LAUREN BARTLETT Publication chief & A&E editor

On Saturday, Feb. 25, The Fox Theatre in Atlanta hosted over 4,000 people to watch the classic showing of “Phantom of the Opera.”

A traveling Broadway group from New York City found themselves in the south during the last week of Feb. and first week of March, to share their performances.

“Phantom of the Opera” is based on a novel written by Gaston Leroux in 1911, though it is most popular for the film released in 2004. The set of “Phantom of the Opera” at The Fox Theatre was built on a large, revolving stage that went back and forth between the opera stage, the dungeon and outside.

Before intermission, Phantom takes his revenge on the opera and he destroys a chandelier. This scene is iconic to this show and was done very well. The way the set designers portrayed the chandelier falling was incredible and very well done.

The plot of “Phantom of the Opera” is about a love triangle between Phantom, a ghost that haunts the opera, Christine, a singer in the opera and Roaul, a childhood love interest of Christine. Throughout the show, the love triangle shows Christine finding it hard to figure out who she really loves.

In almost every scene, the song, “All I Ask of You” is sung between Christine and Roaul, and then, Christine and Phantom. There are multiple scenes where Phantom and Christine are alone in his dungeon, and this is where the love and drama comes to life.

There are also scenes with Christine and Roaul where they fall in love. This is where the plot takes a turn and Christine must choose who she wants. Later in the show, Phantom shows his true character to Christine when he starts hurting and threatening the people of her opera, leading to her finally deciding on who she wants to be with.

Finally, she explains to Phantom that his distorted face is not the reason she can’t be with him, but instead, because of his hateful character. This sends a powerful message to the audience. Overall, there wasn’t a scene that didn’t bring at least someone in the audience to tears as they witnessed the love story between Phantom and Christine.

If you’re a fan of Phantom, this live performance would not disappoint. It is filled with passion, romance, humor and an understanding of why you should really know someone that you love. That, mixed with the live orchestra music, beautiful set design and romance, made for a truly  magical experience.