Magic and music at the Phantom of the Opera

SINGAPORE (May 22): When I was 15 years old, I heard ‘Music of the Night’ for the first time from an old CD my father purchased long ago. It was a recording of the Highlights of the Phantom of the Opera, with the original London cast that performed the musical in the West End, London in 1986.

The song, which the titular character sings to his muse and protégé Christine Daaé as he smuggles her away to his (for the lack of a better description) dungeon in the depths of the city, was brilliantly performed by Michael Crawford then. His haunting, pitiful and desperate seduction in the form of song stuck in my mind and never left-- till today, it still brings tears to my eyes.

Fast forward 15 years later and I fulfilled my dream to watch it performed in the West End on its 30th anniversary run, and I remember crying my way through most of the musical, to my partners’ chagrin. But therein lies the magic of the music of the Phantom of the Opera, and that magic has endured for the last three decades.

This highly-acclaimed and multi-award winning musical penned by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber takes audiences on a journey into a love that turns into a dark obsession, and until June 8, Singaporean audiences can fall in love once again with the twisted but ultimately tragic tale of the Phantom and his muse, Christine Daaé.

It is the longest-running show on Broadway, having celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2018, and has won more than 70 major theatre awards, including seven Tony Awards and four Olivier Awards, including one for Best Musical.

Most would be familiar with the story by now-- a flagging opera house is bought by two enterprising gentlemen, who wish to return it to its former glories, but a dark spectre known as the Phantom haunts the opera. When the young and talented ingénue, Christine, catches his eye, he seeks to make her his protégé, developing an obsession with her even as he tries to show his love for her. However, her reunion with an old childhood friend sparks love, and his love turns into a jealous rage that ultimately leads to his own destruction. It is not a tale for the faint of heart.

With 130 cast, crew and orchestra members, jaw-dropping scenery, breathtaking special effects and more than 230 costumes by the late international designer late Maria Björnson, the cast is led by Jonathan Roxmouth (who won the Broadway World Award Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of the Phantom) in the role of Phantom and Meghan Picerno in the role of Christine.

Roxmouths’ portrayal of the broken and obsessive Phantom was a sight to behold, but his vocal performance was flawless from start to finish. However, Picerno faltered slightly in Christine’s ‘big’ song in ‘Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again’, not quite hitting the final high note. Nevertheless, it is an incredible performance from an extremely talented cast, and will no doubt dazzle audience members time and time again.

Date: Now to Sat, 8 Jun 2019
Times: Tue - Fri: 8pm; Sat: 2pm & 8pm; Sun: 1pm & 6pm
Venue: Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands
Ticket Pricing (Excludes Booking Fee)

Tue - Thu
Phantom Reserve : S$205
VIP Reserve : S$175
A Reserve : S$155
B  Reserve : S$135
C Reserve : S$115
D Reserve : S$95
E Reserve : S$75
VIP Box (For 4 seats) : S$700
A Res Box (For 4 seats) : S$620
Restricted View : S$135

Fri - Sun
Phantom Reserve : S$225
VIP Reserve : S$195
A Reserve : S$175
B Reserve : S$155
C Reserve : S$125
D Reserve : S$95
E Reserve : S$75