CREDIT: DAHLIA KATZ
The students of this year's High School Project put on incredible performance of this iconic musical.

Do you remember the 21st night of September? Well, I do, and not just because of Earth, Wind, and Fire. On this night, I was mesmerized by the outstanding performance of this year’s High School Project at the Grand Theatre, The Phantom of the Opera. I found myself constantly having to remember that the performers were high school students simply because their talent was beyond profound. It’s been nearly a week since I was at The Grand and I can still hear the echoes, the melodies, and the instruments of the music that came from the Spriet Stage. A running time of 140 minutes and I still can’t stop thinking about their angelic voices!

Out of the many times I’ve ventured to The Grand this year, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it so packed with patrons. The Phantom of the Opera is quite an iconic production and the mere fact that The Grand is considered an “old, haunted Opera house,” according to Director Andrew Tribe, added to the many reasons why this was a must-see.

The opening scene is set at an auction house and throughout the performance it switches to an opera house accordingly. If you’ve already had the opportunity to watch The Phantom of the Opera, you will know the plot of the story. If you’re like me, seeing this show for the first time, you’ll have the chance of not only being transported to the late 1800s in Paris but also learning a story that’s both passionate and heart-breaking all at the same time.


The Phantom of the Opera is about a young girl, Christine, who becomes possessed by the Phantom, the previous owner of the opera house as well as the owner of the music that they sing. Legends always said that the space was haunted, and that trouble would be the consequence of anyone sitting in his reserved seat, Box Five.

Spoiler alert! Only the true legends know that the Phantom had never really died.

Heartstrings are pulled as a love story unravels between Christine, Raoul (the love of her life,) and of course, the Phantom himself.

Early in the musical, the Phantom makes his first appearance, but not physically. He sends letters to the opera house, confusing the singers, scaring them. The Phantom requesting that his seat be kept empty on performance night gave me shivers. The scene starts with his letter being read by one of the cast members and as the opera house rotates on the stage, the music becomes dark and eerie, when suddenly, we get to hear the Phantom’s voice reading the letter he wrote. As the Phantom reads his letter, his voice echoes through the entire theatre and creates a very movie-like effect. There were other features like this that really made me second guess whether I was in a live theatre or in a movie theatre.

In the first scene where the Phantom is physically revealed, we can only see half of his face as the other half is covered with a white mask similar to what you would wear to a masquerade ball. He appears in a mirror and pulls Christine into this fantasy world as they sing The Phantom of the Opera. There is a suspenseful feel to the lyrics and the melody as their voices sing this song. Christine sings how “...the Phantom of the Opera is there, inside my mind,” telling a story of how the Phantom is real and how she’s connected to him. He holds her hand in one of his, and a lantern in another whilst the stage spins. As he rows the boat, and they sing together, there’s no doubt that you will feel the connection between Christine and the Phantom.

There’s so much more to this story to tell. For me, by the end of the performance, my emotions were heightened. Finding out the truth about the Phantom, why he was the way he was, why he wore a mask, and why he was so infatuated by loving Christine, caused some teary eyes.

Unfortunately, this production has now come to a close, having run from Sept. 19 to Oct. 7. Needless to say, if I ever can watch The Phantom of the Opera again, I will 100 percent be going. If you missed it, I hope this review compels you to watch should you ever have the chance to do so.

I think the standing ovation that took place at the end showed the high school students that their performance was more than praiseworthy. I feel confident in saying that the students who took part in this have gained an asset to their future theatre careers.