January 24. 2009 (Matinée), at Det Ny Teater in Copenhagen
CAST:
PHANTOM: Peter Jorde
CHRISTINE: Mia Karlsson
RAOUL: Tomas A. Kofod
CARLOTTA: Eva Malmgren
PIANGI: Fernando Concha
MEG GIRY: Jennifer Wagstaffe
MADAME GIRY: Marie Bo
FIRMIN: Steen Springborg
ANDRE: Morten Staugaard
Not doing this scene by scene, rather role by role...
PETER JORDE:
Peter Jorde.... I have long listed him as my favourite Phantom. But the memory of his performance started to fade, I didn't remember specific details the way I used to, so I was almost afraid to see his portrayal again. Would I be disappointed? These thoughts was constant in my head until the Mirror scene. And then I knew. I would not. He plays the Phantom just the way I love it, there are qualities in him I dig.
The Mirror scene was WOWsy. He was angry, but not in a booming "the world is coming to and end" way. His Phantom is a rare mix of very in control, while at the same time being... afraid of Christine: afraid of her reactions, afraid of touching her, of hurting her. So while being boomingly mad behind the mirror, he also seems afraid of her running away. So he was almost giving her a sense of security and care she might last have felt with her father, to lure her his way. Maybe I'm overintepreting, but this was the feeling I got.
The title song track seemed identical to his earlier recording, and there's really nothing much to say. MOTN, on the other hand... Again this mixture of fear and control. His voice seemed to be on the softer side this evening, almost too soft at places. The extreme tenderness of his voice is a nice effect, but was used a bit too much at this performance, especially in MOTN. It was like he held back a bit. He also *almost* cracked at two notes later on, which made us conclude he might have hade a cold. Still, his voice soared. I think he has one of the most interesting Phantom voices I've heard. It has this almost hollow quality to it, and as mentioned he can sing so tender at places, while at the same time being able to boom the roof of the theater (especially noticeable in "I gave you my music").
And the way he held back after Christine had fainted.... I love that detail about his Phantom. Again this fear of hurting the fragile flower in his hands, this fear of touching her... even in his anger in STYDI this is noticeable. He is chasing her, but more to frighten her with his horrid face than to actually catch her, as to punish himself as much as to punish her, to really rub in the pain.
Then there is the shallow comment which must be made: he looks really cool in the part. Tall, muscular but still very slender, extremely expressive hands... There's something Phantom-y about his whole appearance, from pure looks to body language.
"I gave you my music" was a good example of his very soft slash booming way of singing. The first lines was barely audible, maybe not a plus, but definitely interesting as it gave the impression he was "mumbling" to himself in shock and disbelief. His voice got stronger througout the second verse, but it was still soft. This makes the contrast to "You will curse...." all the more surprising, because it is "le boom": a ringing, strong voice which doesn't remind at all of the guy who sung seconds ago. His maniac laughter is awesome, continuing until a bit after they've smacked the chandelier to the floor (as brutal as ever).
There were something wrong with the drapes and/or curtains, so the second act was a bit delayed. Red Death's recorded lines ws also a bit distorted, but I guess few noticed.
Jumping to "Point of No Return"... I should probably remember a lot of this scene, but I was a bit mesmerized.... Imagine that Peter Jorde's PONR has the effect on me as the famous apple (when handled by a certain Elizabeth Loyacano) has on Raphael... And then you understand why I can't give you any details...
The unmasking was top notch. The Phantom wasn't holding the ring in his fingers, offering in to Christine. He stood with his back to her for a long time, until he rapidly turned and forced the ring into her hands, only seconds before the unmasking. The actual unmasking is rapid, as is the "running off stage", which made it a convincing scene.
"Down once more" is where Peter Jorde's portrayal differs radically from Flemming Enevold's. Where Jorde's Phantom is still struggling with the fear/control issues, Enevold's Phantom completely looses it. He goes mental - in a very good way, audience wise. But more about that later...
