Unmasking samo theatre’s “The Phantom of the Opera”

Samo Theatre performed The Phantom of the Opera to sold-out audiences for two weekends, from February 23 to March 3, setting the stage with luxurious costumes, digital backgrounds and operatic singing.

Julia Orsoloni (’24) holding the mask left by the Phantom during the finale.

“The Phantom of the Opera” follows Christine Daaé (played by Brooke Aron (’24)), an adept singer taught by the Phantom of the Opera (played by Justin Xu (’24) and Walden Sullivan (’25)), a disfigured musical prodigy living beneath the Paris Opéra House. As Christine garners more fame, the Phantom becomes possessive, asking the owners to put her in better roles as he tries to woo her. When her childhood friend Raoul (played by Cameron Davidson (’24)) reenters Christine’s life, the Phantom becomes maddeningly jealous, while Christine becomes more conflicted.

Cast members have been working diligently on the musical since December, with frequent dance, theater, ensemble and tech rehearsals. While Christine, Carlotta, played by Juliett Rojas (‘25) and Christine’s friend Meg, played by Julia Orsoloni (’24), provided angelic voices, Erik and Raoul added depth and harmonies to the songs. While their singing was top-notch, their acting was captivating as they adapted to the character’s roles. Rojas reflects on her challenging role as Carlotta.

“It was really weird because she’s very different from who I am as a person,” Rojas said. “ She’s like this very entitled woman with a big ego...and she’s always looking for affection from everyone because she always wants to be the center of attention.”

The musical talent of the entire cast was awe-inspiring; The powerful voices of the actors and the Pit Orchestra’s dynamic accompaniments evoked heartfelt emotions. The pit orchestra captured the spirit of the musical perfectly. Kate Barazza, the theater teacher, said the orchestra adapted to the vocalists’ lead, adjusting to spontaneous moments of improvisation whenever critical.

“You have to make adjustments based on what is happening up on that stage. If a singer doesn’t enter the song at the right note, they have to bail them out,” said Barazza. “It’s an incredible lesson for a musician.”

Walden Sullivan (’25) and Brooke Aron (’24) singing during the song “The Music of the Night” with digital backgrounds of candles.

For the first time in years, the director, Jeffe Huls, put digital backgrounds to transition each act. While the expert designed their software for the play, the tech team ran all the cues and changes necessary for the show. Huls was amazed by the talent and efficiency of the tech crew.

“Working with the tech crew was pretty amazing,” Huls said. “They’re dedicated kids and were determined to pull off the production as a whole.”

And though the opera doesn’t rely as much on props as other musicals, the set design was still a critical part of the production. Barazza was impressed with the set design, and commends the producer who made it possible.

“We have Joan Krennic, who is a producer, and she’s always doing the prompts, and she helped design and build the set with her husband,” Barazza said. “She nails it. She gets just the right thing that is supposed to be placed in that exact moment.”