Kirstin Rowe from SoCalKidsOutdoorsAdventures.com shares her experience of Phantom of the Opera at Segerstrom Center for the arts:
Have you heard that Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera is at the Segerstrom Center in Costa Mesa? Last week, I had the chance to right a wrong with my mom that started 25 years ago.
It all started with the idea that my mom would take myself and my two siblings to see the brand new “Phantom of the Opera” that was visiting from Broadway. To start off, we were running late and my sister forgot shoes so we had to stop and get shoes from the local store. Too late for dinner, we were grumpy and started fighting as siblings are usually to do. We get to the show and I realize that our seats were pretty far away and I had forgotten my glasses. So instead of seeing the show, I was reduced to listening to the spectacular music and imagining the rest.
Long story short, my mom swore she would never take us to see the show again. When I got the opportunity to review the show for Jenn of Balancing the Chaos, I jumped at the chance to redeem myself. I told my mom to leave the date free and off we went.
If you have never been to the Segerstrom Center, you really should go. I find myself too often without a place to be a “grownup” and dress up. The center is gorgeous with beautiful architecture and scenery, and the perfect place for an “adult dress up night”.
If you arrive with a little time on your hands, check out the fun pre-show activities. For this show, we were invited to take a photo(with your own camera/phone) of the Phantom of the Opera sign with props. My mom is camera shy so I was on my own. Also, be sure to take advantage of the great food and drink inside the Center and be prepared for entertainment.
My first thought as the show started was WOW! I had missed out on the amazing transforming sets. They took us into the world of theatre and into the caverns below. You could easily imagine yourself taking a ride in the gondola with the Phantom.
As the artists began to sing, you know why this show has spanned decades and generations. The music had you humming along and unlike many operas, this musical is in English. You felt the struggles, pain and anguish of the characters and you felt it in your heart.
You didn’t know if you should feel love, pity, fear or hate for the Phantom who kills, kidnaps and terrorizes in the theatre of time past.
The standing ovations that followed the show gave a continuity of the audience, we all felt the show in our souls. It is a show that will continue for decades to come and if you get the chance, jump on seeing it yourself.
I was happy to bring a smile to my moms face. As a mom myself now, I feel the pain of bringing 3 young children to the show while refereeing. I have a lot of respect for her exposing us to the love of the theatre which continues to this day.
You can purchase tickets for future shows by calling the box office below or checking out their website at https://www.scfta.org
Segerstrom Center for the Arts
600 Town Center Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714.556.2787
#PhantomOnTour Photo Credits of the Phantom pics are:Matthew Murphy for all except the group singing pic which is Alastair Muir
Contributor: Kirstin Rowe
Kirstin is the writer/editor at SoCal Kids Outdoor Adventures. She loves writing, photography, and spending time with her family out in nature around Southern California and beyond.
