He's Here The Phantom of the Opera....



New Production of Phantom of the Opera is on tour



Last Friday my family and I went to see The Phantom of the Opera in the Bord Gais Energy Theatre in Dublin. Before the show we went for dinner and a few drinks. It was lovely to be out with my parents as they have never seen the show but have heard me rave on about it for over fifteen years!

Michael Crawford & Sarah Brightman the original Phantom & Christine



 I love the show since I was in my teens and for my 21st birthday present years ago Paul brought me to see it for the first time in the West End.

Since than I have been to the Paris Opera house where the story is based, seen the show in Vegas and Broadway. I went to see the film version (which I didn't like very much) and last year went to the cinema to see the live beam from Albert Hall for the 25th anniversary and we also had the song All I Ask Of You at our wedding. So you could say I LOVE the show. I get excited when I go see it the same way you would if you where going to see your favourite band. I was really excited but nervous to see the new production as it has all new staging and sets, now for someone who has never seen the show it wouldn't be that much of a deal, but for me it was because the sets and design is a huge part of what phantom of the opera is about.



The bus before the show....I know I'm sad!



Mam & Dad before the show

Paul & Me before the show



The chandelier before the show



First let me just say the Bord Gais Theatre is beautiful the area around it and the grand canal beside it so pretty.

The best part of this production is by far the cast, the Phantom is played by John Owen Jones he is well know among Phantom fans he has played the Phantom more than any other actor in the history of the show. He is amazing, he plays the Phantom slightly different than when he was in the West End.

 Christine was played by Olivia Brereton I was expecting Katie Hall but Olivia plays Christine at certain performances, I shouldn't have worried as Olivia was fantastic and in my opinion is better than Katie Hall. She has a wonderful voice and played Christine just as I like slightly weak in the first act and much stronger in the second act. She really got the performance right and I felt I saw Christine gown and mature through out the show.

The changes the chandelier in much different than in the West End or Broadway, it looked slighted like the one in Vegas but without the wow factor. It is already hanging from the ceiling which is another big change and it doesn't rise up from the stage as the overture is played which I felt was another little let down.

Onstage during the overture to makeup for lacking of chandelier rising there is a little flashback of sorts to the glory days of the Paris Opera house which I did enjoy.

 Allot of the first few songs are the same-ish staging as the west end etc until you get to the title song which is my favourite. It was a little let down with no smokey lake with the candelabras rising from the smoke. No holding breath moment when the boat comes into view. There is about 20 "floating" candles instead and a five second boat ride.



My favourite Music of the Night Pose GONE....



The staging for Music of the Night it totally different and it lost allot of its magic for me. Gone are the beautiful sensual poses replaced with blindfolds and capes. More Christine Grey than Phantom! But I did like this pose....



New Music of the Night



The end of act one the chandelier is a big disappointment it doesn't do much but shake and a little puff of smoke...far from the big chandelier crash.

In the second act Masquerade is also different no big staircase like the original production here it is set in the grand ballroom. To be fair it does looks allot like the really grand ballroom in the Paris opera house. The costumes a very different here too and it loses some of its grandeur, the Phantom's costume here is completely different and again it loses some of the magic and wow factor for me. The only other change I didn't like was the set for the graveyard scene it was somehow looked like a amateur set I wasn't fond of the staging at this scene either.

  However the final scene was amazing John Owen Jones and Olivia Brereton with Simon Bailey as Raoul play the trio brilliant. Owen Jones was heartbreaking at the end and it was the most I ever cried watching the final scene. So it just goes to show it doesn't really matter what the sets or staging looks like if the actors are amazing than the performance is too. I did enjoy this production but the sets, staging or costumes are nowhere near as good as the West End or Broadway. It is however a good production to see if you have never see the show before.



Dad & Paul at the show



My Phantom Goodies

Do you like Phantom of the Opera? Have you seen the new production if so what did you think of it?