Final Lair was also great. Jorde sung exceptionally well here, while acting his ass off. He was unpredictable and *almost* violent, but not crossing the line. It's interesting to be a viewer of this battle. With Enevold, it's interesting to see how far he can take it. With Jorde, it's interesting to see how long he is able to hold back.
The reaction to the kiss was disbelief, both from the Phantom and Christine, they were both in shock. The drumming kept going for a long time after the kiss, with the Phantom just stumbling around, until Raouls gasps for air interrupted and made them react. But even then he stood with the candle in his hand for a long time, no longer in control.
He did an odd thing after chasing the "happy couple" out: he just stood there. Not sure if it was a way of saving voice or a new acting choice. But after the return of the ring, he fell on his knees, picked up the veil and whispered "I love you.... I love you... I love you" into the veil, which was heartbreaking...
Jorde went a bit silent again in the end note, I could hardly hear him. Granted, it has a tricky vowel to sing on in Danish (English go an open AAAA here, Danish got a more closed EEEEE (as in "Eve"). The sound is very closed here on all the Danish Phantoms, but Jorde is barely audible. It might be due to a cold, it might be by choice, I dunno.
All in all, wow. Peter Jorde's Phantom is in control, but opposite Christine he is struggling. He has such an interesting voice, almost mesmerizing at times, and he has a very sensual quality in his movements and body language. But he's not a SOFT Phantom, he's not a guy to be messed with, and he's really mocking Raoul and whoever else he might dislike. Closest I can think of in style is Earl Carpenter (although they're not THAT similar). I simply love what I heard and saw of him. I need another dip into the Jorde-Phantom bowl before the summer, I really do.
MIA KARLSSON:
I have stated previously that I have seen her as Christine, and that I didn't like her. This cannot have been the Christine I've seen. Not by far. I saw a very petite girl with a voice that borderlined shrill. Mia Karlsson is neither. Well, she isn't exactly gigantic, but the one I saw looked just so petite next to Peter Jorde, while Karlsson seems more "normal" small.
Her Christine showed lots of emotions, clearly showing the inner fight she was fighting, and how she developed during the show. Although she's got one of the nicest voice I've heard in a Christine in recent years, it was actually more her acting that struck me as especially good. And those two combined - WOW!
She mouthed the words when Carlotta sang in "Hannibal", a detail I love, and although she seemed distracted throughout the scene, she wasn't too starry eyed and clumsy. When she was pushed forward to sing, I didn't know quite what to expect of her. Her voice was timid, weak, nervous. But then... then a warm, controlled and crystal clear voice was revealed. The "low" notes before the blackout was sung with... not a belting voice, but a mixture of head and chest, making them steady and and convincing. And the rest of the song showed a sweet, clear soprano voice which still was very expressive. This was the first thing I noticed about Mia Karlsson: she is acting with her voice. Her way of phrasing, her idea of when to go pianissimo and when to go en forte, her pronounciation, her body language and facial expression... this combined with a feather light, well trained voice, made her "Think of Me" possibly one of the best I've seen.
The Elissa skirt was new, and VEEEERY stripy.... I much prefer the old red ones, but it was still cool to see such a different style. I also noticed her wig is rather blond-ish brown (something I can understand, as Karlsson has a very Nordic appearance in terms of colours).
"Little Lotte" was sweet, but nothing new. I've started to pay more attention to the ballet girls in th background now... So beautiful!
Mirror scene was very nice. Mia Karlsson's Christine really tried to explain herself to the Phantom; I loved her way of phrasing here. Not too much "arm throwing" either (yes, London Christines... I'm looking at you!).
The title song was, as usual, gorgeous. Mia Karlsson's cadenza was also smashing.... until the high E. The high E was clearly out of her range, something that caught me by surprise. She has such nice high notes, so clear and strong. But not that high E... She hit it, but not with ease. I see now why she didn't do it in that live clip on YouTube.
MOTN was a favourite scene. Not sure why. Maybe because every reaction made so SENSE. And they seem to fear eachother, while still being majorly attracted to eachother. I like that.
