It's here. The Phantom of the Opera...week. This is the first of what may become a fairly regular occurance around here. Theme weeks where everything I write will be related to a theme of some sort. This week it's all about The Phantom of the Opera. Why? Because this week - the 9th, to be exact - the Phantom of the Opera tour is coming to Nashville for the first time in 14 years. That's right. It's been over a decade since this fabulous show came to Nashville. It is the longest running show on Broadway and the second longest running show in West End (London). It has been performed on Broadway over 11,000 times. It premiered in London in 1986 and made its Broadway debut in 1988. Now it's 2016 and the Phantom has apparently undergone a bit of a facelift. This is a brand new production of the show with new staging, new choreography and new scenery. Hey, I guess when you've been around for well over 20 years, you need to change things up a bit.
My love for The Phantom of the Opera started in 2001. My parents took me up to New York City for my 18th birthday where I got to see it performed for the first time live. I'd listened to the soundtrack and liked it, but I don't believe it's possible to fully appreciate a musical until you see it live. There's nothing like it. I've seen Phantom since in D.C. and while it's hard to beat Broadway, there's really not a bad place to see a musical. I've seen a fair amount over the years and have enjoyed most of them. But there's a select few that I love above all others and Phantom is definitely one of them. Without question. I was originally planning on only posting one Phantom related post about a fantastic Phantom covers by some of my faves. However, when I found out how long it's been since the show has come here to Nashville, I decided that that wouldn't be enough. No. This calls for a full on celebration. A week full of Phantom-y goodness. So let's get started.
Lemme tell ya, there is no shortage of Phantom of the Opera covers out there. Now most people will just pick a song and do it. Some people team up with each person singing the part of one of the characters. Then there's Nick Pitera who decided that he'd take on the three main characters all by himself. Check it out.
It's one thing to think of doing something like this - most wouldn't. It's quite another to actually pull it off. Honestly, I have a healthy respect for anyone who can sing any of these songs well. They're not the easiest songs in the world to sing. Being able to play just one of the characters is impressive, but three? Say what? I don't remember how I found out about Nick, but I was very skeptical before I watched this the first time. I didn't think he could possibly do all three parts. Raoul and the Phantom, okay maybe, but Christine? No way. At least not well. I was wrong. Being a medley, I thought it might be kind of sloppy. Wrong again. Sometimes being wrong is a good thing. In this instance, a very good thing.
His vocal range is so impressive. It's not just that he can hit the notes he hits, it's his control. Particularly on those high notes. Perhaps best showcased around the 4:15 part. His voice is so full; not thin or breathy. Nick sings his tail off in this medley and it's just beautiful. He includes so many of the classic moments from the show - changing up the order a bit, but it works. He completely takes on each of the personalities of the characters. I love the way it builds up to the point where all three characters are singing. Then that beautiful shift of dynamics at the end. It just sweeps you up with it and it's wonderful. He gets bonus points for his evil Phantom laugh around the 5:50 mark. A truly great Phantom of the Opera tribute.
Want to keep up with Nick?
Thanks for reading!
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