Phantom of the Opera

I have been a fan of Phantom since the early 90s and did not have the opportunity to see the show until tonight ... a highly anticipated event (especially in light of former reviews from family and friends that have seen it multiple times). Overall, it was a great experience and I am glad I finally went. The following is a summary of my interpretation of show.

Highlights:
1) Phantom had a great low and mid range and you could feel the power in his voice.

2) Christine (although starting a little weak) became stronger as the show progressed and she definitely pulled her weight.

3) Raoul was amazing! Beautiful voice and he made the people around him better.

4) The closing act was so powerful that it made up for any and all prior uncertainty ... it captured the essence of the music.

Pitfalls:
1) Sound! Sound! Sound! The orchestra sounded muffled and songs like "Phantom of the Opera" and Masquerade (which are songs that should and do make the hair on your arms stand up) came out flat. I have seen Wicked at the Panatages and the sound was incredible, so I was surprised to hear what appeared to be technical difficulties or just poor sounding mics. As we know, the entire love story/tragedy of Phantom is told through the music ... so without great sound, something was lost in the translation.

2) Unnecessary components with certain acts that took away from the flow and continuity of the story and made it feel a bit segmented (particularly when moving into the songs with depth and weight).

3) Some of the stage production was bit cheesy ... I realize the show is a bit dated, but the Phantom's flame-throwing staff was more funny than chilling and the falling chandelier was a little on the slow side ... I think the show could use some improvements and/or changes there. That being said, the boat/cave scenes in the Phantom's lair were convincing and visually stimulating.

Overall, I think the show needs some tweaks to tighten it up and allow the music to do its job ... but, without superior sound quality (which the Pantages is capable of) the less-than-important mishaps become all the more apparent. I would definitely recommend the show and I, myself, would like to see it again. I just hope the sound people get an opportunity to improve the clarity, tone, and volume ... it would change the entire outcome of the show.

Wow, I couldn't disagree with you more.In my humble opinion, Christine's part played by Trista Moldovan did a superb job. Her high notes were crystal clear. Her pitch was great after her acapella parts, when the orchestra came in.She has a beautiful voice, not shrill or pitchy as some who I have seen in the part.I thought she was delightful. Many of the actors I couldn't understand however, they did not articulate well.I sat in the mezzainine level.I have seen many Broadway shows and I enjoyed this performance. The sets, sound effects were grand.

The lighting, costumes and staging of this production was spot on. The Phantom, himself, was an incredible presence. The disappointment came with the poor sound (music louder than the voices) and the garbled words from the actress playing Christine. She was not equal to the challenge. It was still an awesome production--just needs some tweaks.