Ever since The Phantom of the Opera first premiered on Broadway in 1988, people all across the world have been captivated by this incredible story. Now, The Phantom of the Opera has been brought back to the Detroit Opera House for the first time in over seven years. With brand new special effects, sets, and cast, this is one of the biggest productions of the musical ever.

The Phantom of the Opera stars Derrick Davis as the disfigured, frightening Phantom who lives beneath the Paris Opera House, and tortures the cast and owners of the theater. The Phantom becomes obsessed with and falls in love with one of the opera singers, Christine Daaé, who is played by Katie Travis, and begins to give her secret singing lessons. The Phantom demands that the owners of the theater make Christine the lead in all the operas, or else he will keep haunting the theater.

This new production of the musical, by Cameron Mackintosh, gave the show a whole new experience with special effects. The use of pyrotechnics throughout the play definitely left the crowd in awe. From the falling of the chandelier to the brilliant fire display, there was not one moment where the audience was not impressed.

The musical also mesmerized the audience with the beautiful set designs, created by Paul Brown. Over 20 sets were used in the play, and each one was made with an incredible amount of detail. The wall of mirrors in the ballroom scene, the dark and terrifying Phantom’s lair and the colorful office of Monsieur Finn and Monsieur André (played by David Foley, Jr. and Price Waldman) were just some of the most stunning sets in the show.

Of course, there was no disappointment when it came to the music. The powerful vocals of Derrick Davis, Katie Travis and the rest of the cast gave everyone in the audience chills. Out of the 25 original songs in the musical, not a single one was underperformed. Some of the best performances of the night were Angel of Music, The Phantom of the Opera and The Point of No Return.

Along with the songs, the amazing choreography, choreographed by Scott Ambler, is what made the performances so entertaining. The dancers were always in unison and always on beat. The best choreographed dance definitely came from the song Masquerade.

The Phantom of the Opera at the Detroit Opera House is a once in a lifetime experience. Anyone who is interested in musical theater should definitely see this production because the combination of songs, choreography and special effects helped to make it astounding. There was never a moment where the audience was not an amazed by this incredible rendition of the classic musical. The Phantom of the Opera will play at the Detroit Opera House from January 11-22, 2017.