JANUARY. 24. th 2009, Det Ny Teater, Copenhagen (evening performance)
CAST:
PHANTOM: Flemming Enevold
CHRISTINE: Teresia Bokor
RAOUL: Tomas Ambt Kofod
CARLOTTA: Malin Landing
Other cast same as the matin�e
FLEMMING ENEVOLD:
Erm. Wow. I remember I loved him in 2000, but I didn't remember why. No specific details could I think of, except a moment in MOTN. It was SOOO interesting to see him again.
He is nothing like other Phantoms I've seen. He's got a heavy voice which needs a bit more time to get to the notes, which again makes him phrase a bit differently. It works well most of the show, although there were moments I didn't like it as much (for example the Mirror scene). He is also a very strong actor, and he has a mannered approach to the role. I'm guessing he is a Phantom one either dig or dislike.
As mentioned, the Mirror scene wasn't quite how I prefer it. He enlonged the phrases so much it distorted the melody. But he's got a vicious way of pronouncing the words, and he boomed out the song. You immediately understand he's not the guy to mess with.
Title song: standard. Except one thing: he seemed really proud to present the lair to Christine. Cute.
MOTN: He's a lot more aggresive than Peter Jorde's Phantom. He's leading Christine around, and definitely not afraid of touching her... The classic pose was especially "touchy". It was not gentle stroking, but a true feeling-up-her-thigh-and-side moment. Maybe a BIT too much for a regular Phantom, but not for Enevold's Phantom. It was very in character, in a non-sleazy way.
Again, he seemed proud to present stuff to Christine, this time it was the Mirror Bride. His gesture said "Look! Take a look! What do you think?". Too bad the not-so-impressed lady fainted... There are still places he phrases a bit too much (to my taste), but you can't but be impressed by what he does on stage. He really is something else.
STYDI: This is a scene perfect for Enevold's mannered style. He is all over the place, furious, stressed, raging. You get a glimpse of how the Final Lair will be.
"I gave you my music" was ab fab, every word was pronounced in disbelief and in a "crying" manner. He got lots of "ooomph" in his angry notes, it suits his heavy notes. Very effectful scene.
Nothing new in Red Death's appearance, except he mocked the managers a bit by making movements that made it seem he threw the DJT score at them several times. Wonderfully unpredictable.
The graveyard scene was also top notch. The very first notes almost sounded out of tune, but his way of singing the song was wonderful, luring, strong. The "fire shooting stick" also worked better than in the matin�e (although only half of the fireballs went far, the other half said "pfffft" like before).
PONR... Again a certain unpredictableness in his movements and style. The actual unmasking was very much like the matin�e, but Enevold's Phantom stood much closer to Christine, almost forcing herself on her.
"Down once more" was where you realized the man is loosing it. Bokor's Christine fought back, she was angry, which made him even angrier - and violent.
"Final Lair" is hard to describe. At least hard to describe accurately... The Phantom throws Christine over the floor, he's grabbing her, pushing her, throwing her. He has lost it. This could have been too much, had not Bokor's Christine been up to the task. She refuse to be treated that way, and pushes back and responds in words. It was sooo interesting to see them together, and to see their interactions. It looked very realistic.
Obviously Raoul's entrance doesn't help on the situation. Mostly because it puts Christine "out of the game", as she now has two fights to fight. But this also cools the physical site of their battle, now it's more of a mental battle. Until the kiss. Enevold's Phantom breaks down, he stumbles about, it's like all his pain is... not healed, but.. acknowledged? He both yells and gesticulates more in the "chasing them out" bit than Jorde, but I don't think he did the multiple "I love you"s into the veil (don't quite me on it, though).
A minor, but cool this that we discussed, is that Enevold's Phantom appears so aged in the Final Lair (while he come off as majure, but not old per se in the rest of the show). The transformation is interesting.
I noticed Enevold is using the original text for the most (some lines here and there has been changed since 2000). Peter Jorde stayed the whole run last time, while Enevold left quite early. I guess this is why they use slightly different lyrics. The difference is minor, don't misunderstand (think London VS Broadway), but it's still cool to spot differences.
All in all: Flemming Enevold is a very different Phantom. I cannot think of anyone to compare him with. MAYBE Ethan Freeman, but... no... They both have a certain mannered style, but Enevold has a unique thing going on. He might not be a "first timer's" favourite, but if you've seen your fair share of Phantoms, I'm pretty sure you'll love Enevold in the role.
TERESIA BOKOR:
Beautiful, grand voice! And so petite! Very interesting to see her as Christine. Overall I didn't think she was quite as strong at the acting part as Mia Karlsson, but she is still an extremely fine Christine. I think some of the acting bits is because she's new(er) to the role, and needs to mould it and play it her way. Right now it seemed she partly copied Karlsson (as she is the "experienced" one), and partly did her own thing. I want to see more of HER ideas of the role. But for all I know it might be due to the director as well.
She's got more vocal power than Mia Karlsson, a bit more vibrato, and she was very pleasant to listen to. She did have an odd Swedish-Danish pronounciation at places, though. She kept adding "sch"-sounds to many words, not too unlike Mike Myers' Dutch persona in the third Austin Powers movie. It was especially noticeable at the Danish word for I. It is pronounced more or less "ya-ee", but Bokor said "scha-ee". Ah well.
