The Phantom
of the Opera







Musical Sensation
by Andrew Lloyd Webber



Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics by Charles Hart
Additional Lyrics by Richard Stilgoe
Book by Richard Stilgoe
and Andrew Lloyd Webber
Directed by Harold Prince







Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre
Orlando, Florida
January 2004







THE CAST


The Phantom

Christine Daaé

Vicomte Raoul de Chagny

Carlotta Guidicelli

Monsieur Firmin

Monsieur André

Madame Giry

Ubaldo Piangi

Meg Giry

Monsieur Reyer/Jeweler ("Il Muto")

Auctioneer

Hairdresser ("Il Muto")/Marksman

Monsieur Lefévre/Firechief

Joseph Buquet

Don Attilo ("Il Muto")
Passarino ("Don Juan Triumphant")

Slave Master ("Hannibal")

Solo Dancer ("Il Muto")

Stagehand

Soldier/Policeman

Page ("Don Juan Triumphant")

Wardrobe Mistress/Confidante ("Il Muto")

Princess ("Hannibal")

Spanish Lady ("Don Juan Triumphant")

Innkeeper's Wife ("Don Juan Triumphant")

Madame Firmin/Wildwoman ("Hannibal")

The Ballet Chorus of the Opéra Populaire



Ballet Swing

Swings
Gary Mauer

Rebecca Pitcher

Tim Martin Gleason

Kim Stengal

David Cryer

D.C. Anderson

Patti Davidson-Gorbea

Jimmy Smagula

Kate Wray

David DeWitt

Jack Savage

Peter Lockyer

Paul Slade Smith

Peter Cormican

John Kuether


Joseph Woelfel

James Zander

Lawrence Asher

Kirk Vaughn-Robinson

Joan Eubank

Tregony Shepherd

Sarah Lawrence

Diane Jennings

Gwen Eagleton

Laureen Vigil

L. Melissa Allen, Joelle Gates,
Jessy Hendrickson, Kristi Patricia, Erin Brooke Reiter,
Sarah Spradlin-Bonomo, Lisl Vaillant

Kristi Patricia

William Patrick Dunne, Ray Gabbard, Rebecc Judd







Synopsis of Scenes
and Musical Numbers



Prologue

The stage of Paris Opera House, 1911



Overture
ACT ONE - Paris 1881


SCENE 1: Dress rehearsal of "Hannibal"
Think of Me

SCENE 2: After the Gala
Angel of Music

SCENE 3: Christine's dressing room
Little Lotte/The Mirror (Angel of Music)

SCENE 4: The Labyrinth underground
The Phantom of the Opera

SCENE 5: Beyond the Lake
The Music of the Night

SCENE 6: Beyond the lake, next morning
I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt It

SCENE 7: Backstage
Magical Lasso

SCENE 8: The Manager's Office
Notes/Prima Donna


SCENE 9: A performance of "Il Muto"
Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh

SCENE 10: The roof of the Opéra House
Why Have You Brought Me Here/Raoul, I've Been There
All I Ask of You
All I Ask of You (Reprise)

Carlotta,Christine,Raoul


Christine and Meg


Raoul,Christine,Phantom


Phantom and Christine


Phantom


Christine and Phantom


Buquet,Meg,Madame Giry,
Ballet Girls

Firmin,André,Raoul,Carlotta,
Giry,Meg,Piangi,Phantom


Carlotta and Company


Raoul and Christine
Raoul and Christine
Phantom


ACT TWO


SCENE 1: Opera House, New Year's Eve
Masquerade
Why So Silent

SCENE 2: Backstage

SCENE 3: The Manager's Office
Notes/Twisted Every Way


SCENE 4: A rehearsal for Don Juan Triumphant

SCENE 5: A graveyard in Peros
Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
Wandering Child/Bravo,Bravo

SCENE 6: The Opéra House stage

SCENE 7: Don Juan Triumphant
The Point of No Return

SCENE 8: The Labyrinth underground
Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer

SCENE 9: Beyond the Lake

Full Company
Phantom




André,Firmin,Carlotta,Piangi,Raoul,
Christine,Giry,Phantom




Christine
Phantom,Christine,Raoul




Phantom and Christine


Full Company







Review



This was the second time I had seen the worldwide famous musical. Instead of sitting in the dead last row of the gallery seats, this time I was smack dab in the front row. Since I was over at the side, sometimes I could not see what was going on. At least I was very close to the Phantom during the scene as Christine sings "I Remember," while he quietly works on "Don Juan Triumphant." It was the closest I had ever been since that day at the wax museum years ago and it brought back some memories.

Speaking of memories, Gary Mauer brought another one back. From the moment I heard him sing from the mirror in Christine's dressing room, I was stunned. Years ago, I had this dream in which the Phantom spoke. He had this beautiful but very sad sound. For years I listened for that sound, for The Voice. The closest I had been able to find for some time was a CD recording with Ethan Freeman. Gary Mauer did so well, I nearly got moisty-eyed during the whole scene from "Angel of Music." Not only did he have that exquisite voice, but his acting was out of this world and his tall, slender physique was perfect for this role. While Ted Keegan's Phantom caught the "conceited child" in Erik, Gary Mauer caught the lonely soul struggling to keep his dignity against the insults that life has always thrown at him.

Rebecca Pitcher again played Christine Daaé. She was, of course, as lovely as the first time I saw her. As I watched the graveyard scene from a different angle this time, it was even more remarkable than the first time I saw it.

Kim Stengal played a different Carlotta from Julie Schmidt. She was just as funny as Schmidt but her facial expressions, especially something about her eyes, made this Carlotta seem a lot more cunning. (Behaviorly speaking, Schmidt's Carlotta seemed more like a mischievious but insecure pre-teen.) Her crafty demeanor and physical appearance make me think she would be perfect for the role of Carlotta in the Yeston and Kopit musical. The only problem with that is, in the book by Arthur Kopit, Carlotta cannot sing. Stengal would have to work hard to fake it. :) Maybe it is because I was in the first row, but she really had a powerful set of pipes!

Although I told myself I would be good this time, I truly could not help myself. When Mauer came out and bowed for his curtain call, I did not care that I was in the front row and that I had come to the show alone. I bellowed out my Xena war cry. I could see him smile and giggle as he bowed to the audience.







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