Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular
Phantom Theatre at the Venetian Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 - 7:00 PM
The Phantom: Anthony Crivello
Christine Daaé: Kristen Hertzenberg (alternate)
Raoul de Chagny: Andrew Ragone
Carlotta Giudicelli: Joan Sobel
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
On our second night seeing POTO in Vegas, we had another gift prepared by Jo for the cast -- she drew a really awesome sketch of Kristen Hertzenberg as Christine. When we got to the theater, we bought a few more souvenirs to take home (and possibly also get signed). This time, we sat a few rows further back, right below the chandelier. The biggest piece was hanging pretty much right over my head as we got to our seats -- no doubt Alex planned it that way. I just looked at Jo and said, "We're dead." XD
To pass the time before the show began, we started chatting about previous Phantom viewing experiences. Naturally, as I'd only seen the show once prior to Vegas, I didn't have a whole lot to go on. But then, I guess I have time to build on that. :-D
One regret I have is not going up to the balcony to see what the view was like from up there -- I'm told there's no bad seat in the house, so it would have been interesting to see. Ah well, perhaps next time.
Prologue
Right after Tony's intro, a cell phone went off just behind me. Dear lord, how difficult is it to obey the Phantom's instructions? Thankfully, the person shut it off before the Prologue began. This time, I noticed what Alex mentioned to me before about certain scenes having their own distinct smell; the auction scene smelled kind of like an old, abandoned library but with a hint of incense. Michael Lackey was again our Auctioneer, and again gave the scene a nicely creepy atmosphere. After reading what Brianne Morgan (Meg) wrote about Hal Prince's explanation of the auction scene and her own thoughts on it, I have a new appreciation for the way this company handles it; Lackey and Ragone are just perfect in their respective roles as the Auctioneer and Raoul, or perhaps as Death and the old man facing it.
Overture
Yup, directly under the chandelier is the place to be for this scene. It was amazing to see the chandelier sections moving all around us as they assembled, and the lighting effects during the scene were just spectacular. It was also rather interesting in that the lighting made it harder to see the curtains over the box seats being removed, so a first-time viewer sitting in our section might wonder how the Opera House magically restored itself during the lightshow. Pretty awesome, I think.
"Hannibal" Rehearsal
Joan Sobel was back as Carlotta, and her voice sounded stronger this time. She didn't seem to be as big and bold as the character needed to be, though, either vocally or acting-wise. Then again, she may have still been recovering from the illness she had the previous night. Larry Wayne Morbitt was just as fun to watch as before; I think he may be my favorite Piangi now that I've finally gotten to see him.
Scott Watanabe was on as Lefevre this time, and he and the managers were all excellent. Joan's rant was nicely done as well; not as over-the-top as some Carlottas, but it was still clear that she was very used to getting her way. One thing I didn't notice in the Tour but which was clear in this production was that Lefevre would give Christine just a second or two to look over the "Think of Me" score before shutting it in front of her in a rather snooty way -- kind of a fun little touch showing just how little enthusiasm he had for her taking on Carlotta's role.
Think of Me
When Alex and Jo saw the Vegas production last year, they got to see Kristen Hertzenberg as Christine twice and raved to me about her. Alex, who's seen the musical over 380 times (and nearly every production, to boot) told me that Kristen was the best Christine he'd ever seen. Now, I try to avoid having ridiculously high expectations before going to a show, but I was quite keen to see her in the role, really glad that I was getting the chance, and just the tiniest bit apprehensive -- after all, it's rather hard to hear such high praise for a performer and not have a certain level of expectation. I needn't have worried, though; whatever expectations I had, Kristen surpassed every one of them. Seriously. Wow. Anyone who likes to see a good Christine (and really, who reading this blog doesn't?) should run, not walk, to Vegas and see Kristen in the role. Except for those of you who'd have to drive, fly, sail, or teleport, anyway... but I'd still recommend running to the ticket booth. ;-)
In this scene and at many other points in the show, I had a bit of a mini-freakout; I kept wanting to ask, "Did my mental picture of Leroux's Christine just appear in real life, put on a brunette wig, and come to perform the show?" Really, though, Kristen was pretty much exactly as I imagined Christine when reading the book in terms of voice, acting, onstage demeanor, and appearance. Vocally, she reminded me a lot of Elisabeth Berg from the Swedish cast album, with touches of Joke de Kruijf from the Dutch and Austrian productions -- very pure tone and a warm, appealing sound to her voice. In short, she truly had the kind of voice than an Opera Ghost (or any music aficionado, really) could fall in love with.
