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| It's a masquerade | Malaysian Times Posted: 28 May 2012 09:14 PM PDT Fans of The Phantom Of The Opera can look forward to watching West End singer Ramin Karimloo at a gala dinner concert in Kuala Lumpur.  Canadian actor-singer Ramin Karimloo ... the real 'Phantom' in the flesh. THE lovelorn tale of a disfigured musical genius who terrorises the Paris Opera House in his pursuit to win the heart of a young protégée he trains and loves is one that is known by many. The Phantom Of The Opera, a musical written by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on the French novel Le Fantôme De L'Opéra by Gaston Leroux, opened in London's West End in 1986 and New York's Broadway in 1988. It has been a canonical fixture in the musical realm ever since. To date, it is the longest-running Broadway show and the second longest-running West End musical to have ever been staged. The show ended in 2011, after 25 years. Come next month, fans of the world-famous Phantom will get the chance to see the songs being performed live at a gala dinner concert in Kuala Lumpur. An Evening With The Phantom is a show that combines the elements of romance, drama and fine dining. It will take place at the grand ballroom of the JW Marriott Hotel in KL, on June 21 and 22. The hotel's ballroom will be lavishly decorated to evoke the la belle epoque (or beautiful era in French) of Paris from 1890 to 1910, when the original novel was first published. The gala dinner concert, produced by Enfiniti Vision Media Sdn Bhd, will feature the vocal talents of Iranian-born Canadian actor-singer Ramin Karimloo. Karimloo, who is known for his smouldering good looks and sonorous vocals, gained international acclaim for playing the Phantom at West End. The 33-year-old actor appeared in the West End production of the musical in September 2007. Last October, he had three performances in the 25th anniversary production of the show at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Karimloo made his debut in Malaysia last April when he performed alongside Stephen Rahman-Hughes and Simon Bailey in West End Stars In Concert at Istana Budaya, KL. He has also appeared in other musicals, including Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, Jesus Christ Superstar and The Pirates Of Penzance. An Evening With The Phantom executive producer Datin Seri Tiara Jacquelina tells the media at a press conference last week that the company aims to provide high quality entertainment for lovers of the performing arts and fans of musical theatre in Malaysia with the staging of the production.
"The average age of people who watch musicals in Malaysia is actually between 18 and 30, which is comparatively much younger than musical audiences in the West." Tiara, 45, says the gala concert is a black-tie event, which heralds a perfect occasion for dressing up. "Malaysians love to dress up; we just don't have enough occasions," she shares. At the press conference, members of the media were each given a fancy mask and a rose as a prelude to the grand masquerade-themed musical. Meanwhile, actress Joanna Bessey, the show's director, says this is a rare chance for audiences to catch the "real" Phantom in the flesh. "This is the last opportunity for fans to hear the 'actual' phantom – the reigning phantom from The Phantom Of The Opera – perform," she says. Bessey, 36, explains that Karimloo will perform a catalogue of songs from the musical, as well as selections from South Pacific and Man Of La Mancha at the gala concert. "It will be an emotional journey with Karimloo singing most of the solos," she says. The guest artiste is Australian opera singer Annalisa Kerrigan, who is of Irish-Malaysian descent. The singer, who is fast gaining a reputation as the "barefooted soprano", owing to the fact that she often performs without shoes, is also known for the haute couture gowns she wears on stage. One of the highlights of the evening will be a duet between Karimloo and Kerrigan as the Phantom and his love interest, Christine. "I was really enchanted by the idea that she's half-Malaysian and is known all over the world, yet she's never performed here. This is a good opportunity to introduce her to Malaysia," says a smiling Tiara. As for whether she has plans to return to the stage, Tiara, who is also an award-winning actress, producer and arts activist, responds with a rather surprised look, before declaring: "No, not anything in the near future." That said, she admits she misses the thrill of performing. "I do miss being on stage and I have always been drawn to go back," she says. Last October, she played a glamorous cabaret singer who moonlights as a spy in what was touted as the biggest cabaret in South-East Asia, The Secret Life Of Nora. For now, she appears to be thoroughly enjoying being behind the scenes. "The wheel never stops turning, there's a new project every week," she enthuses. Tickets for An Evening With The Phantom are available at RM1,000 per seat or RM10,000 per table. There are 600 seats (60 tables) in total. |
She says the show is also part of their plan to introduce theatre to the urban young, though, according to Tiara, young Malaysians are already exhibiting an affinity for the arts.| You are subscribed to email updates from Stephen Rahman Hughes - Google Blog Search To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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