Review: The New Phantom of the Opera Will Always Live in the Original's Shadow

3 out of 5

A new version of the iconic eighties mega musical The Phantom of the Opera opened tonight in Toronto at The Princess of Wales theatre - just a short distance away from what was once called The Pantages (now the Ed Mirvish) theatre where the original Canadian production of the musical ran for a decade. Considering Phantom is still the longest running musical our city has ever had, it's only natural Torontonians have certain expectations.

I've had the opportunity to see Phantom many times, including the tour replicating the original production which played the same theatre in 2007, the original London production, as well as this production in Buffalo early in its run. The production playing here over the holidays is good, and has improved dramatically since I first saw it when it was in pretty poor shape - but still lacks the undefinable, special quality of the original.

Director Laurence Connor helms this production, leaving Andrew Lloyd Webber's luscious score intact but dropping most of the intrigue and mystery that original director Hal Prince injected into the very essence of the original. In this version, the Phantom (Chris Mann) is hardly mysterious and spends most of the show pacing the stage - waiting for something to do. Gone are his grand entrances on a floating angel and disappearances on the grand stairs. He walks in and out like any mortal man.

When Raoul reminds Christine "You said yourself, he was nothing but a man" we don't doubt him for a second. And maybe that's the problem.

All members of the cast are serviceable but none of the leads are outstanding. Mann's Phantom is great at reminding us he pines for "the joys of the flesh" but does little in terms of instilling excitement and fear into audience members. He's pitiful, not exciting. Katie Travis goes through the motions as Christine; her singing is by far the weakest of all the Christine's I've seen and combined with her absent acting, which may be more of an issue in direction, she doesn't leave a particularly lasting impression. Storm Lineberger is by far the strongest actor of the trio as Raoul but lacks the vocal chops necessary to project his voice through the theatre.

Jacquelynne Fontaine is by far the most impressive of the bunch as Carlotta, the diva of the opera. Carlotta is usually played extremely crass and over the top, and I quite enjoyed Fontaine's more subtle approach.

The costumes are being billed as replicas of the original, and while they look similar, the ones in this production have an overall cheaper look and lack some of the little flourishes I remember seeing in past productions.

The new scenic design for the production has some standout moments. A magical winding staircase replaces the distant bridge as the means of travel to the Phantom's lair, Christine's dressing room is vibrant and allows for a bit more movement, and the chandelier shoots small beads over the audience as well as sparks. Other moments left me wishing the original were somehow here again: the chandelier no longer rises during the overture and doesn't hit the stage at the end of the first act, the grand staircase in "Masquerade" has been replaced by mirrored walls making for some awkward choreography, the boat is there but it no longer takes the slow journey from upstage all the way down, and you won't find any candles rising out of the floor in this Phantom's lair.

With all this said, if you ignore expectations based on the original, this production is good. Those who've never seen the original will likely be impressed by the elaborate sets, costumes, and melodrama. Those who have fond memories of the original will realize that Phantom, a show with a number flaws, worked so well because Hal Prince understood when it was time to be extravagant and when it was time to just let two people share a mostly empty stage and sing their hearts out.

The Phantom of the Opera plays The Princess of Wales Theatre now through January 23rd. Tickets are available at Mirvish.com.

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