There were also quite a few acting choices I really liked from Kristen. While she noticeably gained confidence after Mme. Giry prompted her and again after the full orchestra came in, she still maintained a certain degree of seeming unsure about her singing, as though even she was surprised by her vocal performance. During the line "If you can still remember, stop and think of me," she actually looked up at Raoul, echoing what Christine said in the novel about having seen Raoul at the Opera House before but not daring to speak to him. Andrew Ragone's response was quite well-done as well; he was clearly hanging on every word Kristen sang. That little part of the scene also had the nice effect of kicking off Raoul's rivalry with the Phantom a bit early, which suited me just fine. After a glorious cadenza, she got perhaps the loudest applause I've heard for a Christine in this scene, and all of it was definitely earned. I also love how as the reverse tabs go into effect and the canned audience applauds, the onstage conductor (Reyer, I believe?) kisses Christine's hand in congratulations.
Angel of Music
Tina Walsh's Mme. Giry was again very authoritative and commanding, but still kindly to Christine -- while many say that the musical version of Giry combines elements from both Leroux's Giry and the Persian, I think Tina brought a touch of Christine's guardian Madame Valerius to the role as well. Tony's voice was again ghostly (though I do wish the American productions had the Phantom say "brava" instead of "bravi"), and Brianne was again adorable as Meg. She had a sweet voice that worked very well opposite Kristen's, and her acting in this and other scenes went a long way to making Meg more than just a named extra within the context of the show.
Little Lotte / The Mirror
The thing that hit me about Andrew and Kristen in this scene was that they had such natural, easy chemistry together. They were totally believable as childhood sweethearts who hadn't seen each other in years, and Kristen brought across Christine's superstitious and emotionally vulnerable nature really well. Still not fond of Andrew's possibly creepy-sounding chuckle, but what can ya do?
Enter Tony Crivello as the Phantom (or, as I'm tempted to call him after reading a certain outstanding humor Phanfic, "ghosty-boy"). Once again, Tony made a powerful and dramatic entrance (angled so that his masked side was more prominent), and Kristen was superb in her sections. One thing that caught me was that when she sang out to the audience with arms outstretched after Tony appeared in the mirror, her reflection in the mirror was in just the right place so that it looked like she was embracing him. I'm told that was the intention behind that choreography all along, but this was the first time that it came across really clearly to me. I suppose if I'd been sitting somewhere else, it might not have worked so well, but that night, it was just perfect. As the scene came to a close, there was an incredible amount of fog on the stage -- it completely hid the mirror from view so it looked like Kristen was simply vanishing into the fog. (That had also happened the previous night, but I neglected to mention it there.)
The Phantom of the Opera
Again, I noticed the fact that the scene smelled different -- as the doubles were moving along the travelator, there was a dank, moist, cellar-like smell. As the boat travelled across the lake, though, it changed to give the impression of an actual lake smell. Alex noticed me sniffing and grinned at me as if to say, "No, you're not crazy... I noticed it too." In addition, the theater became noticeably colder in this scene -- sitting somewhat further back, we were able to pick up on that more. It made for a really immersive experience that enhanced the whole production. Also loved the fact that the figures on the candelabras have glowing eyes... That was an extremely cool touch I hadn't really heard about before.
Tony and Kristen were again excellent, and I love how the Vegas production has doubles who actually look and act like the performers they're standing in for! Kristen's cadenza was amazing -- as I recall, I was sitting there with my mouth wide open, looking a bit silly... but it really was that awesome. Though Kristen didn't touch her throat after the E, she still seemed shocked by the notes she had hit.
