Popular musical brings sweeping score, dramatic set to The Smith Center
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s celebrated musical The Phantom of the Opera is a love-triangle story between the masked and tortured Phantom; his talented ingenue, Christine Daaé; and the dashing suitor, Raoul; plus that chandelier. The theater production brings sweeping love songs, dramatic and lush arrangements, and luxurious staging to Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts from May 31 through June 4.
Cameron Mackintosh’s production of The Phantom of the Opera is part of a new North American Tour of the musical. Critics have raved that the breathtaking production is “bigger and better than ever before,” and it features brilliant, fresh scenic design by Paul Brown (Aida), Tony Award-winning original costume design by Maria Björnson (The Phantom of the Opera), lighting design by Tony Award winner Paule Constable (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), updated choreography by Scott Ambler (Enron) and new staging by director Laurence Connor (Miss Saigon, Les Misérables).
The production, overseen by Matthew Bourne (Swan Lake) and Mackintosh, features special effects that include the musical’s legendary chandelier. The familiar story and score — with songs such as “Music of the Night,” “Think of Me,” “All I Ask of You,” “Masquerade” and the title song — will be performed by a cast and orchestra of 52, making this production of Phantom one of the largest now on tour.
Phantom — The Las Vegas Spectacular, a $40 million Las Vegas-ized shortened 95-minute version of Phantom directed by Harold Prince and starring Anthony Crivello (Kiss of the Spider Woman), Kristi Holden (Sweeney Todd) and Andrew Ragone (Steve Wynn’s ShowStoppers), ran at The Venetian for 2,691 performances from June 12, 2006, through Sept. 2, 2012. Broadway scenic designer David Rockwell, a staple in Las Vegas (The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Nobu Hotel at Caesars Palace) created the custom-built theater on the Strip.
The Phantom of the Opera was brought to the big screen by director Joel Schumacher in 2004. It starred Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, and Patrick Wilson and received three Academy Award nominations. Love Never Dies, Lloyd Webber’s sequel to Phantom, makes its debut at The Smith Center, March 20-25, 2018.
For musical theater lovers, the return of Phantom to Las Vegas is very much a welcome one.
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