of the character. Her attention to detail is great, she never turns off her faces and unique little characteristics. Even when she's in the very back, Megan is doing something interesting and continuing to establish her character. The only thing I didn't like is that I think she could've gotten a bit more serious towards the end of the show, especially that, "she's mad!" line. John has significantly improved; I'm still not in love with his voice (it's a bit reedy) and I find his presence far too imposing (rather than comedic and jovial), but all in all, a solid, funny, and entertaining performance. As a pairing, I loved Megan and John's little 'kissy fingers' thing in Prima Donna, and loved how Carlotta totally treated Piangi like her little servant. It was funny watching extra-tall John trailing after Megan. An entertaining duo that I really enjoyed watching.

Lizzie Holmes (Madame Giry)

(LizzieHolmes.com)

A new understudy for me, and easily my new favourite Madame Giry. She brought so many different facets to the character that I had no idea existed. Every other Mme Giry has been very stern, very focus, and very unsympathetic. Lizzie (it feels weird typing my own name but not referring to myself!), on the other hand, was so multi-dimensional. She was very sympathetic and attentive when speaking to Christine; she really seemed to feel for her and want to try and protect her. At the beginning of Think of Me, she appeared as caring and encouraging rather than scaring Christine into singing. I also liked that she seemed a bit frightened of the Phantom too; when she said, "He will be pleased!" after Think of Me, it felt as if she was breathing a sigh of relief that all would be well thanks to Christine's success. That's not to say Lizzie's Giry didn't have a stern side; she definitely did. The 'Ronde de Jambes' line was so sharp and fierce that I jumped a bit; she was very reminiscent of the strict Russian ballet teachers I've had in the past. Lizzie also has a really incredible voice; possibly even stronger than Megan's. I loved listening to her in Notes/Prima Donna. I'd actually really love to see Lizzie have a go at Christine; she looks right for it and clearly has the voice and acting to pull it off. Maybe in the future. Anyway, the only thing I didn't like was silly little makeup thing; the extra lines drawn on her face were overdoing it. Mme Giry doesn't need to be old and creased! I like to think of her as quite glamorous, and Lizzie's got the right look for that, so that vision of a darkly glamorous Mme Giry works. But yeah, silly little detail aside, a really excellent Mme Giry! Would totally love to see her again. 

Alicia Beck (Meg)

In the past I've found her overwhelming and annoying, but this time she actually faded into the background quite easily. Her singing voice still needs a lot of work, but her dancing has improved and her acting is less obnoxious and buggy-eyed. Not much to say about her; really. 

Everyone Else

There were a few standouts in the ensemble and corps at this show; the new ballet girl, Grace Horne, is lovely. Very lyrical and expressive, and I loved how attentive and 'present' she was. I believe she was Christine's 'bridge double', and if so, her timing was slightly off, but her movements and lip synching were perfect. She also had a little bobble on her pirouette in Il Muto, and you could tell on her face that it shocked her a bit, so that needs some work. But I quite liked her, and look forward to seeing her grow and improve. Your eye is drawn to her, and she definitely shows a lot of promise. On the ballet girl front, I really missed Georgia Ware in Masquerade, as now that Danielle and Layla are gone, she's my favourite (and also I love the butterfly in general). Not sure why she didn't do Masquerade, but I enjoyed her in the rest. I wish the choreography had her more in the front though. I'd like for her and Grace to be the front two. Final ballet girl comment; I still can't wrap my head around Lily Howes. Her costumes don't fit (she looks visibly uncomfortable in them), her movements lack flow and she has no expression - her face never changes. Yet she's always in the front, so you're forced to watch her. Swap her and Grace please!

In the rest of the ensemble, I enjoyed new u/s Christine Maria Coyne; she's very graceful and has great stage presence. I also liked her attention to detail and loved that she reacted to all that was happening around her. A lot of my favourite ensemble members were off today, which was a bit sad, but all the swings are great. 

I had such a wonderful time at Phantom this evening; the production itself is in great shape, and while I don't necessarily agree with all of the casting (and a lot of the costume design), everyone gives maximum effort and puts across an incredible performance. I would still highly recommend seeing Phantom (and especially Lisa) to everyone.