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REVIEW 2000


From the moment Suzanne stepped on stage she was mesmerising. True she was striking looking, and very beautiful, but it was the intensity of how she moved, how she looked at everything that made me not be able to take my eyes of her. I was absolutely blown away, because here at last was everything I had been taught as an actor: just be on stage and let the audience go on a journey with you.

Even while she was gazing into space during during "Carlotta's" trial of Think of Me, she had thought behind it. She didn't just stare off, she was looking for something, listening to a voice perhaps that she couldn't quite hear. As she was led out of the chorus, there was hesitation, but it was less of acute embarassed fear as I've seen other performers do. It was as if she was aware this was her big chance. All the lessons and training she'd been taking with her Angel were about to be put on display. It was excitment she also felt. And boy when she got to the cadenza, the sheer joy of hearing what she was doing sent her into some new plane. Here was an actress showing what real joy there is in singing.




She could also be flippant. When she read the note from "Raoul", she didn't seem too amazed by it. Perhaps she was still on far too much of a high from her debut as a real singer. I would perhaps have liked a little forshadowing of what was too come. Raoul's presence starts off a chain of events that possibly could have been different. But this comes from someone who has seen the show several times, this may not have made much different to someone new to the show. In fact it may have been a bit confusing. It was a different direction though, and I do like to see some thought go into a role.

Her cadenza in the title song was fairly much the same as her Think of Me cadenza in that she appeared to really fall into it. Here though she was in extacy. Unfortunately much of the lair scene is blurry to me now, nearly 4 years after seeing the show, perhaps because a cellphone went off during a pivital moment and I was distracted...

However the next time we see "Christine" is in Il Muto which was fairly usual in how she responds to Carlotta. However there is real terror when she hears the voice of the "Phantom." It wasn't a melodramatic fear, but a deep shock.

When she was on the rooftop, there was a real sense of fear and anxiety. It was as if she had realised what sort of situation she was in. The voice that had trained her, helped her achieve things she clearly so longed for was actually the man who was terrorising the theatre! It was on the rooftop we saw this all become real. When Erik called her name and she heard it, she broke away from Raoul as usual. But when she searched for the voice, it all became to much ans broke down and wept. I burst into tears myself. And so when Raoul called her name it was from real compassion. This small moment again brought home how much you affect other actors simply by playing your own role so truthfully.

Sorry Anea, I'm going to have to end here, there are some more parts of the Second act, but I can't recall some large chunks, like the Masquerade and Wishing (of all things!) But the Don Juan and final lair scene are still fresh in my memory, so I'll finish it off in my next email;)





Review by Michaela de Bruce 1