The Music of the Night
This performance of the show, I noticed, had a different orchestra conductor from the previous night. This conductor was more inclined to take certain songs (mainly the Phantom's) a bit slower, and that was especially true here. I do tend to prefer it when they play the song more slowly; especially after discovering Alexander Goebel's Phantom in the original Vienna cast, I've felt like many casts rush the tempo too much. Here, though, it was just right for me.
Tony played the Phantom somewhat differently with Kristen compared to how he performed with Sarah Combs the previous night. There was a bit more tender awkwardness, as though he was thinking, "I have the woman of my dreams right here, in my lair... Now what? Oh yes... use the voice." Rather a neat way to play the scene, I thought. I also like how both times I saw Tony, he did the "Turn your face away..." choreography really gently and without touching Christine. I'm not fond of Phantoms who look like they're about to break Christine's neck during that part, so Tony's approach was a nice change.
There was one bit in particular where what could have been a really obvious flub in the hands of less capable performers worked so well for this cast that I almost thought they did it on purpose. After Tony sang "The darkness of the music of the night," Kristen hurried away from him as usual, but then she tripped over her dress. However, she happened to fall in the same place and the same way that she would again after unmasking the Phantom in the next scene, creating a really interesting dynamic. Tony, meanwhile, played that moment so that you could imagine the Phantom thinking, "Oh no, I've scared her... I need to tone it down a little bit so she won't try to run away." He still sang the next lines powerfully, but his body language revealed a bit more tenderness than he had in the previous performance, trying to win her back and calm her down. Naturally, it worked, and Kristen played a great transition from being almost in a state of panic to finally being so enchanted by his voice that she seemed ready to fall asleep in his arms. Then came the mirror bride bit, and Tony played the moment when she fainted as sort of "Damn... That was tonight's second screw-up. Well, maybe I'll try again tomorrow." And again, that approach tied into the next scene and the rest of the show extremely well.
I Remember / Stranger Than You Dreamt It
Tony again played the Phantom as a very enthusiastic organist and composer. Kristen played the unmasking bit really earnestly, much as I imagined it in the novel as simply an act of naive curiosity. Tony's portrayal of the scene struck me as very true to Leroux and also, as I mentioned before, tying into the previous scene really well. He again wagged his head during "Is this what you wanted to see?", but also played the scene with a good dose of regret mixed in with the anger and self-loathing, as if he was saying to himself, "Well, now I've done it -- she may have let my last two blunders slide, but now, she'll never come back to me willingly, so I'll have to imprison her." It gave his Phantom a really believable arc, so that even someone who wasn't familiar with other versions of the story might be able to see how he ended up going down that path.
Notes / Prima Donna
The managers were again brilliantly funny. John as Andre again stuttered on "Who the hell is he," but this time, I got a somewhat different vibe -- it was almost like he was about to use a worse word than "hell," but stopped himself, which made for possibly even more humor potential just with that one line. Joan's Carlotta seemed a bit more confident and diva-ish than she had in "Hannibal." She was alright in the role, but during "Prima Donna" especially, it was hard to hear her voice over the rest of the cast. I can't really decide whether I prefer her or Arsenia Soto, but I guess having seen Kim Stengel in the role, not many others will do the trick. Then again, maybe I just need to see them when they're feeling 100%, or when they haven't been called on to sub in mid-show.
This time, I really paid attention to Brianne as Meg. As others have posted in their reviews, she brings quite a lot to the part. Even though she didn't get many lines in this scene compared to the managers, Carlotta, and Raoul, her facial expressions and physical acting were superb and made Meg stand out more than I've noticed in other casts.
"Il Muto"
The confidante and two fops were hilarious in the first bit, and Kristen got quite a few laughs as the girl-playing-a-dude-dressed-as-a-chick, especially when she played up the implied sleeping-with-the-Countess bit. Being directly under the chandelier made the bit where the Phantom double dangles from it so awesome and thrilling to watch -- I do hope the folks in front looked back to see it.
