The Phantom is the opera. The international production of the musical made its India debut at The Grand Theatre at Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai. Says associate director Rainer Fried of the play adapted from Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel by Andrew Lloyd Webber, The Phantom of the Opera “I’m incredibly excited to bring Phantom to India. It’s hard to believe sometimes that after all these years, it is still making musical theatre history almost every step of the way. Bringing the show to Mumbai is without a doubt another historic milestone,” The cast includes award-winning South African theatre actor Jonathan Roxmouth in the titular role, American actor Grace Roberts as Christine Daaé, and British-American actor Matt Leisyin the role of Viscount Raoul de Chagny.
On stage, the Phantom makes a dramatic entrance—only his face half-covered with the signature white mask is visible in the mirror. The mask allows him to appear mysterious and powerful, but when Christine rips it off to reveal his grotesque disfigurement, his deep insecurity and emotional pain is evident. “To prepare for the role I read the book and then focussed on the Phantom being an abandoned child. It adds a very poignant layer,” says Roxmouth. In a feat of theatrical ingenuity, the stage transforms into a lake on which the Phantom and Christine ride in a boat amid the mist.
The incident with the chandelier elicits gasps from the audience, and a collective “wow” reverberates around the theatre at the sheer grandiosity of the set during Masquerade, complete with a monumental golden staircase. Of course, it takes a village to put on this thrilling spectacle.
But what really makes this musical stand apart is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s mighty operatic score. Haunting melodies, powerful orchestrations, and iconic numbers like The Music of the Night and the electrifying title track create an unforgettable experience. Music supervisor Kristen Blodgette has been associated with Phantom since 1987. “I think the music still resonates because it’s timeless. Andrew’s score reaches beyond language to every corner of the world. Yes, the songs are hummable, but they are also complex and constructed to push and pull the tragic narrative at a dramatic pace, which catches the audience off guard,” she says.
As we near the end of the show, the scenes take on a level of intensity. There’s murder and mayhem on the opera stage, the Phantom drags Christine into his underground lair and offers her a choice—marry me or Raoul dies. In the end, it’s the man in the Phantom that eventually does the right thing.