Stage Review

Phantom (2006)

EW's GRADE
B

Details Opening Date: Sep 11, 2006; Lead Performances: Brent Barrett, Sierra Boggess, Anthony Crivello and Elizabeth Loyacano; Writer: Richard Stilgoe; Director: Harold Prince

...of the Opera is gone, replaced by Las Vegas Spectacular as a subtitle, which can only mean...even grander and looser lighting fixtures. When that chandelier appears, it's like Close Encounters: Live!, and the inevitable crash is the near-death experience any orchestra-seater could hope for. Even Phanatics might have trouble picking out trims in this 95-minute abridgment, and getting through the gothy hokum faster ain't bad. But the cast is caught in a sprint, and one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's better scores, Phantom, like the dude under the mask, wants a bit more breathing room.

Originally posted Aug 25, 2006 Published in issue #894 Sep 01, 2006 Order article reprints

Add your comment

The rules: Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment. If you see inappropriate language, e-mail us. An asterisk * indicates a required field.

500 characters remaining
Advertisement