La Vie Bohème!

Oops, wrong version.

Mark Stryker of the Detroit Free Press said of La Bohème that “there is no better starter opera for newcomers,” referencing the “across-the-board” appeal of Puccini’s emotionally nuanced compositions and the overall timelessness and universal accessibility of the opera’s core love story.  Both of these things are true, but I think we need to consider a few other more contemporary factors as well.

La Bohème is also a great “starter opera” because of its pop-cultural familiarity, and not just in its depiction of the shared human experience of love and loss.  Perhaps you’ve heard of a little stage play called Rent?  Or maybe (to a slightly lesser extent) Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 romantic musical Moulin Rouge!?  RENT-heads will find much of La Bohème more than a little familiar, from the self-possessed bawdiness of the Musetta/Maureen character to the duet sung by Mimi and Rodolfo/Roger as she asks him to light her candle and they fall hopelessly in love.  Moulin Rouge! also borrows many of the same plot elements and themes (bohemian subculture in 19th-century Paris, the dying love interest), so anyone new to the opera and/or new to THIS opera will find a lot with which they are already familiar.

This predisposed familiarity will inevitably make audiences more receptive to this Italian opera (with English subtitles).  It also helps that the opera is broken down into four short acts (versus the two long acts most are written as), making it easy to digest without getting sleepy or distracted.  Yes, as a beginner’s opera, La Bohème — the second most-performed opera in the United States — makes for good training wheels.

But it is also, quite simply, a great story, full of love, humor and raw emotion (anger, jealousy, grief).  There is also something impossibly romantic about bohemian Paris (despite the poverty and disease) that lends La Bohème endless intrigue.  The story focuses on the relationship between Mimi and Rodolfo, a seamstress and a writer who live in the same tenement building.  Other characters include Rodolfo’s roommate, the painter Marcello, and Marcello’s torrid relationship with the fun-loving (yet well-intended) free spirit Musetta, as well as more of their bohemian friends.  The heavy-heartedess of the doomed love story is offset by playful interactions amongst the characters, from mostly harmless trickstering to friendly jabbing and horseplay.

The Michigan Opera Theatre’s production of La Bohème at the Detroit Opera House does not miss a beat in balancing the humor with the tragedy.  (After all, life is a little of both, is it not?)  The cast assembled for this production are not only tremendous vocal talents, but also tremendous actors, able to convey playful wit and powerful emotion not only with their refined voices but also in their body language and physical interaction.  A viewer doesn’t need to watch the projected subtitles to still have a good sense of what is happening onstage, once again making it a bit more accessible for opera “n00bs.”  Kelly Kaduce — who plays Mimi on 11/13, 11/17, & 11/20 and who was also the saving grace of the MOT’s Don Giovanni earlier this year — sings with such delicate intonation it makes the emotional expression in her voice seem almost intuitive; she is once again the prize jewel of the production (I wonder how much it will be affected when the role of Mimi is played by soprano Grazia Doronzio on 11/19 & 11/21?).  Kimwana Doner as Musetta is a riot and a diva and a wonder.  The four male bohemian friends — Rodolfo (Francesco Demuro), Marcello (Marian Pop), Colline (Andrew Gray) and Schaunard (Lee Gregory) — were all while males with similarly-coiffed shaggy brown hair of comparable length and all of only slightly varying height and weight which made distinguishing them from each other a bit of a challenge, though this may simply be my own experience having left my glasses at home.

The sets are also impressive, structures made to look like paintings made to look like structures.  Particularly the set for Act 3, which is made to look like a snowy winter night, in which the backdrop looks like the night sky reflecting the light from the moon, the stars, the snow … I swear I could almost see the northern lights.

On opening night the orchestra overpowered the singers’ voices a little, though that seemed to be corrected by the second act.

This was overall a great production with wide audience appeal, though admittedly I left there with “Seasons of Love” and “La Vie Boheme” ringing through my head.  Whether you’re new to the opera or a longtime supporter, La Bohème at the Opera House is a fine production with which to cross this integral piece off of your cultural bucket list.

7:30 p.m. Saturday, Wednesday and Nov. 19-20; 2:30 p.m. Nov. 21. Detroit Opera House, 1526 Broadway, Detroit. 313-237-7464. michiganopera.org. $29-$121.

