‘Phantom Of The Opera’ – Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Lyrics by Charles Hart. Book by Richard Stilton & Andrew Lloyd Webber; Directed by Chris Brindley. Musical Direction by Chris Holownia, SJ. Choreography by Emily Craver. Scenic Design by Kyle Stamm and Chris Fournier. Lighting Design by Kyle Stamm. Sound Design by Elliot Dupcak. Costume Design by Cat Lawrence. Make-Up & Hair Design by Grace Graham. Presented by Weston Drama Workshop at Regis College, Weston, MA, through July 27, 2024.
By Linda Chin
Set on the stage of the Paris Opera in 1905, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical masterpiece The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a devious masked figure who lives in the Opera House and falls madly in love with an innocent young soprano, Christine, who he wants for his own. Phantom took its final bow in April 2023 – after 35 years, nearly 14,000 performances, and audiences of over 20 million, creating the opportunity for community, professional, and regional theater companies to apply for the rights. (Prior to the Broadway close, licensing was available only to affiliated high schools). Typically, WDW’s blockbuster seasons include newly available titles, e.g. Something Rotten (WDW 2022), Mean Girls (WDW 2023), and Six and Phantom this season.
Despite being a musical theater nerd since my high school and college days and spending hard-earned babysitting, work-study, and summer job earnings on the original productions of A Chorus Line, Chicago, and Pippin, Phantomwasn’t on my must-see list in 1988, so I waited until 2016 to see it on Broadway for the first time. One might expect that Phantom would be a wildly popular choice pre-2023, but few high schools had the resources to pull off the elaborate costumes, lavish sets, props/special effects, and orchestrations or have performers with the acting training and vocal prowess to handle the principal roles of the Phantom, Christine, Carlotta, and Raoul. And post-2023? Not many takers; few professional companies have the fiscal resources or facilities following the pandemic, so many of the plays and even musicals were two-handers.
Leave it to Weston Drama Workshop to be one of the few producing companies to have the chutzpah and bravery to tackle this beast of a show and give this production the distinction of being a regional premiere – one that raises the bar for all future productions.
A strong artistic team, including the very courageous and bold Chris Brindley (producing artistic director and Phantom director), professional theater artists Chris Howlownia, SJ (music director), and Kyle Stamm (lighting and co-scenic designer), make this sensational production a feast for the senses. Brindley and choreographer Emily Craver have created thoroughly entertaining and impressively executed BIG production numbers, including the opening “Hannibal Rehearsal,” the closing “Finale,” and the magnificent “Masquerade” that opens Act 2. The 35-member cast expertly executes the story’s emotional tension, complex score, and dance/movement crafted by Brindley, Howlownia, and choreographer Emily Craver.
Stamm’s lighting design is downright remarkable in its level of detail and sweeping and subtle use of color to complement the costume design by Kat Lawrence. No spoiler alerts, but scenes with a rowboat crossing on a misty evening, a piano turned player-piano with strobe effects, a life (or death-sized) mirror in the Phantom’s quarters, and, of course, the iconic chandelier were amplified with his artistry and storytelling power.
The pitch-perfect performances by Antonio Mele as The Phantom, Anya Carroll as Christine Daaé, Sophia Keohane as Carlotta Giudicelli, and Miles Salerno as Raoul buoy WDW’s sensational production. When you see the show, note that Carroll and Salerno are high school students 16 and 15 years of age, respectively; Keohane, a current college student at BU, and Mele, in his early twenties, a recent graduate of Emerson College. Sitting in the audience of the theater at Regis College, you may wonder if you are watching a Broadway-caliber professional production; if Weston Drama Workshop is masquerading as a professional Equity theater, it’s that good. For tickets and information, go to: https://www.westondramaworkshop.org/
