Director gets a chance at other 'Phantom'
Some call it "the other 'Phantom of the Opera'" or the "smarter 'Phantom.' " They're referring to the musical version of Gaston Leroux's classic 1910 thriller "The Phantom of the Opera," written by Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit, opening in revival Sunday at the Theatre Building Chicago .
Not as well known as the acclaimed Andrew Lloyd Webber version, this version, which was written, like Webber's version, in the late '80s, has nevertheless reportedly received more than a thousand productions worldwide.
L. Walter Stearns, artistic director of the Porchlight Music Theatre and director of the current revival of the Kopit-Yeston "Phantom," prefers this version.
"I have been a fan for years," he says. "It's about obsessive artists, which is something I know a lot about." Then he laughs.
Stearns also adds that Kopit and Yeston focus on telling a compelling, coherent story about the tortured, half-mad genius who lives in the sewers beneath the Paris Opera House, loves the beautiful singer Christine and terrorizes everyone who stands in his way.
"In their version, the story of the Phantom unfolds like a mystery," Stearns says. "Their version answers all the questions people have about the story: Why is he disfigured? Who is Christine? Why do they belong together? That's real storytelling."
In contrast, the Webber version leans heavily on awe-inspiring special effects to cover up the gaps in the story and in the original novel.
In the 10 years since Stearns assumed the helm of Porchlight, the company has directed a number of A-list musicals, most notably their acclaimed production of "Ragtime," which just closed at the Apollo after a triumphant run this summer.
"I have a list of musicals that are great works that I would love to direct," Stearns says. "And I am slowly working my way down the list. I try to raise the bar each time we do a show. And this show is how we follow up 'Ragtime.'"
"Also," Stearns says , "we are doing another Yeston-Kopit musical at the end of the season, (titled) '9' " -- a musical version of Federico Fellini's movie, "8 ½."
How will "Phantom" play in the Theatre Building's small-ish, Chicago-style theater?
"Porchlight is like a boutique theater," Stearns says. "We are intimate. And I would rather have an intimate theater version. It is a very different experience watching this show when you are up close and personal -- and better."
• The Porchlight Music Theatre's revival of "Phantom" opens Sunday and runs through Nov. 11 at Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. For tickets, call (773) 327-5252 or visit either www.theatrebuildingchicago.org or www.ticketmaster.com.