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May 19, 2007 - Mat. Gary Mauer, Jennifer Hope Wills, and Michael Shawn Lewis

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May 19, 2007 - Mat. Gary Mauer, Jennifer Hope Wills, and Michael Shawn Lewis Empty May 19, 2007 - Mat. Gary Mauer, Jennifer Hope Wills, and Michael Shawn Lewis

Post  purplehaze93 Thu Nov 22, 2012 12:11 am

May 19, 2007 - Mat. Gary Mauer, Jennifer Hope Wills, and Michael Shawn Lewis
Full Cast
Phantom: Gary Mauer
Christine: Jennifer Hope-Wills
Raoul: Michael Shawn Lewis
Andre: George Lee Andrews
Firmin: Kenneth Kantor (u/s)
Carlotta; Kris Koop
Mme. Giry: Marilyn Caskey
Piangi: Jimmy Smagula
Meg: Heather McFadden

Hey guys, I haven't seen any reviews for Gary on here, and I had the honor of seeing him while he filled in for Howard in 07'. Unfortauntly, I don’t remember specifics on most songs that didn’t have Gary, Jenn, or Michael, but I’ll do the best I can.

Think Of Me
I saw Jennifer with James Romick prior to Gary, so I was already familiar with her Christine; needless to say she’s fantastic. Her first song, Think of Me is done beautifully, and with Michael Shawn Lewis as Raoul, I knew at this point that this was going to be a fantastic cast! Jennifer really captures the innocence and childish enthusiasm that Christine is supposed to have. Shawn, a lot like Jennifer, portrays a younger more passionate and charismatic Raoul. I always loved his “how young and innocent we were…she may not remember me, but I remember her”, so adorable.

Little Lotte/The Mirror
Although Little Lotte is one of my least favourite songs, I usually find a way to like it if people I enjoy singing it. Shawn of course sill sounds nice, and Jennifer sounds genuinely worried when Raoul leaves to fetch his carriage. However, this is where the magic really starts. Gary’s booming, powerful voice echoed throughout the theatre as he sang his “Insolent boy, this slave of fashion…” and I remember his “Ignorant foooooool…” like it was just yesterday. After this, I was really excited and ready for the rest of the show.

Title Song
This is another song that I’m not too crazy about, just because I am aware of the pre-recording finding that it kind of takes away from the scene. However, I still enjoyed it, and Jennifer really has a beautiful voice and gets to showcase it in this song quite well. I remember him having a wonderful cape twirl!

Music of the Night
Words cannot express how beautiful his Music of the Night was. I’ve seen many different Phantoms, and none can even come close to comparing to Gary in this scene. The clarity of each word, the power behind every single note, the passion in the phrasing, everything just seemed perfect. After his “soar”, I had a brief moment of sadness; because I realized he song was already half way over! His “be” sounded other worldly…really hit it perfectly!

I Remember…Stranger Than You Dreamt It
I always got a kick out of this scene, just because The Phantom is pounding on his organ, creating a beautiful symphony…and Christine is awoken by a musical box playing Masquerade! Jennifer does a great job here, really showing the innocence of Christine just wanting to know who this musical genius is, nothing more…but of couse, The Phantom sees this act as an act of defiance, and as a result…Gary trips out a bit. Gary sounds terrifying when he screams, but he does it in a way that’s so controlled, and precise. His stydi really brings out the pity and sadness that Erik feels, It felt like he had just been stabbed in the heart several times.


All I Ask Of You/Reprise
This is one of my favorite songs in the show, because it’s the only time where we see Christine and Raoul actually happy and in love…really beautiful. Shawn does a great job of showing his love for Christine, and seems to genuinely care for her. Jennifer does the same, and really seems to be in love with Raoul. Their kiss was really cute too! After they walk off together, Gary comes out on the angel, and without a doubt, delivered one of the heartbreaking reprise’s I have ever heard. The way he says “no” repeatedly to himself before his “NOOO, YOU WILL CURSE…” is absolutely beautiful. This song is a perfect example of how powerful Gary’s voice, and how perfect his pitch is.

Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
This is another song that I judge strictly, as it’s the key moment in Christine’s growth as a character. Some Christine’s don’t understand that the song is about a transformation from a young naïve child, to a strong woman who is ready to face the real world. Jennifer does a fantastic job at this, and really brings out the power and strength of Christine! Major thumbs up.

Wandering Child
Not too much to say about their Wandering Child…one would expect it to be awesome, and you can definitely bet that it was!

Point Of No Return
This is my absolute favorite song in the musical, so I was extremely excited considering how much I loved the cast so far. I always loved the way Jennifer delivers her “no thoughts within her heart…” line, so joyful and pure! Gary’s Phantom plays a very physically demanding Phantom...which is really nice to see. He is really pouring his love and passion for Christine into this song, and it was beautiful. His hands while Jennifer was singing, was just awesome! One of the best moments of the musical was when Gary sang “anywhere you go, let me go to…”, his voice is just too beautiful in the upper range.

Final Lair
Everything about this scene was just perfect. Gary is very physical in this scene, which is appropriate considering the Phantom is now at a turning point in his life, where he has to choose between being a “human”, which he so desperately wants, but in doing so he must lose the love of his life…where he can choose to be inhuman, and kill Raoul, keeping Christine for himself. He is really going insane, and it’s clear through Gary’s actions. I remember before his “you try my patience…” he went to hit Christine, than almost looked repulsed at the fact that he almost his her…. amazing! Jennifer is of course wonderful, really capturing the mixed emotions and confusion of the situations. Michael really sounds “cute” singing next to Gary, who has this booming voice…almost like a child sticking up for his love to a bully, really nice to hear.

Overall, this was one of my favorite trips seeing Phantom, and I’m extremely glad I got Gary instead of Howard! I had the chance to see Gary a couple years earlier, but got Tim Martin Gleason instead, during his Understudy days…and thought that I would never get the chance to see Gary live again. If he ever comes back, regardless of location or price, I will for sure be booking my tickets to see it live.
purplehaze93
purplehaze93

Posts : 40
Join date : 2012-09-16

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May 19, 2007 - Mat. Gary Mauer, Jennifer Hope Wills, and Michael Shawn Lewis Empty Re: May 19, 2007 - Mat. Gary Mauer, Jennifer Hope Wills, and Michael Shawn Lewis

Post  LadyCDaae Thu Nov 22, 2012 12:20 am

Mauer is one of my favorite Phantoms--he and his wife, Elizabeth Southard, had probably the best Phantom/Christine chemistry I've ever seen. And yes, his high notes on MotN are just pure awesome.

~LCD

LadyCDaae

Posts : 724
Join date : 2009-10-04
Age : 47
Location : Denver

http://musicalhell.blogspot.com/

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