Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular
Phantom Theatre at the Venetian Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas
Monday, June 27, 2011 - 9:30 PM
The Phantom: Anthony Crivello
Christine Daaé: Sarah Elizabeth Combs (understudy)
Raoul de Chagny: Andrew Ragone
Carlotta Giudicelli: Joan Sobel ("Hannibal") / Arsenia Soto ("Notes" to end)
Monsieur André: John Leslie Wolfe
Monsieur Firmin: Lawson Skala
Madame Giry: Tina Walsh
Ubaldo Piangi: Larry Wayne Morbitt
Meg Giry: Brianne Kelly Morgan
Auctioneer: Michael Lackey
Pre-Show
This was my first time seeing the Vegas production, and only my second seeing the show live anywhere (the first being the US Tour in San Francisco back in 2009). Prior to going to the Venetian, Jo had been working on a sketch of Anthony Crivello as the Phantom, and so we planned to meet him after the show to give it to him. However, there was some confusion about who we'd be seeing; Anthony and Kristen Hertzenberg both appeared on a tv show in LA that morning, so we wondered if we might be seeing understudies Michael Lackey and Sarah Combs instead. We got to the theater quite early and were able to pick up some souvenirs and chat with some of the people including Anthony himself -- I find it awesome that the man who plays the Phantom goes in through the front door like anyone else. We also listened to the matinee performance at which Michael Lackey played the Phantom. I thought he and Combs sounded quite excellent together, as did the rest of the cast, not to mention that it's pretty cool that people standing in the lobby get to listen to the show in progress.
Finally, the time came to enter the theater. Though we weren't able to get front-row seats, we had seats in the fourth row and dead-center, so I was quite happy with it. I looked around at the place, noting the atmosphere of the whole setting -- it really did feel like an old, abandoned theater, and the chandelier pieces overhead gave the place a bit of a dangerous feeling even though none of them were directly over us (this time).
After some waiting, we heard Anthony Crivello's voice boom out through the theater warning everyone that cell phones, photography, recording devices, and such were forbidden. (How the Phantom knew about such things when he lived in the 19th century is another matter.) I did miss the more intimidating, Phantom-ish intro (complete with sinister laugh) that I'd heard on earlier recordings, though.
Prologue
Michael Lackey came across as a very dark, intimidating Auctioneer. The fact that he started off with Lot 664 and that it was the "Hannibal" poster only threw me off for a split-second. Andrew Ragone's portrayal of the elderly Raoul struck me as vocally very similar to Steve Barton's, and he was very credible as an old man.
Overture
Ahh, yes... the 20-foot tall, 4-piece chandelier. It may seem like a silly idea on paper and videos may make it look like a UFO invasion, but nothing compares to seeing it live. I also loved how as the pieces came together, we saw the old, dusty sheets come off to reveal vividly colored boxes with well-dressed mannequins in them (though I could swear I saw one move). There were even a few stagehands visible who were pulling up the backdrop for the next scene. (I'm told that one was played by Ian Jon Bourg.) It was a magical scene with just the right mixture of beauty, danger, and mystery on top of the fantastic music reverberating through every seat in the theater.
"Hannibal" Rehearsal
Carlotta (Joan Sobel) had an ok voice and was a decent actress, but cracked a lot during her sections, particularly the opening cadenza. She seemed extremely nervous -- as we found out afterward, she was sick that day and had to leave after doing this scene. Arsenia Soto played Carlotta for the rest of the performance. Larry Wayne Morbitt was hilarious as Piangi, especially his gung-ho way of lifting the sword and then struggling to get off the elephant. The managers, Lefevre (who was an understudy), and everyone else were spot-on. Carlotta continued to seem nervous throughout the scene, though; during the show and before we found out the situation, I wondered if maybe the actress was an understudy going on for the very first time (since I didn't know whether we were seeing Joan or someone else), but knowing what was going on, I'd attribute it to just the fact that she knew she was ill and would have to call out after the scene.
