'Phantom of the Opera' to return to Singapore

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sun, 02/04/2007 4:42 PM  |  Life

Kathy Petite, Contributor, Jakarta

It's time for all Phantom of the Opera buffs to jump and cheer, especially those who happened to miss their 1995 show in Singapore.

After a 12-year absence, Broadway's longest-running and most popular musical is returning to Singapore for a strictly limited season from March 23 to April 29 at the magnificent Esplanade Theater.

This has also been the venue for other world-class musicals such as The Sound of Music, Mamma Mia, Forbidden City and West Side Story.

Since its debut on the London stage 20 years ago, Phantom continues to wow audiences around the world. It has been honored with over 50 major theater awards, including seven prestigious Tonys.

The big-screen version was made by Joel Schumacher just a few years ago with stars Gerard Butler (Phantom), Emmy Rossum (Christine) and Minnie Driver (Carlotta).

Love, heartbreak, revenge and devotion are all to be found in the Phantom story. Based on the novel Le Fantome De L'Opera by Gaston Leroux, the tale is about the mysterious ""Angel of Music"" who lives beneath the Paris Opera House.

The freaky, disfigured phantom falls in love with the young beautiful singer, Christine, to whom he devotes all his time and energy as the guru to this prodigy.

The Phantom continues with his passion to breed a new opera star and at the same time brings terror to those living in the Opera House.

Brad Little, whose strong performance has gained plaudits from critics and audiences alike, will be in the highly sought-after phantom role.

Before Phantom he played Raoul in a Broadway production of the same show. He also won international acclaim for his portrayal of Jesus in the European Tour of Jesus Christ Superstar and Tony in West Side Story.

Like most Broadway's musicals, it's no surprise that Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom music also features famous hits such as The Phantom of the Opera, Music of the Night, and, of course, the stirring All I Ask of You.

The latter, as you may be aware, is famous among music fans of any age, well-known to hotel lounge lizards and is widely requested by radio listeners.

Directed by the admirable Harold Prince, the mastermind behind more than 50 musicals, plays and operas, the show will be in English with a duration of two-and-a-half hours plus a break of about 20 minutes.

This mega production involves a cast of 130, plus crew and orchestra, with a spectacular set and more than 230 costumes.

The Singapore season is produced by Lunchbox Theatrical Productions and David Atkins Enterprises, collaborating with The Really Useful Company Singapore.

Between them, the producers have scored successes with a series of awesome musicals in Singapore in recent years including Cats, Miss Saigon, Fame and Chicago, to name a few.

With its huge fame and numerous fans, it will not be surprising if tickets sell fast.

(The Phantom of the Opera is showing at Esplanade Theater, Singapore, with matinees at 2 p.m. and evening shows at 8 p.m. from March 23 through April 29. Tickets are available via www.sistic.com.sg or via hotline number ++ 65 6348 5555 or Smailing Tour & Travel, Jakarta, Smailing Tour Building, Jl. Majapahit 28, Jakarta 10160, tel. 3508080.)

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