Critical Review at Hennepin Arts

Daniel Lopez as Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny and Jordan Lee Gilbert as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera North American Tour Photo: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman Over a year after the conclusion of its record-breaking Broadway run, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera is back to enchant theater-goers across the nation. The North American tour hit the Orpheum last Friday, November 21, the second stop of its highly-anticipated return. Producer Cameron Mackintosh promised “a dazzlingly fresh version of the much-loved original,” and dazzlingly fresh he delivered, indeed. This updated Phantom reopened in 2021 at His Majesty’s Royal Theatre and was applauded by London critics and everyday fans alike. Now, the production has come to haunt American stages, and it’d be a shame to miss the wondrous horrors it brings. The newer version maintains much of the late Maria Björnson’s original award-winning designs. Her magnificent sets feature the grandness and ornamentation of a...

      The greatest mystery in The Phantom of the Opera lies not in the identity of the masked murderer, but instead in the show's ability to sell out theaters almost forty years after its release.  The 2025 National Tour of The Phantom of the Opera , now playing at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis until December 7th, brings a refreshed theatricality to a musical long defined by its iconic images and grand emotional sweep. What makes this staging particularly compelling is not an attempt to reinvent Phantom , but rather its thoughtful reimagining of the set design as a blend of classic visual motifs and modern theatrical fluidity. The result is a production that feels both familiar and newly atmospheric, more focused on mood and movement than on massive machinery. While the show still features the lavish grandeur audiences expect, the scenic design emphasizes transitions that flow with remarkable smoothness. Instead of relying solely on the monumental, highly liter...

(L to R) Isaiah Bailey as The Phantom and Jordan Lee Gilbert as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera North American Tour Photo: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman. Thirty seven years after its Broadway debut, walking into the 2025 tour of Phantom of the Opera, I found myself wondering whether this Andrew Lloyd Webber mega-musical still earns its fame following its post-pandemic departure from Broadway. Two and a half hours of jaw dropping performance later, I couldn’t believe it took me this long to become thoroughly obsessed. Although not every seat in the house experienced a Phantom performance worth the price of their ticket, it was evident that Phantom’s enchanting cast, grandiose technical prowess, and spellbinding score is a rare treat to all.  From the moment we set foot in the theater, this production immersed its audience into the world of the Paris Opera House. With its set exposed at top of show, and classic chandelier glistening over audience heads, there was n...

  Isaiah Bailey as The Phantom and Jordan Lee Gilbert as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera North American Tour Photo: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman What does a show do after a forty year Broadway run? The Phantom of the Opera is a classic work within musical theater. Sporting the title for longest-running Broadway production ever, Phantom has consistently delighted audiences since 1986. It is based on a novel of the same name, taking place in The Paris Opera House. It follows the company as it is haunted by a masked figure and musical genius, the Phantom obsessed with a certain soprano, Christine Daae. He ensues havoc upon the theater as they don’t cave to his demands. The show is known for its great use of spectacle, with a massive chandelier and a variety of effects. The score is by Andrew Lloyd Webber, who has risen to great success as a composer with other hits such as Cats and Jesus Christ Superstar (which will be playing at the Ordway this December). It is...