For the launch event of the 2010-2011 season of the Detroit Passport to the Arts, 400 passport holders were welcomed into the Detroit Opera House for the penultimate performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado. I was warned prior to the performance that it was comedic, even campy. Reading through the cast of characters – names like Nanki-Poo and Yum-Yum – I found myself wondering just what kind of cheesy musical theatre had I committed myself to for the night?

The result was a wacky, delightful opera experience, certainly unlike anything I had ever seen before. Gilbert and Sullivan were known for their bracingly political works satirizing 19th-century British government and aristocracy (ironically what would have been the same audience who attended their shows). The Mikado, set in the fictional “exotic” location of Titipu, Japan – the “exoticness” of which is commented on very directly within the show itself, making a mockery even of what (and why) an audience might believe a place in the ORIENT, the FAR EAST would be “exotic;” in other words, further cutting commentary on the arrogance of the audience that likely went largely unnoticed in Gilbert and Sullivan’s day.

Much of the satirical humor would be lost on modern audiences, or perhaps more accurately would not be appreciated as the biting social commentary it once was. Right from the opening number “If you want to know who we are” sung by the male chorus, court life is described and duly mocked;

“If you think we are worked by strings,
Like a Japanese marionette,
You don’t understand these things:
It is simply Court etiquette.”

Then there is the discussion in the beginning of Act II between Yum-Yum and her handmaids, commenting on how beautiful she is and how much MORE beautiful she is than anyone else in the world: the arrogance of the aristocracy is flayed at every opportunity from the safe removal of being set in such a far-flung foreign land. Characters are bestowed with multiple titles of authority (the Brits did love their lords and chancellors). Witty ridicule becomes outright ridiculousness when considering the entire premise of the story is based on people trying to avoid execution for outlandish reasons — clearly Gilbert and Sullivan were not fond of British imperial law. Death here — specifically unjust execution — is treated lightly, as if it could be so commonplace. The laws are absolutely absurd — flirtation is punishable by death — and the story follows minstrel Nanki-Poo (secretly the Mikado’s son) and Yum-Yum as they try to circumvent the laws requiring both of their executions so they can be together.

The fact that the opera itself is in English and there are also spoken parts make it much more accessible to a wider audience. And what really made this production exceptional was the way in which it was modernized for a contemporary audience and further targeted specifically for this Detroit audience. When Lord High Executioner Ko-Ko (Yum-Yum’s warder and fiance played by Michael Wanko who is hilariously reminiscent of Vizzini in the Princess Bride) performs his “List Aria” in Act I and the Mikado sings “A more humane Mikado” in Act II the lyrics are changed to reflect modern absurdities, everything from “the ladies from The View” to Kwame’s text scandal. At first the audience seemed hesitant to laugh, not really sure if they really just heard the contemporary jokes correctly, but as Ko-Ko continued rattling off his list of modern-day cultural, social, and political offenders (“They’ll none of ‘em be missed!”) the audience broke out in raucous laughter, drowning out half of the remaining jokes. The wink-wink tone and mannerisms Wanko used ensured that the audience knew that ALL of us, cast included, were in on the joke. From that moment on the audience seemed to relax and embrace this irreverent (yet still relevant) production, like opera by way of Monty Python.

The set was very simple, comprised primarily of large ornately-painted “oriental” screens that could be easily rolled across the stage.  The costumes were elegant yet also simple.  The actors were all talented (though I simply couldn’t help but notice that feudal Japan was certainly rather multi-cultural) without a single disappointing or lacking performance in the group, though the real standouts were Wanko and Melissa Parks as Katisha, Nanki-Poo’s mistakenly betrothed.  Parks was a comedic gale force with an equally powerful voice, demanding laughs from the audience as she commands the cast to “BOW!” in “Mi-ya Sa-ma” as easily as she demands tears in her mournful aria “Alone, and yet alive.”  It would also be easy to assume that Arthur Sullivan’s score would take a backseat to the sharp wit of W.S. Gilbert’s lyrics, but the music is also quite beautiful, and despite its satirical undertones, The Mikado is still an earnest love story with a refreshingly happy ending.

In other words, this is not, by ANY stretch of the term, a typical night at the opera.

PS, every time I hear “Three little maids from school are we” I think of the Simpsons; I can’t help it.

