In dreams he sang to me. In dreams he came… that voice which calls to me and speaks my name. And do I dream again? For now I find…

The Phantom of the Opera has been playing in my head ever since I watched The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber in the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) last Sunday. Before watching the concert, I was not quite sure what to expect except that I would be able to listen to songs from various musicals like Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita and The Phantom of the Opera. I was honestly a bit apprehensive, because advertisements for this concert did not really specify who was going to perform (later on I discovered that it was the stars from the Australian musical theater).

The concert was some sort of a mini-musical —- the audience got a taste of a little bit of everything from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s creations. My personal favorites were One Rock and Roll Too Many (from Starlight Express), Don’t Cry for me Argentina (from Evita), Love Never Dies (from Love Never Dies), All I Ask of You and The Phantom of the Opera (both from The Phantom of the Opera). I have watched musicals before, but this is the first time that I actually heard such perfectly clear and powerful voices. The performers did not lack talent in dancing and acting as well. The energy they gave off was flawless. When the song was lively and jolly, they would exude those emotions. When the song was sentimental or dramatic, the performers would make the audience feel just that.

To add to this, what amazed me was that there were only seven performers (four men, three ladies). The show ran for two hours, with only ten to fifteen minutes of intermission, yet the energy and the passion of the performers were consistent. Even though The Phantom of the Opera was sung at the latter part of the show, I still got goosebumps. I was seated at the far end of the auditorium, but I still felt the mood of the song. I felt it overwhelmingly, at that.

At the end of the show, not only did I applaud for the Australian musical theater, I was also able to appreciate Andrew Lloyd Webber’s works more. The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber highlighted his creativity, versatility and greatness —- a tribute Andrew Lloyd Webber deserved.