STYDI: excellent scene, but I don't remember any particular moves from Mia Karlsson's Christine. This is more the Phantom's "thing".
Carlotta needed lots of time to change from "Prima Donna" to "Il Muto", which made a long pause in the scene. It could have been akward, but the orchestra kept playing, in a rather elaborate way, and Christine/The Maid/Serafimo walked around, looking, acting like it was typical Carlotta/The Countess, always late.
AIAOY: gorgeous. She was very expressive in the sequence before the duet, and her voice soared. And the ending of the duet, with the high notes, was amazing (very much like the one on YouTube, but with more acting).
Masquerade was rather standard in the beginning, but the dance sequence of Christine was interesting. It was very close to how it's described in the original libretto, where Christine goes from partner to partner, being pushed and dragged around, being scared. Both the Man/Woman and the... erm... Teapot like male costume guy kept haunting her with their cloaks, and the dancers almost mocked her movements. Christine wasn't playful or confused, as it's often performed, she was scared. I loved it - that's how I WANT it to be performed!
"Notes 2/Twisted every way" is where classically trained Christines often fail. Not Karlsson. She went with a mixed voice, not belting, and not being ooooperaaatic. And again it was the acting I loved. There's something really genuine about her Christine, and as mentioned before: that, combined with a feather light soprano, is such a rare treat. Costume details: she wore a very old-styled Wishing gown, with a straight apron and hardly any backdrapes at all. I'm pretty sure it comes from the Swedish production, it's a nice piece of dress.
DJR: Blah-blah-blah. Man with bowler hat next to Carlotta was amusing.
WYWSHA: meeh, the violin intro isn't syncoped any more. A pity, I loved that detail. I discussed a thing with Josefine and Gunilla: I dislike that the set doesn't have a grave. This means Christine is adressing the cross instead of the grave, and I'm not sure I'm comfortable with it. I think the change of focus is disturbing. But as they pointed out, it does demand more of the Christine. So... I guess it's a matter of preferences. Karlsson had a very nice balance between tender singing (especially the mid part) and power singing (towards the end). Also a flawless last note.
Wandering Child: I love the "heartbeat" rythm playing when Christine singes her first lines. I loved the fight toward the end: it was very obvious that the only reason Raoul goes off stage is that Christine places herself between him and the Phantom, and Raoul has to get her out of the way. It was a nice powerstruggle which the Phantom was doomed to win, no matter the actions of the ones underneath him.
PONR was hotness! *goes into that blank field again* Details? erm. Yeah. Nice dress, only four layers of ruffles in the skirt. That's the only thing I remember clearly. Hahaha! That, and Christine schmacking her boot onto the bench between the lines "...past the thought of right and wrong..." (*schmack*) "...one final question..." I remember Hanne Damm did the same, it is an awesome detail. The unmasking was another awesome detail. It was so sudden, so rapid, it looked like it was an act of panic. And then Christine is dragged off stage, Raoul is stopped when trying to get after her, Meg screams her lungs out, and everything "collapses".
The Final Lair was another "mixed voice" scene, with head voice on the high notes, but mixed head/chest on lower notes. I loved the way she shook her head when he claimed it was his face that ruined their love, like she was thinking "Don't give me that bullshit again", something she emphasized in "It's in your SOUL that the true distortion lies...."
The kiss was great. I was almost convices she would not be able to time it with the music, because she kept sitting on the floor. But then she suddenly raised and kissed him rapidly, tryingly, briefly, then hugging him, and then kissing him again, long, intense, while stroking his hair It seemed unplanned, and I don't know which seemed the most surprised - Christine or the Phantom. Even after he released Raoul, she kept looking at him, seeking his eyes, and she just didn't jun off stage until the very last second. We all discussed it afterwards, that it was a most well acted and symphatetic detail.
Mia Karlsson's Christine is now one of my new favourites. She is ab fab.