Her "Think of Me" was secure and to the point, and the cadenza was sung partly legato, partly staccato - very nice. Steady upper note too, I liked her rendition a lot.
I don't remember any particular details from "Angel of Music" and "Little Lotte", but again her voice impressed me. Very pure and strong voice.
Mirror Scene was great. She was a bit more dramatic than Mia Karlsson, which I think is necessairy opposite Flemming Enevold's Phantom. They also poured out lots of "fog" into the dressing room, so her disappearance was rather convincing. The title song cadenza was also flawless.
I especially loved the first "almost-kiss" in MOTN. She hold the "kiss pose" longer than the Phantom, and looked so disappointed when she understood he had pulled away.
Jumping to WYWSHA... Gorgeous, and very powerful! She got tons of applause afterwards. Moving on, she almost sounded angry when she asked if it was "friend... or PHANTOM" singing to her. Nice reactions between the Phantom and Christine here.
PONR was where the acting become more "effective". She was rubbing that apple like there was no tomorrow, her Aminta seemed secure of herself, and while approaching the Phantom after her solo lines, she lifted her skirt a bit, sung some more lines, before starting to "attacking him". There were some serious touching, before discovering the mask. And here the battle began...
Bokor's Christine seemed to be more physical in her resistance than Karlsson's Christine. Grander movements, more anger. The actual unmasking was played very similar to Karlsson, but as mentioned with more anger. The "Down once more" was also a catfight, with her very much fighting her destiny, before being "desarmed" by a furious Phantom.
Ditto for the "Final Lair". I don't remember any particular acting choices that differed greatly from Karlsson's, but opposite Enevold's Phantom Bokor was thrown in and pushed around, and she fought back. He really forced emotions and reactions out of her. It was violent! Someone said Bokor was way more bruised than Mia Karlsson, and I can see why...
The kiss was as touching as in the matin�e, with a rapid first kiss, a passionate hug, and then a long kiss and lots of stroking. Beautiful.
Overall, Teresia Bokor impressed me greatly. As mentioned before, I slightly prefer Mia Karlsson, because of the acting aspect and the little details. I got the feeling much of Bokor's acting was due to Flemming Enevold's Phantom, like he forced stuff out of her she wouldn't do otherwise, and that her Christine is in basic a bit more conventional. But this isn't fair to say, as I have only seen her opposite the named Enevold. I need to see her again, with one of the other Phantoms. What I DO know, is that I liked her a lot, and that she has a grand voice and is a top-notch Christine. I hope she'll keep the "spunky" parts of her portrayal, I loved that.
TOMAS A. KOFOD: (full description of him in the matin�e review)
His evening performance didn't differ much from his matin�e performance. I got a better view of the "him in the box during the gala" bit, and it almost looked like he and Christine got some eye contact during the last part of his lines. She turned and looked right at the box, and he almost smiled. Nice detail.
The lifts in AIAOY and "Masquerade" were even more impressive than the matin�e, maybe because Teresia Bokor is tr�s petite and not difficult to lift at all?
The rage after "Twisted every way" was particularly impressive. He both sounds and looks genuinely pissed, and there's something about the way he pronounce the words (furious, but controlled) and his gestures that wins me over.
The jump after "Down once more" got lots of gasps and comments this time around as well. I don't know, but it just amuse me. Of all the effects in Phantom, with the candle-filled lake, the chandelier, the candelabras and God-knows-what, this details is what made people talk... As mentioned previous, he does an almost horizontal jump, so I agree that it does look impressive. But... Hehehe.
Still loving his "trapped in the lasso" style. Again, very convincing. I think that's what I love about his Raoul. So real, so convincing, so strong.
MALIN LANDING
The first thing I noticed about her, is that she's got a very strong and nice voice. She seems secure at every note, and she is fair and slender and a refreshing Carlotta. She doesn't take the "Ooooh-so-charming-and-gorgeous-and-smiling" part as far as Eva Malmgren, but either how she is a charming Prima Donna.
In "Prima Donna" I noticed something odd. Two times she clipped the high notes. She acted like she sung, but no sound came out of her throat... I wonder what happened. First time I thought it might be the mic, but when it happened again I got the feeling it was by choice. I can't explain it better, and I'm sure one of thousand will notice, but it was an odd little detail. I don't think the notes was too high for her (as she hit them fine later on), but maybe she ran out of breath?
She also did the sympathetic "poor Christine" thing in "Twisted every way", but instead of reaching out for her, she went towards her, then turned, then went back again - almost like she was to say something or tell the others to let Christine be. I'm such a sucker for this sympathy Carlotta shows her, as it brings a nice human quality to the role, and as it makes the battle between them even more difficult.
Landing's acting and singing in "Don Juan Rehearsal" was very good, specially the mock-singing towards the end.
I do think Landing got a grander voice than Eva Malmgren, but I think Malmgren had cooler coloratura going on. Acting wise I liked them both, but the massive natural charm Malmgren brings into the role made her my favourite. She simply owns the stage. But it is a close race between them.
All in all, I'm sooo happy we went for the evening performance as well. We didn't plan to, we were there solely for the matin�e. But who are we kidding? When we learned that a brand new cast was due for the evening show, we just HAD to go... We got three separate seats in various floors of the theatre, so we sat alone for the second show. But it was awesome, I wouldn't miss it for the world. Mostly because it was two such different experiences.
An�a 2009