My Twenty-Two Year Journey with THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

My journey with The Phantom of the Opera began in 1992 at the tender age of four. My godmother took me to see the first National Tour at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. I was absolutely mesmerized. I have since seen the show on six or seven other occasions but I will always remember my first time, which ironically, was one of the show's advertising campaigns in recent years. The details from that first experience are fuzzy, but I very vividly remember the Phantom's lair, the Masquerade, and of course, the famous chandelier. Not yet five years old, I already knew what a "high C" and a "high E-flat" were from running around my house singing the title track at the top of my lungs. I thought I was part of the show and I experienced the drama along with Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford every time I listened to the cast recording on cassette tape.

Fast forward two decades and I still love The Phantom of the Opera, but for different reasons. Becoming a singer myself, I appreciate the glorious music that Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber has written for Christine and The Phantom get to sing. I'm not as enamored with the chandelier and the boat as I once was, but those first chords of the overture still give me goosebumps every time. I was lucky enough to attend the 25th anniversary concert a year ago and what an incredible experience that was. The festivities and the special performances that followed the show were fantastic, of course, but there was one element of the show that made the evening special. Her name was Sierra Boggess.

This brings me to the special performance I was able to attend a few weeks ago for a blogger event. I was more excited to see this show than I had been for any other repeat visit, and I was not disappointed. Sierra Boggess and Norm Lewis in the main roles are the most excitement this show has seen in years. I don't use the term 'reinvent' lightly, but that is exactly what they did with these roles that are over twenty-five years old. They are vocally brilliant, which was not unexpected, but what makes their performances so profound is their chemistry and their acting choices. I think their previous onstage relationship as father and daughter (in The Little Mermaid) adds an interesting element to their Phantom relationship by making it seem even more forbidden. The highlight of Sierra's performance is her Act II solo Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again. The vocal nuance that she applies to the scores give such depth to the character and we experience Christine's emotional highs and lows alongside her. Super fans will also be excited to hear the Wandering Child trio from London has been added to the end of this scene. Norm's booming baritone adds a new flair to the previously tenor-performed songs Music of the Night and the title track. However, where he really shines is in the final scene Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer. He finds some small notes of humor in this character that is often played only as brooding and grotesque. He actually resembles a child throwing a tantrum as he forces Christine to choose between Raoul's life and her own freedom, which adds all the more pain and anguish to his character.

Hal Prince's staging of this beloved musical is timeless, yet if I squinted a little bit, I almost felt as if I were watching a new production because the performances are so fresh. Whether you're a casual fan or you've grown up with The Phantom in your soul like I did, it is worth revisiting. It is an absolute joy and a pleasure to revisit the staging and hear Sir Webber's glorious romantic melodies with two exquisite talents at the helm. In fact, take your own children and maybe, just maybe, the musical theatre will take hold of them and refuse to let them go as it did with me over twenty years ago.

2012 TONY Award Nominations: Predictions

Last year I was pretty darn close on my predictions so let's see how I do here. Kristin Chenoweth and Jim Parsons announce the nominees tomorrow (5/1) at 8:30 am.

Best Play:
1) Clybourne Park
2) Other Desert Cities
3) Peter and the Starcatcher
4) Stick Fly


Best Musical:
1) Bonnie & Clyde 
2) Leap of Faith
3) Newsies
4) Nice Work If You Can Get It


Best Revival of a Play:
1) Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman
2) Private Lives
3) A Streetcar Named Desire
4) Wit


Best Revival of a Musical:
1) Evita
2) Follies
3) The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
4) Jesus Christ Superstar 


Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play:
1) Hugh Dancy, Venus in Fur
2) Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Death of a Salesman
3) Frank Langella, Man and Boy
4) John Lithgow, The Columnist
5) Blair Underwood, A Streetcar Named Desire


Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play:
1) Nina Arianda, Venus in Fur
2) Tracie Bennett, End of the Rainbow
3) Tyne Daly, Master Class
4) Linda Lavin, The Lyons
5) Cynthia Nixon, Wit


Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical:
1) Matthew Broderick, Nice Work If You Can Get It
2) Danny Burstein, Follies
3) Raul Esparza, Leap of Faith
4) Norm Lewis, Porgy and Bess
5) Ron Raines, Follies


Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical:
1) Jan Maxwell, Follies
2) Audra McDonald, Porgy and Bess
3) Kelli O'Hara, Nice Work If You Can Get It
4) Bernadette Peters, Follies
5) Elena Roger, Evita

Roundabout Theatre Company's Sondheim on Sondheim

Sondheim on Sondheim is a compilation of Stephen Sondheim’s work, but this production explores a completely different take on the idea of a musical revue. A block of television screens allows Sondheim himself to come into the Studio 54 theatre as he discusses his history as a musician and the inspirations behind his work. The large block of screens separates into smaller clumps to show several images at the same time. The screens that are not in use also fold into a rotating staircase to become part of the set, as if the actors are physically walking among Sondheim’s ideas and thoughts.

The most praised singers of Sondheim’s work are often referred to as ‘interpreters’ and this cast headlined by Barbara Cook, Vanessa Williams, and Tom Wopat certainly includes some phenomenal interpreters. Norm Lewis, Leslie Kritzer, Erin Mackey, Euan Morton, and Matthew Scott complete the cast. This company (no pun intended) of eight is perfectly divided into a younger and a, let’s say more experienced, half. This works perfectly, especially in the song Waiting For the Girls Upstairs from Follies in which two older couples sing an octet, reflecting on their younger selves.

With such a luminous cast, we expect powerhouse performances from the above-the-title Cook, Williams, and Wopat, but some of the most remarkable performances come from the lesser known players. Norm Lewis delivers Being Alive more passionately and with more life than any actor who has played Bobby in Company on the New York stage. He is not just another magnificent voice—he carries a tremendous emotional weight, driving the piece forward as a performance, not just a song. Another pleasant surprise is Erin Mackey’s Do I Hear A Waltz from the musical of the same name. This singular soprano number in the show soars above the heavy ballads and comedic tunes, truly showing off her impeccable range. Her performance is nothing to scoff at either as she flawlessly delivers this delightful song from an otherwise flop of a musical. If Mackey is smart, she will follow Barbara Cook’s every move and learn from her, one of the musical theatre’s most stellar sopranos, and she too could have a bright future in the business.

Vanessa Williams is fabulous as always, particularly in the cast rendition of Children Will Listen from Into The Woods where she is featured in a duet with Tom Wopat. This song may actually be even more poignant in this production than in its original source material due to the context. It comes after a very emotional discussion by Sondheim of all the times his mother told him he was a mistake and how that affected his life. This eleven o’clock number paves the way for Cook to sing the emotional climax of the show.

Barbara Cook, a Tony winner and acclaimed cabaret singer, is certainly the highlight of this production, clearly for her vocal and performance qualities, but also for her sheer star power. Her wealth of experience, both in the theatre and in her life, add a great deal of weight to some of the show’s heavier numbers. Her rendition of In Buddy’s Eyes from Follies tells the story of a woman who, although she is aging, will always feel young in her husband’s eyes. Cook’s Send In The Clowns is simply the best I’ve ever heard and could draw a tear even from the most stoic of audience members. Coming after a discussion by Sondheim of the importance of his teacher Oscar Hammerstein II, this iconic song is truly a tribute to anyone who has ever been a mentor or touched a young life.

This production of Sondheim on Sondheim is perhaps most poignant in its exploration of generations from legends, to current stars, to newcomers. The one downside to this otherwise impeccable production is the absence of perhaps the most revered Sondheim interpreter—Bernadette Peters. But who knows, with Peters’ previous work with Tom Wopat and his unique take on the title character from Sweeney Todd in this production, maybe the pair will headline the next Broadway revival of the tale of The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.