TOMAS A. KOFOD:
I wrote in a forum that although Steve Barton is up on his Raoul throne, with none to match him, TAK somehow reminds of him. Not in specific details, but in his approach to the role. He has lots of integrity, he come off as majure, he's very caring for Christine, he is a serious competitor to the Phantom. I BELIEVE his Raoul, and I'm enjoying the scenes he's in. It came as no surprise that he's now understudying the role of the Phantom.
He is a most convincing old Raoul in the Auction scene, both in singing and looks. He also sounds almost bitter when he's pushing the music box away after having viewed it - I don't think I've seen others do that.
His reactions in "Think of Me" shows that his Raouls is enthralled by Christine, especially during the cadenza, where he puts up this look: http://geocities.com/danishphantom/dmtomas.jpg He seems most secure at himself before "Little Lotte", grabbing the champagne and sending the managers away without hesitation. His interactions with Christine comes off as if he's picking up the thread from when they last saw eachother, being intimate and caring, and almost.... proud of her? There's a warmness to his portrayal and his voice that I love.
Both "Notes" scenes seems to show him as wanting to say "cut the crap, people!", and he is not much effected by the managers' clumsiness and Carlotta's accusations. I love the sense of authority in him, it's something I find lacking in many others (or they become too aggressive, forgetting the emotions *cough*timmartingleason*cough*). This might be why I'm thinking Steve Barton, although they're not really that similar. The strongness is also present in "All I Ask of You", where he's offering strength and comfort to a Christine in despair.
Masquerade... He's doing some awesome lifts! OK, so both Christines are fairly small and slim, but he's seriously lifting them from the ground, holding them in the air for some time, not just helping them with "a jump". I noticed the same in AIAOY, and I like it.
Graveyard scene... I love how he's emphasizing "ALDRI... skal hun tilhøre dig!" (NEVER... shall she belong to you!). I also like the way he's shielding himself against the fireballs with (alternating) his top hat and his hands.
Final Lair... For some reason, the audience really gasped as his jump from the travellator, like they couldn't believe how it was possible. TAK does an almost horizontal jump, so I agree it looks very cool, but I found the reaction amusing still... TAK's "trapped in the lasso" look was convincing, as it appeared he stood on his toes, his heels raised from the floor, for much of the scene. He also kept a firm grip at the lasso, making it look like it was tight around his neck. I like how he struggled to get out when Christine starts to kiss the Phantom, before turning away. I did however find his gasps after the kiss a bit exaggerated. I liked it at first, as it's a good way to get attention to two who's just staring at eachother in disbelief, but I think he pulled it a BIT too far. Anyhow, a very strong end scene, and not at all impossible to understand why Christine is choosing Raoul. His Raoul IS a good choice and a serious competitor to the Phantom.
I seriously hope he gets to play the Phantom a couple of times, he is an excellent actor and singer, and I would love to see how he would approach the role.
EVA MALMGREN:
La Diva (in the word's most positive sense) is back. She is, without doubt, the most charming, beautiful and actually symphatetic Carlotta I've seen. She oozes elegance and splendour, and she keeps flashing a sparkly smile. There is no reason to doubt she is the first lady of the French opera world. She owns the stage, both with her presence and her voice. Malmberg has a lovely coloratura, which sounds appalingly good in the mock operas. There are scenes I would wish for more "oomph", more pure vocal power - this mainly goes for the non-mock-opera scenes like "Prima Donna" and "Notes" - but that's a minor detail. She might not be a "CD Carlotta", but definitely a stage Carlotta (meaning if you want to understand why I rave about her, you need to see her live).
The finest moment was probably in "Twisted Every Way", when it looks like her Carlotta suddenly understand Christine's fears. When all the others are yelling at Christine to do the part, Carlotta reaches out for her, almost to stroke her hair, like a mother comforting a daughter. A moment that touched me greatly. I wonder if this is due to Malmberg actually started as Christine in POTO?
The funniest moment was definitely when she almost lost her wig in "Il Muto". Luckilly this happened after the Phantom's mocking, so she put it back on with a *bang* and gave the audience a pissed face. Hahaha!
