Bedfordtimesregister.com - Record-breaking musical tour comes to Cleveland

by April Helms

Special Products Editor

Northeast Ohio fans of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera" will have a final chance to see the national touring production in the Allen Theatre at Playhouse Square.

Even those who have seen it before may want to consider catching this performance; this is the third time I've seen Lloyd Webber's musical, based on the novel by Gaston Leroux, and this was the best I've seen it done.

The story is well-known: a disfigured man, known as the "opera ghost" or "the phantom" lurks in the catacombs of the Paris opera house. He falls in love with Christine Daae, a young chorus girl, and teaches her to sing. During her debut performance, one of the audience members is childhood friend Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny, who also falls in love with Christine. the young soprano eventually must choose between the two.

Lloyd Webber's "Phantom" is known for its dazzling special effects, the lighting, the sets, the costumes and the memorable music. My complaint with the previous productions however were that sometimes the characters, particularly the role of Christine, came off as a bit flat. This cast brings more depth to the roles, more life.

The challenging role of Christine (the character is in every scene save one) is performed by Brunswick native Trista Moldovan (at some performances, the role will be performed by Kelly Jean Grant). Moldovan has not only the lovely voice needed for the role, but a commanding stage presence. While Christine is frightened much of the time by the events surrounding her, Moldovan also brings fire to the character.

Tim Martin Gleason, who plays the masked Phantom, comes pretty close in his portrayal to Leroux's Phantom. At times he's seductive, at other times he's sinister and he's often childlike and even childish. Always, there's an edge, a feeling that he's somewhat deranged. OK, maybe not somewhat. His hands and mouth twitch awkwardly, this Phantom is not always sure of himself. Gleason's tenor voice is powerful, resonating through the theater one moment, soft and whispery the next. I found it ironic when reading the credits that Gleason also played the role of Raoul for more than three years in the national tour, as well as playing Raoul in the Broadway company production.

In this production, Sean MacLaughlin plays the handsome Vicomte. MacLaughlin has a fine voice and a commanding presence, and the tender scene between his character and Christine on the opera house rooftop was a sweet moment in the mostly dark play.

Another highlight was Kim Stengel's portrayal of Carlotta Giudicelli, the opera house's diva. Her voice is incredible; Stengel sings the challenging numbers as if they were easy. Stengel also brings a good balance to the character; her Carlotta is obviously a spoiled prima donna, and some of her mannerisms are hysterical without being overly dramatic.

Ticket and show information

"The Phantom of the Opera" runs through Aug. 22. Performances are Tuesday through Sunday evenings at 8 p.m., with matinees Saturdays and Sun days at 2 p.m. Ticket prices range from $10 to $80, and are available at the Playhouse Square box office at 1519 Euclid Ave., online at playhousesquare.org or call 216-241-6000. Groups of 15 or more should call 216-664-6050.

E-mail: ahelms@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3153