A masked man in the mirror, one particular chandelier and that hauntingly iconic soprano – The Phantom Of The Opera is a long-standing musical that’s known all over the world. With scores and tunes that most would’ve heard, it’s a wonder what the story is behind that mask. With it being the last weekend for The Phantom Of The Opera in Singapore, read my review and get ready to cop those tickets before they’re all gone.
As a young, noob soprano in secondary school, all I thought about was when would I ever watch The Phantom Of The Opera. I’ve seen the score, I’ve sung the songs, performing at school concerts, but I never really knew what the story was. All I knew was the man with the mask. I’ve watched the movie and even tuned in to the 48-hour full stage show on YouTube when we were all under DORSCON Orange. But my love for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical ingenuity will always have me catching these productions live – only after the matinee show on 1 June, did I finally get what this classic is all about.
The Phantom Of The Opera sees a chorus girl, Christine Daaé, becoming the new star of the opera house. And somehow, she’s the disciple of the “Angel of Music”, also known as the Phantom. He’s a musical prodigy who comes up with the greatest shows for said opera house, and hides in the shadows, with demands like a salary, a reserved box seat, and more.
Christine struggles as her childhood friend Raoul reenters her life. Torn between Raoul’s devoted love and the Phantom’s obsessive, shadowy passion, Christine is caught between the emotionally-charged rivalry. It’s a tale as haunting as it is mesmerising, and even if you’re already familiar with the plot, seeing it unfold live was spellbinding.
Pretty much a twisted love story, The Phantom Of The Opera is filled with jealousy, longing, and what we’d coin as toxicity for people of our time. But with its 40th anniversary, having been seen by over 160 million people in 46 countries and 195 cities, you know this is a classic tale as old as time kind of well-loved trope.
I’ll have to compare it to when I was seated in row Q for the Wicked musical. This time, I chose a seat three rows back, which is row T. We were situated right in the centre of the centre stalls, so the view was pretty magnificent. You could see everything and hear everything. Nothing was missed, and we didn’t even have to adjust to get a full picture of everything. Plus, we didn’t experience that ringing in our ears this time. So we definitely have found the sweet spot, at least for us, at the Sands Theatre.
The costumes and wardrobe of The Phantom of the Opera were nothing short of spectacular. It’s clear that no expense was spared in recreating the lavish fashion of the 1880s on stage. I later learned that this production utilises over 200 distinct costumes throughout the show – an astounding number that makes sense once you’ve seen the variety and detail on display. Bustled satin gowns, feathered hats, brocade vests and tailcoats – every outfit looked like it came straight out of a Victorian-era illustration.
What really impressed me was how the costumes reflected each character’s personality and journey. Take Christine, for example: when we first meet her, she’s dressed modestly as a ballet chorus girl, but as she transforms into the opera’s star soprano, her costumes transform as well.
The props in this production were anything but ordinary – they were storytellers in their own right. Walking in, you’d see what looks like crates on the stage – iykyk. The story begins with an auction. You won’t know who these bidders are, but they do provide a brief on the auctioned items. Vintage, old, long-forgotten items that were once part of the great Paris Opéra House.
Take the delicate monkey music box, for instance. First appearing in the opening auction scene, its slow, haunting chimes immediately set a tone of wistful nostalgia that’ll keep resurfacing during the show.
Even everyday objects were used to great effect. The Phantom’s infamous letters kept appearing throughout the show, each time furthering the plot. Every letter delivered to the opera managers brought a mix of dread and dark humour to the stage. I loved watching the managers fumble with these notes, reading the Phantom’s demands aloud with growing incredulity. Those little envelopes managed to get the audience chuckling one moment and tensing up the next!
No matter how grand the production design is, a musical ultimately lives or dies by its performers, and this cast truly brought the story to life. One highlight is the actress who plays the role of Christine, Grace Roberts.
She was once in Singapore, from the age of 6 weeks to 18 years old. And as the face for the current World Tour of The Phantom Of The Opera, Roberts is not a soprano to be trifled with. The high Cs in Think Of Me and Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, that clarity and depth, had me awestruck.
Not forgetting the Phantom, whose strong voice touched me deeply. You’d be able to feel all the pain and despair laced behind every word he sings and speaks. Trust me, you’ll ache just the same.
If the props laid the groundwork, the special effects took excitement to a whole new level. Right from the overture, I knew I was in for something spectacular as the auction concluded and I saw the famous chandelier lifted and flicker to life. The way the chandelier ascended and lit up the theatre was pure magic. And I remember gripping the armrests as the chandelier suddenly came crashing down. Even though I knew it was coming, it was executed so brilliantly that I was genuinely startled.