Think of Me
Sarah Combs was quite a nice surprise -- interesting acting choices and a singing voice that was nicely operatic without glottaling through the score like some other Christines I've heard tended to do. Although like most Christines, she started off hesitant, as she got into the song, she became very confident and seemed to be in the mindset of "Heck yeah, I can be a replacement for Carlotta!" During the instrumental break and Raoul's section, she even did an epic diva strut (which Carlotta later seemed to echo in "Prima Donna").
Andrew Ragone continued to remind me very much of Steve Barton vocally, though he had some unique touches acting-wise. I was highly amused at how as he was singing, the managers looked away as if to say, "We don't know this guy." Sarah's cadenza was excellent, and she got a well-deserved storm of applause at the end.
Angel of Music
Tina Walsh was an excellent Madame Giry; very authoritative with the ballet girls but also kind to Christine. I was quite eager to see what Brianne Kelly Morgan (the favorite Meg of a Phan board I belong to) was like live, and she was certainly excellent in the role -- very sweet-voiced, and she was also great in terms of acting. Sarah and Brianne's voices worked really well together, and so the duet section was truly gorgeous. Also, there were some really nice additions to the orchestrations, especially pulsing bells during the instrumental break before Christine started singing.
Little Lotte / The Mirror
The managers played up the "They appear to have met before" line to leave as little doubt as possible about what they meant, and that made me and several others chuckle. Andrew played Raoul as sweet but naive and a bit uninformed on how to ask someone out. I thought that approach worked quite well, and he and Sarah had great chemistry together (though his sinister-sounding chuckle as he left the room was a bit off-putting... then again, he's far from the only Raoul who's done that).
Anthony Crivello's voice boomed out upon finding out that Christine was seeing some other dude in her dressing room -- nicely authoritative and commanding without being over-the-top. When Tony first appeared in the mirror, I found it interesting that he was standing so that his masked side was more prominent to the audience and Christine -- John Cudia in the tour, as well as most photos and videos I've seen of this part, had the Phantom simply stand so he was directly facing Christine. At certain points, Tony looked a lot like Colm Wilkinson in the role (especially when he stuck his chin out), but he also had some Lon Chaney touches in his posture and mannerisms. I liked how he seemed to maintain a "don't look at me" attitude for the whole scene, as if he was conflicted about how much he wanted to be seen by Christine.
The Phantom of the Opera
I noticed they recorded a new track for Tony's part of the song -- he sounded more confident and in-character than in previous recordings I've heard of him in this scene. The rockish orchestrations somehow weren't nearly as jarring to me as the ones for the US Tour, the movie, or even recordings I'd heard of the Vegas show had been. Sarah's cadenza was quite nice; she glottaled a bit at the start of it, but finished strong with gorgeous tone. Although she didn't hold the end note very long compared to others I've heard in the role, her acting made it work; she seemed genuinely shocked that she was able to hit that note.
The Music of the Night
During the organ-playing bit at the start, Tony seemed very natural and looked as though he really did know how to play a keyboard instrument. (Many other Phantoms, including some of my favorites, seem like they really don't know their way around the instrument in this scene, so Tony's portrayal was quite refreshing.) Vocally, his approach to the song reminded me a lot of Sammy Davis, Jr.'s rendition, mixed with hints of Peter Karrie, Colm Wilkinson, and Mark McKerracher. Acting-wise, he was into the scene at all times; none of it felt like he was forcing it or simply going through the motions. He did some grand gestures, but all of it felt somehow natural -- it was like the Phantom, having lived in an opera house for so long, simply didn't know that such gestures were grandiose in real life. His "soar" and "be" were simply gorgeous, and the latter was really powerful.
Another thing I really liked was that when Tony's Phantom ran his hand over Christine during the "touch me, trust me" bit, he immediately seemed apologetic afterward, as if to say "Forgive me... I was too caught up in the moment and lost myself a bit there." The bride bursting through the cracked mirror was a really neat effect, and even though Tony didn't catch Sarah when she fell, I liked his reaction afterward -- kind of an "Oh dear, that's not how it was supposed to go!" look.
