One final week to experience ‘Phantom of the Opera’

SO WHERE’S THE PHANTOM?  How does the chandelier fall without breaking any glass? How do you keep the show fresh every night? What exactly happens backstage at the “Phantom of the Opera”? These are some of the questions answered in this exclusive video by INQUIRER.net’s. Cathy Miranda.

MANILA, Philippines—If you haven’t seen the ongoing “Phantom of the Opera” at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, there’s still one full week to catch it.

The problem is, will there be tickets available?

This is how intense the clamor has been since day one for Filipinos to experience the magic of the “Phantom,” which hasn’t escape the ire and envy of not a few local productions.

Some call it the “Phantom Menace” while many simply dismiss it as mere pageantry and excess, which sounds more like sour-graping for not being able to afford the tickets, if you think about it.

But in a country where theater groups have been more diverse and productive for the past decades than any of its neighbors, the Philippines has earned the label “Broadway of Southeast Asia”. With that, nothing is too big or too small to experience.

Lots of Filipino men would bravely confront any ghost at the CCP if only for the ever-captivating Australian soprano Claire Lyon, here as Christine Daae. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

How the boat that carries the Phantom and Christine Daae, smoothly sailing on an imaginary river on a wooden stage; how the one-ton chandelier crashes every night, sometimes twice a day, without breaking any of its parts; how a real-life sized elephant paper mache fits the stage; or how the show itself recreates 19^th century Paris every day; all seems to be buoyed by supernatural elements, by magic.

Despite the size of the CCP Main Theater, the people backstage see to it that they re-create the magic that has been with the same productions in London and Broadway.

In the attached video by INQUIRER.net’s Cathy Miranda, shown are these magnificent, brilliant and hardworking faces backstage; Tanya Miles (stage manager), Eugene Titus (head of wardrobe), Sandie Bekavac (co-stage manager) and Bernard Fitzgerald (head of props), together with Lungelwa Mdezaki (swing performer).

“To assure everything is safe for the actors. If there are glitches, which rarely come, it’s for the audience not to notice,” Miles said.

“Rest assured, no show is ever the same. Every day is a different experience. That’s how the ‘phantom’ works,” said Titus.

So book your tickets now at TicketWorld 891-9999 or log on to www.ticketworld.com.ph.

Last time checked, students can still avail of a discount exclusively for Balcony 1 and 2 seats for a limited offer. Family packages offer up to 40% discount on your third and fourth tickets.

At this point, if you haven’t seen “Phantom”, there must be something wrong in your universe.

But if you can’t really make it, their next stop is Seoul before the Christmas holidays.

 
“The Phantom of the Opera” in Manila is produced by Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, David Atkins Enterprises, Hi-Definition Radio, Inc. and Concertus Manila in association with The Really Useful Group. Among the media partner is the Philippine Daily Inquirer.