Gala Night opens the Phantom season in Whangārei

Malcolm and Connie McMillan whose daughter Camilla McMillan Bergman plays Christine Daae.

A full house of theatre-goers in fancy dress and colourful masks were the first to see Whangārei Theatre Company's production of Phantom of the Opera at a special Gala Night.

The show is set in Paris in the late 1800s, but that didn't stop one person slipping on a Darth Vader mask and black cloak. Another was spotted dressed as an Arab prince.

The dress rehearsal in Capitaine Bougainville Theatre, Forum North, on Wednesday night was the first opportunity for family and friends of the cast and crew, along with patrons and sponsors, to see the result of months of hard work and dedication.

Deputy Mayor Sharon Morgan introduces the Phantom production to Whangārei.

They were also the first to glimpse a spectacular collection of almost 200 period costumes created especially for the show. The women's dresses are brash and colourful, recreating a time when a substantial bustle was worn to prevent the women's skirts from dragging along the floor.

Wardrobe designer Marie Ulmer is proud of her team.

''It's finally feeling like the canvas is finished,'' she said.

Richard and Amanda Johnston.

Ulmer is the company's go-to person for costumes and Phantom is her biggest challenge yet. Some cast members have half a dozen outfits as the story unfolds.

Whangārei MP Dr Shane Reti told NZME he was still thinking about the show the day afterwards.

''The costumes were so vibrant [that] in one of the opening scenes I heard the audience gasp,'' he said.

Colin and Tricia Lee.

He praised the cast, picking out James Mulligan-Hill and Dean Scanlen who play the incoming owners of the opera, for their excellent comedic timing.

Gala Night was also a critical test for vocal coach Monica Nance, who's been helping the cast to enhance their singing skills since auditions were held last year.

''There are some really complex ensembles in this show, where different characters are singing different things at the same time,'' she said.

''It's been very challenging, first getting all the different singing parts to work together and then adding in each character's movement to complete the scene.''

The show's director, Grant Smith, was spotted on stage in a glittering coat and mask in a brief cameo role as a waiter holding a tray of glasses. Smith said releasing his work to an audience for the first time left him feeling almost helpless.

''It's not about me, it's about the guys who go out there and give their all on the stage. I'm so proud of what they've done.'' - By Tim Dower