Everybody's opera

The Phantom of the Opera, arguably the most successful musical ever, is coming to South Africa. Oliver Roberts attends the special gala performance in London beforehand and, by way of over-dressing, discovers the reason for the show's long-lived appeal

When I received an invitation to the gala performance of The Phantom of the Opera at London's Royal Albert Hall, I immediately thought: "I must surely wear a tux."

I had one made a couple of years ago at great expense and have only really worn it a few times. So I took the thing - in its bespoke bag - all the way through passport control, onto the plane, through passport control (again), customs, and eventually to my hotel room on Leicester Square, where I was amazed to unzip the bag and find the suit still uncreased.

When South African theatre doyen Pieter Toerien (who invited me) arrived the following day to pick me up and take me to the show, I was somewhat unsettled to note that he was elegantly dressed in beige pants, shirt and a blue Ralph Lauren blazer he had just bought. The show would be performed for two nights only, and the tickets were hugely expensive, but, it seemed, this wasn't black tie.

Later, when we arrived at the Royal Albert, I was astonished to see a large queue of people at the ticket office, most of them in jeans and T-shirts, some even in shorts. As far as I could tell (and I really, really looked) I was the only person naïve enough to dress in black tie for a performance of The Phantom of the Opera.

The special two-night-only performance in London marked the 25th anniversary of the show, created by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and I realised, as I watched the throngs in their Levis and sneakers jostling about the Phantom merchandise counter buying mugs and pens and commemorative masks, that this is the reason for the show's enduring appeal - it's the Everyman's opera. Able to be understood, enjoyed and, most importantly, felt, by anyone.

Now, for the second time, Phantom is coming to South Africa and I can tell the Everyman here that wearing a pair of sensible khaki chinos and a shirt from the Woolworths Supersport range to the theatre will suffice.

"It's a show about passion and love," says Toerien of the show's eternal popularity. "It was written by Lloyd Webber when he was passionately in love with Sarah Brightman. He wrote it for her. He was in love with Sarah the woman, and Sarah the artist. And the creative genius that he is, he wanted to use her voice and he came up with this incredible idea. And he's lavished that powerful story with glorious music. So it's beautiful to look at, beautiful to listen to, and the combination is just irresistible."

The local production - to be performed in Cape Town and Joburg - features an all-South African cast (of 38) and crew and has cost R28-million. The entire process - auditions, adjusting the costumes and perfecting the pyrotechnics (the chandelier famously falls and shoots sparks) - has taken more than eight months.

Toerien, too, has had a passionate love affair with the show. He attended the original opening night in London and guesses he's seen it at least 50 times since.

"I didn't remember breathing during that first show," Toerien says. "The spectacle was incredible. That was 25 years ago, and the show still has that kind of impact on audiences."

Lloyd Webber himself is said to be worth £750-million, which means, at 63 years old, he has earned about £32615 for every day he has been alive; £22 per minute. So, I worked out, the interview of five minutes I have with him is worth roughly £110.

It was only a few days before the London performances. As you might imagine, he arrives on the phone breathless and manic, in the middle of rehearsals. I almost feel guilty for phoning the man.

Though he has creative approval for each individual showing, no matter where it's performed, it is impossible for Lloyd Webber to be directly involved in the production. He is unlikely to attend the performance in South Africa.

I ask him, now that the show is an international business machine, if he still feels the same magic when he watches it.

"When you're in my position, you're an ambassador for it and you're not actually sitting there to enjoy it," he says. "But a great performance of The Phantom is always fantastic for me."

According to Lloyd Webber, the show itself has never changed since the first week it was performed.

"We have obviously perfected it over the years but the actual design is completely in tune with what I'd written, and it's not often that that happens."

And to what does he attach The Phantom's success? Why do people keep coming back, year after year, to watch it? Why, for goodness' sake, do some go to see it two, three, four times?

"That's a difficult one," he replies. "If I knew the answer, I would do it again."

All he really needs to do is look at how the most loyal fans dress for his show.

l The Phantom of the Opera will be performed at Artscape in Cape Town from November 22 to January 15, and at The Teatro in Montecasino, Joburg, from January 31 to March 25. For tickets and information, visit www.phantomsa.co.za