Lively Phantom Haunts the Saenger Theatre

The New Orleans "Phantom of the Opera" is showing now through March 15 at the Saenger Theatre

An excited crowd of theater-going denizens stormed the Saenger Theatre for the opening night of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera,” many returning to experience the internationally renowned 19th-century paranormal love triangle.

Lines to enter the show were exceptionally long with people coming in from surrounding states to soak in the complicated choice between opera ingénue Christine Dale (Jordan Lee Gilbert), her childhood crush and new owner of the opera house Raoul Vicomte (Daniel Lopez), and the musically obsessive mechanical genius—but tragically deformed—“Opera Ghost” (Isaiah Bailey), and the “music of the night.”

Music of the Night

Playwright Richard Stilgoe’s script returns the audience to the sad auction of forgotten relics at the Paris Opera House in 1905 when item 666 (no coincidence here) hits the block—the venue’s chandelier. The auctioneer tries to drive up the price from the bidders by alluding to the piece’s infamous role in the mysterious happenings “of the opera phantom.” From there, the chandelier instantly returns to a former glory, illuminating and rising high above the orchestra seats. From there, the show time-travels the tale many decades.

From here, the musical takes place in a flashback when the French opera House’s new managers Messieurs Firmin (William Thomas Evans) and André (Carrington Vilmont) are taunted by mysterious notes from the “opera ghost.” Initially dismissed as nonsense, they reluctantly understand the reality of their threat when the opera company’s diva Carlotta (Midair Marsh) is almost injured by a falling stage set and with a warning from dance matron Madame Giry to promote chorus dancer Christine to the opera’s lead per the Phantom.

While the managers comply, making the young singer an instant sensation in Paris, it’s the revelation that new opera house owner Raoul is Christine’s long-lost childhood love that spurs a murderous rage in the jealous Phantom, who has made Christine the center of his existence, that fuels the rest of the story, with the famously audience-gasping show stopper scene closing Act I.

Scene Stealers

The show is no joke for professional actors. Requiring frequent singing—ranging from operatic to Broadway theatre power, dancing and physicality, as well as intricate staging on unfamiliar stages around the world, spanning almost three hours–the cast was up to the task.

As Christine, Jordan Lee Gilbert’s vocal power and range impressed beyond expectations.

Isaiah Bailey, as the Phantom, continues in the tradition of Robert Guillaume and Norm Lewis. He infuses added depth to the ostracized savant’s madness while leaving audiences swooning. The Arkansas native’s unique vocal quality brings unexpected richness with an expansive vocal range.

Evans and Vilmont effectively add the tension-busting humor needed as the managers, as does Marsh’s over-the-top diva.

But the true star of the show is Matt Kinley who adapted Phantom of the Opera’s set design in partnership with producer Cameron Mackintosh. The stage sets are as extravagant and mesmerizing as any stage play could hope for, from the rooftop of the Paris Opera House to the candlelit underwater river beneath it. And let’s not forget the famously unstable chandelier.

Of course, Webber’s iconic score goes without saying, but it’s worth noting the show still has audiences in tears over four decades—whether it’s their first time or fiftieth…or way more than that.

The Phantom Lives On

Gaston Leroux’s tale of horror and romance started off as a 1910 French novel. An immediate hit with rabid romance readers, it quickly inspired live stage adaptations, followed by the first film version for the silent screen in 1916 with over a dozen movies since, including one based on the Broadway sensation.

Webber’s version broke attendance records when it debuted in London. The Original London soundtrack preceded its U.S. run, building anticipation for its U.S. run. The musical commanded New York’s Great White Way for over 35 years—soldifying itself as longest-running Broadway show in history, playing 13,981 performances at the Majestic Theatre from 1998-2023.

The “Phantom of the Opera” has been performed in over 15 different languages in 35 countries. It captured seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, as well as three Olivier Awards, an Evening Standard Award, seven Drama Desk Awards and five Outer Critic Circle Awards.

“Phantom of the Opera” is showing now through March 15 at the Saenger Theatre. Tickets are available online at www.saengertheatre.org