HILLSBOROUGH: School’s’Phantom of Opera’ opens this week

Ambitious production of 100 props, 200 costumes

By Andrew Corselli, Staff Reporter
   When the “Phantom of the Opera” opens on Friday at Hillsborough High School, the theater program will be well prepared.
   James Romick, a Broadway veteran of 21 years who has played all but one male role in “Phantom,” came to a practice in early February to dole out pointers and advice.
   ”It was cool for the kids because (James) can tell them what legendary directors mean with certain scenes,” said director B.J. Solomon, who is in his third year of leading the theater program.
   In addition to his time at the school, Mr. Romick has been in constant contact with Mr. Solomon.
   ”I’ve been e-mailing him and he doesn’t write back a one-line answer, he will write back a novel,” said the director.
   Months in the making, the school’s production will feature about 100 props, more than 200 costumes, chillers to produce fog, a crashing chandelier and two or three illusions to astound the audience.
   ”We take every big effect in the Broadway show and find a way to create it for our stage,” said Mr. Solomon, who said the show is by far the most elaborate of his four here.
   Mr. Romick accepted the invitation from Mr. Solomon via e-mail after chatting a few times on Facebook. In his visit, Mr. Romick was generous enough to go the extra mile and display his voice. He dressed as the Phantom and belted out the show’s signature song, “Music of the Night,” with senior Stephanie Christian, who plays the role of Christine Daaé in the production.
   ”It’s fascinating for the kids for (James) to come here,” said producer Christine Micu. “When he put on the persona of the Phantom, it was like we were sitting in the Broadway stage. He didn’t treat us like we were a bunch of high school kids. He acted like he was on the Broadway stage, and the kids were captured by that.”
   ”Phantom of the Opera,” which opened on Broadway in 1988, is a love story set in 1880s Paris about a disfigured man who hides himself in the basement of the Paris Opera House. He falls in love with the chorus girl, who in turn loves another man.
   Hillsborough’s adaptation of the longest-running Broadway musical will use 28 students in the cast, 12 for the stage crew, four for production, one student and one faculty member as spotlight operators, and 19 students and two faculty members in the orchestra.
   In order to set the ambiance, the theater program will decorate the school entrance as a Parisian street, with hawkers and street mimes. In addition, the inside lobby will be made up as the Paris Opera House; there will be complimentary sparkling cider and coat checks “decked out in gold and fabric with statues.”
   ”The whole thing with the show is that it’s a backstage story. It’s all about what happens backstage, behind the scenes,” Mr. Solomon said. “There’s a bunch of stuff that happens on stage as part of the three different operas that are performed in the show. The audience should have this feeling that they are in this haunted opera house.”
   On top of giving a top-notch performance on stage, the theater program is aiming to give back to the community as well. The students have been e-mailing and Facebooking Broadway shows and the stars themselves to donate memorabilia for a silent auction that will take place before, during and after each show.
   Proceeds will go to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, a charity that does research for people living with AIDS, AIDS research, breast cancer research, UNICEF and Meals on Wheels, Mr. Solomon said.
   ”The kids were really inspired by this organization doing a big Broadway musical, so they decided they wanted to help raise money for Broadway Cares. James (Romick) brought two tickets to Phantom in New York as well as souvenir programs and signed posters. Our goal is to raise $5,000 for the organization.”
   ”We have autographed show posters from every single Broadway show signed by the entire cast,” said Ms. Micu. “We have an ‘American Idiot’ playbill signed by Billy Joe Armstrong (of Green Day).”
   Hillsborough will become one of the first high schools in the nation to perform “Phantom,” as the rights to the musical just became available last June 4. The play will open at 7 p.m. on Friday and follow with performances on Saturday and March 18 and 19 at the same time. There will be 1 p.m. shows on Sunday, March 12 and 19. Tickets are $10. For information, call 908-431-6600, ext. 2099.