Afterwards the DP2A afterparty on the second floor of the Opera House featured sushi and chicken satay as well as Asahi beer, sake and live music from traditional Japanese instrumentalists.  I missed the boat on the sushi unfortunately, but space was packed and I was able to meet some of the other passport holders and chat with DP2A organizers and Opera House staff.  The entire evening was fun and light-hearted, an all-around great way to kick off a new season of arts.

My only complaint?  That it appears the overpaid and overprivileged (yes I said it and I will again: overpaid and overprivileged) DSO musicians will not have their wage disputes resolved in time for DP2A Destination #2 at Orchestral Hall, which was to include a performance of Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 “From the New World.”  I’m sure an equally great performance will be rescheduled in its place for passport holders, but despite the fact that I’ve seen the DSO perform this piece before I’m still disappointed.  All I can say is that they BETTER get this settled by the end of November because if I don’t see Robert Schumann’s ONLY Violin Concerto performed I WILL cut a bitch.

March 5th-27th, 2010
Planet Ant Theatre

An original, multi-media comedy epic following one family through 300+ years of Detroit history.
by Shawn Handlon & Mikey Brown
Directed by Shawn Handlon

(left to right) Chris Jakob, Kennikki Jones, Jessalyn Brooks, Chris Korte,
Mikey Brown. Photo by Sue Hayden

Sure, everyone has heard of the Fords and the Fishers, but who in the hell are the LeMerdes? Jacques LeMerde arrived on the banks of the Detroit River with Antoine de La Mothe Cadillac in 1701 to establish Detroit as a trading post for beaver and other furs. LeMerde’s unsung progeny have been fighting the good fight in Detroit ever since.

Detroit Be Dammed: A Beaver’s Tale recounts the stories of the LeMerde family as they live through some of Detroit’s most famous historical moments. Planet Ant Theatre invites you to enjoy this world premiere multi-media spectacle featuring 10 original songs, animation, video and a cast of five of Detroit’s most talented actors: Jessalyn Brooks, Mikey Brown, Chris Jakob, Kennikki Jones and Chris Korte. The show is lovingly directed by Detroit Second City alum Shawn Handlon.

Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm
Sundays March 14 and 21 at 3pm and 6pm
$20 general admission.
$5 discount for students, seniors(60+) and Hamtramck residents
For reservation call (313) 365-4948

Planet Ant Theatre
2357 Caniff
Hamtramck MI 48212
313.365.4948
www.planetant.com

A Tribute to Motown: An American Dream Story Previews: May 7- 8th, 2010 and Regular Performances:  May 13 – 29, 2010. For more information call (810) 787-2200 or visit McCree’s 24 Hour Box Office at www.BuyMcCreeTickets.com.

Previews advance ticket rate: $8.00 adults, $5.00 students/seniors; at the door ticket rate: $10.00 adults, $6.00 students/seniors;

Regular Performances: advance rate: $12.00 adults, $7.00 students/seniors; at the door rates: $15.00 adults, $10.00 students/seniors.

January 1–23, 2010
the Furniture Factory

Anne Damman & Kevin Young photo by Charles Nowak

Magenta Giraffe Theatre Company of Detroit presents The Last Five Years by Jason Robert Brown, directed by Frannie Shepherd-Bates and with musical direction by Michael Fiedler, from January 1–23, 2010, at the Furniture Factory in midtown Detroit.

A gorgeous musical about life, love and the demise of a relationship, The Last Five Years takes an in-depth look at two lovers who, while not necessarily star-crossed, still fail to make their relationship work after five years of trying.

Cathy, an actress, and Jamie, a writer, tell the story of their relationship in an unconventional manner: she begins at the end, traveling backward, and he at the beginning, moving forward. This method of storytelling allows the audience a unique insight into the relationship; its highs and lows, its missed cues and what ultimately drives the lovers apart: unrealistic expectations and an appetite for romance over reality.

“As part of our mission to eliminate apathy, we feel it is necessary to critically look at the relationships people have with one another,” says director Frannie Shepherd-Bates. “Why is the divorce rate in this country so high? What is the key to making all of our relationships healthy, happy and long-lasting? We hope that this production, with all of its warmth and humor, will give a new perspective on this issue to our audience.”

