More behind 'Phantom' than meets the eye

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After 17 years, the antics of the Phantom terrorizing opera houses in theaters across the country are soon coming to an end.

However, there is more than just rehearsals and theatrics that allow the star of the show to carry on his performance. With a production as enormous as “The Phantom of the Opera,” a lot of preparation is required to make sure the show, the cast and the crew are able to pull off the production, said Bob Hoffman, public relations manager for Wharton Center.

“There’s a lot of coordination,” Hoffman said. “When you have a big Broadway show like this, it’s a village that’s coming in.”

In a presentation to Wharton Center’s Inner Circle Volunteer Group on Wednesday, wardrobe supervisor Frankie Fehr, who has been with the production all 17 years of its tour, said it’s a full-time job to ensure the production goes off without a hitch.

“You have to figure out today’s problems all the time,” Fehr said. “Something new comes up (everyday). You think you’ve seen it in 17 years, and it’s not true — we keep getting new challenges.”

Assistant wardrobe supervisor Julie Kennedy told the group an average stage show is typically expected to run about two to three years, but producers of “The Phantom of the Opera” knew the run would be at least 10.

As one of the longest running tours of any stage production, “Phantom” producers planned for the longevity of the show and took that into account when they began preparing for touring in 1992.

For such a production, this means a lot of care and repair for the costumes and hiring about 14 local dressers at every stop, Fehr said.

“We started in 1992 and we still have some of those clothes that we started with in 1992,” Fehr said. “Every time we go to a different city we have a local crew to mend and repair and we have to work with them to make sure we keep all those things going.”

Fehr said the sheer magnitude of work the show requires to put on every night is one of the most difficult aspects of “Phantom.”

“We spend more time putting it back together than you guys spend seeing it,” she said.

Along with constantly putting on the show, the venues are required to have the amenities needed to care for the cast and crew as well as the room to hold the set, Hoffman said.

“It’s not something you do overnight,” Fehr said.

Hoffman said at the end of the day, the work required to bring a grand scale production such as “Phantom” is worth it, especially this time around.

“This is the final tour of Phantom,” Hoffman said. “Phantom has been touring for 17 years and this is it. We wanted to be one of the cities that had it last.”

“The Phantom of the Opera’s” last run in East Lansing will go until June 6 and tickets still are available for purchase.

For a schedule of performances or to purchase tickets, visit the Wharton Center’s website at www.whartoncenter.com.

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