Broadway import still strong after five years
By Emma Trotter
Photo by Christopher DeVargas
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A musical love story. A disfigured outcast. A beautiful ingénue. A haunting tale of obsession. The dark world of Paris’ Opera Garnier.
Created by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Phantom—The Las Vegas Spectacular is a grand-scale yet surprisingly refreshing Strip stage production that captivates audiences at The Venetian. It is also part of a Broadway boom that began in Las Vegas years ago when shows like Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia! and The Lion King were brought in by big-name talents. But Broadway’s success on the Strip seemed like a long shot, says leading man Anthony Crivello, who has played the role of the iconic Phantom in Las Vegas since the show’s opening night on June 24, 2006. The recent five-year anniversary marked more than 2,000 performances seen by more than 2 million guests.
“Phantom has proven (the Broadway skepticism) wrong,” he says. “The patrons and conventioneers who frequent Las Vegas are still coming back, and what has sustained us is the ‘repeat customer.’ We have reluctant boyfriends or husbands who now champion the show to others who have not seen it. It just cements Las Vegas’ reputation as an entertainment capital of the world.”
From the time the first deeply haunting notes of organ music rise from a live orchestra below the stage, audiences are in for quite the ride, with thrills, chills and a love triangle happening below one famous chandelier. Although opera protégée Christine Daaé (played by Kristi Holden and Kristen Hertzenberg) thinks the Phantom’s voice is a spiritual music guide sent to her, he is actually a recluse who’s fallen dangerously in love with her, despite Christine’s affections for childhood sweetheart Raoul (Andrew Ragone). The Phantom terrorizes the opera house and its employees, demolishing sets, darkening lights and corrupting the voice of Christine’s competitor.
In developing the show for Las Vegas, its running time (from two hours and 30 minutes down to 95 minutes) was the only thing cut down. The lavish custom theater cost $40 million to build, with a chandelier weighing in at 2,100 pounds. The crystal chandelier plays a significant role in the show each night, presiding over the theater until the Phantom descends from it, then forcing it to “crash,” providing a hair-raising experience for patrons below. Climactic points such as the grand masquerade ball keep audiences on their toes, as does the final scene where the torment in the Phantom’s soul is clear. Will he force Christine to be his bride and kill her fiancé? Or does he love her so much that he’s willing to let them both go, as he forever remains alone in his lair?
Crivello says that ultimately Phantom has been a success because it’s “universal in its appeal. Start with a classic story line and love story. Phantom shows us a tale of the human condition, its frailties … The Phantom is a special role. He is both antagonist and protagonist, and that is wonderful to portray with each performance.”