To my left were two girls who I assume were having their first night seeing Phantom. They couldn't have been older than 11. When the Phantom hanged Buquet, they both gasped in shock and horror (and it was especially compelling because that night's Buquet, a different actor from the previous night, was twitching in an even more ghastly way). It was such a great moment... or maybe I'm just strange. :-D
Rooftop Scene / All I Ask of You
This scene again had a noticeably different smell; it really did feel like we were up on a rooftop, with that fresh air smell that you can rarely get in a city, let alone in a hotel theatre in the middle of a city. Kristen played such a believably terrified and vulnerable Christine, and it was fascinating to watch her arc in this scene; she started out simply fearful of her or Raoul being killed, but it evolved into her wondering if this whole experience might actually drive her mad. Andrew did his best to be reassuring, and this time, seemed to become more and more convinced that this "Phantom" guy might actually exist after everything Kristen told him; his "What you heard was a dream and nothing more" was clearly meant to reassure Christine, but he didn't seem all too convinced by it himself.
Their duet was gorgeously sweet, and it morphed from a promise of protection and devotion to all-out romantic giddiness, as would befit two young people experiencing first love. But alas, that couldn't last forever; as they left the stage, Tony's Phantom appeared and delivered his heartrending lines. Again, his shadow reminded me a lot of certain scenes from the Lon Chaney film, and again, his cape billowed out like the wings of a fallen angel rising up to take his vengeance. And I do so love that thunderclap -- oh, how I love it!
Masquerade
I love the pyrotechnics in this production, and the use of the Opera House façade was genius -- I almost wish every production could have something like that, but then again, that's one of the things that makes Vegas so special.
I know the extended intro to "Masquerade" was just put in for practical reasons, but I really do like it musically. The ensemble was superb here as well, and Andrew and Kristen had excellent chemistry. Red Death was again awesomely intimidating and was clearly the one in control for his scene. One thing that caught my attention was how completely under his spell Kristen was -- she was clearly trying to resist, but found herself compelled to go to him, even though she probably knew it wouldn't turn out well once he saw the engagement ring.The disappearing trick was also excellent; Daniel told us during the tour that it didn't go quite as it should have that night, but I didn't notice any problems. The scene between Mme. Giry and Raoul went well -- I agree with what Brianne Morgan said, that it seems to work better when it's spoken rather than certain lines being sung, and I also like that the musical transition to the next scene uses the "I Have Brought You" leitmotif. In fact, I think I prefer that immensely to what other productions did to switch to the next scene.
Notes / Twisted Every Way
Andrew Ragone plays a very "take-charge" Raoul in this scene, which is nice to see -- I think whatever an individual Phan may think of Raoul's character, Andrew is probably one of the least likely to be referred to as a "fop." Kristen's portrayal of this scene was realistically conflicted, and she did a great job of getting across how traumatic these events were to her. Andrew was nicely reassuring, but of course, Christine didn't really find it all that helpful here. I loved how as he announced his challenge to the Phantom, the managers took a few steps back as if to say, "Uh-oh... you're asking for it now!"
Graveyard Scene
This time, I noticed that the set had kind of a flowery scent -- pretty cool. "Wishing" was beautifully done; Kristen owned this song in a way that few if any other Christines I've watched or heard managed to, and got me teary-eyed. Because of how well both Christines I saw in this cast handled the song, I actually didn't notice a stanza was cut until I talked about it with Alex and Jo the next morning. This was another scene where it was clear that the conductor for this performance was much more inclined to take things slowly than the previous night's conductor had been, so Kristen was able to hold a few of the "money notes" quite a bit longer.
The duet in "Wandering Child" was gorgeous once again (though I do still wish productions outside of the UK were allowed to do the trio), and the fireball scene was just as thrilling as the previous night. Fortunately (or not, depending on where you might have been sitting), no fireballs went into the audience. XD And even sitting farther back as we were, we could definitely still feel the heat from the wall of flame. Even though that's probably the one special effect that wasn't redone to be bigger and bolder for the Vegas production, I do still love it.
Before the Premiere / "Don Juan Triumphant"
One more thing to be said for sitting farther back (i.e. with the "general audience" rather than in front with the regular attendees who know all the ins and outs of the show) is that there was a lot of tension in the audience during this bit. I'd venture a guess that a good number of the people in that night's audience were seeing the show for the first time, which made this scene in particular really fun, especially when the Phantom appeared next to Box 5 and the Marksman took his shot.
