Unionville drama tackles one of the greatest Broadway smashes of all time By Dave Conard Sports Editor, UnionvilleTimes.com
Check back with UnionvilleTimes.com for profiles and photo show from the UDC production of "Phantom"
A true Broadway classic, for more than twenty-five years, The Phantom of the Opera has captivated audiences around the globe.
This weekend the stage at Unionville High School will transform into the famous Paris Opera house, which is inhabited by one of the most iconic characters of all time, the Phantom.
The play that took the West End of Manhattan by storm in 1986 and Broadway in 1988, when Andrew Lloyd Weber assembled an outstanding cast which helped Michael Crawford make his mark as the original “Phantom” and has featured such talents as Timothy Nolan, Thomas James O’Leary and Sebastian Bach (of Skid Row fame) over the years in that role, has generated more than 800 million dollars in the US alone, making it the highest grossing entertainment event of all time.
Gaston Leroux, the versatile French author who created The Phantom of the Opera, was a man with an abiding passion for the theatre and it seems destiny that after years of struggle, writing newspaper reviews and a number of unsuccessful plays, he should have left his mark on literature with a novel about an extraordinary episode in the history of France’s greatest opera house.
Admittedly, it has taken the magic of the cinema, and the art of the dramatist to familiarize the public with The Phantom of the Opera, but Leroux also managed to capture in his pages the atmosphere of the times he was writing about – the latter part of the nineteenth century when France was rampant with belief in the supernatural and the spirit world.
This breathtaking production by the Unionville drama club will showcase the talent and hard work of an amazing cast bringing to life the saga of a poignant love story for the ages.
The setting is the beautiful Paris Opera House. But all is not well. Lurking in the bowels of the Opera House is a maligned and disfigured “Phantom” who obtrudes himself into the life of the new owners, the cast and, especially, the lovely young soprano Christine. Watching her with ambition, obsession, and devotion, the Phantom machinates to have Christine replace the diva, Carlotta. Christine performs to acclaim, and is recognized by her childhood friend, Raoul, who falls in love with her. Christine reciprocates his love to the disgust and despair of the Phantom who vows to make her pay for her betrayal. Will the Phantom destroy both his beloved Opera House and Christine in his quest for revenge? Soaring music, haunting lyrics and swashbuckling action accompany the plot as it unfolds to its climactic finish.
The Phantom of the Opera has won 7 Tony Awards, Best Musical Awards, Audience Award for Best Musical, as well as a slew of other awards as a testament to its sheer musical genius and ability to enchant audiences worldwide over the last quarter century. Accompanied by a live orchestra, the Phantom of the Opera will be the debut Musical performance at the new Unionville High School Auditorium!
Check back with UnionvilleTimes.com for a complete review and actor profiles.
Tickets are on sale now for online sales click www.showtix4U.com
Showtimes are Thursday March 15, Friday March 16 and Saturday March 17 @ 7:30 pm.
Prices are $13.00 for presale and $14.00 at the door.
Show information provided by UHSDC
