Phantom at the Fulton

So when a theater aficionado thinks of "Phantom," he or she unavoidably thinks of Andrew Lloyd Weber and "Music of the Night." This is not that "Phantom." And, frankly, that's a problem.

I love the Fulton. I'm a season ticket holder, I take friends to the shows, and I recommend it far and wide. I feel very fortunate to have such high quality theater in Lancaster. And tonight's show did not change my opinion. I think they did a very good job, given the material. But that last bit is an important caveat.

Kopit and Yeston's "Phantom" is kind of like Disney-does-Phantom, at least for the first act. (The second act was more reminiscent of Lifetime for women.) The characters are stereotypes, with an odd dash of humor, and exaggerated acting. Christine is your basic ingenue -- young, innocent, fresh-off-the-farm-in-the-big-city (in this case, Paris). She is Cinderella -- costume girl turned leading lady via Phantom fairy godmother -- while the Phantom is a murderous Beast without the redeeming rose. Susan Moniz as La Carlotta reminded me of every Disney villain ever drawn -- but she would make a terrific Lady of the Lake in the upcoming "Spamalot." Having seen Ted Neeley in "Jesus Christ Superstar," I hold death scenes to admittedly high standards, but I felt Phantom and Gerard's deathbed confessions fell completely flat. (In contrast, I wept through the last half hour of last summer's "Les Miserables.") The songs throughout are nice, but not memorable.

On the plus side, the orchestra was magnificent. The costumes are lovely, the sets masterful, and the lighting evocative. Casting was appropriate and the actors gave it all they had, but the parts didn't do justice to the production.

Knowing that this wasn't ALW's "Phantom," I did not read advance reviews because I didn't want to prejudice my reaction. I will go back and read them now. I'd especially like to know why the Fulton chose this version of the story. I know we like to do shows "only in Lancaster," but in this case, I would have much preferred the traditional and beloved Broadway version.

"Phantom" runs through July 3 at the Fulton (http://www.thefulton.org/). Plus, tickets are currently available for next season's shows. I'm particularly looking forward to "Spamalot," "The Sound of Music," and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."