The show’s use of pyrotechnics and lighting effects was just as exhilarating. In climactic scenes, bursts of flame and showers of sparks would erupt on stage at just the right moments. I remember going “wow, insane effort right there”. Equally impressive was the famous journey across the underground lake. As the Phantom led Christine into his realm, the stage transformed into a misty, moonlit subterranean world. It looked like the pair were really walking below ground to reach that underground tunnel, where fog curled around a gondola-like boat as they glided across what looked like real water.
I also have to praise the subtle illusions. One that sticks out is the magic mirror in Christine’s dressing room. At one point, the mirror became transparent to reveal the Phantom standing behind it. In a blink, what seemed like a solid reflection turned into a secret doorway into the Phantom’s world. Similarly, in the final scene, the Phantom’s mysterious disappearance drew audible gasps. One second, he was shrouded in his cloak on the chair, and the next he was gone, leaving behind only his iconic mask lying on the seat!
As a musical happening within an opera house, you see several numbers for different productions. Whether it’s Hannibal, Il Muto, or Don Juan Triumphant, every set’s design was extremely elaborate. I was particularly impressed with how swiftly and smoothly the sets changed. One moment we were witnessing a lively onstage opera rehearsal with an exotic backdrop for Hannibal, complete with golden statues and vibrant draperies, and the next we were transported to the dimly lit backstage corridors and then to the intimate glow of Christine’s dressing room.
Not forgetting the Paris Opera House itself, its grandeur was apparent from the towering pillars and rich, gilded detailing that framed the stage, giving every scene an elegant 19th-century backdrop.
Two scenes in particular left me speechless with their sheer visual splendour. The first was the grand Masquerade ball. The stage transformed into the opulent foyer of the Opera House, complete with a majestic staircase that stretched nearly to the top of the proscenium. Equally unforgettable was the Phantom’s underground lair. When the scene shifted to the lair, the entire stage seemed to sink into a shadowy, subterranean world. The stone walls and pillars appeared, dripping with the suggestion of moisture – it’s almost as if you could smell the damp air of the catacombs.
Might I say, this was the highlight for me. I’ve been to several musicals at the Sands Theatre, and never have I ever seen a live orchestra. It’s usually a lean, skeletal crew, and there are backing tracks at times, including an electric keyboard.
But this is my first time seeing a proper orchestra, filled with cellists, violinists, and all the works. You wouldn’t be able to tell that it’s a live orchestra, but as I headed to the pit as usual, what greeted me was the sight of instruments!
Perhaps it was the fact that we were already running behind time, coupled with how the musical still had a couple of weeks before closing up at the Marina Bay Sands, but it wasn’t actually that crowded.
As compared to the Wicked musical, there weren’t as many photo spots too. While the former had about 4 – 6 photo spots, we only saw about 3 at The Phantom Of The Opera
There’s one at the entrance, right before your tickets get scanned.
If you aren’t able to grab your pics before the musical, you can always wait till intermission or when it ends!
Might I say I was beyond surprised that the merch this time was so much cheaper than that at the Wicked musical. While of course, admission tickets for Phantom was already more expensive, so I guess that makes up for it. Nevertheless, all I could see was right in front of me (haha), so I spent about $150 on two t-shirts, a tote bag and a stuffed toy.
Here’s a look at the merchandise catalogue.
We got all of the above during the intermission, and I spent the second half of the musical wondering about the Phantom Teddy Bear…
I caved. It’s actually pretty huge and very soft – worth the $50 to me!
Likewise, I’d go again. With different casts and varying amounts of experience, the performance would always be one-of-a-kind. The current show in Singapore fell a little flat for me, somehow the leading actors seemed like they weren’t able to carry or portray the power behind their roles.
Take the Phantom himself, while he does have a sad backstory, he seemed to be a bit too whiny… It’s not the script, but the character’s portrayal felt somewhat lacking. Well, of course, do take this with a pinch of salt as I’ve only watched the movie and my other comparison is to the great Ramin Karimloo, a.k.a the best Phantom of all time.
As for Christine, her role seemed to be overshadowed by something. Whether it was the orchestra or the Phantom, it felt like her vocal prowess was compromised. You could hear how great she is and know that she is powerful, but those crescendos were kind of masked by other elements of the show.
Nevertheless, I’d still say this is a great musical everyone should catch. It’s classical, but literally part of pop culture. Don’t stay in, head out to experience The Music Of The Night – that’s All I Ask Of You.
Taste the “Lion” of flavour!
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