Review Roundup: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Launches New North American Tour

Performances are now underway for the North American Tour of The Phantom of the Opera. The new touring production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical officially opened at the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, MD earlier this month, and will continue to major markets throughout its first touring year including Minneapolis, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and more. Read the reviews as they come in here!

Isaiah Bailey leads the company in the title role of ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ with Jordan Lee Gilbert as ‘Christine Daaé,’ and Daniel Lopez as ‘Raoul,’ Midori Marsh as ‘Carlotta Giudicelli,’ William Thomas Evans as ‘Monsieur Firmin,’ Carrington Vilmont as ‘Monsieur André,’ Lisa Vroman as ‘Madame Giry’ Christopher Bozeka as ‘Ubaldo Piangi,’ Melo Ludwig as ‘Meg Giry,’ and Alexa Xioufaridou Moster as ‘Christine Daaé, at certain performances.

The tour is directed by Seth Sklar-Heyn, based on the celebrated original direction by Harold Prince with musical staging and choreography by Gillian Lynne, recreated and adapted by Chrissie Cartwright. 
 

Constance Beulah, DC Theater Arts: What makes this production so satisfying is its balance of scale and intimacy. Yes, it’s grand — everything about Phantom is designed to impress — but it also finds time for quiet, tender moments. The Phantom’s gentle touch as he guides Christine’s voice, the stillness when she removes his mask, the hushed anguish of the final scene — these are moments that remind you why this story has endured for nearly four decades.

Herb Merrick, MD Theatre Guide : Isaiah Bailey as The Phantom has an an impressively strong appearance on stage. Both his singing and acting skills progress through the course of the story as the Phantom becomes more and more fixed on his protégé. His performance of “The Music of the Night” immediately establishes the strength of his vocal range. Jordan Lee Gilbert (Christine Daae), making her national tour debut, makes full use of her operatic training and background to fill out her role with a strong, controlled soprano voice, hitting high notes with ease and expressing many emotions as she struggles with her growing devotion to both her mentor and lover.

Jared Fessler, BroadwayWorld: Not “reinvented,” not “modernized”—just performed with the kind of conviction that makes you remember why this show became a juggernaut in the first place.

Rohan Preston, Minnesota Star Tribune: The two leads have chemistry for days. When their voices braid together on the title song, you can practically see the sparks ricocheting off the proscenium stage. Their performances pull us deep into two very different quests for freedom — Christine yearning to grow into the prodigy her father believed in, and the Phantom aching for the world to see beyond the mask that hides both his face and his fragility.

Jerrod Sumner, Minnesota Monthly: The production feels significantly more operatic in talent and staging. It truly feels as though you are inside the Paris Opera House from the moment the show begins. The North American Tour is directed by Seth Sklar-Heyn, based on the original direction by Harold Prince, with choreography by Gillian Lynne, recreated by Chrissie Cartwright.

Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities Pioneer Press: Lloyd Webber’s score is passionately delivered by a cast of 38 and a 14-piece orchestra, and the leads boast particularly strong voices as they tenderly caress the ballads and lend admirable classical technique to the more operatic fare.

Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune: Isaiah Bailey is a moving “Phantom,” fully able to inhabit the, well, operatic requirements of the role while offering some gentleness at the same time and Jordan Lee Gilbert’s more accessible Christine is no pushover, even as Gilbert beautifully hits all comers and goers within the part’s famous vocal range. Midori Marsh adds an uncommon note or two of humanity to the trampled-upon role of Carlotta.

Gary Graff, The Oakland Press: In truth, however, it’s a hybrid of the two; yes, the “old school” splendor of the Paris Opera House and its environs is being conveyed once again, but with the assistance of contemporary technology that brings a visual richness and an easy flow to its very familiar proceedings.

Tyler Hinton, BroadwayWorld: The biggest draw of The Phantom of the Opera for many is the lush design, which does not disappoint here with sumptuous curtains, gilded scenic elements, lavish costumes, and atmospheric lighting, all carefully curated to create a gothic romantic ambiance.

Krista Garver, BroadwayWorld: This national tour production gets at exactly why PHANTOM keeps filling houses. Those of us who wore out the original cast recording in the 90s are already primed, and this cast more than meets the moment. Isaiah Bailey and Jordan Lee Gilbert crackle as the Phantom and Christine (this is the sexiest PHANTOM I’ve seen). Bailey plays the role with disarming humanity. You fear him and feel for him in equal measure, sometimes in the same moment. Gilbert, with a solid opera background and making her national tour debut, is wonderful. Her Christine is bright-eyed but far from naive.

Shelley Dean, BroadwayWorld: The touring cast brings together an ensemble of remarkably talented performers who work together with effortless fluidity. Ensemble numbers such as “Masquerade” nearly steal the show altogether. The sheer force and precision behind the performances make every musical moment feel palpable throughout the audience.

Julie Hanson, Seattle's Child: This is also an eye-poppingly beautiful production, as well as being technically amazing. (How did the Phantom just disappear? How did they create that lake? Wait … how did Christine get from her dressing room to the basement so quickly?)

David John Chavez, The Mercury News: This production begins and ends with the brilliance of Isaiah Bailey as the Phantom, whose succulent baritone resides in a voice loaded with stylings. He’s arguably the best Phantom I’ve ever seen in my many viewings of the show. Inside his brilliance lies a complex vibrato, leading to the richest of articulated vocals, even some soulful deviation that lean towards hints of melisma. His “Music of the Night” is equal parts perfection and yearning.

F. Kathleen Foley, Stage Raw: More than four decades after its premiere, Phantom of the Opera remains one of the greatest of theatrical experiences. This touring production honors that legacy, reminding us why the masked and pitiable Phantom continues to haunt the Paris Opera House — and our imaginations.

Lucia Serrano, BroadwayWorld: This version is particularly effective because it understands what made the original production so enduring and builds around those elements. The familiar aspects are there, but projections, updated scenic technology and reworked effects allow it to function as a contemporary touring show.

Shor M. Masori, San Diego Jewish World: Theater fans should see The Phantom of the Opera at least once in their lives, and Broadway San Diego has given local audiences a terrific rendition. The show remains at the Civic Theatre through September 13. Keep an eye on the chandelier. It may be the only performer in the building dramatic enough to upstage Bailey.

SanDiegoVille, SanDiegoVille: This is one of the easiest recommendations I can make. If you've never seen The Phantom of the Opera, go. If you saw it decades ago, go again. And if you've somehow convinced yourself that a musical approaching its 40th birthday belongs primarily to another generation, spend an evening at the San Diego Civic Theatre and watch an audience lose its collective mind when that organ starts playing. Some theater becomes dated. Some theater becomes history. And every once in a while, something becomes timeless.

Linda Hodges, BroadwayWorld: If anyone suspected that four decades might have dulled the edge of this musical, this production proves otherwise. It balances lavish, old-school stagecraft with genuine psychological weight, honoring theatrical tradition while finding real humanity beneath the spectacle.

Average Rating: 85.6%