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Music:
Andrew Lloyd Webber – Lyrics: Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe
Director:
Simon Phillips – Choreographer and Assistant Director: Simone Sault
Set and
Costume Designer – Gabriella Tylesova – Conductor: Guy Simpson
Lighting
Design: Nick Schlieper - Sound Design:
Shelly Lee
Assistant
Director: Shaun Rennie
Fleet Steps,
Mrs Macquarie Point, Sydney until 24th April 2022.
Opening
night performance on 25th March reviewed by Bill Stephens
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| Joshua Robson (The Phantom) - Georgina Hopson (Christine Daae) |
Opera Australia’s
Artistic Director, Lyndon Terracini achieved a remarkable coup in persuading
Andrew Lloyd Webber to agree to an outdoor production of his masterpiece
“Phantom of the Opera”. Terracini is the
architect of the hugely successful Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour series, which
in the 10 years since its spectacular inaugural production of “La Traviata” has
established itself internationally as one of the world’s great outdoor opera experiences.
Even more
remarkable was Terracini’s achievement in securing Simon Phillips, Gabriela
Tylesova and Nick Schlieper, the team responsible for the lavish production of
another Lloyd Webber musical, “Love Never Dies”, the sequel to “Phantom of the
Opera”, to collaborate again on this
project.
“Phantom of
the Opera”, a lush, melodramatic musical set in the Paris Opera House, with its
story woven around a series of mysterious events occurring during rehearsals of
one of its productions, and a wonderful soaring score by Lloyd Webber, is a perfect
vehicle for the HOSH treatment.
However, with
the bulk of its action taking place either on the stage of opera house or below
in a river cave and its famous set pieces requiring a falling chandelier and the boat-ride under the opera house
through thousands of flickering candles, its presentation outdoors presented
formidable challenges.
How the
creative team Phillips, Tylesova, Schlieper and choreographer Simone Sault,
have overcome these challenges, has resulted in a production destined to be the
crowning achievement among the many remarkable productions already offered in
the HOSH series.
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| Georgina Hopson (Christine Daae) and dancers |
The
chandelier remains, and the flickering candles are replaced by an even more
astonishing effect. Tylesova’s setting of a decaying lavishly gilded half-proscenium and huge sweeping
staircase, augmented by beautiful set-pieces which glide silently into place,
all superbly lit by Nick Schlieper, provides the perfect environment for the hundreds
of lavish costumes and wigs she’s created for Phillips’ spectacular staging,
for which Simone Sault has created a series of eye-catching dance sequences
involving a large team of dancers. The spectacle reaches its zenith in the stunning masked-ball “Masquerade”
sequence, involving the whole company.
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| "Masquerade" |
However the
brilliance of Phillips direction is not in his handling of the spectacle alone,
but in his audacious casting and the way he has managed to keep the focus of
the production on telling the story, as improbable as it may be, so that the
climactic scenes involving just the Phantom, Christine and Raul become quite
riveting.
Instead of
opting for ‘star’ casting, which might have been expected for such a
production, Phillips cast Joshua Robson, Georgina Hopson and Callum Francis,
all experienced performers but relatively unknown to the general public, in the
roles of the Phantom, Christine Daae, and Raoul respectively. His gamble has
come up trumps, for their performances in this production are proof positive that
each has earned their ‘star’ billing.
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| Georgina Hopson (Christine Daae) - Joshua Robson (The Phantom) |
Joshua
Robson gives a compelling performance as the Phantom. Not only is his vocal
range phenomenal, especially in the all-important title song where he makes
interesting vocal choices, he is also a strong actor with an arresting
presence, who despite having half his face covered for most of the proceedings,
and committing several atrocities along the way, still manages to engage the
sympathy of the audience in the final scenes.
No one who
saw Georgina Hopson’s performance in “Rags”, another musical ripe for the HOSH treatment,
would have been surprised at her casting as Christine Daae in this production.
Her clear, sweet soprano voice, impeccable diction, and beguiling stage
presence makes her perfect casting in this role. Hopson’s portrayal imbues her
Christine with more gumption than usual, bringing additional tension to the
final scenes as she begins to realise the danger in which her fascination with
the Phantom has placed her.
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| Naomi Johns (Carlotta) - Callum Francis (Raoul) - Georgina Hopson (Christine) |
Similarly
Callum Francis, as the strangely coiffed Raoul, fresh from playing the gentle
boxer, Joe Scott in “The Girl From the
North Country” and unrecognisable from his starring role as the drag queen,
Lola, in “Kinky Boots”, gives a
passionate, superbly sung performance as Christine’s rescuer, quite different
from other interpretations of this role.
Other
standouts were Naomi Johns as the outrageous diva, Carlotta Giudicelli, not
only for her remarkable costumes, but for her soaring coloratura and deliciously
over-the-top performance; Paul Tabone, every inch the cliché operatic tenor,
Ubaldo Piangi and Kelsi Boyden, quite delightful as Christine Daae’s champion,
Meg Giry.
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| Kelsi Boyden (Meg Giry) - Maree Johnson (Madame Giry) - Martin Crewes (Monsieur Andre) Michael Cormick (Monsieur Firmin) - Paul Taboni (Ubaldo Piangi) - Naomi Johns (Carlotta Giudicelli) |
Added
pleasures include the opportunity to see Maree Johnson, a former Christine Daae
from the original Australian production of “Phantom” and direct from playing
Madame Giry in the current Broadway production, exuding dignity and authority
with her re-imagining of that role for this production. Michael Cormick, who having
played Raoul in the West End production, and the Phantom in another, revelling
in his opportunity to play Opera Manager, Monsieur Firman opposite the ever-suave
Martin Crewes as Monsieur Andre.
A miraculous
sound design by Shelly Lee ensured that every lyric and every note of Lloyd
Webber’s remarkable score, gloriously interpreted by Guy Simpson, conducting
his excellent orchestra from under the stage, could be savoured. Nature even
co-operated by providing a picture-perfect Sydney Autumn night.
A night at a
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour is a unique Sydney event. This production of “The
Phantom of the Opera”, on opening night performed in the presence of the
composer, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, is its best production yet. Don’t miss it.