Theater critic Clive Barnes called "Phantom of the Opera" the hottest thing to hit Broadway since the tip-up seat. That was about 15 years ago, after the Gothic romance made its Atlantic crossing from London to New York.

The touring version that opened Wednesday in Shea's Performing Arts Center remains a techno-feat that is driven not so much by the special effects, but by the audience's anticipation of them.

First it's the chandelier, although on this night the 1,000-pound fixture seemed to lack energy as it launched its classic swoop. The rolling elephant, complete with wine-swilling operators, never fails to draw a chuckle. And that memorable gondola ride with the haunted one at the helm. This subterranean cruise was highlighted by an army of marching menorahs that lighted the way.

In total, $1.2 million in special effects - all of which accent the simple appeal of the man in black, whose shadow behind the stage backdrop marks a haunting arrival.

Gaston Leroux wrote in French when he penned the story in 1911 of the ghost who gets the girl only to lose her. Since then, the story has been told in many forms, but it is the stage on which it thrives.

Maria Bjornson's stage effects and electric costumes, Andrew Lloyd Webber's gushing music, Harold Prince's amazing staging - "Phantom" explores what is theatrically possible.

Wednesday's Phantom, played by Brad Little, was particularly tormented. Imagine the challenge to an actor who must be masked throughout his performance. Little emotes with his hands, through his voice and in the movements he commands of his body. He is limber. As the Phantom, he gets physical. Returning to the role after a three-year break, Little has played lead in the European tours of "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "West Side Story."

In "Phantom," his performance is defined by a warm baritone. His signature song, "Music of the Night," yields a smattering of tenor notes. It describes the relationship between monster and woman.

Rebecca Pitcher returns to the Shea's stage as Christine Daae, a role she played when Phantom made its first Buffalo run in 1999. Pitcher's soprano this time appeared a little restrained, yet the chemistry between her and her pair of admirers - the Phantom and Raoul - was convincing. A daunting task, considering one was a ghost and the other a dweeb. A special note on Kim Stengel, who performed the role of Carlotta Giudicelli more than 2,500 times with the Toronto company: Her extensive opera experience shows in this strutting diva's performance.

Despite the special effects - 550 pounds of dry ice are used during each performance, making that misty boat ride so memorable - the lighting often takes center stage. Such as at scene's end, when it clings to the Phantom's face like a bird's nest to a tree in winter. The scenery is also a spectacle, especially the masquerade staircase, which looks a lot like Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras. Watch the scene carefully for some mannequins amid the costumes.

And the sound. Not only did the orchestra perform without glitch, but the amplification that bounced the Phantom's voice off the walls, across the stage and from the ceiling was amazing. You won't find any breakout songs in "Phantom," which is typical of many Lloyd Webber musicals. What this production offers is spectacle - from start to finish.
 

e-mail: jkwiatkowski@buffnews.com

 Ostracism becomes part of life for a deformed ghoul who endures a dank life in the tunnels below the Paris Opera House. For seven years Brad Little has played the lead role in "The Phantom of the Opera" to perfection - with good reason.
"I don't have an obvious exterior deformity that everyone can see," said the 39-year-old actor. "Mine is a blind disorder. I look completely normal, but you put a book in front of me and you would think I'm the worst actor in the world or just as stupid as they come."

Little explains his dyslexia.

"Words aren't actually backward, but I read at a very, very slow pace," he said. "It's almost a hiccup that will happen. All of a sudden I can't make out anything that's on the page. I'm just looking at a bunch of letters. I can't focus on the line."

Little describes his elementary school years in Redlands, Calif. as "pretty horrible." Bullying became a constant concern. Classmates, he recalled, beat him up because he was different. Today, he wants dyslexic children across the country to know they, too, can prosper.

"There's a lot of dyslexics out there like me, who have been very successful in what they've done. Because when you're at that age and you have your peers tell you that you are stupid, you feel stupid, and it's devastating and you give up.

"You may not be able to read, but you can do other things," Little added. "My wife told me that I should come out of the closet with my dyslexia. It wasn't an easy thing to do, but I have and I can't begin to tell you how much it has helped me."

Little recalls the feelings of solitude he experienced as a child, and he brings those emotions on stage with him.

Dyslexia, he reasoned, does not make his job impossible. He just needs to try harder.

"I don't read," he said. "My wife will read things to me. Scripts I have to read very slow. I can't do cold readings. As long as I have the time to memorize, I'm OK."

From the chorus to Raoul to playing lead, Little has been a part of the Broadway "Phantom" and its national touring arm since 1994. His other Broadway and national tour credits include Captain De Castel Jaloux in "Cyrano the Musical" and Topol in "Fiddler on the Roof."

His portrayals of Jesus in the European tour of "Jesus Christ Superstar" and Tony in "West Side Story" have also won acclaim.

In "Phantom," Little said he discovered a role to make his own. The last time the touring version of "Phantom" appeared at Shea's Performing Arts Center was in 1999 with actor Ted Keegan playing lead.

"He plays it very differently," Little recalled. "I would say my Phantom is more on the physical edge, whereas his was more mental. His voice is amazing, and his show was a lot better sung. But I bring the lower anger side, because I have that baritone feel."

The athleticism the 6-foot-2-inch Little adds to the role leaves him exhausted - "a sweating and emotional mess" - but allows him to bring on stage a menagerie of inspiration.

At one point during the production when Little stalks the stage he thinks cheetah.

"It's not the speed, but the stalking," he said.

"It can be any cat, but I chose the cheetah because I love them so much. When I crawl across the stage, I incorporate the moves of a snake - slow and then quick.

"I also think crane sometimes," he added. "During "Music of the Night,' when he's trying to show this imaginary world he has created for Christine. He's finally got her down there, and yet there's extreme caution that a bird would have."

After the performance, Little is usually the last one out of the theater, tearing down the CD table that he runs on the honor system in the lobby.

The recording, "Brad Little Unmasked," is a compilation of Broadway music.

"Right after the show, I get that prosthetic piece off," Little said. "I kind of enjoy the solitude when the theater is empty. It's a long journey every night."