The Phantom of the Opera

The chandelier rose at the Ipswich Civic Centre on the opening night of Ipswich Musical Theatre Company’s production of The Phantom of the Opera. Playing to a sold-out audience, this classic musical proves its enduring popularity thirty-seven years after it was first performed.

This musical interpretation of the novel by Gaston Leroux follows the story of Christine Daae, ingenue of the Paris Opera House. She finds herself embroiled in a deadly love triangle, in between her mysterious singing teacher and her childhood sweetheart. With soaring melodies by renowned musical theatre composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, this musical delivers hit after hit song including ‘All I Ask Of You’ and ‘Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again’, as well as the eponymous ‘The Phantom of the Opera’.

Direction by Lyn Pelgrave was classic. With proper reverence to the original production, Pelgrave was able to direct a justified and faithful version of the show. The ‘Angel of Music’ trio at the grave was beautifully directed and created a powerful visual image, as did the shows classic ending tableau.

Musical direction by Robert Clark was commendable. Though it would have been nice to have some more male voices in the ensemble numbers, the solos were directed faithfully to the score and the singers’ voices showcased. The musical direction of ‘Past the Point of No Return’ was interesting – a contemporised version which, though slightly at odds with the feel of the rest of the show, was a unique spin.

Choreography by Simon Lind was dishevelled. There were nods to Gillian Lynne’s masterful classic choreography mixed with contemporary movements. Unfortunately, they did not flow well together. The choreography was perhaps the weakest part of the show, though it was nice to see the ballet dancers en pointe in both the ‘Hannibal’ and ‘Il Muto’ ballet scenes.

Set design was clever. As a show that is notoriously difficult to stage, Ipswich Musical Theatre Company did well to bring this show to life. The chandelier rose with a bang and with an impressive likeness to the original, the catwalk at the back of the stage was used to great effect and the technical components of the show were powerful. Of course, there were a few opening night glitches but overall the set worked well for the space. It was disappointing that there was no boat in the journey to the lair – the one drawback which fans of the show will desperately be missing. There was, however, an elephant, of sorts.

Lighting and sound design by Owen Forsyth and Murray Keidge was impactful and added to the spectacle of the production. Costumes had an obvious nod to the original, though perhaps with slightly less grandeur. Prosthetics and wigs by Delma Odger, Lilly Meager and Luna Verzar were excellent.

Nathan Kneen was exceptional as The Phantom. His singing was flawless and there are no words to encapsulate the magnitude of his performance. Acting wise, he embodied the Phantom with power, intensity and conviction. His rapport with Christine was palpable and he was enthralling to watch on stage.

Bryleigh Parsons-Pope was beautiful as Christine. Her vocal prowess was evident from the moment she sang. Her renditions of both ‘Think of Me’ and ‘Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again’ were vocally perfect and allowed Lloyd-Webber’s soaring orchestrations to be given life.

Russell Morgan was a sweet Raoul. His gentle disposition and lovely vocals complemented Parsons-Pope and their trios with Kneen were vocally balanced and commanding. Andrew Alley and James Burton played a convincing Firmin and Andre. Their comedic timing and levity were classic and their vocals complemented one another.

Elise Pickersgill played Carlotta with intensity, though some of her vocal lines were adapted from the original. Justin Harreman was wonderful as Piangi. He was witty, vibrant and had a powerful operatic voice to match. His scenes were dynamic and Harreman managed to leave a large impact in his short time on stage.

Samantha O’Hare was stoic as Madame Giry and gave an impressive performance. She absolutely nailed the character. Melissa Bird was a beautiful Meg Giry. She had a sweet and sensitive disposition and a lovely voice to match. Her duet with Parsons-Pope was a pleasure to listen to.

The ensemble did well to support this very accomplished cast of leads, who delivered a professional-level performance.

Overall, Ipswich Musical Theatre Company’s production of The Phantom of the Opera was exceptional. The staging was faithful to the original production, with all the grandeur and spectacle that is to be expected. The casting was spot on and the lead performers all delivered performances that would rival those seen on Broadway and West End stages. This show deserves the highest of praise and showcases the phenomenal talent that lies within community theatre in South East Queensland.

 Yasmin Elahi