Phantom of the Opera
Opera House
26 August 2022
Sydney, Australia
Fourteen years after the last production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera incarnated in Sydney, audiences on terra australis got lucky like twice this year:
In April Opera on the Harbour staged an outsized open air alfresco extravaganza set against the dramatic backdrop of Sydney’s skyline, while anticipation was high for Cameron Mackintosh’s refreshed version of Webber’s bombastic musical of all musicals to haunt the Joan Sutherland Theatre to prove that the rejuvenated tour de force of winning pop sensibilities has stood the test of time.
The bohemian crystal chandelier that hovers over the audience not unlike the Sword of Damocles forbodes what proves to be a reinvigorated legacy production with Scott Ambler’s visceral choreography adding new dimensions to the emotional resonance in shapes, space, movement and rhythm.
Backed by an opulent twenty-seven piece orchestra, the nuances of the instrumentation are well variegated and become an active ingredient in the storytelling, thereby accentuating the motifs and reprises with fine control and escalating power, strongly supporting the vocal performances without ever running danger of being reduced to mere accompaniment even during quiet moments.
As a result, the stage story is never not vibrant despite the Olympian vocal challenges the lead performers Josh Piterman, Amy Manford and Blake Bowden are negotiating, as they skilfully meander through sinister, vulnerable and romantic territory.
Visually, labelling the melange comprised of Paul Brown’s scenic design, the magic Mick Potter channelled with the lighting along with Maria Björnson’s sumptuous costumes as stunning would be an understatement par excellence, especially since it masterfully augments the personalities of the characters.
Without ever attempting to forcefully reinvent the wheel and remaining true to the script, the enlivened version of Phantom of the Opera blows the cobwebs away from the tried and tested with the metaphorical ball remaining in the air at all times.
The panoply of character, emotion and action on display results is a complex and immensely enjoyable whole that is significantly greater than the sum of its considerable parts.
Delightful entertainment at its best.
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photo courtesy of Daniel Boud / Opera Australia
