I was *thrilled* to find out another tour of Phantom was coming through only a year after the last one. This one was stopping in Edmonton, which is three hours on the other side of us, but I knew it would be worth the trip. In the year that had passed since I'd last seen it, my obsession with the show had grown by leaps and bounds. :-)

However, this was the one and only time I've ever been even slightly disappointed in the show. Most of the cast was great...Glenda Balkan was a great Christine and John Ruess is above the average as far as Raouls go, but my main problem with the show was that Jeff Hyslop was just not Erik to me. It's nothing against him as a singer or actor...I know a lot of people that really enjoyed him in the role. But for me, he wasn't passionate enough, not commanding enough, not sensual enough. He just wasn't how I see Erik in my head.

Other than that, I have to say this show is pretty much a complete blank for me! :-) It's strange to say so, but I really don't remember anything much, besides being shocked that I didn't cry. :-) I don't even really remember being in the theatre...maybe I've tried to block it out of my memory. :-) Anyway, I was also disappointed because I took my little sister to the show, since she'd been interested to find out what exactly all the fuss was about, and it didn't really have much of an effect on her either. But that would not deter me from going again! :-)

The Cast:

The Phantom of the Opera JEFF HYSLOP
Christine Daaé GLENDA BALKAN
Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny JOHN RUESS
Carlotta Giudicelli LYSE GUÉRIN
Monsieur André PETER KEVOIAN
Monsieur Firmin TERRY HODGES
Madame Giry KRISTINE ANDERSON
Ubaldo Piangi FREDERICK DONALDSON
Meg Giry SARA BRENNER
Monsieur Reyer DARIO COLETTA
Auctioneer BARRY STILLWELL
Porter/Marksman BRAD DRUMMER
Monsieur Lefèvre GARY DAHL
Joseph Buquet ROBERT MEILLEUR
Don Attilio ("Il Muto") GREGORY ATKINSON
Slave Master ("Hannibal") MICHAEL HODGES
Flunky/Stagehand JOHN GRADY
Policeman JOEL KATZ
Page ("Don Juan Triumphant") BARBARA DUNN-PROSSER
Porter/Fireman PAUL MULLOY
Page ("Don Juan Triumphant") MITZI WOLFE
Wardrobe Mistress/Confidante ("Il Muto") PAIGE TUDDENHAM
Princess ("Hannibal") CARA CHISHOLM
Madame Firmin KIM STENGEL
Inkeeper's Wife ("Don Juan Triumphant") ALISA KORT
The Ballet Chorus of the Opera Populaire SAMANTHA ADAMSON
ANITA BOSTOK
KATHERINE DEANE
HEIDI LeMOINE
JINA MACINTYRE
KATHERINE STIMSON
Dance Captain/Ballet Swing CATHERINE ULISSEY

Phantom Experience Index