'Phantom' - Maury Yeston

We just got back from the Saturday matinee of 'Phantom' at the Hale Centre Theatre in West Valley. When I originally bought the tickets, I thought this was the Andrew Lloyd Weber production, and for a minute I was disappointed. But boy was I wrong! This production is much better, on every level. Sure the music and scenery may not be quite as dramatic and sensational, but the story and the warmth endeared this show much more to me. Even our kids who weren't crazy about giving up a Saturday afternoon, were some of the first out of their seats for the standing ovation. This story was much easier to follow, as the dialogue was spoken instead of sung like the ALW version. It also wasn't nearly as dark. Similar story line, but much more depth into the characters. We saw the MWF cast and they were exceptional. It plays through April 18th. Our expectations weren't very high, so maybe that's why we loved it so much. I hate to gush fearing you may be disappointed, but I really did love it.