Amdram Theatre production: Phantom wows us all

It was an amazing production of The Phantom of the Opera.

Marie and I attended opening night, had a perfect view and a finely honed sense of anticipation. We have been waiting for this for so long. It was worth the wait.

There were stars aplenty, shedding their glimmering light throughout the Opera House and beyond. They were on the stage, behind the stage, in the wings and in the audience. For months they have quietly and patiently played, sewed, painted, hammered, designed, rehearsed, ready for their opening-night cues. Everyone involved in this production deserves to take a bow and share in the standing ovation. And I do not say this lightly.

The Phantom of the Opera set new standards of professionalism and audience pleasure, and we all went home eager to tell as many people as possible about the wonders we had seen that night.

The musical has an impressive pedigree, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe, based on the novel by Gaston Leroux. It demands high standards of acting, singing, music, set construction and all the magic that takes a world and places it on a stage.

Director Graham Dack delivered, there’s no doubt.

The cast members and leads were well chosen, bringing the right personalities, great voices and the ability to make an audience believe they are who they say they are. Centre stage and hogging (and producing) the light was an ornate piece of glass-and-iron artistry, an enormous chandelier made by Whanganui’s own Katie Brown, glass artist extraordinaire.

The story is well known but, if you need to, look it up. Here we concentrate on the players and all who made this local production the masterpiece it was.

The role of the Phantom demanded someone exceptional and he was found in the person of Iain Tetley. His voice, emotion, stage presence, and the vibes that emanated from him when he appeared behind the ensemble as Red Death, added up to a part well cast and a character we believed was the Phantom.

The love interest — she has two suitors, including the Phantom — is Christine Daae, played by Maika Montgomery. Maika had the right amount of sweetness and naivety, aided by a beautiful soprano voice, as well as the looks and grace to carry off the role.

The woman she supplants in the story, taking her place in lead roles, is Carlotta Giudicelli, played to perfection by Rosie Mallett. Rosie’s strong soprano and ability to play the “prima donna” with her big personality and comic timing made her a hit in her debut principal role.

Then there is Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny. The role is played by Jamie Henare, gifted with a clear, strong tenor voice and the looks and carriage of a romantic male lead.

Among the principal roles is Phil Kilmister who plays Ubaldo Piangi, Carlotta’s leading man and a force to be reckoned with, apparently. He does a great job and got plenty of laughs.

Two interesting characters are Messieurs Richard Firmin and Giles Andre, played by Richard Leith and Ben Broughton. Their comical bearing, fast Gilbert and Sullivan-esque exchanges and just the right amount of contemporary facial hair bring joy and a smile to the audience, and Richard and Ben delivered everything beautifully. Great casting.

The voice of reason throughout is Madame Giry, played with suitable aplomb by Morag O’Malley. Dressed in black and taken seriously, Morag brought depth and character to the role. Her daughter, Meg Giry, is artfully played by Shaila Hawkins. ‘Tis she who recommends Christine as the lead when Carlotta makes herself unavailable. Shaila, though young, is a veteran of the stage and that experience shows in her portrayal of Meg.

Assisting the principals are players galore, including an accomplished and eye-catching corps de ballet, led and choreographed by Bex Marshall. Then there is the “company” in which all the incidental roles and ensemble voices are found. They are a talented bunch, many with years of stage experience, some coming from recent lead roles in various productions to join the company. An invaluable group of exceptional actors and singers.

The set is a masterpiece of engineering and imagination. It took us to a theatre in times gone by, then took us under it and the scene where the Phantom takes Christine across the lake was truly remarkable for its realism. A big team worked on set creation and they are to be commended.

The costumes — what an amazing result! Outfits were required for a number of “operas” being staged as well as “off-stage” costumes of the 19th century. Some dazzled and were stars in their own right, and we were all intrigued to see what Carlotta would be wearing after her scene behind the screen — it was worth waiting for. Mary Dack and her team have excelled.

But none of this could happen without an orchestra. There are few spoken lines in The Phantom of the Opera: most are sung so musical background and accompaniment are constant throughout both acts. Musical director Lynn Whiteside has done an incredible job finding the right musicians, and so many of them. They did a magnificent job.

Add the special effects and mood-enhancing lighting, sound and assorted weird stuff, and Phantom was a major hit.

And where did the Phantom go in his final scene? It’s got me stumped.