Silents you can hear

I've never seen any production of Phantom of the Opera. Not the play, or movie, or book. Not that I haven't wanted to, just that opportunity hadn't presented itself. But that all changed last night when I decided to do something different on a Friday night and purchased a ticket to see Vox Lumiere - Phantom of the Opera.

The idea of this new production company is to combine artistic elements to create something new, and in that sense, they succeeded. The classic silent film plays on screen at the back of the stage, with images so profound and shocking you find yourself mesmerized.

The production though mixes in a Rock Opera atmosphere by having dancers choreograph modern scenes to try and relate Gaston Leroux's classic novel onto a modern stage. from beautiful musical scores depicting love lost, to speed metal music which sounded like Metallica, it all rocked.


This show kicks ass. The images and scenes from the silent film haunt me. Seeing Lon Chaney on film portraying the Phantom took my breath away. This show may not be for everyone, as was evident by the chairs that were empty as intermission ended, but those that left early missed a classic display of new art. Too bad losers.