Posted: 3/16/19 at 5:54pm
This past Thursday, March 14th I attended the PHANTOM OF THE OPERA in New York City at the Majestic Theatre. I had seen Cameron Mackintosh's spectacular new production back in Nov. 2017 at the stunning Academy of Music in Philadelphia, a fitting venue if there ever was one, as well as the 2004 movie with Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossen. But I had never seen the original version on Broadway.
The closing of KINKY BOOTS forced my hand for an early return to NYC, and I had an open slot to fill for the matinee. So I figured what better time to see PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, and several recent threads on this forum pushed me in that direction.
I showed up at the theatre for the 2pm matinee an hour beforehand, and there were three school groups of an estimated 200 kids in attendance (they were to be thankfully sitting up in the mezzanine). The outside line snaked down the block forever, luckily I was ahead of 2/3’s of those school groups.
They let people in around 1:15pm and initially directed everyone downstairs to the lower lobby where the bathrooms are located. It got very crowded, very quickly. Once the seating opened we were allowed into the orchestra section. I had seat I108. It was absolute perfection. Row I is the first row mid-orchestra that is seated higher than all the rows in front of it, so the view to the stage was 100% unobstructed even by the tops of people’s heads. And you don’t miss a single second of the chandelier drop. Pay the price and get this row. You won’t regret it.
Once the prologue started I was ready and all smiles. The music is legendary and gorgeous. Ben Crawford as the Phantom and Kaley Ann Voorhees as Christine were phenomenal. The rest of the cast were all very, very strong.
The only problem I had was that some of the singing, especially when done in high pitched operatic by the ladies, was difficult to understand despite having listened to the OBCR for over 1-1/2 years. The enunciation and/or diction were not great at times in Act 1. But the scenery and acting more than made up for it.
And that is why I finally get it. Why so many people, when comparing the Broadway version to the current National Tour, are for the most part very negative about the latter. When I saw the tour in Philadelphia back in Nov. 2017 I absolutely LOVED it. The staging, sets, and everything about it was breathtaking. I more or less got defensive when folks here talked bad about the tour, and recommended it to others, which I still do.
But the original version on Broadway is exponentially far more superior in every way. The stunning gold decoration covering the stage’s archway, the massive chandelier, and gorgeous vibrant red curtain were just the beginning.
The audience was, for the most part, totally enraptured during the entire Act 1. The Music of the Night brought me to tears, it was simply breathtaking to hear it from a master like Ben Crawford, as did All I Ask of You by Kaley Ann Voorhees. These songs are both truly magnificent.
When Act 2 came, and the curtain pulled back to reveal the Masquerade staircase, the ooohs, ahhhhs, and wows were more than audible. It was impressive beyond my wildest imagination. As was the subterranean lake boat ride to his secret lair. The massive candelabras that rise from the misty stage are quite impressive. I was sitting there quickly comparing what I had seen on the tour and what was now in front of my eyes. There is no comparison.
Act 2 was far easier to understand the singing. And the show got even better. The graveyard scene was sublime with Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again. And when the Phantom appears from his hiding spot (which took EVERYONE off guard, including me, because I knew he was somewhere just NOT there!), it got the most amazing reaction from the crowd: a slight but audible laughter.
The staging of the ending, and the return of the ring, as with so many aspects of the show (descent to the lair, reading of the notes received from O.G., the massive lair gate, the masquerade party, Hannibal at the beginning of the show, the Opera rooftop, etc. etc) was of course all different from the tour as well. The costumes at the Majestic Theatre were fabulous and the details so obvious even from my seat.
Once the curtain call came and the standing ovation subsided at the direction of Ben Crawford, still wearing his mask, we were told of the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS campaign. I instantly knew I was going to buy the window card (I bought two of them), as I had already bought the souvenir program, magnet, and two of the beautiful pens. I also bought two of the regular unsigned window cards. The owner of Triton Gallery was surprised to see the version used for the unsigned ones, and commented they hadn’t been using that one in a while. I was glad I picked them up as well.
Overall an absolutely stunning and memorable performance that I will cherish for the rest of my life. But if someone only ever has the opportunity to see the tour, and will never make it to NYC, do so. I enjoyed it when I saw it in Philadelphia. The Broadway version is a timeless piece of Broadway. And that’s why it’s been there for 30 years.
Updated On: 3/16/19 at 05:54 PM
