One-Minute Critic — Theater Critic

“Follow me!” “This way!” “Hurry!” I doubt Andrew Lloyd Webber and his collaborators imagined there’d be so much shuffling and calls-to-action when they first conceived of a musical adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s Le Fantôme de L’Opéra. But the catacombs of what was once the home of the American Society of Civil Engineers require nimble navigation for cast, crew, and attendees of Masquerade, a mostly mesmerizing immersive reimagining of The Phantom of the Opera.

From the musical’s opening moments, Tony winner J. Harrison Ghee, in the dual role of Black Jesus and Pastor Lewis, capitalizes on Sia’s catchy score. But the familiar dance beats and melodic riffs aren’t quite enough to make Saturday Church stand out among identity-focused new works.

David Rockwell’s minimalist scenic design in muted grey, punctuated by swift scene changes and Jen Schriever’s equally crisp lighting, nudges Art toward entertaining. However, some may be just as happy watching the famed video of Banskey’s “Girl With Balloon” shredded after it was auctioned in 2018 for $1.4 million—just a bit more than Art made during its first full week of previews.