Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular

If ever Andrew Lloyd Webber's melancholic production warranted a revamp – it would be for it's Las Vegas debut. Neon City expects, nay demands it's musical productions to land with earthquake shattering presence, super-sized spectacle and a cast befitting of the world-class repute that precedes it. Who better then to entrust with the reformatting of “Phantom”, than original creative director Hal Prince, and Sadler's Wells trained choreographer (now an acclaimed artistic director) Gillian Lynne. “Turn your face away from the garish light of day” and immerse yourself in the snipped-to-fit, 95-minute Franco-inspired Mark II remake that is “Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular”.

Now celebrating it's 5th year within The Venetian Resort and Casino, “Phantom” brings with it more than an accomplished Broadway cast. The $40 million purpose built set was incepted in part by post-modernist architect David Rockwell (2011 Lawrence of Israel Award winner, and visionary behind the kinetic interior designs of Las Vegas' Cosmopolitan Hotel), who sought to elevate, and amplify the original set design of Maria Bjornson. The result? A Parisienne opera theater, within a theater. Cast Victoriana dummies dressed in the finery of the day occupy faux theater boxes encrusted with gold-leaf. Gargoyles and garish faces peek from the upper tiers that stretch out into the “real” seating area. The trademark chandelier? A gob-smackingly daredevil piece of engineering, that one could only describe as monstrous – all the more outlandish when you learn this is the very chandelier “dropped” each evening as part of the show. The whole set effect is destined to transport the Venetian audience back to 19th Century Paris, thus into the heart of this overwhelming story.

Those unfamiliar with the now cult Broadway musical's plot, are in for an enlightened emotional roller-coaster through a tale of love, woe and alienation, abridged with the personal vendetta of one man (Erik), intent on finding an outlet for his genius through a lead character upon the Opera Populaire's stage. The stage adaptation comes from the little known serial “Le Fantôme de l'Opéra” by Gaston Leroux, originally destined for publication within the 19th Century French daily paper “Le Gaulois”. It was not until around 1910 the serial became reformatted for it's publication as a Gothic novel, inspiring the 1925 Carl Laemmle silent horror movie of the same name. It would be Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage resurrection of the story in 1986, that prompted it's cultural popularity from the 1980's to present day.

Lloyd-Webber's first casting for “Phantom” cemented Michael Crawford's lifelong affiliation with the dark and loathsome “Erik” - an act which has since proved hard to follow, and Crawford himself maintains was one of his most challenging accomplishments. Hal Prince and Lloyd-Webber himself selected the entire cast for the Las Vegas reprise, opting for Brent Barrett (of Broadway “Chicago” and “Annie Get Your Gun” fame), along with Tony-award winning Anthony Crivello (a former stalwart lead for “Les Miserables” in New York) to play “Erik” on a rotational basis. Since 2008, Crivello has played the “Phantom” single-handedly. Los Angeles actress Kristi Holden stepped into the Broadway boots of Elizabeth Loyacano back in 2009, bringing a fresh chemistry between the male/ female leads.

As soon as the curtain ascends for “Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular”, the confirmation is in place that Sin City's production has a conscientious objective – to bring theatrical Gothica to a new generation. One thing is for certain, Andrew Lloyd-Webber didn't quite envisage the explosive special effects spectacular, that some say could rival a Cirque de Soleil production. The new “Phantom” is decidedly quicker off the mark than the Broadway relic, only briefly touching upon the background of the “Opera House Ghost”, before plunging headlong into the mayhem and menace devised by the “Ghost”. You'll later come to realize his efforts are manipulative intent, since “Erik” now wants the Paris Opera House run HIS way. One thing he didn't bank on was falling in love with the female opera lead Christine, whose soprano voice creates some truly emotional moments between the pair.

Some may have criticized the original motivation behind “Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular”, tagging it nothing more than an attempt to revive it's commercial appeal,. In truth, the Las Vegas production does something, which neither the U.K or Broadway formats could achieve – it throws it's audience in amongst the emotional turbulence of the production; defying their expectations with fire-shows and stunt men, and imprinting the plot upon their brains with what can only be described as a movie-caliber performance!