 | It had been a while since I'd seen the show at the Pantages...more than a year, actually! Even so, most of the cast was pretty familiar. David Rogers had come back as Raoul for the last week of performances. The major new people were Melissa Dye as Christine, and, of course, Paul Stanley as the Phantom. I thought Melissa was a fine Christine. Better than some, worse than some, but overall, not bad. And, this being the final night of the show in Toronto, she was quite emotional...though maybe she's always emotional, I don't know.
I was prepared to be disappointed with Paul Stanley's Phantom, but he actually impressed me quite a bit in some parts. Vocally, he was quite good. His acting wasn't bad either, though it seemed to me that he was just trying too hard. Erik is supposed to look effortless, and that's one word I would not use to describe Paul's Phantom. His final lair scene was probably the weakest point, but I still cried...because it was the final show? I don't know. |
At the end of the show, there were some short speeches, and then the entire cast sang Music of the Night before the fireworks, streamers, balloons, etc. It was very moving to hear the whole cast sing "It's over now, the music of the night" as the last words of the night.
There had been an auction in the lobby of the Pantages before the show, and there was another one afterwards at the Windsor Arms hotel. I didn't buy anything, as most everything was out of my price range, or would just be impractical to get home (right, Beth? :-), but it was still really neat to see everything. And I got to talk to Laird Mackintosh briefly at intermission, so that was nice. All in all, it was an enjoyable day, and I'm going to miss seeing the show at the Pantages!!
"You don't want that one...who would want a Hannibal poster?"
Beth and I, trying to discourage people from bidding on the poster she wanted. :-)
"Si, these things do happen! All the time! For the past *ten* years, these things do happen!"
Kim Stengel, during the show
"I'm the last one to join, and I get to talk first!"
Paul Stanley, during curtain call
The Pictures:
The side of the Pantages
The Pantages, on the day of the last show
The auction in the lobby of the theatre
Me, Glenda Balkan, Beth and Sandra Margolese at the auction
Dave, me, Catherine, Beth and Kristen before the show
Kim Stengel's bow
David Rogers' bow
Melissa Dye's bow
Paul Stanley's bow
The cast's last bow at the Pantages
The cast:
The Phantom of the Opera
PAUL STANLEY
Christine Daaé
MELISSA DYE
Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny
DAVID ROGERS
Carlotta Giudicelli
KIM STENGEL
Monsieur André
PAUL MULLOY
Monsieur Firmin
TERRY HODGES
Madame Giry
KRISTINA MARIE GUIGUET
Ubaldo Piangi
BRENT WEBER
Meg Giry
CATRIONA DERGUSON
Monsieur Reyer
GERALD ISAAC
Don Attilio ("Il Muto")/Passarino
SCOTT WATANABE
Porter/Marksman
BRIAN C. DUYN
Monsieur Lefèvre
DAVID PLAYFAIR
Auctioneer/Joseph Buquet
JOHN DODINGTON
Lion Man/Fireman
KELLY ROBERTSON
Slave Master ("Hannibal")
KIRK HANSEN
Flunky/Stagehand
CHRISTOPHER KISS
Policeman
ROBERT MEILLEUR
Page ("Don Juan Triumphant")
JULIA JAMISON
Porter/Fireman
BRAD CORMIER
Page ("Don Juan Triumphant")
TANIA PARRISH
Wardrobe Mistress/Confidante ("Il Muto")
LISA GAASENBEEK
Princess ("Hannibal")
SANDRA MARGOLESE
Madame Firmin
JANET COATES
Inkeeper's Wife ("Don Juan Triumphant")
JILL DIANE FILION
The Ballet Chorus of the Opera Populaire
SAMANTHA ADAMSON
HARRIET CHUNG
PHILIPPA HAYBALL
DONNA KELLY
DEANNA PIDWERBESKI
MIMI F. PINEAU
Dance Captain/Ballet Swing
ANITA BOSTOK