Phantom of the Opera Reviews

Ed Nemeth from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

OH HOW I LONG FOR THE "OLD" PHANTOM

The show was "fine". I honestly thought Eva Tavares was weak voiced at best and I can only assume Jordan Craig was fighting a cold Saturday night as he seemed to sing through his nose the entire time. I may be in the minority, however, the "updated" Phantom pales in comparison to the show I saw in 1993 ? if memory serves. those voices were all strong and the overall show, effects, staging, etc. ALL better than the 2019 show.

Nancy O’Neill from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

MEH

The first time I saw the show was in Toronto at the Pantages Theatre in 1999. The sound system was so much better than the one at the Benedum. The voice of the Phantom was better too. The costumes were very nice in the new production but they’ve taken to many liberties with the story and changed some things that shouldn’t have been changed.

Barb from Merrill, Wisconsin

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

My granddaughter and I are big fans of POTO, having said that, I was sadly disappointed in this version. The climatic moments were either left out or washed down so much it left me regretting the money and time we spent traveling to see it. I gave it three stars because we had good seats. If you are familiar with the original version this will be a let down.

Jeff from Milwaukee, Wisconsin

DEFINITELY NOT THE PHANTOM OF OLD

My wife and I saw the original Phantom so have a basis for the review. I realize this is a new arrangement of Phantom, but it doesn't live up to the original. Many others have commented on the subtleties of what's different and those elements largely come down to personal preference. However, the one glaring problem in our show, an opinion shared and confirmed with many people seated around us, was poor sound mixing. Specifically, the volume of the speech & vocals, during what should be the most powerful parts of the show, were a complete disappointment. By volume levels, it was as if the focus was the orchestra and vocals were mere fill-in. When we saw the original years ago, I recall being moved by the vocals, so strong, clear, and powerful. Last night was terrible; I don't think it was the actors' voices, but rather a poor job by the sound engineer. Perhaps deliberate, but it dramatically lowers the impact to a show that leaves you wondering: Was it by mistake or design?

Susan from Cleveland, Ohio

MEDIOCRE OVERALL PHANTOM PRODUCTION

I have seen better sets and costumes with other productions. I saw the April 13, 2019 show. The Phantom had a nice voice but poor stage presence. Most of the other actors/ singers were ok ie. Christine, Raoul, Carlotta, etc. The only major standout I feel would be the man playing Señor Piangi-he had an excellent voice! The music itself was too overpowering as well, I felt the singers were battling with the orchestra, esp Christine's character. The electric guitar can be turned down a smidge sheesh. Overall it's a show a true Phantom fan may want to pass on.

Tatiana from Los Angeles, California

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE VOICES?

We were disappointed. I saw Phantom three times before, and this is the weakest one. Derrick Davis was a very convincing Phantom. However, Raoul (played by Jordan Craig) was a disaster. His good looks did not help him much... every time Jordan opened his mouth to sing, I had a feeling that someone is choking him from behind.

E from Los Angeles, California

6/21/19 - ALMOST RUINED BY CHRISTINE

I've seen the Phantom 3 times, the last in 2011 in New York, the other in Vegas in 2006. Both of those shows were amazing and gave goosebumps. This one had the potential, but fell short thanks to the urge to murder Christine! She seemed to sing through her nose, or be one of those people who smile with every word they say, ruining the sounds they make. I actually liked Carlotta more than Christine! Usually I can't stand her! WTF?! You're supposed to love Christine, to support her when everyone else is against her and be afraid for her when the Phantom is terrorizing her. This time, I was hoping they would change the end so the Phantom and Raoul would gleefully bludgeon her and have a beer together talking smack about her the while! Also, what is with all the jokes? I love comedy, but it has no place in this show!! Also, no chandelier crashing down? Boo. At least the Phantom himself was amazing, best actor I've seen in that role to date. If anything saved the show, it was him.

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