It was announced last month by producers Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Theatre Company, Inc., that the current national tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the opera will end its historic long run in November 2010 at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles. The closure will leave only two official productions of the Harold Prince-directed boffo box office hit: one in Las Vegas and the other on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre, where the show holds the record as the longest running musical in Broadway history.

I have seen Lloyd Webber's Phantom well over twenty times now. And yet, I never grow tired of it. I know that the music tends to get on some people's nerves, but not me. I just feel my heart swell up as the score soars with its grand music, carried by a full, flourishing orchestra. Plus, there are Björnson's marvelous, sumptuous costume and scenic designs that leave me wide-eyed with every color, every jewel, and every fabric. And let's not forget the haunting love story, that of a man who is not handsome, but still can love and wants to be loved. Okay, so his mental "wheels" do fall off the tracks here and there—he kills a techie, destroys the voice of a prima donna, and scares the bejesus out of the ballerinas—but he's not all that bad! I thoroughly enjoyed the 2004 film version directed by Joel Schumacher, though I agree with most that Gerald Butler was miscast in the title role; he did not have the vocal range to sustain it, but his acting was right on the nose.

So how does this current tour match up to the Broadway and past touring productions?

There are some minor physical changes. I remember the Lair for the Phantom to be more ornate with more set pieces, and his piano was bigger. In the "masquerade" number, the upper part of the staircase was a sweeping set piece, and this time around it's more of a cut-out backdrop. For the rooftop of the opera house I remember smoke stacks and more physical pieces for the duet "All I Ask of You"; now, it's just a backdrop. But the majority of the grand set pieces are still there, such as the chandelier, the sweeping drapes, and the ornate gold statues reaching toward the heavens that make up the proscenium.

The costumes are still magnificent. If you sit up close to the stage, you can see the exquisite detail that might be lost to those in the balcony seats. The beading, the patterns on the glittery fabrics, the tassels, and just the elaborate detail on these costumes are all marvelous to look at.

The cast shows no signs of "been there, done that" in their performances. There were a couple of missed musical notes at the performance I attended, and at times some odd acting choices, but overall this cast is flawless.

Providing the laughs of the evening are two duos. The producers of the Paris Opera House are played by Bruce Winant (Monsieur Firmin) and D.C. Anderson (Monsieur Andre). Both actors play off each other like a well-oiled machine, and bring new comedic approaches to the roles that I've not seen before. The other comedic duo is played by Kim Stengel (Carlotta Giudicelli) and David Gaschen (Ubaldo Piangi). Ms. Stengel devours the role like a blood-thirsty diva who would slaughter anyone who dares try to get into her spotlight. Her facial expressions are priceless. Mr. Gaschen garners his own share of laughs trying to get on the elephant in "Hannibal" and later in the second act with the rehearsal of "Don Juan." His butchering of the English language is jovial comic fodder.

Anne Kanengeiser portrays Madame Giry better than any other actress I've seen in the role. She has the look of an elegant Agnes Moorehead with the posture of a great ballerina. She seems to glide rather than walk, which gives the character a more ethereal look that I particularly enjoyed. I think, though, it was a major disservice by costume designer Bjornson to not give Giry a much more creative costume for "Masquerade." The poor lady is surrounded by all this color, and she's stuck in black with a tiny shawl of black beads.

As Raoul, Sean MacLaughlin fits the role perfectly. Tall, dark and very handsome, he would make any woman swoon and faint in her opera box seat. I've seen some actors in this role be a tad effeminate, which kills the romance, but not MacLaughlin. He commands the stage with masculine authority. This talented actor never once drops character, even when he is in the background or not the focus; his attention to his character's subtext is always there. The combination of a marvelous tenor voice that is crystal clean, a vibrato that never quavers or wobbles off, and a powerful crescendo shows effortless musicianship. He is a major highlight of the production.

Marni Raab portrays Christine, the girl in the ballet corps who becomes an opera star, but is torn between dreamboat Raoul and the gloomy Phantom. Ms. Raab possesses an alluring soprano voice that does justice to the various Webber arias that are in the score, and she's a physically lovely looking girl as well. But I felt that at times she was just not connecting to the subtext. She seems lost, confused, and at times awkward within her blocking and staging. She does not react with the kind of natural, believable tone that I have seen in past Christines. Also, at times she swallows or gulps for air, causing her lyrical phrasing to come out choppy or notes to be cut off in odd places. She still delivers a warm, touching performance, but she seemed to have strange problems both vocally and in her acting choices at the performance I attended.

Tim Martin Gleason is the Phantom. I have seen a variety of Phantoms, from Michael Crawford, to Kevin Gray, to Steve Blanchard, to Ron Bohmer, and more. Each actor brought something new and unique to the role. Gleason does a splendid job as the tortured soul who has "never enjoyed the pleasures of the flesh." The only minor hiccup in his performance is in "The Music of the Night." Every actor I have seen do this role sustained that final high tenor note for endless measures. Sadly, Gleason cuts off way too early, almost in half. That is disappointing for those of us who know the score so well. Thankfully, he recovers to give solid vocal work in such solos as the "All I Ask of You" reprise, "Wandering Child," and the final vocal scenes in the Lair. His acting choices are really the heart of his work in this production. He gives the character a more wounded, lost child quality that quite moved me. Even with the mask and make up you can see his face show what his heart is feeling. One new acting choice that I really found moving was at the end, as Christine and Raoul ride the boat across the lake to their happy life singing "All I Ask of You" and the Phantom is left alone in his Lair. His final lyric in that verse is "Christine I love you." Gleason instead says the words "I Love You" several times, each one cracking with pain and despair. That is a really marvelous acting choice. Like his past brothers who have portrayed the role, Gleason's performance is magnificent.

If you have seen The Phantom of the Opera before, it is well worth the journey to see this production. It has not lost its romantic beauty whatsoever. If you have never seen Phantom, this is your last chance in Dallas to see it the way it was supposed to be done. When this show is released for local theater companies to do, they will not be able to recreate the majestic beauty of the original design.

Don't miss out on the dazzling feast for the eyes and ears that Phantom provides. Even after all these years, I still get a lump in my throat with that final image of the mask and one blinding, piercing light hitting it. So will you.

The Phantom of the Opera through March 14, 2010, at the Music Hall at Fair Park. Tickets priced from $15.00-$71.00 are on sale now at The Box Office, 542 Preston Royal Shopping Center, or area Ticketmaster outlets including The Music Hall box office. Tickets are also available by calling 214-631-ARTS (2787) or online at www.ticketmaster.com. For groups of ten or more, call 214-426-GROUP.

--John Garcia