Was it possible that Phantom would be as disappointing as an adult as another of my favourite theatrical events from this period, Medieval Times?Īfter watching the touring production at the Princess of Wales, I regret to inform you it is indeed possible. blame it on our post- Twilight world, but this no longer seemed like a surefire recipe for theatrical thrills. A man in a silk-lined cape, a woman in a bodice-popping gown, a single red rose.
It hadn’t occurred to me that The Phantom of the Opera was anything but the best musical ever until recently, when I saw the poster for the current remount at the Princess of Wales Theatre. I regularly fell asleep listening to the cassette on my Walkman and learned to play the “easy piano” version of “Music of the Night.” I read the original 1920 Gaston Leroux novel and wouldn’t turn the television on without flicking to MuchMusic in the hopes they would replay the “Phantom of the Opera” music video that I had once seen (they would not). the theatre.Īt school, I strategized ways to lightly suggest to my Grade 6 music teacher that we sing the songs in vocal music class. I had seen a boat sail through a cloud of dry ice as candelabras rose through the stage. I was especially susceptible to its mix of high drama, dark fantasy, organ-fuelled music and shameless special effects when I first saw it at age 11. It was a golden age of mega-musicals in Toronto and Phantom was the gilded jewel. The original Toronto cast recording was on bestseller shelves in record stores alongside Prince and the New Kids. Seven million people witnessed the 545-kilogram chandelier plummet during 4,226 performances.Ĭolm Wilkinson, Les Misérables’ original Jean Valjean, played the title role. When The Phantom of the Opera began its 10-year run in Toronto in September 1989, it opened in an opulently restored Pantages Theatre. In this occasional series, we look back at our first pop culture loves.
The blockbuster musical that wowed Toronto audiences in the 1990s and on tour in a new remount.
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