I Remember / Stranger Than You Dreamt It
Tony's Phantom was really into his composing -- the look on his face was one of total absorption in his work, and he definitely seemed to enjoy playing and writing out his score as well. When Sarah was woken up by the music box, she crept over next to Tony and tried to snatch away the mask but he kept dodging without seeming aware that she was there -- the whole thing was played very realistically, even though I'm not sure how he couldn't have seen her there. Maybe the mask interferes with his peripheral vision...
Tony's mannerisms, especially on the line "Is this what you wanted to see?", struck me as incredibly close to my vision of Leroux's Erik; he wagged his head and had a really sarcastic manner especially in that moment. Throughout the scene, he was very reminiscent of Lon Chaney's Erik. Although the scene was shortened, the Phantom's complex mixture of sorrow and self-loathing came through really well.
Notes / Prima Donna
The managers were both superb; excellent comedic timing and neat ways of making the roles their own even though so many other actors have played these characters in the past. I loved how John Leslie Wolfe's Andre seemed almost hesitant to use a mild expletive but ultimately found it unavoidable -- he phrased the line as "Who the... hell is he?" When Carlotta entered shortly afterward, it was obviously a different actress than the one who'd been in the "Hannibal" scene. She had a somewhat stronger voice and seemed more assertive.
Loved how the managers kinda edged away from Raoul and the others and shot them a "Well, they're obviously crazy" look before the line "Far too many notes for my taste..." And one of the comedic highlights for me in this scene was how the office doors opened again (as they had previously done for Raoul, Carlotta, and Piangi) and so everyone stood looking at it for a moment, only for the Girys to enter from stage left.
And during the line "I must see these demands are rejected," I love how Raoul, Meg, Piangi, and Giry did something that was halfway between a group high-five and a group flipping-the-bird -- I was in shock for a few seconds thinking "Did they just do that?"
"Il Muto"
Loved how Don Attilio did a "you are so dead" throat-slitting gesture when he realized that the "maid" was a dude (who happened to be played by a chick -- what is this, "Victor/Victoria?") He also raised his cane and looked like he was about to run up and whack Carlotta and/or the "maid" across the head when the Phantom's voice thundered out.
Anyway, Carlotta had a somewhat underwhelming croak -- more a sudden, throaty gasp. Loved Tony's maniacal laughter, and the Phantom-dangling-from-the-chandelier bit was really neat (though I'm glad I knew ahead of time to look up; otherwise, I might have missed it).
Then came the ballet, complete with the Phantom's shadow play. There were a couple of really neat bits there that weren't in the Tour version (and I don't think I've heard them mentioned in reviews of any other production). For example, at one point, the Phantom shadow puts a noose around his own neck, as if to say "God, this is boring... Please kill me now!" Later, we see a shadow of him creeping up behind Buquet with the lasso... and then the screen pulls up and we actually see him strangle the stagehand and push him off the platform. I think it adds a lot to have an actual person dangling from the rope rather than just a dummy -- the actor was twitching pretty convincingly there, as opposed to the rag-doll physics you'd tend to get with a dummy.
Rooftop Scene / All I Ask of You
Loved how fearful Sarah seemed in this scene. She really did seem like someone worried that a serial killer was after her. Andrew played Raoul as somewhat jealous at the start, but then warming up somewhat until he was more inclined to indulge Christine -- the whole thing felt very true to Leroux.
When Tony appeared in the angel, a certain detail struck me -- his shadow reminded me a lot of Lon Chaney's... and also the promotional poster for the original production of Ken Hill's POTO. I found myself looking back and forth between Tony and his shadow. Other than that, his vocals and emotion in this scene were sublime. The great thing about his Phantom is that he makes you feel every syllable he sings or speaks. Also loved how he seemed to be in real, physical agony as Christine and Raoul sang. At the end of the scene, as Tony and the angel statue rose up to the ceiling, he pointed directly at us -- we had told him where we were sitting, after all. ^_^ The way his cape billowed behind him made him look like a dark angel rising up to the heavens -- simply a perfect stage moment.
