Gerard Butler Italian Site

Phantom of the Opera Theatre

The Phantom of the Opera theatre is not unsimilar to the Paris Opera house in France where the original idea of the story came from. The theatre is set up with countless meters of fabric curtains, exquisite sets, luxurious costumes and a replica of the beautiful chandelier found in the original Paris Opera.

New York’s Majestic theatre uses over 2000 meters of luxurious fabric for the drapes, imported from overseas (India). The chandelier has over 2000 pieces, including 35 pieces on each strand. In fact the set has won numerous awards, and wowed audiences from all over the world.

The costumes in the Phantom of the Opera theatre are truly works of art. They were specially designed for each character, but the most memorable include:

• Christine – Known as the ‘Don Juan dress’, the outfit consists of a corset, shirt, skirt and shawl. The corset is a burgundy color with a floral type brocade with simple lace panels. The shirt is a cream color resembling a ‘merry widow’ style camisole. The skirt is a yellowish, trimmed lace tea gown.
• La Carlotta – Her most famous costume was by far the 1870’s style plum silk bustle dress, and pink furry capelet, which was worn, tied in the middle. It was made to look to exaggerate her shape and size, as is done with a lot of opera dresses.
• The Phantom – Donned in leather pants, a white shirt, a black cape and the famous white mask, the original costume was designed to emphasize the dangerous and mystery of this man in the shadows. It was also fitted to produce the perfect silhouette, showing both his shape and genre. The mask was the real identifier, made of white plastic, and held on with elasticized thread.

The Phantom of the Opera theatre is also about the theatres themselves. The original story was set in the Paris Opera, and befitting the era in which the story takes place, 1870’s France. The look and layout of the theatre has to capture the era to make the musical seem believable.

The Paris Opera (Las Vegas) was specially built as a replica of the original one. The theatre has been built with cut stones in a neo-baroque style. It has the typical polychrome style façade and marble staircase of pure opulence. The ceiling above the staircase is full of smaller chandeliers, hanging from a vast mosaic. Not far from the Grand Foyer, the auditorium boasts a replica copper dome in green, red velvet and imitation red leaf. It is a true mirror image of the original that Charles Garnier built in Paris in 1857; even the number of seats matches the original theatre, containing some 2,200.

The original setting for the Phantom of the Opera was accounted for by the Paris Opera (Las Vegas). As with the original theatre, it has intricate neo-baroque cherubs lining the walls and edges of the balconies. The curtains reflect the opulence of the 1870’s with masses of huge flowing, false drapes.