I read and watched the Phantom of the Opera when I was really young. At that time, I felt amazed by the characters, the songs (especially “Think of Me”), and the love story between the phantom and Christine Daae. I encouraged two friends to come with me, and it was their first time to watch a broadway show.
This show took place in Majestic Theater, which was larger than the Broadhurst Theater. When we arrived, many audiences dressed formally and waited patiently. The set of the opera looked mysterious, quiet, and calm. Although we sat in the worst seats, the back of the balcony, we felt immersed in the story. The stage was different from the traditional proscenium stage, which was much closer to the audience. There was a huge crystal chandelier hanging on the ceiling and made the whole set look authentic. The size of the chandelier was exactly what it looked like in the book. I felt amazed in the last scene: when the phantom said goodbye to Christine, he disappeared and only left a mask on a chair. It happened in a second and surprised all the audiences.
Since it was a story that happened in the theater, I felt there was a real phantom living inside the theater. He loved Christine so much: he taught her how to sing opera, gave her beautiful and luxurious gifts, and tried to make Christine fall in love with him. The phantom nearly provided all he could, but he received nothing. The phantom’s sounds were surrounded everywhere in the theater. I love this interaction between phantom and audience, which makes us engage in part of the show.
There were many external conflicts and internal conflicts around the phantom and made the whole story romantic and mystic. The external conflicts included the “men’s fight” between the phantom and Christine’s lover Raoul de Chagny. The internal conflicts of the phantom came from his ugly face, his family, and his singing talents. The phantom could not be able to sing in the show because of his ugly right face, and he was ashamed of it for a long time. Although he was really talented in singing, he could only wear the mask and hide inside the theater, watching the opera day by day. In Paris theater, the phantom was powerful and every person was scared of his existence; however, in front of Christine, he was shy and fragile. Nonetheless, he lived in his imagination and illusion, and Christine just sympathized with him. This story was a typical Shakespeare tragic love story, but it perfectly showed the phantom’s specific mental activities. Did the phantom really love Christine? No. He loved his dream that he was a successful opera singer. He loved the pride that he made Christine as the famous opera singer.
The costumes in the Phantom of the Opera were precious and detailed. Since the show took place in the 18-19th century Paris Opera House, every costume was elegant, complicated, and exquisite. For instance, even on the phantom’s mask, there was a clear eyebrow, nose, and lip. The mask made this character more mystic and scary. The phantom always wore a big black cape with him, to impart a dignified appearance to him. His costumes were mainly dark and black, which perfectly showed his ghost appearance. Moreover, in Christine’s costumes, there were many cute elements like bowknots or pink flowers, which showed Christine’s innocence and sweetness. The huge contrast between Christine and the Phantom created a stronger conflict and laid the groundwork for the tragic ending.
All in all, my friends and I both enjoyed watching this show. It was an exquisite show, and every actor/actress, costume, song lingers in my mind. I hope I can have a chance to watch it again.
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