Theatre Off the Square in Weatherford presents new version of The Phantom of the Opera

by PegNews wire

Phantom of the Opera comes to Theatre Off the Square in Weatherford beginning Friday, November 7 and running weekends through November 23, 2008. Written by Gene Traylor and produced with special arrangement with The Dramatic Publishing Company, The Phantom of the Opera is a Victorian thriller based on the novel by Gaston Leroux. TOTS's Phantom of the Opera production might be best described as a retelling of a retelling of the timeless original story.

Though Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical extravaganza and Carl Laemmle's 1925 landmark film starring Lon Chaney might be the most familiar interpretations of Gaston LeRoux's 1911 novel, plenty of other authors have untangled the complicated story and repackaged the contents on their own terms.

TOTS' production was penned by Gene Traylor in 1979. While Lloyd Webber focused on the romantic side of the story, and Lon Chaney on the terror, Traylor's version focuses on the many Opera House characters affected by the Phantom -- the community, if you will, which makes this show a perfect fit for community theater.

The Phantom (John Sempeles) lurks with ominous grace throughout the show, but the Opera House's directors (Duncan Alexander and Pat Dohoney), the conductor (Christopher Reaves), the staff (Karen Dohoney, Laurie Jones, Jessica Rooks and Turah Shaver) and the police inspector (Wally Jones) all earn more stage time to develop their characters. Also cast are Candace Brooks, Joe Herbel, Kaleigh Parker, and Emily and Victoria Teague. Mike West, who is making his directing debut with Phantom, has a small part as Dr. DeBienne.

The play's lovers, Christine (Erin Yount) and Andre (Jake Shanahan) are newcomers to the TOTS stage. "We're amazed at our great luck in having them in our cast," said West, who claims Pat Dohoney as both assistant director and co-director. "They are both terrific, with plenty of chemistry."

While staying true to Traylor's script, West and Dohoney have added features that Phantom "phans" are sure to appreciate. The Phantom wears the familiar half-mask, "because he can portray a lot more with most of his face showing than just a small portion," West explained. Music from the Andrew Lloyd Webber version will be played before and after the show, and during intermission. Lady Carlotta, the opera diva, never appears alive in Traylor's script, but she does on the TOTS stage. The dressing gown Christine wears when the Phantom abducts her "was made more for Broadway than Weatherford, but wait 'til you see it," West said.

As for the production as a whole, "our motto comes from [Joel Schumacher] the director of the movie Phantom: 'No one ever paid for under the top,'" said West.

West and Pat and Karen Dohoney masterminded last season's X Marks The Spot off-season parody. They revel in reworking popular storylines and ramping the absurd to sky-high levels. "When the TOTS board approached us about directing Phantom, we (Pat and Mike) said we would, but only if we could do it our way. The board agreed, but we'll just see if the board members know what they agreed to," said West with ominous laugh.

The two lifted a small line about snoopy ballerinas and ramped it up to slapstick levels. They added a fight scene and some more aspects that should not be revealed in a press release!

The Phantom community has embraced new members too. Bunny Miles of Magic Etc. in Fort Worth designed the Phantom's makeup and has lent costumes from the store's vast collection. Longtime TOTS fan David Reaves, who has built a 40-foot spaceship and a two-story spiral staircase for other productions, designed and built the impressive pipe organ. TCU graduate student Amy Youngblood took a semester off to research and design costumes true to the late 19th century. "It's a great era -- bustles, leg o'mutton sleeves, frock coats, everything in Crayola colors because of the invention of aquiline fabric dyes," she said. Even the Paris police uniforms are historically accurate, thanks to the research of Debby Herbel, Phantom's stage manager.

Call 817-341-TOTS for tickets.

Posted by Shawn