"If you need me I shall be in Boracay," laughter erupted from the crowd last night when the supposedly retiring Monsieur Lefèvre uttered these words as he was exiting the stage. Looks like the cast of this world famous Broadway production had a great time at the shores of Boracay!
Well, if they had a great time vacationing, I could say the same thing while watching their performance. I had been in love with The Phantom of the Opera for years now and I've always wanted to see it live along with Les Miserables and Miss Saigon. Since my birthday is just around the corner, I thought that the perfect way to celebrate it would be to watch The Phantom of The Opera.
The first time I came across this piece was when I was just 7 years old. At that time I didn't have any idea about the story nor did I understand it when I read the synopsis. What primarily attracted me to it was the cover of the book which depicted a beautiful lady in an old-fashioned gown. (I can be very visual sometimes.) I thought it was just another 'Cinderella' story.
I spent days reading the book, struggling with some very 'Old English' words and while I was able to realize that its not another fairy tale, reading it did not help much in understanding its premise. The second time I read the book was during my sophomore year in high school and I totally fell in love with it. It had been a memorable read and I found myself swimming in a pool of emotions. I love the genius of the Phantom, and I felt sorry for his miserable existence but I hated the way he played upon the innocence of Christine. I feel for Christine's plight and her innocence and naivety touched me, but sometimes I also hated her character for that. As for Raoul, at times I love him, but at times it seemed like something is lacking in his personality. And who wouldn't be in love with the songs composed for this piece? Imagining it all coming to life truly excited me.
My stomach fluttered as I was waiting for the show to start and I was at the edge of the seat the entire time, singing with the actors, anticipating every act. When they played the overture I had goosebumps all over. I had a clear view of the stage and as well as the whole orchestra and somehow it felt surreal. I wish I was able to take a photo of the whole set up - stage, orchestra and all but the camera on my phone did not come close to even capturing a fraction of that night's magnificence. I was totally enthralled!
When Claire ( the actress who played the role of Christine) sang 'Think of Me' I was captivated by her. She's absolutely beautiful and her voice even more so. I was at the edge of my seat waiting for Anthony's voice to join hers and I must say that he's perfect for Raoul's part. His voice has a rich quality to it. The scenes of Carlotta had been a treat as well, it, watching Andrea channeling the primadonna antics of Carlotta was really hilarious! Though, the most special moment for me was when the 'Music of the Night', was sung. I'm a big fan of Ramin Karimloo and I was kinda hoping that he's gonna be the one playing the part of the phantom but nonetheless, I was hypnotized when Jonathan sung this song.
Another part that stood out for me as well, was the Masquerade Ball. The act opened to an astonishing ballroom filled with life size statues and it was still a sight to behold. It was also fun to watch the cast singing lively and dancing gaily in their fancy costumes. It was a night of celebration where everyone could hide in their fancy masks while laughing and flirting against each other, whereas for the Phantom hiding behind a mask had been his whole life, a life of torment and anguish where Christine had been his only definition of happiness albeit the fact that her heart never entirely belonged to him.When Eric sang these lines, "Masquerade, paper faces on parade, Masquerade, hide your face so the world will never find you", I felt like my heart would break. Who wants to hide forever in the darkness, especially when you have so much to offer and share to the world?
I cannot mention every single member of this ensemble, but I definitely applaud and congratulate all of them -the actors, the orchestra players as well as the ones who worked behind the scenes. The whole production had been truly spectacular and it made me fall all over again with the Phantom of the Opera. As for the genius behind this masterpiece, Mr. Andrew Lloyd Weber, I'll be forever grateful that he created and shared this masterpiece to the world as surely, Phantom of the Opera will be heralded as a literary treasure forever.
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