Slightly reimagined version of beloved musical is at Segerstrom through Sunday
By Brooklynn Wong
“The Phantom of the Opera” is at the Segerstrom Center right now, and catch him before he vanishes July 21, like he does at the end of the production.
If opening weekend was any indicator, the show is a major success, as “Phantom” lovers from far and wide filled the theater.
The national tour of the musical touched down in Orange County on July 10 and is only here through Sunday.
It is a slightly reimagined version, by Cameron Mackintosh, featuring impressive pyrotechnics and new set design and new choreography, but the same old classic story and soundtrack.
Eva Tavares was a beautiful, endearing Christine Daae that night, though she was only cast in the first four shows. Christine will be played by Kaitlyn Davis, Emma Grimsley and Jenna Burns for the remainder of the show’s tenure.
The Phantom is played by Derrick Davis, and he does a very good job, doing justice to all the classic songs and portraying well the personality of the angsty, afflicted Phantom, but also showing the passion and talent and intensity that draw Christine to him.
Raoul, played by Jordan Craig, is charming and presents a good counterpart to the Phantom, endearing himself to the audience and presenting a real conundrum as to who to root for for Christine’s affections.
The singing was the highlight of the performance, as it was a pleasure to hear all the classics sung live and very well.
But the costumes and sets were a close second.
230 ornate costumes are used in each performance. Leading lady Carlotta Giudicelli, played by Trista Moldovan, has some of the most ornate in her roles as star of the show. But the real hit is the dress Christine wears in “Masquerade,” the opening number of the second act. “Masquerade” is a real highlight itself, with the entire company onstage singing and wearing their New-Year’s-Eve-1912-best.
There’s only so much one can do with the sets for “Phantom,” as it requires a degree of darkness and grunge. But this production did that well, and there were some neat touches, like stairs that popped out of the wall as the Phantom takes Christine down into the throes of the opera house, and fog that covered the stage while he rowed the iconic flame-lit boat with Christine, to create the illusion of being afloat.
And speaking of flames, the wow factor was certainly there, as fire was used several times on-stage, like when the Phantom throws fire balls at Raoul and when attempts are made to shoot the Phantom.
Perhaps the most impressive though was the chandelier, that hangs out in the house above the audience, and in the final moment of the first act, begins to fall from the ceiling, only to stop feet above the audience’s head with a flash of fireworks.
While these effects were impressive, they could be toned down a bit so as not to cheapen the story or make themselves the main attraction.
There was good use of statues too that made for particularly striking scenes, like on the roof of the opera house and and at the graveyard.
There were a number of scenes of the cast performing numbers for the opera house productions, from “Hannibal,” “Il Muto,” and “Don Juan.” These show-within-a-show numbers were a bit distracting and didn’t add much to the production as a whole, but may be necessary to fully create the context.
But overall, this iteration of “Phantom” is a treat for all senses, and the combination of the old foundation and a few new touches and the wow factor of the pyrotechnics make for a well-spent few hours at the theater that audience members of nearly any age would appreciate.
The show wraps up July 21. For tickets, see scfta.org or call 714-556-2787. Segerstrom Center for the Arts is located at 600 Town Center Dr. in Costa Mesa.
