The Phantom of the Opera is back in Seattle, as part of the production’s North American Tour.
But the cast says even if you’ve seen it before, this version may surprise you.
"This one is a really special take, there are brand new sets,” said actress Emma Grimsley. “There's also a new interpretation of these people and how they interact.”
A member of the ensemble and understudy for “Christine,” Grimsley is especially excited to perform for Seattle audiences. As a child, she spent a lot of time in the city with her opera-singing parents.
"It was hard for any place to feel like home but Seattle feels most like home because we came here so much - they performed a lot with Seattle Opera,” she said.
One of the more memorable characters in the new production is a 2,000-pound set piece: the legendary chandelier.
Every day, a crew dusts its 30,000 crystals and 300 pieces of gold leaf. They also perform important safety checks, because the legendary drop from the ceiling isn’t slow.
“This one free falls,” said stage manager Mitch Hodges. "That's when you get the truest response, because the audience doesn't know it's coming and people look up and see it coming at them from underneath it and you get that ‘Ahhh!' And you can hear that backstage."
The modern updates may give audiences a reason to fall in love with the 32-year-old musical all over again.
"No matter which city we stop in, especially here in Seattle for me, we're so excited to bring you what we do,” Grimsley said.
The Phantom of the Opera plays at The Paramount Theatre through August 19. Showtimes and tickets are available online.