The cast includes Anne Marie Damman and Kevin Young. Gwen Lindsay exhibits her scenic design; lighting and sound design by Rahme Rayes. The Last Five Years is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI, 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019. Phone: 212-541-4684 Fax: 212-397-4684. www.MTIShows.com

The Furniture Factory is located at 4126 Third Street, Detroit, MI 48201. Reservations are available via phone at 313.408.7269, email at sandy@magentagiraffe.org , or at the door the day of the performance. Cash or check only. Tickets are $25/$22 Students & Industry (Students must present ID; Industry must provide headshot/résumé, business card or CV). Discounted rates are available for groups of 10 or more. Dates are:

Friday, January 1, at 8 pm
Saturday, January 2, at 2 pm
Saturday, January 2, at 8 pm
Sunday, January 3, at 3 pm
Friday, January 8, at 8 pm
Saturday, January 9, at 2 pm
Saturday, January 9, at 8 pm
Sunday, January 10, at 3 pm
Friday, January 15, at 8 pm
Saturday, January 16, at 2 pm
Saturday, January 16, at 8 pm
Sunday, January 17, at 3 pm
Friday, January 22, at 8 pm
Saturday, January 23, at 2 pm
Saturday, January 23, at 8 pm

Opening night (Friday, January 1, at 8 pm) will be “Pay-What-You-Can.” Audiences may wish to take advantage of our “Repeat Offender” offer: If you’ve paid for a ticket and would like to see the show a second, third or fourth time (we love those who love theatre!) bring back a paying customer each time and see it free of charge!

For additional information on the production of The Last Five Years, contact Frannie Shepherd-Bates or visit www.magentagiraffe.org .

Auditions for WOMEN, ages 25-35, for [title of show], a new musical
Fri, Dec 4, 6:00-8:00PM
Sat, Dec 5, 2009 10:00AM-12:00PM
The Ringwald Theatre, 22742 Woodward Ave., Ferndale

[title of show]
Music and Lyrics by Jeff Bowen
Book by Hunter Bell

[title of show] is a witty new musical written by two struggling writers about two struggling writers writing a witty new musical. Originally presented at the 2004 New York Musical Theatre Festival, it is a musical about friends putting together a show to be presented at the New York Musical Theatre Festival.

Faced with the festival’s submission deadline, Jeff and Hunter can’t decide what to write about. With friends Susan and Heidi (and Larry on the piano), they come up with a solution – write about what to write about.

[title of show] is a love letter to musical theater – a can’t-miss for those who know Broadway… or want to know Broadway… or just want to get a glimpse into the creative process of putting together a show for Broadway! [title of show] will be directed by Joe Bailey.

Performances will begin on Friday, February 19, 2010 and play through Monday, March 15th, 2010. Performances are Fri/Sat/Mon @ 8PM and Sun @ 3PM.

Rehearsals will be held starting mid-December. Please have ALL conflicts available at auditions.

Please prepare 2 showtunes for the audition:
16 bars from a ballad
16 bars from an uptempo

The audition may also consist of cold readings from the script and you may be asked to learn a harmony part and sing with a small group.

A pianist will be provided at the audition. Please have your sheet music clearly marked.

Fill out the AUDITION FORM at www.whowantscake.com and you will be contacted within 48 hours with a confirmation.

This IS a paying position but NO equity contracts are available.

Please bring a resume and headshot with you to the audition.

Woodward Wonderland: A Detroit Holiday Celebration
Thurs, Dec. 11 & Fri, Dec. 12 – 8:00 pm; Sat, Dec. 13, 2009, 4:00 pm

Detroit Film Theatre at the DIA, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit
Tickets: $10.00-20.00

“… a nostalgic theatrical journey to magical Motor City destinations.” Michigan Chronicle

Metro Detroit’s newest holiday tradition returns to the Detroit Institute of Arts! Performed by Mosaic’s Youth Ensemble, Woodward Wonderland is a musical spectacular filled with whimsical holiday stories innovatively staged, joyous songs from the Mosaic Singers and special guests and surprises. Come prepared to kick off the holiday season…Detroit-style.

www.mosaicdetroit.org

To purchase tickets:

http://sa1.seatadvisor.com/sabo/servlets/EventSearch?presenter=MOSAIC

A Forbidden Broadway Christmas
Dec 2-Dec 31
The Gem Theatre, 333 Madison St., Detroit, www.gemtheatre.com

After setting a record for the Gem Theatre’s best holiday show in 2007, “A Forbidden Broadway Christmas” is set to return with new-to-Detroit spoofs of Broadway shows and celebrities, as well as the same amazing cast that made the 2007 production a smashing success. Tickets are $39.50-$45.00.

