Theater review: Phantom

by Christopher Soden of John Garcia's The Column

Several years ago I saw a touring company of Chicago, the musical written by John Kander, Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, from the 1926 comedy by Maurine Dallas Watkins, a reporter from The Chicago Tribune. I was stirred by the minimal staging, not because I'm partial to it, but by how it enhanced and facilitated the cynical, satirical content. Only in one number, as I recall, did the accoutrements become vivid and showy.

It was, "Razzle Dazzle," a wry song about mixing crime and glamour, with attorney Billy Flynn doing a strip tease, and a chorus line wielding voluminous feather fans. I realize minimalism and distillation are devices like any other. It's only when they fuse with the material in a way that jolts our sensibilities that we are privy to that increasingly rare theatrical experience they used to refer to as "magic." When it actually happens, I think it comes closer to sorcery.

Currently onstage at the Patty Granville Arts Center is Phantom (presented by Garland Civic Theatre), a musical version of Gaston Leroux's Phantom of the Opera, perhaps less familiar than the version composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber that is still playing on Broadway.

This Phantom has music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and book by renowned playwright Arthur Kopit, it tells the familiar story of the lonely disfigured phantom, Erik, who haunts the Paris Opera House and his radiant protégée, Christine. In many ways it's a very touching narrative about the beatific nature of genuine care and the cost of devotion.

Director Kyle McClaran, in his desire to do justice to the grandeur of Phantom's lush spirit, has pulled out all the stops, and sadly, nearly buried the show in embellishment. The relationship between script and execution must always be symbiotic, and unfortunately extravagance doesn't always have impact. The slow-motion attempts, the archetypal villainy, the sets overflowing with lavish décor, the elaborate costumes, the frantic, harried singing, it all goes straight over the top -- and while a little of that is fun, it's hard not to feel bombarded and disappointed. I dislike critiquing any director for caring so much, but this Phantom is so overproduced and excessive that the core of passion the show needs to thrive is blunted by layers of wrapping.

Terrence McEnroe as Erik, "The Phantom" and Stephanie Hall as "Christine Daee," are skilled and gifted performers, with much to recommend on with their rich and harmonious singing. Ms. Hall has a talent for effusive kindness that elevates and elucidates much of the show. The material is competent if not especially vibrant or witty but Hall and McEnroe (as the rest of the cast) do their best to give it some resonance.

Emily Hunt as "Carlotta," the wicked diva of the opera house, basks in her opportunity to be depraved, throwing her head back to laugh maniacally, while mixing a vile potion.

Jackie Kemp, as "Gerard Carriere," the former manager of the opera house, brings much needed éclat and modulation.

The costume design by Ryan Matthieu Smith is enthusiastic and thorough, evoking much of the sparkle and glitz of Parisian nightlife. Carlotta's gowns and dresses are appropriately bold and ostentatious, while Christine's are more understated and classy. It was refreshing to note Smith's original touches, such as dressing a bevy of ladies in undergarments, a myriad of exotic plumage, and a variety of masks for our much maligned hero.

Morgana Shaw's choreography provided much diversion and comic respite, whether coordinating a street scene or a chorus of revelers at a Paris Bistro. Shaw brings a steady and confident balance to the energetic demands of the various dances.