Wow, the lightning and fireworks were awesome. And loud. And blinding. Yay, Vegas!
Masquerade
I love the Opera House façade that comes into view as the entr'acte plays. The managers were great, and I thought it was awesome that they actually came out into the audience area for their scene. I was staring in open-mouthed wonder as the Masquerade staircase and dancers rotated into view. Though I do miss the orchestrations and some of the extra choreography from the longer version of the scene in other productions, the Vegas Masquerade was superb in its own right -- not a single person there was off-key or missed their cue, and the costumes were breathtakingly gorgeous. The principals were all fantastic as well, and did a good job of being jovial without seeming out-of-character for a second. I thought it was rather cute that during Christine and Raoul's scene, the Monkey Girl took Christine's mask and was curiously examining and pawing at it.
One interesting thing I noticed here (not sure if it's unique to Vegas/this particular actress or if I just didn't notice it going on elsewhere) is that near the end of the instrumental interlude, Mme. Giry took Raoul's and Christine's hands and "gave" them to each other, almost the way that a bride's parent would give her to the groom at a wedding. That added a really interesting dynamic; clearly, even Mme. Giry was convinced that the Phantom was gone for good and wouldn't have a problem with this.
But of course, the Phantom was most decidedly [i]not[/i] gone for good. I loved how as his theme played, the crowd parted before him, leaving just one person right in front of him who took a bit longer to realize what was happening and move out of the way. Also really liked how the Phantom would lunge at people in the crowd, who would then take the hint and back off. He also seemed much more mobile than many other Phantoms; when he beckoned Christine to him, he actually crouched down and extended his arm rather than just standing rigidly. The disappearing trick at the end of the scene was also fantastic; I understand why other productions stopped using the trapdoor, but it does add a lot to the scene.
After that was the little scene between Raoul and Mme. Giry. Not a lot to say there, except to note that it seemed to be entirely spoken rather than some of their lines being sung. Also thought it was cool that they ran out into the audience area at the end of that bit, only for Raoul to be called back to the stage by Christine.
Notes / Twisted Every Way
The managers and Raoul were at the top of their game here; the managers kept their humor but also had a tone of desperation, as though they normally wouldn't go for such a crazy plan but realized that they had no choice. Sarah's acting was superb -- frightened and desperate but never edging into over-the-top territory. Her inner turmoil was palpable and came across very realistically.
Graveyard Scene
Although I do somewhat miss the musical transition from the magic piano to the strings in the original version, the transition here was still very effective and moving. Sarah's rendition of "Wishing..." was absolutely superb in terms of both vocals and emotion; I find it hard to imagine anyone not being at least a little misty-eyed after seeing her in that scene.
After much well-deserved applause for Sarah, the Phantom appeared by coming out of the cross on top of the grave. I don't recall how it was done in the US Tour version since I was still watching Christine at that moment, but anyway... Tony was great here -- very soft, enticing, and believable as someone trying to comfort a distressed child. One neat thing I noticed was that rather than singing "Far from my far-reaching gaze" (as is typical) or "fathering gaze" (as has also become fashionable), Tony rendered the line as "fatherly gaze." Rather an interesting take on it, I think, and I quite liked it. Then, when delivering the "I am your Angel of Music" bit in classic, intimidating, Phantom-y fashion, the gate in front of Papa Daaé's masoleum opened up. I thought that was a really cool touch.