"Don Juan" was nicely done once again, with great gusto by the ensemble. Brianne's bit was great; though she had less to do than Megs in other productions during this bit, she did well in making Meg an important part of the scene. Larry Wayne Morbitt and their Passarino were again fantastic as well.
The Point of No Return
Kristen played this scene differently from Sarah Combs -- rather than an experienced performer who seemed to have a good idea at least of how to play a sexy moment onstage, Kristen's Christine was still very much the ingenue trying to play what she thought would look "sexy" without really having an idea of what that would actually be like. It fit her version of the character really well, I thought. She again had superb chemistry with Tony despite the fact that the scene was shortened. It was very much a case of a creature of the dark trying (and perhaps succeeding, depending on your perspective) to corrupt a creature of the light.
Then Tony sang the "Say you'll share with me" section (again with great passion and a theatrical edge) while the police surrounded the pair onstage. Kristen played up Christine's inner conflict as she tore his mask off, giving the impression that perhaps she did it in order to distract the police and give the Phantom time to escape. Of course, that ended up working and backfiring at the same time, and then our Super!Meg gave another excellent scream upon finding the recently deceased Piangi. Then came the moment Alex, Jo, and I had all been waiting for.
At first, the chandelier seemed to slowly lurch down towards us, and I thought, "Well, this isn't so bad." Then, as we heard the sound of a chain breaking above us, the chandelier went into freefall. Now, I consider myself a rather jaded horror film fan, but when the chandelier fell, I admit I screamed. (I have to admit it, or my fellow attendees will come in and set the record straight, naturally. XD) Alex and I laughed at my reaction as the onstage chaos gave way to the next scene.
Final Lair Scene
The lake came into view as Tony furiously sang and paddled the boat, and again, I noticed the dank cellar/lake smell. Tony seemed to play up the tragic side of his character in this scene more as a plea for Christine to understand him than merely the bitter, angry edge. Kristen, meanwhile, played Christine as a woman who had been somewhat afraid to grow up but was now pushed to a point where she knew she had to find the strength to stand up to the Phantom. When Andrew's Raoul showed up, Tony once again played the Phantom as very gleeful and sadistic. After Raoul got trapped in the Cage of Doom™, Kristen played Christine's desperation over Raoul's predicament as well as her conflicted feelings about the Phantom extremely well. In addition, I noticed that at one point in the scene, Tony glared at Kristen and adjusted his coat much like Alexander Goebel of the original Vienna cast did, as if to say "All right, that's it... the gloves are off now!" All three performers were at the top of their game in this scene and succeeded in bringing out the emotion required for the scene (and the show in general) to work really well.
The kiss was excellently performed and every bit as emotional as the previous night's. Afterward, Tony's heartbreak as he let Christine and Raoul go was plain to see. He again hit his chest as if he was suffering from a heart attack -- I'd almost be tempted to say that was a bit of influence from the Kay novel, but I'm not sure if he's read it, especially since he told us he's only read certain bits of Leroux (which really surprised me; very few other Phantoms I've encountered have done such an awesomely true-to-Leroux portrayal). When Kristen came back to return the ring, it was clear that she was considering staying; that despite everything the Phantom had put her through, it still tore her apart to see him so heartbroken. Their embrace lasted several moments, and both seemed reluctant to let go. Tony's final lines were beautifully sung and packed with emotion. And again, Brianne came onstage to find the mask and give us a perfect conclusion to the show.
Curtain Call
Again, thunderous applause for the whole cast. Alex, Jo, and I were on our feet to applaud the entire company. I also have to complement the orchestra because even their rendition of the playout at the end was done somewhat differently from (and, IMO, even better than) other productions I've seen and heard.
After the Show
But the fun definitely wasn't over yet! Since it was a Tuesday, the VIP tour was being conducted, so we and the other audience members who were going on the tour went to the stage area to meet Daniel, the usher who would be our tour guide for the evening. Half the group split off and went with Andrew Ragone, who was, strangely enough, wearing a hat and coat exactly like what Oliver Thornton of a former London cast wore in a backstage photo we had seen. Daniel took us up on the stage, where the three of us briefly separated from the group to say hello to Kristen Hertzenberg. Jo had drawn a fantastic portrait of her as Christine, so we got to give that to her and also take photos and congratulate her on her portrayal. We also got to meet dance captain Courtney Combs, who, as we found out, is not related to Christine understudy Sarah Elizabeth Combs.
