by Joey Amato
Cameron Mackintosh’s spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera began its two-week engagement at Tennessee Performing Arts Center’s Jackson Hall on Oct. 24. The production runs through Nov. 4 and should be on everyone’s to-do list.
Andrew Lloyd Webber said, “Having received great critical acclaim in the U.K. and North America, I am really pleased that Laurence Connor’s new production of Phantom will continue to tour the U.S., playing in tandem with the Broadway production which just celebrated 30 years at the Majestic Theatre.”
Having seen Phantom on Broadway as a child, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this production surely does the masterpiece justice, led by the incredible vocals of Christine.
Cameron Mackintosh said, “With Phantom still the reigning champion as the longest running production on Broadway after 30 phenomenal years with no end in sight, I’m delighted that this spectacular new production of Phantom has been as well-received in the U.S. as the brilliant original and has already been seen by more than 3.7 million people across North America since it opened in November 2013. With an exciting new design and staging, retaining Maria Björnson’s amazing costumes, the new Phantom is thrilling audiences and critics alike all over again. With the production continuing to be such a success, we are delighted to welcome our exciting new stars to keep the music of the night soaring for many years to come.”
This show is directed by Laurence Connor (who co-directed the new production of “Les Misérables” on tour across North America after a hugely successful revival on Broadway, directed the award-winning new production of “Miss Saigon” that played London’s West End, Broadway, and a new national tour in 2018, and also directed the stage version of the movie “School of Rock,” now playing on Broadway, in London’s West End, and on North American Tour), with choreography by Scott Ambler, set design by Paul Brown, Tony Award®-winning original costume design by Maria Björnson, lighting design by Tony Award®-winner Paule Constable, sound design by Mick Potter, and musical supervision by John Rigby. The production is overseen by Matthew Bourne and Cameron Mackintosh.
Based on the classic novel “Le Fantôme de L’Opéra” by Gaston Leroux, The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a masked figure who lurks beneath the catacombs of the Paris Opera House, exercising a reign of terror over all who inhabit it. He falls madly in love with an innocent young soprano, Christine, and devotes himself to creating a new star by nurturing her extraordinary talents and by employing all of the devious methods at his command.
