Is she really a “prying pandora” anymore? Likewise, “The Music of the Night” has lost its sexiness. Now, thanks to the new staging, the Phantom is completely to blame for her seeing his deformed face because he was a nitwit and had removed it himself knowing full well that she was on the bed behind him ( not his smartest move). When the Phantom lashes out at Christine in “ Stranger Than You Dreamt It“, it was originally because she had removed his mask. Perhaps the producers did him a disservice by casting him in this iconic role so soon? And perhaps it is partially the blame of the new staging (by Laurence Connor) that I could not root for the Phantom. show, The Voice, and in the studio but where are his stage credits? Is that his fault though? His bio would suggest that his experience is on the t.v. But where these men oozed of charisma, sex appeal, drama, passion, etc.
I have sat captivated at numerous productions of The Phantom of the Opera mesmerized by the sexy and sensational Ron Bohmer, Brad Little, Tim Martin Gleason, Ramin Karimloo, and John Owen Jones. The Voice‘s Chris Mann may be able to hit those money notes but half of the rest of the time I actually experienced boredom (Gasp!) listening to his voice and was mentally comparing him to other Phantoms and that has never happened before. Likewise, the Phantom seems to have lost his own passion and reason. Are we now encouraging physical violence, Sir Cameron Macintosh? Storm Lineberger‘s Raoul is lacking in passion - I found it very difficult to believe that theirs was a love match especially when (out of character) Christine slapped him (!!) during “Notes/Twisted Every Way”. The Love Triangle where once Raoul was the perfect choice next to the dangerous and dark Phantom, he now comes across as entirely lacking in the charm/feeling department. New staging by Laurence Connor, new design by Paul Brown and added dialogue are the most disconcerting changes and can even cause confusion for first-time watchers. The changes are however dramatic and can be quite jarring for anyone who has seen the original production.
This re-imagined tour has the same beloved score, those gorgeous costumes are back (aside from the Red Death mask) and the familiar love triangle. The Phantom of the Opera is back in Los Angeles at the Pantages Theatre, after the 3rd national tour shuttered here in 2010.
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