Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay
Wed 5 Dec
words: CAITLIN MAGGS
★★★★☆
Ghosts may be one thing, but have you ever fallen under the spell of a crazed musical genius? Plastic surgery has nothing on this masked madman. Rising from the grave for his 25th anniversary tour, the Phantom is back with a burning vengeance this Christmas, promising all the frights and thrills of the original. Indulge yourself in a night with the Opera Ghost, box number five is already waiting.
Love triangles don’t come any messier than this. Seductive and sensuous, Earl Carpenter lingers in the shadows with another heart-pounding turn as the Opera Ghost. Enticing a young performer into his dark world of music, he works his charm on the innocent Christine (Les Miserables’ Katie Hall) into a deathly struggle between her heart and her conscience. Rising to success in the early boot-camp stages of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s BBC hunt for Nancy in I’d Do Anything, Hall was the pick of Webber’s crop to play Christine in this new touring production. Mesmerizing audiences around the country, the songstress’s talents have finally been showcased for what they are as Hall delivers a new richness to the melodies. From The Music Of The Night to All I Ask Of You, the timeless score has cast its spell yet again. Enchanting its way back into our minds and hearts with the same tricks and treats since in its opening production in 1986, one thing is certain, voices don’t come more angelic than Hall’s.
Since Gaston Leroux’s spooky French classic took to the shelves in 1925, it’s been a matter of keeping the spark alive on stage. Now under the weight of history, Cameron Macintosh must take on Webber’s torch and fan the flames of his new period production. No pressure then. Cutting back on the dialogue to leave more room for the real beating core of the show’s emotion and music, Macintosh’s fresh vision shocks the Phantom into life more than ever.
But keeping the ghoulish critics at bay, this musical still boasts an unending fan-base, and lavishly dressed from tip to toe, the chandelier is the icing on top of a set that seems to glitter with elegance and style. A revolving stage adds to a dizzying atmosphere of disillusion and dreaminess. Dark and dangerous, the Phantom’s lair is as sinister as the depths of the real Paris Opera House and as eye-catching as a magpie’s holiday home. The ‘Phans’ will be impressed and the masquerade ball is nothing to be shy about either. Powerfully breaking the rules, a self-forming stairway and glitzy headgear combine to a dazzling array of money well spent by the artistic director. And if the stunning costumes are anything to go by, I certainly want my name on the production’s Christmas present list.
In one word this production is mesmerizing. Unmask for yourself the show that refuses to be laid to rest.
Tickets: £21-£61 (Age Guidance 10+) Info: 029 2063 6464/ www.wmc.org.uk