Phantom

Musical (1991)
Music and lyrics by Maury Yeston
Book by Arthur Kopit
Based on Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera
Directed by Robert W. Schneider
Music Direction by Dale Rieling
North Shore Music Theater
Beverly, MA
October 21 – November 1, 2026

Choreographer: Briana Fallon; Scenic and Lighting Design: Jack Mehler; Sound Design: Elisabeth Weidner; Wig and Hair Design: Rachel Padula-Shufelt; Costume Coordinator: Rebecca Glick

Orchestra: Dale Rieling (Conductor, Keyboard 1); Robert L. Rucinski (Keyboard 2); Zack Bacak (Flute & Clarinet); William Vint (Flute, Clarinet, Oboe & English Horn); Seelan Manickam (Trumpet & Flugelhorn); Michael Bellofatto (French Horn); Zoia Bologovsky (Violin 1); Amy Ripka (Violin 2 & Viola); Joseph Higgins (Bass); Michelle Tucker (Drumset, Percussion)

With Sean Seamus Thompson (The Phantom); Madison Claire Parks (Christine Daaé); Victoria Huston-Elem (La Carlotta); Christian Probst (Count Phillippe de Chandon); Gregory North (Gerard Carrière); Alex Syiek (Alain Cholet); Justin R. G. Holcomb (Inspector Ledoux); David Coffee (Jean-Claude); Quinn Murphy (Young Erik); Aidan Rystrom (Young Erik); Billy Goldstein (Joseph Buquet); Andrew Leggieri (Minister of Culture); MK McDonald (Florence); Lianna Paglia (Fluere); Carlos Pérez (Oberon); Andrew Playford (Young Carriere); Keliah Schertz (Belladova); Rebecca Spigelman (Flora); Brian C. Veith (Opera Tenor); Nicole Weitzman (Opera Diva); Ensemble: Louis Brogna, Nathan Haltiwanger, Emma Kantor, Esther Lee, Dwayne P. Mitchell, Anna Novak

Sean Seamus Thompson as The Phantom, Gregory North as Carrière in 'Phantom' — Sean Seamus Thompson as The Phantom
Gregory North as Carrière
in “Phantom”
Photo: Paul Lyden
Courtesy of North Shore Music Theater

An operatic musical – different from the one by Andrew Lloyd Webber – based on the same book -about a young singer and her involvement with a ghost – of sorts – who haunts the Paris Opera.

Erik, aka The Phantom (Sean Seamus Thompson), has grown up in the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera (see Spoilers section below for more). He is a talented musician and comes in contact with Christine (Madison Claire Parks), a street singer who is noticed by Count Philippe de Chandon (Christian Probst) who takes great liking to her natural singing voice – and to her – and uses his influence with the Paris Opera to get her some voice lessons.

But, alas, the Paris Opera has just been taken over by new management – Alain Cholet (Alex Syiek) and his wife, La Carlotta (Victoria Huston-Elem), a presumed opera diva with a terrible voice. Erik is taken with Christine’s natural talents and detests the natural non-talents of Carlotta, and sets about turning Christine into a star. In relatively short order, Christine has shown such progress and so impressed the opera company that she is given a very difficult leading role. Carlotta, deeply jealous, has something of her own in mind and engages Christine before Christine’s debut to bring things about (see Spoilers for more). Meanwhile, Gérard Carrière, the former opera company manager, now has been fired by the new management, but hovers around the opera for a variety of reasons, including his interest in Christine’s emerging career (see Spoilers). The mysterious and hidden Phantom – Erik has a fascination with Christine, as does the Count, as desires and jealousies abound. Erik wears a mask all of the time, creating enormous mystery and Christine begs him to remove it, but he resists.

Victoria Huston-Elem as La Carlotta, Alex Syiek as Cholet in 'Phantom' — Victoria Huston-Elem as La Carlotta
Alex Syiek as Cholet
in “Phantom”
Photo: Paul Lyden
Courtesy of North Shore Music Theater

This nice production features some great singing, In particular, Victoria Huston-Elem as Carlotta is vivid and clear, and full of great acting as the baddie. In gestural partnership with Cholet, they have some great gag moves together. Her part is indeed operatic and she rises to the occasion beautifully. As well, as Christine, Madison Claire Parks does a fine job with the intensely operatic role, full of coloratura passages. And, as the mysterious Belladova, Keliah Schertz brings, as well, a wonderful echo of the coloratura technique. All three make this a beautiful songfest.

One must mention the exceptionally good work by the orchestra, led by Dale Rieling, and put to the serious test in some of the more classically oriented passages. Certainly, the overture contains many of those and the orchestra shows its stuff adeptly.

There have actually been three musicals written on the Phantom of the Opera theme: Phantom of the Opera with book and lyrics by Ken Hill appeared in 1976. Kopit and Yeston, authors of Phantom were first approached to do a musical on the same theme in 1983 after their success in bringing the musical Nine (1982) to Broadway. They did not take to the idea immediately, but when Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera came out in 1986 and became a hit, Kopit and Yeston realized the potential of the theme and felt that their own approach was sufficiently different from Lloyd-Webber’s to merit bringing Phantom to the stage, which they did in 1991.

As Erik, Sean Seamus Thompson commands a dramatic seriousness worthy of note, and as Carrière, the former manager who carries with him a big secret, Gregory North does a moving job in a role that carries more weight as the plot unfolds. In the closing scenes, Thompson and North contribute forcefully to a moving outcome. As Phillipe, Christian Probst provides a light and lively dimension, contrasting ably with Erik’s darkness.

Staging, with sets and lighting by Jack Mehler, and sound design by Elisabeth Weidner are quite effective on North Shore Music Theater’s round stage. Costumes, coordinated by Rebecca Glick, are colorful and beautiful and there are great collective dance scenes, nicely choreographed by Briana Fallon, giving the vivid flavor of late nineteenth and early twentieth century Paris.

Madison Claire Parks as Christine, Christian Probst as Philippe in 'Phantom' — Madison Claire Parks as Christine
Christian Probst as Philippe
in “Phantom”
Photo: Paul Lyden
Courtesy of North Shore Music Theater

Extra info: contains spoilers

Carlotta lures Christine into drinking poison before Christine’s debut, claiming it is an herbal remedy that helps the voice. Christine falters during the debut, and then falls ill. Erik rescues her and brings her to his underground lair and in retribution to Carlotta’s malice, electrocutes Carlotta.

Gérard Carrière is actually Erik’s father, though he has posed, to Erik as a benevolent uncle. Years before,
Carrière, though married, had fallen in love with Belladova (), a beautiful and talented young opera singer who had died in her youth. Erik was the product of their liaison and was born with a badly deformed face, which he has covered with a mask. When Christine finally gets Erik to remove his mask she runs away in horror.

In the end, after Erik is wounded, Carrière, now revealed to Erik as his father, shoots him, to put him out of his misery, to prevent him from being brought to trial for the murder of Carlotta, and to prevent the revelation of his horrific face, a revelation which Erik would despise. It is an act of fatherly compassion for his suffering son.

– BADMan (aka Charles Munitz)

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