After that, we took the elevator down under the stage to rejoin the tour group in the wig room. We got to see and take photos of several of the wigs used in the production -- I loved how everyone, including understudies and alternates, had their own personal wigs for each role they'd be playing. It made for a refreshing change after hearing how the US Tour had begun to lose that toward the end of its run; for example, I'd read that Richard Todd Adams didn't even have his own Phantom costume and was given John Cudia's outfit even though it was a poor fit. I also loved that we were allowed to take photos, whereas that wasn't allowed when I went backstage in the US Tour. (Are backstage photos allowed in the Broadway production or anywhere else?)
As we left the wig room, we bumped into Anthony Crivello, who had apparently been looking for us. We chatted for a bit, and he thanked us for dealing with a few people on Facebook who had never actually seen him live but were bashing him based on some video clips from when the production first opened. (I admit I did some of that as well, though nowhere near the level those people on FB did; in fact, on one POTO board, I recently put up a retraction of a post I'd made a couple years ago where I criticized Tony's Phantom based on recordings.) Live theater is live theater, and I doubt any recording will really do the stage show justice, especially when it comes to this production. Even if RUG actually decides to authorize a professional film recording of the show and release it in movie theaters, I don't think it will be anywhere near the same (though I'd certainly love it if they did anyway -- hint, hint). The Vegas production works so well at keeping you "in the moment" that things that bug the heck out of me on recordings (like cuts to the main songs, or the "handclaps" during the title track) flew by without me really minding them at all. Anyway, that's enough preaching from me. *puts soapbox away*
Alex and Jo went off with Tony to chat about other things while I continued on with the tour. We got to see all the computers and machinery under the stage that keep the show running smoothly day after day (though Daniel told us about several occasions when things haven't gone quite so smoothly -- everything from the chandelier not falling to performers breaking nails or losing teeth has happened; thankfully nothing that severe when we were there). Just for fun, I brought up some mishaps that had occurred in other productions, many of which I learned about on A Lamentable Mess. We also got to see the candelabras that would rise up during the lake scenes, and I was amazed at the level of detail on them -- on each candle, the flames were all hand-carved, even though nobody in the audience would be able to see that. The Cage of Doom™ was there for us to examine, as were the areas where the actors had to quickly change costumes (especially the ensemble members, who often had to play several different characters each night).
After that, we went up to the stage to look at the "Masquerade" staircase, the boat, and the places where candles would come up, flames would shoot out, or the Cage of Doom™ would trap unsuspecting French noblemen. (I half-jokingly asked Daniel if any stagehands had ever stayed after the show to catch unsuspecting tourists in the cage. Apparently, they haven't... so maybe it's a good thing I'm not in the crew. XD) Around then, Count-Alexiel and Sylent Phantom returned. Apparently, Tony had given them gum... and you definitely don't want to refuse a gift from the Phantom! The tour wound down, and Daniel and all the attendees swapped stories about Fans Week (hoping there will be another one in the future), mourning the Phantom shop that used to be right next to the theater, and dissuading the other guests from going to see a certain musical sequel. In all, probably the most fun I've had seeing a stage show... I hope to return and catch the magic again next year! :-D
*******
Well, that's it for my experiences seeing the Las Vegas production this past summer. I do hope you enjoyed reading about the show, and that at least some of you may be encouraged to see it for yourselves sometime. There truly is nothing else like it.
However, I have a feeling this isn't it for my reviews -- this coming weekend, I'll be seeing a local community theatre production directed by someone I'm a huge fan of. You can find out about it here. I have tickets to two performances a month apart, so I'll be posting my thoughts on the production after seeing it. And next month, POTO will be celebrating its 25th anniversary with a concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Folks in the US can find out which movie theaters will be showing it on which days here. I'll be seeing that as well and posting about it here. Looks like this will be a Phantastic year all around!
I remain your obedient servant,
I.A.E.
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