Thank you to The Column for reconizing Phantom in all aspects. It's nice to have your work seen and appreciated. Below are some of the nods we got on this amazing project! BEST SCENIC PROJECTIONS – PHANTOM – MainStage Irving Already my Best Musical, Phantom also gets the nod for its unique projection design. In this set, there was a largely empty stage representing a very complex Paris Opera House. Save for a couple of moving stairway platforms and an orchestra pit, used for entries and exits, the mise-en-scène of the Opera House had to be shown without large backsets. What was memorable were the multiple projections of Paris city scenes and the Opera House, both internals and the catacombs underneath. There were multiple projections on a back scrim, and some on a front, partially opaque, curtain, and in various places on what seemed like windows. These synchronized with the story, music, lighting and movement. They became part of the storytelling and showed the possibilities for great scenery within minimal stage settings. BEST MUSICAL – PHANTOM – MainStage Irving This OTHER version of Phantom by Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit was based on Leroux’s story. Easy to confuse with Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, this production was visually stunning and musically intriguing with a new set of Phantom songs and a story of Erik’s, the Phantom, early life. Directed by Michael Serrecchia, Adam C. Wright (music) and Megan Kelly Bates (choreography), this cast melded an operatic musical with pure musical theater, with some actors trained in opera and others trained in musical theater. It was highly visual due to fantastically colorful costumes and a projection design that beat all. The acting was top notch, the singing, whether opera or musical theater, was pure in tone and musical phrasing. And this story filled in questions I’ve had for years about Erik. Some minor characters in Webber’s version are brought to the fore in this one, such as Gérard Carrière, the impresario who turned out to be Erik’s father. I recommend this production to any avowed Phantom fan. Patrick Jones – Phantom – MainStage Irving
On the opposite end of the musical spectrum, Phantom had a delicate, but equally strong, singer who could sing opera in the lead role. Patrick Jones played The Phantom, Erik. This was a spectacular operatic piece that combined opera and musical theater. Jones lit up this part. I heard sniffles and saw people wiping tears. He showed us the backstory of Erik, why was he masked, why so elusive, why so dangerous. His songs created tingles and shivers. He had duets with several actors that were fantastic! His duets with Kristen Lassiter as Christine Daaé and James Williams as Gérard Carrière, Eric’s father, were the kind of touching love songs you can walk away loving. None of these songs reached the popularity of Webber’s version, but they are wonderful songs that tell a different story and I loved them.
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