The Phantom of the Opera

I am not a huge fan of the theatre and musicals. I remember going to Wind in the Willows at school, and to Grease and Buddy (The Buddy Holly Story) as an adult. But as good as they are and as much entertainment as they provide - I am just not a fan and can not see the value for money. Therefore, it was fortunate I did not have to pay!

Having been running since October 1986, the Phantom is a very long-running production. Its music was written by Andrew Lloyd-Webber and is based on a Gaston Leroux novel.

The theatre production starts with some sort of auction (I missed it as I arrived a little late). However, I think the opening is not relevant to the plot of the rest of the musical. The real start is a dramatic rising of a chandelier to the thematic music. It then goes on to a rehearsal for an opera and the fact that the opera house has been bought and is under new ownership. One problem I had with the musical is that the plot is not always easy to follow, the other problem is that I found some of the plot incredulous.

I mean why does Christine fall for the Phantom? Why does she kiss him near the end, why does she go back to say goodbye? Things aren’t always credible. On the other hand, the production is extremely well put together - the magic tricks, the lighting, the backgrounds, and special effects. Plus some of the music is very good - however, some songs are very hard to follow.

I can recommend Phantom for anyone who likes musicals and the theatre. But if you are that type of person, you’ve probably already been. I also think that I may go to the theatre a bit more - but the price of tickets (£40 or more) is prohibitive.