Review: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA at Orpheum Theatre Minneapolis

If you’ve lived in Minneapolis long enough, you’ve probably seen a touring Phantom (or at least pretended you did when talking to theatre friends). But the production now at the Orpheum through December 7 feels surprisingly alive. 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.

Isaiah Bailey gives a Phantom who isn’t all posture and cape-swirling. He’s intense, but in a way that feels internal rather than theatrical. His voice has this burnished, almost bruised quality to it, and it makes the big moments—especially the last scene—feel less like spectacle and more like someone’s private grief spilling onto the stage.

Jordan Lee Gilbert’s Christine is a real standout. She avoids the porcelain-doll quality that some Christines fall into. There’s a clear sense of a person figuring things out, not a soprano simply floating through high notes (though she does those beautifully too). Her scenes with Bailey feel charged, and her scenes with Daniel Lopez’s Raoul feel warm in a more grounded, everyday sense. It’s believable that she could be torn between both worlds.

Lopez brings an earnest, likeable Raoul to the mix. Sometimes the character can feel stiff, but here he comes across as someone who genuinely cares about Christine—not just a nobleman with good hair and timing. Their “All I Ask of You” drew real, audible sniffles from the balcony.

In the supporting cast, Midori Marsh’s Carlotta is a delight: sharp, funny, and vocally impressive without slipping into caricature. William Thomas Evans and Carrington Vilmont—Firmin and André—play off each other like two managers who have run out of patience with absolutely everything. Lisa Vroman’s Madame Giry is wonderfully controlled, while Melo Ludwig’s Meg adds a softness that the story really needs. Christopher Bozeka gives Piangi both comic flair and an unexpectedly warm presence.

Visually, the tour mostly sticks to the traditional look, but the atmosphere feels darker and more shadowed, which actually helps. Instead of being overwhelmed by stage machinery, you notice the actors and their relationships. The famous chandelier still does its thing, of course, but the quiet beats end up being the ones that stay with you.

Overall, this Phantom doesn’t feel like a museum piece trotted out for nostalgia’s sake. It feels like a group of performers actually telling a story they believe in. Whether you’ve seen the show five times or walked in knowing only the mask from the posters, this cast earns its chills and its applause.

For more ticket and show information, please click the ticket link button below.

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