MUSIC THEATRE
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics by Charles Hart (additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe)
Book by Richard Stilgoe & Andrew Lloyd Webber
By Opera Australia & Really Useful Group at State Theatre Arts Centre Melbourne
Season run until 5 Feb 2023
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
Stars: ****1/2
This review published only on this blog with a radio review on Arts Weekly, 3MBS on Sat 5 Nov at 10.15am. KH
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| The Phantom of the Opera Australia 2022 - Josh Piterman, Amy Manford- PIC DANIEL BOUD |
The Phantom of the Opera is a story of impossible love of a beauty, Christine Daaé (Amy Manford), by a beast, the Phantom (Josh Piterman), a man whose facial deformity has blighted his life and sent him underground – literally - to dwell in the cavernous tunnels beneath the Paris opera house that he haunts.
Directed by Laurence Connor with balletic choreography by Scott Ambler, this dazzling, new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long-running hit musical is bold, vivacious and beautifully designed with sets (Paul Brown) and costumes (Maria Björnson) that echo images from the Baroque, Renaissance, Commedia dell’Arte and even a tiny scene that recalls Degas’ ballerinas.
The score and orchestrations are soaring with memorable songs including The Music of the Night, Masquerade, Angel of Music and, of course, the title song.
Piterman is a rich-voiced and almost athletic Phantom, and his vocal range and tone are well-suited to the role that is described as “high baritone”, and his rendition of The Music of the Night is thrilling and potent. As Christine, the ingenue opera singer with whom the Phantom is obsessed, Manford has a bell-like soprano with a fine vibrato and a delicate, almost balletic physicality. Piterman and Manford’s voices blend beautifully in the duets of The Phantom of the Opera and I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt It.
Blake Bowden is a commanding presence as Raoul Vicomte de Chagny, Christine’s true love, and his singing has power but also an effortless quality. A high point of the show is Bowden and Manford’s heartfelt duet, All I Ask of You.
David Whitney as Monsieur Firmin and Andy Morton playing Monsieur André are a fine comic duo of opera house impresarios who, according to the Phantom, have no idea about art and should stay in their office.
This lavish production almost topples over with its bombastic “ham” opera scenes and colourful comic characters: conceited opera diva, Carlotta (Giuseppina Grech), and Piani (Paul Tabone), her over-eating leading man.
There seems to be an imbalance between these outrageous scenes and those quieter, sinister and menacing scenes between Phantom and Christine, and the tender, more intimate and beautiful duets between Christine and Raoul. The spectacle overwhelms any subtleties in the story.
Christine is perhaps a little too worldly, even sassy, for an ingénue and the Phantom loses focus as the core of the story. There was also some imbalance in the sound quality at times, with lyrics being lost or large chorus numbers sounding crowded.
However, this is a vibrant and beautifully performed and staged production that will thrill even the jaded or those who are not Lloyd Webber fans.
by Kate Herbert
CREATIVE TEAM
Director Laurence Connor
Choreography Scott Ambler
Set design Paul Brown
Costume design Maria Björnson
Sound design Mick Potter
Associate Director Seth Sklar-Heyn of this new production in Australia
New production overseen by Matthew Bourne and Cameron Macintosh
CAST (37 total)
Josh Piterman- Phantom
Amy Manford -Christine Daaé
Blake Bowden- Raoul Vicomte de Chagny
David Whitney -Monsieur Firmin
Andy Morton -Monsieur André
Giuseppina Grech -Carlotta Giudicelli
Jayde Westaby -Madame Giry
Paul Tabone -Ubaldo Piangi
Mietta White Meg Giry
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| The Phantom of the Opera Australia 2022 - Paul Tabone and Company - PIC DANIEL BOUD |
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| The Phantom of the Opera Australia 2022 - Josh Piterman, Amy Manford - PIC DANIEL BOUD |
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