Enter Raoul, and moments later, enter the fireballs! I'm not sure whether I prefer the skull staff from other productions, or having the Phantom launch them from his hands like they did here; both have their merits and do a nice job of depicting the Phantom as being a talented magician with a theatrical streak. Tony was nicely devious here -- though I tend to be irked by Phantoms who clearly aren't even trying to aim for Raoul in this scene, Tony made it clear that he was missing on purpose and was just toying with Andrew rather than going straight for the kill. He made it seem as if he had other tricks up his sleeve, so to speak, for that purpose. At last, Raoul and Christine ran off, leaving the Phantom to fume and make us all feel his wrath (and possibly cause the first row or two to lose their eyebrows). Gotta love those pyrotechnics!
Before the Premiere / "Don Juan Triumphant"
I thought it was cool that the cast had made use of the whole theater by coming out into the aisles in scenes prior to this one so that it wouldn't feel like just a "once-in-a-show" novelty. I also loved how when Tony's voice came from different parts of the theater, everyone in our area (myself included) looked in the direction the voice came from. In fact, I was so absorbed in the whole experience that any time a character pointed somewhere at any point in the show, I found myself looking there even if I didn't expect to see anything. That said, it was awesome that the Phantom popped up -- not in Box 5, but next to it.
At last, the Phantom's masterwork began. A lot of Phans tend to be very divided on what they think of Webber's interpretation of "Don Juan" -- I know a few people who despise it, but I actually rather like it. It's not really something I can picture Leroux's Erik writing, but it works for the purposes of the story and feels appropriately like a composition that's ahead of its time without seeming totally out-of-place. I loved how "gung-ho" the ensemble was here; much like they were in "Hannibal," and yet darker in a way. Piangi and Passarino were great and really seemed to be having fun with their scene.
The Point of No Return
Of course, as Sarah began singing, someone had to come along to ruin Piangi's cheerful attitude. Sarah began sensually polishing the apple with her dress, even bringing it up to her chest and neck at one point in a way that reminded me of how Elizabeth Loyacano handled the scene when she was in the Broadway cast (and also in Vegas, judging by reviews). Sarah and Tony had great chemistry here and operated very much as equals, with each trying to seduce the other first but without going overboard in terms of physicality. I've heard that because the Vegas version of the scene is a verse shorter than that of other productions, it tends to be rushed and therefore "less sexy"... but the way Tony and Sarah played it, it felt just as steamy as the scene ought to be without overdoing it.
At last, the Phantom and Christine separated as the forces of law came in to ruin their moment. Tony sang his bit with heartbreaking passion and a theatrical edge as he offered the ring; this was meant not just as an act of proposing to her, but also to prove to the audience that she was his. But then, Sarah removed the mask calmly and assertively, as if she knew this was the only way to make him stop, or perhaps to keep him from getting captured. Tony yelled in what came across as literal, physical agony when his mask was taken away, similar to how he did when he heard Raoul and Christine singing in the "All I Ask" reprise but taken up to the next level. Fantastic scream from Brianne when she found poor Piangi's body, and then... "Bring down the chandelier!"
As I looked back to witness the destruction, the chandelier jerked and started slowly coming down -- for a moment, I thought, "Damn... it's not going to fall!" But then, with an excellent sound effect and accompanied by glorious screams both onstage and off, down it fell at breakneck speed. That's sure to leave a mark...
Final Lair Scene
After much onstage chaos, the curtains opened to reveal the Phantom furiously paddling the boat onward as poor Christine lay there helplessly. Tony's singing in "Down Once More" was superb; his anguish and fury came across really well in every note. Especially notable is how he sang the "Hounded out by everyone, met with hatred everywhere..." bit -- very rigid and furious, not stopping for breath at all. Nicely done final moment between Raoul and Mme. Giry before the former took his plunge into the lake.
As the lair scene came into full view, Tony stormed into the scene grumbling incoherently with Sarah in tow, and then flung her across the stage. Sarah defiantly sang her bit; she came across as one of the stronger, angrier, more assertive Christines here. Tony was having none of that, though -- he sang his first section quickly and very matter-of-fact, and it came across clearly to me that this was decades of bottled-up pain and fury finally boiling over in this moment. Then he took the "This face..." section up an octave, something I really love when the Phantom can pull it off well. I find that generally, actors tend to play up either the Phantom's sorrow or his anger at the world in those lines, but Tony was one who managed to get both of those aspects across extremely well.
