The Phantom of the Opera is here…
Those lyrics from the song “Nightwish,” one of the most famous from the musical The Phantom of the Opera, are now ringing true in Thailand. For the first time, The Phantom of the Opera is being staged for a Thai audience.
It’s the story of a man in an iconic half mask, and his frightening control of an opera house in Paris. Originally published as a novel in 1910, Le Fantome de l’Opera was adapted into a musical in 1986. Its haunting organ chords have since spawned a movie, worldwide performances and a whole hunk of pop culture. It’s the longest running show in Broadway history, with over 70 major theatre awards.
The chandelier finally crashed in Bangkok at last Thursday’s gala premiere, to much anticipation, at the Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre.
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This was my first time at this theatre, located on the fourth floor of Esplanade mall. Walking into Esplanade, you could easily pick out who was there for the show. There were women sashaying around in ballroom gowns and guys stitched into suit-and-tie combos, just strolling past Swensen’s and McDonald’s – a uniquely Thai scene.
Dress code was red and black, in honor of the musical’s dark and bloody motif, but it seemed like the majority of attendees chose to dress in their own style. And not everyone at the theatre was dressed up – the red carpet entrance was packed with Thai media and fans, cell phones poised and ready, hoping to get a snap of the local celebrities. They weren’t disappointed, either – there was quite the turnout of Thai stars, including the beautiful Sonia Couling and Sririta Jensen to name a couple. The majority of performance-goers seemed to be Thai, as I only saw a handful of expats.
The Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre itself is a beautiful venue, with a lush interior including massive pillars and a hanging chandelier against red, white and black –coincidentally, the same color scheme as that sported by the brooding Phantom. Servers in the symbolic half-masks passed out bite-size snacks and treats from Fuzio, the upscale Italian restaurant that catered the gala. I arrived towards the end of the mingling and managed to gulp down as many brownies as possible before everyone was ushered inside for the performance to begin.
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If you’ve got tickets to Phantom, I won’t spoil it for you. All I will say is it was indeed a fantastic production. It’s hard not to be with such a colossal costume and set design, comprised of over 230 costumes, 281 candles, 250 kilograms of dry ice and 10 fog and smoke machines. And don’t forget the infamous chandelier, which weighs close to a solid ton.
The cast of the performance is incredibly seasoned. Brad Little, who plays the Phantom, is creepy, deranged and somehow mysteriously attractive all at once. He’s played the character since 1996, totaling over 2,250 performances and I’m sure he has fueled the daydreams of many middle-aged women during that time.
The entire audience lapped up the performance, clapping furiously every time the lights dimmed down. The cast received uproarious applause at the very end and I’d say around half the crowd rose to its feet.
Besides the performance, I was also pleased by two television screens on both sides of the stage, which displayed running Thai subtitles throughout the performance. English or Thai-speaking, anyone can enjoy The Phantom of the Opera and its extravagance.
FIND IT:
The Phantom of the Opera is playing everyday until June 9 at the Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre
Weekday performances are at 7:30pm and weekend performances are at 7:30pm and 2pm
Tickets range from THB1,500 to THB5,500 and are available at Thai Ticket Major
