And the Longest Stage Career Is....

With the first notes of the show's explosive overture ringing out for the final time at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday night, (and streamed live to movie theatres all around the world), the show was off and running again in top form. Even having had seen the show many times before, including the previous night - I still found myself carried away.

Phantom is a show like none-other, and the perfect alchemy that came together of music, lyrics, cast and creative team for the original production is a true testament to the power of musical theatre. When it all comes together perfectly (a rare feat), the result can be a show that lasts for generations. The tidal wave in which Phantom-mania hit the world in the late 80's hadn't been seen before, and hasn't since. Full credit goes to to the work of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Charles Hart, Richard Stilgoe, Hal Prince, Maria Bjornson, Gillian Lynne and the show's original leads - Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman and Steve Barton, amongst I'm sure loads of others.

The concerts at Royal Albert Hall were as much a celebration of the talented individuals who first brought these indelible characters to life as they were for the show's success - 25 countries, 100+ million audience members and the highest-grossing entertainment of all time.

Now, with two performances under their belts, the cast was universally in even finer form than Saturday night's debut. It's a shame that Sunday was this company's last performance together, but thankfully it's been captured for DVD, Blu-ray and CD release (coming November 2011 in the UK, February 2012 in the US for those keeping track).

Sierra Boggess and Ramin Karimloo once again triumphed and both received many enthusiastic ovations from fans watching in movie theatres worldwide and those of us lucky enough to be in the sold out Royal Albert Hall. They managed to embody the characters that were created some 25 years prior with respect and love, paying homage to the original creations while at the same time making choices both big and small that made them uniquely all their own. A better pair of performers could not have been picked for these special nights.

As Christine, Boggess got to show off her soaring soprano voice and possibly due to her appearance in the show's sequel, she brought a rich and deep characterization that showed her true struggle with whom to choose. Even though you know from early on in the show that logic dictates Christine will ultimately wind up with Raoul, she seemed more hesitant in that decision than those I've seen play the part before.

Her chemistry with Karimloo was again perfect and together they ‘knocked it out of the park' with heart, acting and song. His Phantom straddled the line between the romance and tragic horror and his powerful singing voice helped to carry the night and fill the large hall.

The night's special post-show surprises were even more poignant than previous nights and again began with the entrance of Andrew Lloyd Webber to a boisterous standing ovation. He then introduced the show's original London cast, producer extraordinaire Cameron Mackintosh and as a special surprise, original Phantom Michael Crawford, whom he noted had ‘hot footed' it on over from playing the Wizard at the London Palladium across town in The Wizard of Oz.

Crawford, who unfortunately didn't sing, was visibly moved by the audience's reaction to his onstage appearance (the loudest of the night) and to what the night was celebrating. He was then joined on stage for an emotional reunion with original Christine, Sarah Brightman, who sung the show's title song with a collection of Phantom ‘All-Stars' including Colm Wilkinson, John Owen Jones and Anthony Warlow. This was followed by the Phantoms singing ‘Music of the Night' which brought Crawford, Brightman, Karimloo & Boggess back on stage, hand in hand - stars old and new - to an even louder ovation as the song came to a close.

In one especially magical moment, Karimloo paid tribute and bowed to Crawford, the man who first brought soul, heart and life to the character as he sang. Together with the company, creative team and special guests, the overflowing talent on stage brought the music of the night to a truly perfect close. As the audience began to file out of the theatre, cast members thrust Boggess and Karimloo back on stage for a final ovation, at which he carried her off stage. What a way to end the night.
Those of us then lucky enough to attend the very glamorous party at London's Museum of Natural History found cast members past, present (and probably future) mingling together with family and loved ones celebrating the immense amount of work that went into putting the weekend together and the show's rich history. Over a seemingly never ending supply of beautifully catered food and drink, the party went into the wee-hours of the morning.

Here's to another 25 years...

Next question - what will Broadway do to mark their anniversary in January of 2013?

Posted on: Tuesday, October 04, 2011 @ 07:27 AM Posted by: Robert Diamond | Replies: 3 - Click Here