BWW Previews: The New Tour of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, With Surprises in Store, is Worth the Trip From the Coachella Valley

This preview inaugurates a new, occasional feature from the BWW Palm Springs page, to help our readers decide whether a production playing outside the immediate area is "worth the schlep." (For those unfamiliar with the term, "schlep" roughly translates from Yiddish as a long trip.)

Cameron Mackintosh's new national touring production of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, directed by Laurence Connor, has just concluded its run at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles and is about to open at the Segerstrom Center, in Costa Mesa, California. I saw the new version at the Pantages and deem it a not-to-miss evening or afternoon of theater, definitely worth the approximately two-hour trip from the Palm Springs area.

Although the original intent in designing the new production was to simplify the staging and special effects, which would have allowed the company to perform in smaller venues than during earlier tours, events haven't worked out that way. Instead, although different sources provide different numbers, the scenery, costumes, props, and other necessary paraphernalia require anywhere from a dozen to twenty-one trucks to haul them from city to city.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's music, almost all of Charles Hart's and Richard Stilgoe's book and lyrics, and most of Maria Bjornson's incredible costumes are still part of the show. New choreography by Scott Ambler has replaced Gillian Lynne's, and Paul Brown's new set has replaced Ms. Bjornson's. Chris Mann (a finalist on season two of THE VOICE) appears as the Phantom, Katie Travis plays Christine (Celia Hottenstein alternates with her for two performances a week), and Storm Lineberger performs the role of Raoul.

The Phantom is harder-edged than his New York and London counterparts, and the new version is darker; this Phantom pushes Christine around literally as well as figuratively. The tour's Phantom actually looks a bit different from Broadway and West End Phantoms, both because his wig becomes increasingly mussed as he grows increasingly unhinged, and also because his make-up and costumes are closer to those in the 2004 movie than to those in the original production. The tragedy of this Phantom's face is, in some ways, stronger than in the original - as in the case of Gerard Butler's movie Phantom, only the right side is damaged. This Phantom can see how extraordinarily handsome he was meant to be; the face that denies him "the joys of the flesh" would have had the opposite effect had its right side matched its left.

The scenery and staging differ from those in London and Broadway, but I won't reveal any changes except the ones that have already been widely publicized. In my opinion, one is ill-advised: Eliminating the grand staircase that appeared in all previous incarnations of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, including the 2004 motion picture.

Fortunately, however, contrary to early reports, the chandelier still plunges dramatically, sometimes terrifying audience members seated underneath. I happen to be a PHANTOM fan who believes that Andrew Lloyd Webber's PHANTOM without a crashing chandelier would be as empty as LES MIZ without a barricade, and I am glad to see how impressively the new production succeeds with this iconic special effect.

The biggest change in the set is the departure of the travelator, which allows the Phantom and Christine, with the help of doubles, to appear as if they are walking down a long ramp into the bowels of the Paris Opera House. The new, higher-tech set is a tower with external steps that move out and back in. This breathtaking special effect is both literally and figuratively indescribable - people simply have to see it.

Ms. Travis's Christine, in my opinion, evolves more dramatically than other Christines from lost innocent to a strong and mature woman. A change in lyrics to one verse of WISHING YOU WERE SOMEHOW HERE AGAIN, the song Christine sings to her late father in the cemetery, helps emphasize her growth, but the real difference is in performance nuances. During the Pantages run, I spoke to Ms. Travis about her take on THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and on her character.

Ms. Travis, who grew up in Michigan, told me that she first saw Andrew Lloyd Webber's PHANTOM at the age of four. She decided then and there what she wanted to do as an adult: "I said I wanted to be in the show." She pays homage to the mentors who helped her get there, including Sara Jean Ford, who herself played Christine on Broadway and on tour. Ms. Travis says she still calls her acting teachers now and then for advice on her characterization.

Ms. Travis has a great deal of respect for Christine, explaining that there's a lot to her. Christine "was very close to her father," who died three years before, leaving Christine an orphan. Ms. Travis describes Christine as a good target for the Phantom, because she is so vulnerable. Nonetheless, Ms. Travis does not see Christine as having been totally alone - she says that Madame Giry took Christine in and watched out for her. (The 2004 movie makes the relationship explicit, but the stage musical's book and lyrics only hint at it).

I mentioned that Christine never tells Raoul that she loves him, and asked Ms. Travis how Christine feels about Raoul. She answered that Christine "definitely" loves Raoul for several reasons, including nostalgia - they share memories of her father, who read them "dark stories of the North" when the two families were neighbors during their summer by the sea.

Ms. Travis notes that Christine also loves the Phantom, even though he physically abuses her, because she sees "all his facets." Christine's decision between Raoul and the Phantom is difficult because although the Phantom is "picked apart by humanity," Christine has the insight to see the good of which he is capable. Nonetheless, she is wise enough to realize that Raoul is the realistic choice. "He's safe, reliable," and "comes from money," notes Ms. Travis.

The males who twist Christine every which way constitute a triumvirate, with Christine's father being the third member. Ms. Travis says Gustave Daae made decisions for Christine for years, and Christine still asks herself what her father would do in each dilemma. She says that the locket with her father's picture that Christine wears in this production - there is no equivalent in the New York and London shows - is important in the cemetery scene. She also considers the cemetery scene key because Christine realizes that she cannot rely on the voice she has been hearing claiming to be her Angel of Music.

I asked Ms. Travis what she hopes to be doing in five years. She answered that she'd like to work on Broadway, on "projects that inspire thought" and that contain "deeper meaning." However, she is "open to whatever comes."

Ms. Travis is clearly enthusiastic to be playing one of her dream roles, others being Cinderella from INTO THE WOODS and Julie Jordan from CAROUSEL. "We're equally passionate" about this production of PHANTOM, she says of her cast mates.

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA will play at the Segerstrom Center in Costa Mesa from August 5th through 16th, after which it will appear in San Francisco from August 19th through October 4th. (Ticket buyers in San Francisco should be aware that Chris Mann will be on vacation from September 28th through October 4th). The tour will return to Southern California one final time, for a run from October 7th through the 18th at the San Diego Civic Theatre.

The Segerstrom Center is located at South Coast Plaza, 600 Town Center Dr, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. The telephone number for tickets is (714) 556-2787. The primary box office is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Phones are open for sales daily from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and remain open on show nights until the latest performance at the Center begins. Tickets are also available on the Center's Web site, http://www.scfta.org/ . There are still seats available for THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, especially in the balcony.

The San Diego Civic Theatre has just opened ticket sales for THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. The theater is located at 3rd Avenue & B Street, San Diego, CA 92101. The advance sales window is located at 1100 3rd Avenue, and is open from Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are available by telephone at (800) 430-8903 or (619) 570-1100 and by Internet on www.broadwaysd.com .

Photo credits: Modern dress photos of Chris Mann and Katie Travis -- Audrey Liebross; chandelier being loaded in Minneapolis -- Kristen Hirsch Montag; production photo of Masquerade scene -- Alistair Muir; production photos of Chris Mann, Katie Travis, and Storm Lineberger -- Matthew Murphy.