I took my family up to Baltimore to see the Phantom of the Opera performed at the legendary Hippodrome Theater last night – it was fantastic. The story by French writer Gaston Leroux is totally compelling, the staging and sets were magnificent, the production and musical renderings were incredible, and the impact had all of us in tears at the denouement. You pay good money to see things like this and when it is done properly, then damn well worth the expense – Bravo!

Of course, Phantom the musical is a creation of Andrew Lloyd Webber, who has been responsible for many a great theatrical production. The first rock concert I ever saw back as a teenager was Jesus Christ Superstar – and I can still sing the lyrics during re-runs. Then there was Cats, which I saw in the revolving stage theater in London 30 years ago. My wife and I saw Phantom up in Providence several years later when I was at the War College. It was great then, and still is now. I think I disturbed a few fellow patrons by singing along with the music a little too loud tonight – it is that compelling.

I had sort of lost track with Phantom for a while due to the other demands of work and life, and really re-discovered it during the 30thanniversary show in 2018 which featured five former Phantoms during an encore performance at the Royal Albert Hall – wow. I was hooked, once again.
The Hippodrome is a hell of an interesting place – we discovered it a few months back when my son was up there for the Cappies, his team winning an award for the lighting of a play.[1]It is a couple of blocks up Eutaw Street from Camden Yards, near the Inner harbor. He sought out the lighting booth this past evening, and was even allowed to be an honorary part of their crew by the end of the show.

The Hippodrome was designed by noted theater architect Thomas Lamb, and opened in November 1914 as a movie house and vaudeville showplace. It seats 3000 people and has been refurbished over the past several years to its former glory – it is a magnificent place to watch stage productions.
Phantom was set in Paris, and the Paris Opera although they called it the Opera Populaire in the book and play/musical. I spent a lot of time there back in the 80s exploring my internal Hemingway. I loved the city and its vibe. The last time I was there was back in 2012, I stayed a couple of nights in a 40-euro-a-night flop house of a hotel right next to the opera, aka the Palais Garnier.

Don’t let the panorama of this photo fool you – it is more than extremely massive. On the ground, the Palais Garnier is about 1000 ft long, by 250 ft wide. What you don’t see is the four or five levels underground that house the supporting engineering infrastructure. It is more than 200 ft tall above ground. To put it into perspective, think of a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier sunk deep into the heart of Paris – got your attention with that analogy, didn’t I? I’ve had the chance to tour the Paris Opera a couple of times, and even got backstage one day to see the sets – unfucking believable how complex that operation is, akin to the rigging of a square-masted warship of yesteryear hung inside of a cavern. Who knew? The Hippodrome was designed and built on the same principles.

Baltimore has gotten a bad rap, and maybe deservedly so given the feckless leadership they have had to endure the past several years, a lot like Vic’s beloved Detroit. But, there is some good stuff up there and a growing legion of people who are determined to not allow the demise of the city happen – the Hippodrome being a notable example. There are some fabulous restaurants there, and it is not as dangerous as one would be led to believe, although we saw our share of crack dealers on the street this past evening – being closely eyed by visibly armed cops. I’m not ready to give up on the place just yet – I still think it has a lot going for it and a lot to offer when you cut through the BS hype. If you look hard enough, you can see the signs of a re-birth, just as in the case of today’s Motor City.

I’m slowly coming to terms with my status as a Marylander – I’ve now lived here (12 years), longer than I have lived anywhere, ever, so am slowly getting over myself and the idea of retiring back in Flora-Bama. This is not a bad place to be, so expect me to get more obnoxious about it. I just put a butt-load of money into a whole house re-hab inside and out, so I think we may be planted here for good. For a Communist state, it’s not all that bad – better the Devil that you know, and like a country song, it may be better to want what you have. Last night, I got the full-blast treatment of the music that I crave:[2]

Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination
Silently the senses abandon their defenses…

Slowly, gently, night unfurls her splendor
Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender
Turn your face away from the garish light of day
Turn your face away from cold unfeeling light, and listen to the music of the night

Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams
Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before
Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar!
And you’ll live, as you’ve never lived before

Softly, deftly, music shall caress you
Hear it, feel it, secretly possess you
Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind
In this darkness that you know you cannot fight
The darkness of the music of the night

Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world
Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before
Let your soul take you where you long to be…
Only then, can you belong to me.

Floating, falling, sweet intoxication
Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation
Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in
To the power of the music that I write
The power of the music of the night.
Sometimes, you have to surrender to the power – last night was one of those times.

Copyright 2019 Point Loma
www.vicsocotra.com