Do you remember your first time?

It has been around for a quarter of a century but the star-studded gala performance on Thursday night clearly demonstrated that “The Phantom of the Opera” is not only fresh but also living. That’s largely thanks to the performers, who are currently taking the production of “The Phantom of the Opera” on an international tour that began in Seoul earlier this year. And it’s also due to a system that allows any Broadway or West End musical staged anywhere in the world to offer audiences a similar experience to that they would enjoy in New York or London without the presence of the original production team.
 The star of the night was the Phantom himself, portrayed with both charisma and enigma by American actor Brad Little. I watched him in the same role in Singapore a few years ago and, after all this time, he never looked bored or predictable. And while the mask partly obstructed his facial expression, the rest of his body compensated for it – in particular, his hand gestures.
Australian actress Claire Lyon has the voice and the character as Christine and yet, on gala night at least, her performance was filled with such anxiety that it was difficult to fully enjoy her performance. Much smoother and considerably more effortless was South African actor Anthony Downing’s portrayal of Raoul, making him much more than just a handsome face. The orchestra, under the baton of Stan Tucker, comprised mostly Thai musicians who did justice to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s score and no doubt several audience members will have the songs spinning around in their heads for weeks.
However, the special effects were somewhat less than fulfilling and didn’t live up to POTO’s (as the production is officially known) promise. This was especially true for Christine’s Mirror and the Phantom’s final disappearance – the audience knew how these tricks were done, thus rendering them less magical. And in the boat ride to the Phantom’s underworld realm, it appeared that some of the smoke machines had short circuited, making the candles look more mechanical than magical. However, such glitches are perhaps understandable with a touring production, where the theatre has not had time to completely adjust and fully serve the production.
In preparation for the technical demands of this mega-musical, the Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre has been dark for a few months and the elaborate set fitted beautifully, notwithstanding the four screens for Thai translation surtitles, two of which were not too clear.
What they couldn’t adjust, of course, was the atmosphere of this modern proscenium theatre, which can never be credible as the Paris Opera, unlike the Majestic Theatre in New York or even the Esplanade Theatre in Singapore where I have watched POTO in the past.
And there’s another important question too: If you’ve seen POTO elsewhere, Joel Schumacher’s 2004 film or the 2011 filmed stage version, should you watch it again here?
I don’t have the answer though I can safely say that most of us enjoy familiarity, which is why we opt for a coffee at an international chain while travelling overseas rather than try a local venue.
Similarly, a friend of mine who travels extensively makes a point of seeing POTO wherever he happens to be. When we last met six years ago, he’d watched the musical some 30 times: today, that figure is probably around 50.
And perhaps that’s why BEC-Tero and Scenario, knowing that Thai people love to watch what we’re already familiar with, joined financial forces to bring POTO here. After all, “Swan Lake” is always sold out and there’s a remake of such popular tales as “Khoo Kam”, “Ban Sai Thong”, “Dao Phra Suk” and “Mae Nak Phra Khanong” at least once every seven years.
After Bangkok, this production of POTO will travel to Singapore – the musical’s third time there. International touring productions are now a major business now, and considering that Singapore has already seen less-dated musicals like “The Lion King”, “Wicked”, “Jersey Boys” and “Avenue Q”, it seems that BEC-Tero and Scenario are lagging far behind. They may too be forgetting about the rising number of foreign tourists who can be potential audience members as well.
 

MUSIC OF THE NIGHT
 “The Phantom of the Opera” is at Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre (MRT: Thailand Cultural Centre) until June 7. n Daily (except Monday) at 7:30pm, with 2pm shows on Saturday and Sunday.
Tickets are Bt1,500 to Bt5,500 at ThaiTicketMajor.
Check out www.BECTero.com and “POTOWorldTour” on Facebook.