Carol Smith has a ball in Melbourne, where the coffee is good and a certain phantom still knows the ropes
KEY POINTS:
The cat lets out an angry meow as I trip over him in the dark after scrambling out of bed to get ready for an early morning flight to Melbourne.
Most people in my house are terrified if I surface before 8am and scurry to obey the sign that reads, "Bring me coffee and no one gets hurt".
But this morning it is just me and the cat up at 3am. The unusual spring in my step and singing of the words "say you love me every waking moment" are because I have been invited to the opening night of The Phantom of the Opera, the longest-running musical in Broadway history.
Visitors never tire of Melbourne - it's a melting-pot city that's continually growing and changing. Modern buildings spring up among beautiful old architecture and the eclectic mix seems to work. Best of all, the coffee is good at any of the many trendy cafes dotted around the city.
I step off the plane and the first words I hear are, "Gidday, darl" from a security official. I am back in the land of Oz.
Several burly blokes on Harleys await us at the Langham Hotel on the Yarra River, on the Southbank Promenade.
The last time I was on the back of a bike I was screaming and clinging on for dear life to a 16-year-old boy, so I'm a little concerned. I needn't be. We are in safe hands as we are whisked around St Kilda, wind blowing in our faces. This is a great way to see the city, invigorating after an early morning flight and an excellent inner-thigh workout.
The biker boys drop us off at the new Eureka Skydeck building.
The fastest lift in the Southern Hemisphere takes us up 88 floors in 40 seconds and our ears pop. The building, in the shape of the Southern Cross, is the highest residential structure in Australia and the view of the city from the observation deck is stunning.
The real thrill, though, is experiencing The Edge: a glass cube that moves out from the building and suspends its victims over the city. Skydeck's sales manager gleefully informs us that the glass is only 4.5cm thick.
Apparently many Melburnians propose marriage while suspended from the building in this manner. Hopeful grooms presumably think their prospective brides will be so scared they will say yes to anything while in the box as they don't expect to survive the experience.
We put on our blue hospital booties (you don't want to scratch the glass, form a crack and fall to your death) and venture into the box, which is opaque so we can't see outside while being electronically removed from the heart of safety. The sadistic person who dreamed up this "ride" has kindly provided a soundtrack that consists of breaking glass and crunching metal sounds.
I cling onto the rail and stand on the only slim bits of steel construction that appear to hold this glass matchbox together. My theory is that if the glass breaks, which I expect will happen, I will have a few moments to contemplate my life before plunging to my death.
The box stops and the glass magically becomes clear. Gulp. Below is an amazing view of Melbourne if you care to look down. The manager, who has come along for the ride, jokes that he would like people to see a body when they look down. Strange man. Mercifully, after a few minutes the box returns to its space in the building and I am 10 foot tall and full of bravado, even if my legs wobble a little.
After all this excitement and much too much to eat at lunchtime, the Hidden Secrets tour is a wonderful way to walk it off. We check out the heavenly cafes, arty niches and quirky boutiques hidden in little lanes with stone walls where artists continually feel the need to express themselves.
A warning for weight-watchers - do not get on the scales in Melbourne. Just enjoy the food and diet when you get home. And, if you can, try to book for dinner at Punch Lane, a great wine bar and restaurant in Little Bourke St. It's intimate, the food is mouthwatering and the wine list extensive.
After sampling the many thrills around Melbourne, and most of the food, it is time for the main event at the Princess Theatre. Many people are excited about Anthony Warlow reprising the role of the Phantom, first performed by him in Australia in 1990.
It's a little alarming though when the director appears on stage to inform us that many of the cast have been suffering from flu, including the Phantom himself. But in true showbiz fashion, the show will go on and they'll "give it a go".
The curtain opens and an auction is being held at the Paris Opera House. The chandelier is convincing in its cameo role. The theatre crowd settles and we are drawn into another world, a world where darkness stirs and wakes imagination.
Christine, played by soprano Ana Marina, sings Think of Me beautifully. How she belts that amazing voice out of her tiny body is a wonder to behold. Raoul, her love interest, played by the incredibly handsome John Bowles, is enamoured.
The poor disfigured Phantom doesn't stand a chance in this love triangle. But, after many years of missing out on the girl, we still secretly root for him even though we know it can only end in tears.
I first saw The Phantom at Her Majesty's Theatre in London and am prepared for the possibility that the Australian version will not be as exciting. But I enjoy it just as much. The costumes are lavish, the cast is polished, the special effects are superb. It's a formula, darling, and a winning one.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical is comfortingly familiar and produced to the highest standards. Each performance has 230 costumes, 14 dressers, 120 automated cues, 22 scene changes, 281 candles and uses 250kg of dry ice and 10 fog-and-smoke machines.
To see the Phantom is a treat that should be repeated. It doesn't matter whether you have seen it once or many times, this is one act that never fails to deliver and will be around for many years to come. Bravo Phantom! Bravo Melbourne!
The music of the night is alive and well here.
GETTING THERE
Qantas flies twice a day from Auckland to Melbourne, and once daily from Wellington. Qantas also has great show packages available. Phone 0800 767 400 or visit www.qantas.co.nz
WHERE TO STAY
Langham Hotel Melbourne
Just a short stroll from the central business and shopping district.
THINGS TO DO
Phantom of the Opera tickets: www.ticketek.com.au
www.thephantomoftheopera.com.au
Harley Davidson Chauffeur Ride: www.harleyrides.com.au
Eureka Skydeck: www.eurekaskydeck.com.au
Hidden Secrets: www.hiddensecretstours.com
FURTHER INFORMATION
See www.visitmelbourne.com/nz
*Carol Smith visited Melbourne as a guest of Tourism Victoria and Qantas.
