OLD-SCHOOL PHANTOM, FIRST-RATE RESULTS

This return to Phantom’s original theatrical roots
delivers spectacle, superb singing,
and one nagging sound problem

Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera was first published as a French newspaper serial from 1909 to 1910, after which Leroux compiled it into a popular novel. His inspiration was the famed Parisian opera house, Palais Garnier, and some of the legends and folklore of that now-historic building, then only about 35 years old.

The story inspired numerous adaptations, most famously the 1925 silent film starring Lon Chaney. Less famously, there were not one, but two stage musicals in 1976, a decade before Andrew Lloyd Webber got his hands on it and transformed the story into the international phenomenon that musical-theater lovers consider a must-see (often repeatedly).

Producer Cameron Mackintosh and Lloyd Webber began development in 1984, with the duo envisioning Lloyd Webber’s then-wife, Sarah Brightman, as Christine. Alan Jay Lerner initially worked on the lyrics but withdrew after becoming seriously ill. Richard Stilgoe then took over, with Charles Hart eventually becoming the principal lyricist. The grandiose show opened in London’s West End in 1986, starring Michael Crawford as the Phantom and Brightman as Christine. It reached Broadway in 1988, winning seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Four decades later, there’s not much point in recounting the tale of The Phantom of the Opera yet again. Suffice it to say that the mysterious, disfigured Phantom, who lives beneath the Paris Opera House, becomes obsessed with gifted young soprano Christine Daaé, while her childhood friend Raoul vies for her affection. Romance, jealousy, obsession, and some damn good music ensue.

This tour is based on the original production, retaining Maria Björnson’s production design and the foundation of Harold Prince’s direction. Seth Sklar-Heyn directs this incarnation, with Gillian Lynne’s original musical staging and choreography recreated and adapted by Chrissie Cartwright.

The sets are extraordinary: lavish for “Masquerade,” with an enormous staircase; complex as the Phantom and Christine traverse three stories of jagged, crisscrossing paths during the title song; and eerily three-dimensional at a cemetery gate at the bottom of a hill, where what I believe was a curtain was shaded so perfectly that it appeared to be much farther away at the top than at the bottom. Of course, there’s the famous chandelier, which does not disappoint, inducing gasps from the stunned audience. Matt Kinley adapts Björnson’s set design for the current production, while Jill Parker serves as associate costume designer. The results are excellent, culminating in probably the greatest visual delight of the evening: the masquerade dance.

Back to the music, it’s a tough choice whether to fawn over Jordan Lee Gilbert (Christine) or Isaiah Bailey (The Phantom) more because both pull off tremendous feats. Gilbert’s operatic training is top-notch, and the notes that she hits and holds are phenomenal. Bailey is equally impressive, though he might take the prize for a moment when he pulls himself across the stage using only his arms without missing a beat in his aria. The cast overall is magnificent vocally.

The choreography here isn’t like your usual musical, like Fiddler on the Roof, where the book calls for “And here’s the part where they sing so they’ll need to dance, too.” In Phantom, full dance numbers show up mostly in the moments when the Opera Populaire is performing an opera, including some beautiful ballet sequences.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a production at the Civic if I didn’t have to report that the orchestra is, once again, too loud during singing. For instance, the orchestra overwhelmed a whole scene between Madame Giry (Lisa Vroman) and Raoul (Daniel Lopez) to the point that I could make out only about half of what they were singing. This complaint about Broadway San Diego’s productions at the Civic is true time and again, and I will keep complaining until they fix it.

Nonetheless, The Phantom of the Opera is simply not to be missed. If you’ve never seen it before, this production has a terrific cast. If you have seen it and are a fan, it will bring all the joy back to you.

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photos by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

The Phantom of the Opera
National Tour
San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave.
Sept 2-13, 2026
2 hours and 30 minutes, plus intermission
for tickets, call 619.564.3000 or visit Broadway San Diego

tour continues. for more dates, visit The Phantom of the Opera

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