the phantom of the opera japanese maskerade

The musical, based on the Gaston Leroux novel “Le Fantôme de L’Opéra,” tells the story of the Phantom, a disfigured musical genius who haunts the Paris Opera House and falls obsessively in love with Christine, a young soprano. This is really classical technique and that makes it stand out.” Musical genius Normally a Broadway show doesn’t require that kind of expertise of technique. They are definitely the best of those two worlds. And so we, the people that dance, have to be real, classical ballerinas. It takes special training to be a dancer in “The Phantom of the Opera.” “The thing that makes it so special is that it takes place in the world of classical theater. She added, “This has been one of the best ensembles I’ve had the pleasure of teaching.” These people have been doing it for way more than that.” Denny Berry Ten years, just to be able to stand on your feet and move around your center. “Just know that it takes 10 years to be able to dance like that. And that was really brave of you,” she said. “Obviously, I’ve never danced before,” I told Denny as we sat down to talk after class. They cheered for one another as they completed the more difficult routines. It was lovely to watch, not just the dancing but the camaraderie among them. That prepares you for what you’re going to do on the stage,” said Denny. The members of Phantom’s ballet chorus have class every single day. I just stood there, watching them, completely transfixed. Their dancing was so beautiful that I forgot about moving. It was like being a hippo in a room of gazelles. Both my brain and my body couldn’t keep up. I kept stumbling and losing my balance in my effort to mimic their steps.

The dancers moved so fluidly that I couldn’t distinguish their left foot from their right. My shoe squeaked against the floor as I attempted to do a clumsy pirouette. I had backed into a corner but Jee Jee Noh, the show’s resident choreographer and ballet swing and who started in Phantom in London in 1992, took me by the hand and led me back to the center of the studio. “Let’s slow it down,” said Denny, smiling at me and changing the music. It hit me that I had made a very big mistake. There was no way I was going to be able to do that. A scene from “The Phantom of the Opera”ĭenny called out jetés and passés and pliés which the ballet dancers did with graceful ease while I stared, my mouth agape. Denny has worked on over 15 productions of The Phantom of the Opera worldwide and was the original Broadway Dance Captain of the show.Īnd there I was, a buffoon crashing her class. She worked directly with the legendary Gillian Lynne who created the show’s musical staging and choreography. Leading the class was Denny Berry, Phantom’s associate choreographer.

I stood there in my old shirt, pajama bottoms and sneakers, surrounded by ballet dancers in leotards, leg warmers, pretty scarves and pointe shoes. “Can you please warn them that I’m a klutz?” I messaged Anna Yulo, PR and marketing executive for Concertus Manila, which, along with Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, has once again brought the show to the country.Ī few days later, I found myself backstage at The Theatre at Solaire, wondering what I had gotten myself into. But I was about to dive into it, for the sake of a story.

The phantom of the opera japanese maskerade