The Phantom of the Opera Musical came to Montreal for two weeks in early October and I had the opportunity to attend. Not only did I get to attend, but I was in the second row. I just want to start off by giving Cameron Mckintosh some credit for producing such an amazing rendition. The amount of work that was clearly put into it was truly inspiring. I grew up being a fan— or should I say “phan”— of Phantom of the Opera and always dreamed of being up on the stage too. Although that dream hasn’t yet come true, watching the performance was just as amazing.
The Phantom of the Opera started off as a French book written by Gaston Leroux. It was years later recognized by Ken Hill and later on by Andrew Lloyd Webber who turned it into a musical. This is a story of a soprano singer named Christine Daae, the Phantom, and Raoul who are stuck in a love triangle. The Phantom who lives in a labyrinth under the Opera house where Christine performs is believed by Christine to be the “Angel of Music” that her late father has sent to her. The Phantom, coaching Christine on her voice ends up falling in love with her. Raoul is a childhood friend of Christine and also a mutual romantic interest.
The actors did a fantastic job at playing each character. I am truly convinced that they are magical creatures sent from the heavens.
Eva Tavares who played Christine Daaé had a remarkable voice and carried such a beautiful presence on stage!
The innocent, sympathizing, caring and finding-her-way character that is Christine Daaé was portrayed so perfectly by Eva Tavares, and I have to give her credit for her performance since she hasn’t performed this character that many times seeing as she only joined the tour in late July of 2017.
Jordan Craig who played Raoul was charming and romantic. He took my breath away and sang beautifully as well.
Jordan has taken Raoul’s character and perfectly showed the young, brave side of him! I found that in the movie Raoul and Christine seem very mature, especially Raoul. However, in this performance, Jordan Craig portrays him to be so magically in love with Christine that my heart couldn’t help but swirl.
Derrick Davis, who played the Phantom, was absolutely perfect.
His emotion in his performance made you feel everything along with him and he portrayed the character so effortlessly. Dark yet hurting, his emotions poured out through his expressions. I was so taken by his performance that I literally shed a tear!
Everything from the singing and the dancing to the music and the costumes had so much detail. The cast chosen suited the characters well that it made the entire experience so fulfilling.
Ultimately, it is a show you have to see in your lifetime! But of course, like many other shows, it is best to start by reading the book, watching the movie, and then seeing the show. You will be able to tell how on point they have followed the story all throughout. However, even if you haven’t seen the movie or read the books, the musical is very easy to follow and understand. A good example would be my dad, who had never seen or read The Phantom of the Opera, and went in completely uneducated on it. We left after the performance, and he said that the story was amazing and that he loved it!
With their magical set up, including the detailed backdrops, statues, and props, The Phantom of the Opera is nothing short of a beautiful, unforgettable experience.