ENCINITAS — After several months of rehearsal, Ovation Theatre’s long-awaited performance of “The Phantom of the Opera” has arrived.
“Phantom of the Opera,” often referred to as “Phantom” for short, is a musical based on a 1909 French novel of the same name by Gaston Leroux, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe.
“Phantom” tells the story of Christine Daaé, a beautiful soprano singer who becomes the obsession of a masked, musical genius living beneath the Paris Opera House.
The Ovation Theatre production is directed by husband and wife team, Artistic Director Pamela Laurent and Music Director Scott Gregory, who once had the opportunity to play a part in an international Broadway production of “Phantom” in Hamburg, Germany.
Thanks to their previous experience with the mega-hit musical, the two have a unique insight as to what will make the small theater production feel like a Broadway performance.
“Returning to Phantom after 25 years and having the opportunity to share our deep knowledge of the show with this insanely talented cast has been an amazing and rewarding experience for Scott and me,” Laurent said. “We’ve taken great care with this production, striving to get every detail just right to create a rich experience for our performers and the North San Diego community.”
The production rights to “Phantom” were highly coveted, only to be used by schools and theaters associated with schools. When they became more public, Ovation Theatre leaped at the chance.
“When the rights were released long ago, we applied but discovered that only schools could do it, and since we weren’t affiliated with a school, we couldn’t,” Gregory said. “Some elementary schools put on ‘Phantom’ before we even had a chance to, so we’ve been keeping an eye on it, and we were not passing this up when it became available.”
Choreographed by Natalie Nucci and Reka Gyulai, the production will be as accurate as how Laurent and Gregory performed it in Germany – except in English this time.
“When we auditioned for the production in Germany, it was for Americans but to be performed in German,” Laurent said. “So what’s been odd for Scott and me is that we learned ‘Phantom’ in German, and it’s been so strange to work in English when our habits formed in another language.”
Ovation Theatre received multiple sponsorships to fund the production, which includes over 200 pieces of costume and a 45-person cast.
“We have Nick Siljander, who leads as the mysterious Phantom obsessed with the beautiful and talented chorus girl, Christine Daaé, played by Broadway San Diego Awards semi-finalist Evelyn Berry,” Laurent said. “And rounding out the show’s powerhouse principal cast is Jack Stuhley as Christine’s childhood sweetheart, Raoul.”
Cast and crew members are excited to see all of their hard work finally coming together.
“I’m most excited about the spectacle we want to present and how all these elements will come together,” Laurent said.
“For me, it’s always the moment that the cast sinks into the show,” Gregory continued. “That usually doesn’t happen until after opening night or after several shows. But all the work they’ve put in and all the excitement that goes into that intensity is the highlight of what I work towards.”
Ovation Theatre will present “The Phantom of the Opera” at Palomar College’s Howard Brubeck Theatre in San Marcos from Aug. 4 to 6 and Aug. 11 to 13.
Tickets are available through Ovation’s website. The non-profit theater company is also accepting donations and sponsorships for the show.