THE MANAGERS:
At first I loved them, but they had a bit of "slapstick" humour, a la "The Producers", going on. It worked some places, while it was a bit too much at other places. The "afraid of the guns before DJT" was taken too far, ditto for some stuff in "Notes", but there were other details I though was very clever (for example Firmin about to sit down in the chair in "Prima Donna", almost getting the diva in his lap... They also had a bit too similar voices, but I can see why they were choosen: great chemistry, solid actors, and solid experience. Steen Springborg/Firmin pulls of the "not loving opera" part very well, and Morten Staugaard/André had a lovely nervous quality to him. The "presenting the Il Muto ballet" part was very funny with this nervousness going on, it cracked up the audience. Overall they're fine managers, I just wish they would try LESS to be funny. I think they would be funnier then...
MARIE BO:
I can't pinpoint what I DIDN'T like about her Madame Giry portrayal, but... I didn't like it. She's got a very good voice, but she just wasn't Madame Giry. She wasn't very mysterious, and not very firm - but not warm, or scary, either. Just... a lady with a cane and a black dress (speaking of which, the skirt and bodice didn't match. The skirt looked almost brown on stage, while the bodice was dark black. Such a mismatch!). I would like for her to be firmer and more mysterious, more in control in the way she is when banging the cane in "Hannibal". But this must be expressed in her attitude, not in her cane banging... if you know what I mean. I must add I liked her better in the second performance, I don't know if this is due to me getting used to her style, or just that she needed a show to warm up.
JENNIFER WAGSTAFFE:
Not my favourite Meg. The Danish production has prevously been critizised for hiring foreigners who speak/sing Danish badly. I haven't quite understood this critique, probably cause I'm not Danish and even a half-bad accent sounds OK to my hears. But the new Meg had such a bad Danish pronounciation that even I noticed. It was as convincing as Michael Myers's Dutch accent (AKA "not convincing at all)...
Her voice was decent, though nothing special, but I disliked her acting choices. However, she appeared to be a good dancer, and in that aspect she made it plausible that Meg actually IS a dancer in her own rights and not just the daughter of the ballet mistress. But I wish she was more... pronounced in the role. More intimate with Christine, more dominated by her mother (except when no-one is watching), and more of a flirt on stage, in her opera-in-opera roles. But she's a good screamer, I'll give her that!
VARIOUS DETAILS:
M. Reyer was mostly annoying, I think. He had a fake squeekish way of talking, and he seemed overly nervous. How he could be "a tyrant", as Lefevre puts it in the Hannibal rehearsal, is a bit beyond me. But hey, good singer, and not BAD in the role, I just disagreed with his approach to the role.
I think Fernando Concha as Piangi needs more time to settle in the role. He hasn't quite made it his own yet. There are some promising moments, though, which makes me think he "got" it. But... he is seriously way too young, slim and good looking to play Piangi! "Don Juan must loose some weight"? I'm thinking not...
I loved the reaction of the "Little Band" in Masquerade when Red Death appeared. The Monkey Girl laid down on the floor, horrified. The drummer raised his drumsticks and shaped an X, like one would do to the Devil himself. Not in "The Exorcist" manner, but in a slow, creepy way. The Triange girl stopped in her tracks. Spooky!
The fireball shooting thing is WC was malfunctioning, only giving small "pfffts" when Raoul approached. Not very threatening...
The "hanged Buquet" doll was extremely convincing, a full-size man with limbs that moved in a convincing (not raggdoll-y) way. I won't say I jumped in my seat, but it was definitely effective.
Carlotta came in late in "Il Muto", I'm guessing due to a troublesome costume change. The orchestra and the actors has apparently rehearsed a sort of gig if that is to happen, cause the orchestra kept playing, elaborating the song, and Christine had a little "solo act" looking for Carlotta.
The chandelier is still hitting the floor very hard. Or maybe it just makes a lot of noice when it does. It sounds violent!
The orchestra is still rythmic and precise in Denmark. This is especially noticeable in "Masquerade" and the sequence from PONR to the Final Lair, but it's a nice constant feature.
Back to main site
Copyright © 2000-2009: Anéa