West End : Phantom of the Opera

At the entrance.
Phantom of the Opera poster behind me

I simply had to watch a classic.  Phantom of the Opera it should be.  John Salvador, a colleague from the US, strongly suggested I should - he specifically mentioned that it was "interesting how they did the chandelier".  With that kind of prodding, I didn't have much willpower to resist the temptation.  Together with Jo (the only one who wanted to watch Phantom as well),  I rushed to the theatre after the Monday session.

Watching Phantom was one of the highlights of my London trip. Wow! Phenomenal!

At the start, the set looked gloomy, cramped and cluttered... Remember the play started with the auction?  I understood later - it was necessary because there were quite a number of changes in the setting, a stage and backstage, elevations and stairs and grand staircases, sailing the "underground river" to reach the Phantom's lair.  It all worked quite well somehow.  The costumes were grand.  Christine was pretty (she should be, that's why Raoul and the Phantom were both smitten with her),  and her voice sounded pure and heavenly.  (Still, no comparison to the original soundtrack with Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford.)

Her Majesty's Theatre

Angel of Music and Phantom of the Opera were my favorite songs in the soundtrack.  Christine and her friend Meg  beautifully sang Think of Me... As soon as I heard the Phantom's echoing voice saying "I am your angel of music"...I got the goosebumps. 

When the Phantom took Christine on a boat to his lair, singing the Phantom of the Opera, I sang along quietly, gripped Jo's arm and felt like I was on a high.  As they sailed on the "river", with the glimmering lights and the fog, lampposts started rising as the boat passed along, I felt "Wow"! The music, the moment, the setting.  Just perfect... It was dreamlike - I never thought I'd have the opportunity to watch it in West End!  

I must confess I felt sleepy when Act 2 started (still jetlagged, I couldn't help taking a quick nap, almost sacrilegious isn't it?).  As the rest of the story unfolded, I was again mesmerized. The Phantom's singing and acting was just so captivating.  I could feel his emotions, his love, his anguish, his pain. I was sooo into the moment.  His voice was phenomenal and quite powerful.  Deservedly, he had the longest standing ovation.

I really hope I will have the opportunity to watch it again.