'Phantom' has same story, different approach

By TOM CARR
Special to the Record-Eagle

July 11, 2008 12:00 am

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TRAVERSE CITY -- Make no mistake: This is not Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Phantom."

Miracle Productions will perform Maury Yeston's "Phantom" beginning July 17 at Northwestern Michigan College's Milliken Auditorium. It's the same story line as the more famous "The Phantom of the Opera" musical, but it contains a different approach and different music.

"Critics call this the smarter 'Phantom,'" said Pat Gallagher, producer/director and founder of the production company, which provides a venue and experience for college theater and music students as they spend the summers here.

Yeston, an American, wrote this version before Webber penned his hit. Yeston had backers lined up and ready to produce it when Webber announced his intention to write a musical out of the classic Gaston Leroux novel, Gallagher said.

Still, Yeston's play has its fans, many of whom prefer it over the more famous version.

"The music is enchantingly beautiful; the duets particularly," Gallagher said.

The story lines are the same in the two scripts, but the two writers approach it differently.

While this does not have the visual spectacle of Webber's play, it goes deeper into the psyche and background of the phantom, Gallagher said.

"This deals so much with the humanity of the phantom, rather than just having him be a spooky spirit," she said.

The play deals with an era when "anyone who was disfigured was sold to the Gypsies, or put in the carnival as a freak show," she added.

"This explores how this disfigured child becomes a lonely man, but with a beautiful voice and a love for music," Gallagher said. "He finds his soul mate in Christine, who is his angel of music. She has a voice as beautiful as he remembers his mother's was.

"His mother looked on him, never seeing any ugliness and that's the only love he's ever known until he finds Christine."

The production is the first of two the company will present this summer. It stars Trevor Kolle as the phantom. He graduated from Traverse City West Senior High School and is a vocal performance major at Michigan State University.

The female lead character, Christine, is played by Hanna Brammer. She is a TC West graduate who won the Hall of Fame Award in choral music and currently studies vocal performance at Manhattan School of Music.

"I think the audience is going to be very surprised by the vocal abilities of these college students," Gallagher said.

Erin Peck, who teaches at Interlochen Arts Academy, choreographed the presentation, designed the lighting and is assistant director.

Musical director is Jeff Cobb, who is a freelance composer and music minister at Central United Methodist Church.

This is the fourth season for the troupe to perform its works at Milliken.

Dates for the play are July 17-19 and 24-26. Premium seats are $25, with reserved seats running $20 for adults and $15 for students.

To order tickets, call 231-995-1553 or visit www.miracleproductionstc.com.

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