NOTE: Show is not performed every day of the performance period. For specific show dates/times and further show information, visit http://www.encoremichigan.com/article.html?article=2234.

More information is also available at http://www.gemtheatre.com.

Phone: 313-963-9800.

October 17-24, 2009
At the Detroit Opera House

Michigan Opera Theatre opens its 39th opera season entitled “Loves and Lies” with Giuseppe Verdi’s exotic and heart-rending Nabucco in a limited three performance engagement October 17-24, 2009 at the Detroit Opera House. This will mark the first time in Michigan Opera Theatre history that the company will present the work and the first time in nearly 50 years that the opera will be staged in Michigan.

A Biblical love triangle in four acts, the opera will be sung in Italian with English supertitles projected above the stage. Nabucco was Verdi’s first major success and, since its debut in March 1842, quickly established him as one of the most respected and beloved composers of his generation. The opera is most well known for its chorus, “Va, pensiero,” the Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves, which became famous as the unofficial anthem to unite the nation of Italy during the 19th Click to download high-resolution imagecentury and for many years was the only encore the Metropolitan Opera would allow.

The Biblical opera, set in 6th century BC Jerusalem and Babylon, incorporates vengeance, unrequited love, and heroism. A dangerous love triangle between the oppressive King Nabucco’s two daughters, Abigaille and Fenena, and the nephew of the King of Jerusalem, Ismaele, spurs a whirlwind of tragic events including Godly punishments and deadly trickery.

The opera will feature returning MOT artists including Italian baritone Marco di Felice as Nabucco, who performed in last year’s La Traviata, as Germont. Turkish bass Burak Bilgili, who was seen in last season’s The Elixir of Love, will perform the role of Zaccaria.

Nabucco will also include the MOT debuts of other artists as well. Among these debuts, Italian soprano Francesca Patanè, who is known for taking on difficult soprano roles in Macbeth and Turandot, will appear in the challenging role of Abigaille while American soprano Carla Dirlikov, who recently made her European debut in Verdi’s Don Carlo, will appear as Fenena. Tenor Noah Stewart, who can be seen in the role of Ismaele, recently performed in La Tragédie de Carmen at the Chicago Opera Theater this past spring.

Nabucco will be conducted by Maestro Steven Mercurio, who last conducted La Rondine (2008), Porgy & Bess (2006), and La Bohéme (2005) for MOT. The opera will be staged by Italian director Mario Corradi who last directed Madame Butterfly (2008) with the company. Sets designed by Roberto Oswald and costumes designed by Anibal Lapiz will be provided by Baltimore Opera Company.

Ticket prices range from $29 – $121. Tickets may be purchased in person at the Detroit Opera House box office (1526 Broadway, Detroit), by calling 313-237-SING, or online at www.MichiganOpera.org. Tickets may also be purchased at Ticketmaster.com, at any Ticketmaster outlet or by calling 800-745-3000.

Nabucco at the Detroit Opera House

Saturday, October 17, 2009 7:30pm
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 7:30pm
Saturday, October 24, 2009 7:30pm

One of its longest and most popular runs was the 10-year engagement at Toronto’s Canon (then Pantages) Theatre, where the stage was constructed specifically to host The Phantom. This is where I saw it the first time, a decade ago in its final year at the Pantages, and I certainly never thought any other production would be as elaborate, as extensive as this, where all the construction was done specifically with The Phantom in mind.

I was curious to see how the Detroit Opera House would handle such an extravagant production (and more so what adjustments would be made to accommodate the stage), and was absolutely blown away.

The Phantom of the Opera at the Detroit Opera House is an accomplished production, a visual and aural feast, a well-oiled machine in which every cog performs its function to perfection, from the performers to the production design team.

The story of The Phantom is a haunting love story—a tale of passion, longing, desperation, and fear, and above all else, a tale of love. Overwhelming, obsessive, destructive love.

