I know that I am no longer a theatre critic and I am sure most of the people I know won’t agree with me, but here goes anyway.
I just saw the new production of The Phantom of the Opera and I liked it- a lot.
First, let me say that I have seen Phantom on Broadway, at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta and 3 or 4 times at the BJCC before today. For all of you doing the thing on Facebook right now naming favorite musicals, least favorite musicals, most overrated, etc. I have seen lots of people who don’t like Phantom. And that is surely OK- we all have our opinions.
I also know it is easy to like something that you view as cool or trendy and not like what you see as common or overdone. I get that. Again, your prerogative.
Here is why I like it and why I especially liked it today. I like the music, I like the clear story, I like the intrigue and romance, I like the costumes and the sets and the effects. I am easy- shoot a gun or explode something on stage and I will jump, even when I know it is coming. I am easily overwhelmed and can be easily emotional. I can also find nit-picky things to be critical of.
I thought the staging, the set, the voices, the costumes, pretty much everything was really good today.
But the thing that got to me the most today was pretty simple. I thought the actor playing the Phantom was original and true to what such a character would be.
In teaching kids this semester, I have really worked on character development. I know that with 25 kids and a show to put on with minimal rehearsal time, getting the show staged and the lines learned is about all we strive for (along with making sure the kids have some fun, so they want to come back.)
This time I decided that wasn’t enough- I wanted more from them. And they have responded. They have written back stories, had character dates and begged for more time to discuss and build their characters. I have heard nine year olds say how much they want to make their character rich and full and real. I have seen ten year olds make pro and con lists that made me laugh and stare in amazement. As usual, we get what we expect from kids. When pushed, they can be way more than we think they can be. We are usually just scared to push too much.
The Phantom today pushed beyond what I have seen before. My son said this actor was not the usual Phantom and at first you think that is wrong, then you realize it is probably more right than the others before were.
The Phantom was tortured in a real way. When pushed, his hand shook. When heart broken, you cared about him and when sinister, you got to the edge of your seat. He seemed sincere and yet evil, misunderstood and afflicted. You knew he would turn on you in a second, yet could really love and feel. He was a real person, not just a monster. His tall, gangly build and his awkward demeanor seemed in keeping with his back story.
I saw an actor who didn’t just portray an unusual character, but became a strange human being.
So disagree with me if you want- it won’t be the first time this weekend that I have felt differently about a performance than what I read on Facebook and it surely won’t be a shock for me to be in the minority about something. But I would go see it again right now if asked- I could listen to the music all day and I felt that after all of these years of seeing this musical, this time I actually felt it.
