Both Phantoms Give Money’S Worth

“The Phantom of the Opera” Sunday matinee, March 5, Spokane Opera House

I went back to “The Phantom of the Opera” on Sunday afternoon for one reason only: to check out the new Phantom, Ted Keegan, who took over on March 2.

One disclaimer: This is not the Battle of the Phantoms. Theater is not a boxing match.

But naturally, people are curious to see how “their” Phantom stacks up against the guy they didn’t see. So in the bout between Keegan and the first week’s Phantom, Brad Little, I call it: a draw.

Keegan is a superior singer; Little has a more commanding stage presence.

But it’s not that simple, either, because Keegan also has great stage presence and Little sang the heck out of “Music of the Night.”

Little himself said in an interview that, as far as pure singing, “I do not hold a candle to Ted.” It is true that Keegan’s voice is purer and more technically accomplished.

When Keegan hits the high notes in “Music of the Night,” the tone was ethereal and almost other-worldly. His voice is pure aesthetic pleasure.

Yet you could argue that Little, with his more emotionally-charged voice, interpreted the songs more effectively. I prefer not to argue it at all - I simply enjoyed both of them.

In terms of stage presence, Little was more dramatic in his gestures and his body language. Keegan, while not as physically commanding, still managed to convey an effective aura of menace and danger in the final scene in his lair.

So it comes down to this: No matter what audience you were in, you didn’t get cheated. Everybody saw a first-rate Phantom.

This second viewing also allowed me to pay more attention to two aspects of the show which some readers have expressed concerns about.

The first is the sound.

While I still think the sound design is quite good for a 2,600-seat auditorium, I can see why some people are complaining. Large portions of the lyrics and dialogue are lost.

I have long since stopped expecting live theater sound to be perfect; these are not movies with the advantage of carefully dubbed soundtracks. Yet I think that the sound people might want to crank the voice volume just a little higher in relation to the orchestra. It’s fine when the characters are at full throat, but the quieter passages are often sacrificed.

Which brings up the second point, the orchestra. Some people are still under the false impression that the music is recorded - even, bafflingly, a few people who already have been to the show.

Apparently they did not see the conductor, Glenn Langdon, almost get his head taken off by the falling chandelier. Nor did they note the 17 other musicians down in the pit, playing their hearts out. Not only is this a live orchestra, but a large one by modern musical theater standards.

Maybe that cheesy ‘80s-style drum-machine percussion in a couple of numbers is the culprit. Or maybe it’s the extensive use of synthesizers. You can blame Andrew Lloyd Webber for those sins.

But the fact remains, the pit holds French horns, flutes, clarinets, a percussionist, three keyboardists and eight string players. They couldn’t fit too many more musicians down there if they tried.