Phantom to Haunt Strathfield with Music of the Night

The Phantom Of The Opera is a show that audiences know and love well. It is also a challenging show, even with the best resources it is a daunting proposition to stage and audiences have high expectations of any production.

The Phantom has already been performed several times in Sydney, so each subsequent production has even more to live up to....

Even with all this on their shoulders, Strathfield Musical Society is very much looking forward to presenting this major production to their audiences.

The Society's patron Julie Anthony AM OBE attended the ticket launch where the cast performed a variety of items including the show stopping “Masquerade”.

Ms Anthony is clearly very happy with the Society's prospects for success. During her speech to officially launch ticket sales for the production Ms Anthony said “I am so impressed.... You've made me so very, very proud just to be... to say... that I am your Patron....”

As an industry professional of great standing, Ms Anthony's comments were a welcome reassurance to the Production Team and cast as a whole. Having established how much went into preparing for the evening Ms Anthony went on to say, “I can't comprehend that you can do, and achieve what you've achieved with 5 hours a week rehearsal... when theatre companies, as in the professional realm, slog away and think their throats are cut if they only get a month, and that would be all day and half the night that they'd be working, they wouldn't be able to achieve what you have... it's quite extraordinary...”

In addition to the hard work being put in by the cast, the set being provided by Bob & Colin Peet is being re-designed from the ground up (or should that be the top down?), including a new chandelier, to accommodate the more compact space requirements of the venue.

As with any of these ventures, there is always a great deal to coordinate and it's all hands to the wheel behind the scenes to get everything ready for opening night.

The production team is comprised of Philip Clark Executive Director/Musical Director with Kathryn Meekings Director, Melissa Stewart Choreographer, Brian Hughes Assistant MD and Natalya Aynsley as Répétiteur.

Brian Hughes will be appearing – and disappearing – as The Phantom, with Australian Soprano Rebecca MacCallion as Christine (understudied by Natalie Elliott), Lachlan O'Brien as Raoul, Felicia Harris as Madame Giry, Amy Fisher as Meg Giry and Chloe Angel as Carlotta (understudied by Alexandre Blandino).

The Phantom of the Opera

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart with additions from Richard Stilgoe. Book by Lloyd Webber and Stilgoe

17-26 October 2014 – The Latvian Theatre, 32 Parnell Street, Strathfield NSW

Performances:

Friday 17th October 8:00 pm

Saturday 18th October 2:00 pm & 8:00 pm

Sunday 19th October 2:00 pm

Friday 24th October 8:00 pm

Saturday 25th October 2:00 pm & 8:00 pm

Sunday 26th October 2:00 pm

Tickets:

Adult $55                   

Concession and Theatre Party (10 or more) $45

Children (under 16) $35

Bookings

www.strathfieldmusicalsociety.com.au

Phone: (02) 8007 7785

Email: bookings@strathfieldmusicalsociety.com.au

Images: The Production Team pictured with Strathfield's patron Julie Anthony AM OBE: L-R Brian Hughes, Kathryn Meekings, Julie Anthony,Melissa Stewart and Philip Clark; Julie Anthony launches ticket sales with the cast of Phantom; and Rebecca MacCallion and Lachlan O'Brien, Christine and Raoul, performing at the ticket launch. Images courtesy Ray Wing-Lun

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