'Phantom of the Opera' in outstanding production in Carson City
Submitted by admin on Mon, 11/07/2011 - 7:34pm
Stephanie Arrigotti has been directing and producing shows for the Western Nevada Musical Theater Company at WAC for several years and every year she brings greater casts and more entertaining shows to the Community Center in Carson City. Friday night she opened "The Phantom of the Opera" to an enthusiastic audience with possibly the biggest first-night numbers in the theater group's history.
And the audience got what it came for — a beautifully staged and directed show with a cast of very talented actors.
"The Phantom" is now the longest running Broadway show in history with music by the knighted composer Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart. It is based on French novelist's work of the same name and it takes place, naturally, in an opera house, where the Phantom lurks about the basement hiding his disfigured face with a mask.
He takes a fancy to a young actress, singer Christine (Maria Arrigotti) and gives her singing lessons in his murky quarters. She succeeds to the starring role in an opera after the reigning star Charlotta (Jennifer Kotik Coogan) quits amid all the strange goings on at the opera house.
Chistine is wooed by effective Raoul (Emzy Burroughs) but she is fascinated by the Phantom and his mystery.
Stern Danita Bayer as Meg shepherds the corps de ballet trailed by dancer Christine Bourne.
The musical is vivid in its story and Mark D. Williams is a suitably menacing Phantom with a strong voice. Arrigottti in what must be her 10th performance with the company is in splendid voice, capping her past performances with a rich emotional timbre in her voice. She is rivaled in the voice department by Coogan, both hitting the high notes beautifully.
Coogan is tied to Teddy Medlyn as Piangi who gives her solid support,
Arrigotti is helped greatly by her regular co-director for dance Gina Kasksie-Davis, who keeps the dancers firmly on their ballet slipper toes.
Kevin Murphy conducts the full orchestra which has rarely sounded as good in the open spaces of the Community Center. Costumes by Denise McMasters are stunning, matching the overall tone of the show.
The production features impressive sets with a stairway that comes and goes quickie, attesting to the skill of the backstage crew. And the flying sequences of the chandelier and the actors are professionally well done and exciting.
There are probably few if any cities the size of Carson that could or would house such a marvelous production of such a complex musical. Webber may have written the music but it took Arrigotti and Kaskie-Davis to give it such a rousing life.
The musical will continue through Nov. 20 on weekends. It's a rare opportunity to enjoy truly professional musical entertainment.
---Sam Bauman
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