When Raoul entered, Tony's manner changed, and this is where I truly fell in love with his portrayal; up until then, I considered him to be a Phantom I liked a lot, but his gleefully sarcastic mocking of Raoul was what may have put him at the very top of my "favorites" list (though everything he did afterward certainly worked as far as keeping him there). I don't think it would be a stretch to say that his delivery of "Sir, this is indeed an unparalleled delight" and "Your lover makes a passionate plea" weren't just dripping in sarcasm; they were marinating in it. I know a Phantom has to be awesome when, if he goes for a "gleefully mocking" approach in this scene, I feel like laughing right along with him. Andrew got Raoul's desperation across very well, making up for the fact that Raoul in this scene seems like the worst hostage negotiator ever. ("Do what you like, only free her"? Seriously?!)
As Andrew walked in and got caught in the Cage of Doom™, Tony seemed to alternate between sadistic glee over Raoul's predicament and desperation over what Christine would do. Sarah's acting was superb here especially -- she conveyed Christine's conflicted feelings about the Phantom and fear of losing Raoul extremely well. Her Christine was strong (especially here) but without going about it in a way that would seem too modern for the period the story was set in. The trio section was magnificent; it was clear that all three performers were putting everything they had into it.
Sarah's "you deceived me" came across as really sincere and heartfelt, and Tony got up and shouted his lines in response to that. It took Sarah a few moments to regain her composure for the next bit. The kiss was superbly done; Sarah kissed Tony once, then hugged him tightly, then followed up with a second kiss. Tony's Phantom was deeply affected, but couldn't bring himself to embrace her... at least, until his arms went loosely around her during the second kiss. Afterward, he appeared to be in a state of shock and hobbled somewhat, hitting his chest as if to try to stave off an imminent heart attack. His "Go now and leave me!" was sung, but a bit more akin to the Japanese Phantoms (who didn't sound awkward singing that bit) than to a certain movie Phantom (who kinda did). His "Masquerade" reprise was utterly heart-wrenching as well.
When Christine returned the ring, Tony's Phantom seemed desperate to hold onto her as long as he could; their hands touched for a long while before Sarah finally exited and Tony wept openly. His final lines were heartbreaking, and he got a storm of well-earned applause as he walked over to the throne and draped the cloak over himself. Then, our favorite ballerina came into the lair to examine the throne, find the mask, and end the show. Yup, it's good to be in Vegas.
Curtain Call
Thunderous applause for the whole cast, plus standing ovations for the leads. My hands were quite sore after all that clapping, and I wasn't sure if I could physically handle another show that was that superb... Then again, a good night's rest cures all, right?
After the Show
The night wasn't over yet, though -- heavens, no! We had asked the usher/tour guide Daniel (who I've heard is quite well-known among Phans who've seen the production) to let Tony know we had a gift for him, so after a few minutes talking amongst ourselves and digesting the show (and watching the stagehands break down the chandelier for the next night's performance), we were invited downstairs to the makeup room where Tony had just gotten the last of the gore taken off his face. (That was some quick makeup removal, I must say.)
We gave him Jo's sketch, and he was just as impressed by her artistry as we had been. I got to shake his hand, get my Playbill signed, and let him know I'd been a fan of his since first hearing him as Grantaire in Les Misérables. We also chatted about a bunch of other stuff, including the new LM tour that was (and, I believe, still is) playing in LA, and his optimism that the economy would rebound and help the Vegas show have continued success. I noticed someone I'm pretty sure was Sarah Combs walking by, and a while later, I spotted Brianne Morgan and waved... think she probably recognized us. We thanked Anthony for an awesome night and left the theatre to make plans for the next night... which would happen to be Jo's birthday!
My review of the next evening's show will be up shortly. ^_^
I remain your obedient servant,
I.A.E.
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