ENTERTAINMENT
'Phantom of the Opera’ heads for Hult Center
London group pokes fun at silliness
of traditional opera, brings in big buck
By Layne Lakefish
Emerald Entertainment Editor
The famous story of a disfig
ured ghost and his love of a
chorus girl will hit the Hull
Center stage this weekend.
The Phnilium of the Opera,
the original London stage musi
cal, will be performed three
times, once on Saturday at 8
p.m. and twice on Sunday at 2
and 7 p.m. Tickets for the show
are $24 and $29.
The plot goes as follows.
Christine Daae is an opera
house chorus girl longing to
play the lead in Faust. A phan
tom, who has been inhabiting
the opera house, falls in love
with her and attempts, through
notes and finally devious
deeds, to land her tin; lead,
“It's not so much the story of
tlie Phantom himseit, said
Ken Hill, show director, in an
interview with a Los Angeles
Times reporter. "Mostly it’s the
effect the Phantom is having on
these respectable, boring peo
ple who're trying to run an op
era house and there’s a luna
tic hiding out in the house "
Don’t let the title fool you.
however. This is not an opera
in the classical sense of the
word. This, instead, is musical
‘ theatre staged in an opera
house.
"It s not really -01 opera."
said Pat Cusick. Hull Center as
sislant marketing director.
The show features the music
from operas by the likes of Mo
zart. Conoud. Weber, Verdi,
Offenbach and Donizetti Key
boards. percussion, bass, cello.
French horn and oboe sounds
accompany the vocals.
"This is funnier than tradi
tional opera,” Cusick said. "In
a way it’s a spoof on operas,
showing us silliness the puffery
that is often found in operas."
"Of course, opera buffs will
know all fhjs material." Hill
said "They usually quite enjoy
the show.
“You see. we poke a little
fun at opera and opera singers
— because opera, like any art
form, can get rather pompous.
So we have a theater manager,
a secretary, a fat opera tenor, a
diva who throws her weight
around, a pretty little ballerina
who's always flitting in and
out....”
This production opened its
tour in the fall of 1989 with
I urn-of-tile-century costumes,
special effects, a live orchestra
and humorous lyrics After just
eight weeks on the road, the
touring company had recouped
its entire investment, netting
an average $125,000 a week
"This is a major top-notch
production." Cusick said "It's
getting incredible reviews and
people seem to he captivated by
the storyline."
As far as local response goes
"The opening night show has
filled (sold) very well, and
we re hoping the other per
formances will do real well
too." she said
Tho Phantom of the Opera
was performed in Kugene last
vear. lint bv a different, less ini
pressive touring group Ibis
year's performance and per
forming group have more to of
fer.
"This is the London ver
sion," Cusick said. "It is .1
much more major produi tion of
Thu Phantom of the l )/iera
"And besides that, it may he
the only national or interna
tional caliber 77ie Phantom of
the Opera people are going to
get to see."
For ticket information, call
the liult Center l»ox office at
(>87-5000.
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(our less photo
The Phantom of the Opera will lake the Hull (lenler slap for Ihree performances this
weekend.
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