Based on the novel by Gaston Leroux and adapted for the stage by the crown prince and patron saint of musical theatre, Andrew Lloyd Webber, The Phantom of the Opera is set inside a Parisian opera house and tells the story of the tragically disfigured “Phantom” (a majestic Tim Martin Gleason) and his love for Swedish ingénue Christine Daaé (an ethereal Trista Moldovan). The Phantom, who both inspires and terrifies the opera house’s performers and management, aids Christine in developing her voice and places her in a position above the resident opera diva (played with slapstick aplomb by Kim Stengel), until he is driven mad(-der) by his jealousy over the budding romance between Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny (a solid performance from Sean MacLaughlin), and his beloved Christine.

As it is set in an opulent Parisian opera house and features a number of microperformances within the musical itself (bits of operas and ballets performed on this Opera House’s “stage,” all with their own music, choreography, and stage sets), The Phantom is an ambitious undertaking for any stage. As I’ve already noted, I wasn’t sure what to expect of this traveling production. But when the Phantom and Christine descend into the catacombs in Scene 4 of Act One, I was simply awestruck. The mechanized ramps high over the stage with the use of body doubles to create the illusion of descent, followed by the boat carrying the Phantom and Christine “gliding” over the lake, where hundreds of candles magically rise up from the stage, covered by fog, only to vanish entirely seconds later—the effect is pure enchantment.

This is why audiences all over world have fallen in love with this musical for decades: it is the tragic tale of unrequited love (that perhaps we can all relate to) and the sympathy we feel for the Phantom; it is the renewed hope we feel in the burgeoning love between Raoul and Christine; it is in the magic orchestrated by the Phantom, a masterful musician and magician whose power is reflected in the enormous set pieces that appear and vanish like so much air, and in the way each scene takes on so much life of its own. Audience members are transported to these different places: the rooftop of the Opera House bathed in the light of the moon; the labyrinthine catacombs where the Phantom makes his home; the seats of the Opera House’s own audience, viewing the Phantom’s destruction onstage as the Parisian audience would.

This production of The Phantom is impossibly grand in scale, a monumental achievement which woos audiences with its stunning visuals and its astounding performances. As Christine, Trista Moldovan’s voice soars like a nightingale. Youthful, demure, feminine, and powerful, her performance of “Angel of Music” and her bewitchment by the Phantom cuts like a knife through the heart. Tim Martin Gleason as the Phantom is strong and somber, a majestic ghost whose voice has a presence and stature that his corporeal form may lack (according to the story, anyway). Kim Stengel as the obnoxious opera diva Carlotta Giudicelli is wonderfully hilarious, showing off her stellar pipes while also poking fun at herself. Other supporting members of the cast were graceful and competent, playing up to the story’s sense of sorrow, hope, devastation, and humor in turn.

There are a number of immense sets utilized throughout the production, each more grand than the one before. The stage is rigged with a complicated system of lavish curtains, moving set pieces (such as the extravagant chandelier and the sculpture over the stage where the Phantom hides from Christine and Raoul), ramps, pulleys, a grand staircase, massive mirrors, and more. The hundreds of costumes and thousands of meters of fabrics used for the curtains are sumptuous, intricately detailed and made of the finest silks and wools. Every element of this production is breath-taking, full of visual splendor.

But even without the curtain dressing (so to speak), it is still the chillingly provocative love story that speaks to the hearts of audiences worldwide, and the haunting music that accompanies it.

This Detroit production continues through September 27th Tuesdays-Sundays. For showtimes and ticket information, visit Broadway in Detroit.

Additional note:
In 2010, Webber’s sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, called The Phantom: Love Never Dies, is set to premiere. The story moves forward several years to New York City, where the Phantom lures Christine (now married with children to Raoul) to sing once again. I will openly admit I have serious misgivings about this sequel, and I suspect a good number of Phantom fans will too. The Phantom of the Opera is a complete story as it is. To explore it once again is unnecessary, and smacks faintly of “cashing in the cow.” As so many sequels (and those who produce them) so thoughtlessly do, preliminary accounts of the plotline appear dismissive of the soul of the original. Where The Phantom of the Opera is after your heart, this new production just seems to be after your wallet. Purists are bound to be disappointed, and this sequel will likely be no more than a pale shadow of the original. The setting on Coney Island may be intriguing, but the Phantom belongs in his catacombs.