By Kelsey Butler
The
Phantom of the Opera
comes to the Oxford
Performing Arts Center
for what some have labeled as the theatri-
cal event of the summer. JSU’s Jacksonville
Opera Theatre presents the story of the
Phantom, Christine, and Raoul that we all
know and love.
Director, Dr. Nathan Wight, says he can’t
decide what he’s most excited about. “...
the remote controlled boat or the chan-
delier - No, it has to be the level of talent
of the performers,” he says. The cast and
musicians are students at Jacksonville
State University. “If you count cast, orches-
tra, and production crew, we are close to
150 people involved in the production,
says Wight. However, counting donors
and patrons, Wight says, “we are closer to
350 [people] who are helping to make this
show a possibility.”
The Phantom of the Opera, composed by
26
Andrew Lloyd Webber, is based on the
1910 novel “Le Fantôme de l’Opéra” by
Gaston Leroux. The 2004 movie adaptation
brought the story of the masked phan-
tom mainstream, starring Gerard Butler
and Emmy Rossum. Set in the Paris Opera
House in the 19th century, the Phantom
falls in love with a young soprano, Chris-
tine. Taking her under his wing, the Phan-
tom becomes Christine’s “angel of music,”
grooming her for fame. When a handsome
man from Christine’s past shows up, the
Phantom falls into a jealous rage, terroriz-
ing the opera company.
Madison Baldwin, playing the role of Chris-
tine, says performing is her whole life, “I
live for the butterflies in my stomach right
before the curtain comes up, and having
the thrill of the lights and hundreds of
eyes on you. There is nothing like it,” she
explains. Baldwin, a JSU senior majoring
in music education with a concentration
in voice, says of Christine, “I