It may be hard to imagine today, but in 1988, with Gorbachev and glasnost drawing four decades of Cold War to a close, the most imminent threat -- for the American musical, anyway -- seemed to be the British invasion. The Me Decade, it turns out, was really about Them. The Eighties brought to our shores a tidal wave, spearheaded by impresario Cameron Mackintosh, of West End hits that for a while threatened to leave good old American musical comedy in the dust. Their logos are now recognizable the world over. The feline eyes and little French waif (of "Cats" and "Les Misérables," respectively) came first, and have graced the marquees of theatres from Toronto to Tokyo. But for many, the apex of the craze for overblown British spectacle was the 1988 arrival in New York of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera."

Richard Todd Adams and Marni Raab

Copyright©2008 Joan Marcus

Now, over twenty years later, "Miss Saigon," "Les Misérables," and "Cats" are all gone from Broadway stages, but much like its title character, one steadfast relic refuses to die. Not only is "Phantom" now in its third decade, but it has somehow managed to surpass "A Chorus Line" and, yes, even "Cats" to become the longest-running show in Broadway history. But as omnipresent as "Phantom" seems, the national tour that opened Friday night at the Civic Theatre is making its first visit since 1999, and only its third in all (compare this to "Cats," which has been presented by Broadway San Diego no fewer than nine times now). Questions of aesthetics and artistic worth seem almost irrelevant when talking about an Event (with a capital "E") such as "Phantom." If you're not one of the 80 million people worldwide who have seen "Phantom," what are you waiting for?

There are many reasons why audiences keep coming back for more; Richard Stilgoe's and Lord Lloyd Webber's plodding book is not one of them. The story (based on Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel) of an opera chorus girl-turned-star and the disfigured musical genius who pursues her trots about the stage at a leisurely pace. What took only 90 minutes for Lon Chaney and Claude Rains to accomplish in the two most famous film adaptations now takes this Phantom two and a half hours, thanks to the overwhelming sense of Importance attached to everything in this Event. From the opening scene, in which an Auctioneer (Sean MacLaughlin) goes through the rather mundane motions of an auction, almost every word of Stilgoe and Lloyd Webber's dialogue seems to be delivered with a self-conscious urgency that, given the goings-on, seems rather unnecessary.

Greg Mills

Copyright©2008 Joan Marcus

In contrast, the version that has played the Venetian for over two years now, "Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular" trims all the fat to keep the show at an intermissionless, casino-friendly 90 minutes, which seems as though it would be about right for this bloated monstrosity of a show.

The Vegas production also features a new scenic design by David Rockwell that reportedly brings the special effects of "Phantom" into the 21st century. That's no slight toward the late Maria Björnson, who designed the sets and costumes seen here on tour and in New York and London. Her sumptuous (and numerous) costumes ooze French Second Empire extravagance, from the impossibly layered frocks and furs of diva Carlotta to the wispy tutus of the corps de ballet. And Björnson's sets -- the opera house as seen from the rooftop to the stage and all the way down to the Phantom's watery subterranean lair -- are an intricately weaved collection. But the show's special effects, designed for its London premiere in 1986, are beginning to show their age, most evidently in that famously falling chandelier, which doesn't so much plummet as it does leisurely float down to the stage.

Kim Stengel

Copyright©2008 Joan Marcus

Lloyd Webber's score, well, it is what it is. It's Lloyd Webber, and like the rest of the show, you either love it or hate it. Perhaps some of us have become immune to its powers, after hearing "The Music of the Night" pumped into background speakers everywhere from shopping malls to elevators for the last twenty years. He does have a way with soaring melody though. Most of the lyrics are by Charles Hart, and most of them are riotously generic. One exception is the W.S. Gilbert-like pattering wordplay of the two "Notes" sections (which can surely only belong to Mr. Stilgoe, who is credited with "additional lyrics"). The contrapuntal fun that follows the first of these, in "Prima Donna," is Lloyd Webber at his best (fans of the original cast recording will notice that, since the show's premiere, the character of opera tenor Piangi has been added to the mix, making the already-intricate sextet an even more complex septet).

As for the performers, "Phantom" (and that darned book) isn't the kind of show that allows much character to show through among its trio of leads. They either have the voices or they don't, and as can be expected, they do. Many of them are tour and Broadway veterans. In the title role, Richard Todd Adams follows the recent trend of "graduating" former Raouls up to Phantom status, and manages to find the heart within the tragic misguided character. Marni Raab takes on the pointe shoes and high E's of the impossibly demanding role of Christine with ease. The tall and dashing Greg Mills rounds out the central trio as romantic Raoul.

Nancy Hess

Copyright©2008 Joan Marcus

The supporting characters tend to be more colorful, including the well-practiced (4500+ performances) diva of Kim Stengel and John Whitney's divo Piangi. D.C. Anderson and Bruce Winant are comic delights as the pair of bumbling managers. Nancy Hess, a former Velma Kelly in Broadway's "Chicago," brings an unexpected dose of sex appeal to the decidedly unglamorous part of Mme. Giry, and Jessi Ehrlich is a sweet-voiced terpsichorean beauty as daughter Meg.

It's as good a cast as any you'll find, thanks to the integrity with which the "Phantom" folks have chosen their performers over the years. Those hoping for a bit of celebrity stunt casting (Paris Hilton as Christine...?) aren't likely to have their hopes met anytime soon, so if a trip to Vegas or New York isn't in the cards soon, you might as well check out this little Event called "The Phantom of the Opera."

Even your neighbor/friend/aunt/dog has seen it. Have you...?

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