Media invite

My review

I was so sad when I couldn’t make it for the media call and premiere which including a masquerade theme last week due to overseas work travel but I finally managed to catch it on Labour Day instead. I have watched the movie and the previous musical when it was in Singapore in 2013. Here are my 3 reasons why first timers or even repeats like me should catch this before they leave. However, I wouldn’t recommend it for kids as there are quite a far bit of kissing scenes and a murder scene of a person hanging on a noose.

1.The music

To me, this is the single biggest reason for me to catch The Phantom of the Opera over and over again. Songs like Think of Me, Angel of Music, The Music of the Night, Prima Donna , All I Ask of You, Masquerade, The Phantom of The Opera are all so familiar to me.

To listen to the leads -Meghan Picerno (Christine) hitting the high octane , Jonathan Roxmouth (Phantom) so powerful and commanding in his tone and the tenderness in Matt Leisy (Raoul) tone really gave me goosebumps. This is why The Phantom of the Opera is undoubtedly the most famous musical of all time using the scores from Andrew Lloyd Webber and brought to live by a very strong cast.

The sweet rendition between Christine and Raoul to “All I Ask of You” was so full of chemistry that I can almost feel the extreme jealously by the Phantom. The other noteworthy score was Masquerade which was high in energy and full of pomp and grandeur on the sweeping staircase.

I can’t remember when I got first acquainted to the music from this musical but it has been many years listening to the same scores over and over again and I never get bored of it. And to watch the musical live make me relive the magic of musical productions and the gift the Andrew Lloyd Webber has given to our generation!

2. Props, set and costumes

For close to 3 hours, I was transported to the the old Parisian Theatre. From the very beginning, when I saw the grand chandelier being lifted up high to adorn the stage, I was speechless.

The late Maria Bjornson had designed the sets and over 200 costumes, including the elaborate gowns in the “Masquerade” sequence. Her set designs, including the chandelier, subterranean gondola, and sweeping staircase, earned her multiple awards.

Another memorable scene was when the Phantom brought Christine to his lair through the misty river using a gondola. It was so hauntingly beautiful!

3. A timeless classic

The storyline is based on the classic novel Le Fantôme de L’Opéra by Gaston Leroux and some say that there is some truth in the story. The story was based on a real opera house – Opera Garnier in Paris.  As Gaston Leroux was an investigative journalist, he had taken inspiration from real-life events happening at the opera house – a real incident when a chandelier did fall in the Opera Garnier setting the building on fire and killing a woman. Around the same time, the opera house was said to be haunted by a phantom/ghost. They even heard ‘ghostly’ voices and whispers in box 5 (where in the musical must be kept vacant for the Phantom). There were even sighting of a figure wore a black cape and a mask over its face.

There is actually a lake below the Paris Opera House (which was where the Phantom lives). Fact or fiction, I loved the mystery behind this tale and the tragic love triangle between Christine, Raoul and the Phantom. I was divided just like Christine to choose between the Phantom or Raoul and a small part of me hope that the Phantom had a happier ever after ending despite his unorthodox way of winning Christine’s affection.

From the press release

With 130 cast, crew and orchestra members, jaw-dropping scenery, breathtaking special effects and more than 230 costumes by the late international designer late Maria Björnson, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA contains some of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most famous and stirring music, including The Phantom of the Opera, Think of Me and Music of the Night. The original cast recording, with over 40 million copies sold worldwide, is the best-selling cast recording of all time.

“Base Entertainment Asia is proud to be presenting the most successful musical of all time in Singapore. PHANTOM has been phenomenally well-received for its brilliant casting, classic staging and sweeping romantic score wherever it has went and we are confident that it will continue to thrill audiences here,” said Chantal Prudhomme, the Chief Executive Officer of Base Entertainment Asia.

Based on the classic novel Le Fantôme de L’Opéra by Gaston Leroux, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA tells the tale of a disfigured musical genius known only as the Phantom who haunts the depths of the Paris Opera House. Mesmerised by the talent and beauty of a young soprano, Christine, the Phantom lures her as his protégé and falls fiercely in love with her. Unaware of Christine’s lovefor Raoul, the Phantom’s obsession sets the scene for a dramatic turn of events where jealousy, madness and passions collide

The Phantom of the Opera became the longest running show in Broadway history on 9 January 2006 when it celebrated its 7,486th performance, surpassing the previous record holder “Cats”. This coincided with the Broadway and the US national touring company celebrating an unprecedented 20,000 performances in the United States. On 1 January 2018 it celebrated its 13,000th performance and later that month on 24 January the Broadway production celebrated an amazing 30 years on Broadway.

The Phantom of the Opera has won over 70 major theatre awards, including seven Tony’s on Broadway and four Olivier Awards in the West End. It won the ‘Magic Radio Audience Award’, voted by the public, in the 2016 Laurence Olivier Awards. It is produced by Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Theatre Company Limited.

The Phantom of the Opera

Venue: Sands Theatre @ Marina Bay Sands
From: 24 April 2019
Showtimes: Tue – Fri: 8.00pm | Sat: 2pm & 8.00pm | Sun: 1pm & 6pm
Prices: From SGD 75 (excluding $4 ticketing fee)

For booking, click here.