Why Australia?

I recently returned to Korea from my 8 day vacation to Sydney, Australia. It was the greatest vacation I've ever had; and such a wonderful experience overall.

I took a red eye flight (and definitely had red eyes by the end of the flight) Sunday night (June 8) and arrived in Sydney at 7:30 a.m. on Monday morning. It was about a 10 hour flight--and Sydney is one hour ahead of Seoul.

At the airport, I met my friend Patrice from California. We took an airport shuttle to our hotel. It was overcast and chilly. June starts the winter season in Australia.

The reason I wanted to vacation in Australia was simple. A singer named Anthony Warlow was going to be performing in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. For those of you who don't know--I'll let you in on a little secret--I really, really like The Phantom of the Opera.

It started in high school. I heard the music and I instantly loved it. There's just something about it. The melodies, the harmonies, the subject matter. Obviously, I'm not alone--as it is one of the most famous musicals ever--AND it's the longest running musical on Broadway.
I also really, really like Anthony Warlow. I didn't know anything about him until I moved to California in 2002. When I was doing the show 1776, my friend Tom told me about this Australian singer named Anthony Warlow. He let me borrow his CD. I was hooked. His voice is the best I've ever heard in my life.
More than 15 years ago, when Phantom first came to Australia, Anthony was cast in the title role. He was 28 years old (the same age I am now). He is still the youngest person ever to play the role. Then, last year, the show was going to come back to Australia--and Anthony was asked to return to the role that made him most famous in Australia. You must understand--this is very uncommon. Once an actor plays a role, he rarely, if ever returns to play the same role again. It's not like Jim Carrey doing another Ace Ventura movie--it would be more like Tom Hanks doing a remake of Forrest Gump, and playing the same part over again. It's very rare for an actor to do a role again--especially when that role made you famous. In Anthony's own words, he didn't want to return to the role, because he'd "conquered the beast" and wanted to do other things.
He eventually agreed to return to the role, and this presented an unbelievable chance for me to see him play the role that I desperately long to play.
Years ago, as part of my present for graduating from high school, my mom took me to New York City to see the show. That was the first time I saw the show on stage. We saw a Wednesday matinee. The Phantom was played by a guy named Thomas James O'Leary. If you look him up on youtube.com...he's not very good. =) I know I enjoyed it, but I don't really remember much about that first show.

In the 11 years since that first show, I have seen the show 9 more times. Once more in New York City (with Howard McGillin as the Phantom), three times in Phoenix (once with Brad Little, twice with Gary Mauer), once in Tucson (Brad Little), once in Los Angeles (Brad Little), once in Las Vegas (Brent Barrett), and twice in Australia.

I didn't intend to see the show twice in Australia...I didn't pay for two different tickets. But here's what happened.

I arrived in Sydney on Monday morning, with tickets to Phantom on Tuesday night. I was very excited. As I've already clearly stated, I am a huge fan of the show and of the star.

I had showered after a whale watching trip (to be discussed in another blog). I was dressed nicely. I couldn't believe I was nearing this moment.

Patrice and me on the Monorail going to the theater--

I got the tickets from the box office and proceeded towards the door. I stopped briefly and glanced at a large silver sign by the door. It was the cast list for the night's performance. The Phantom is listed at the top...and next to "The Phantom" it read: "Simon Pryce". My heart stopped...or skipped...or something terrible.
I didn't move for about 30 seconds. My hand went to my mouth and I found myself having difficulty breathing. I'm sure that at some point within the last few months, the thought had entered my head that Anthony might be sick on the night I was there to see him--but suffice it to say, that thought was not in my brain this night.

I was stunned. Honestly, it was like I'd been tackled by a linebacker (or in Australian terms, hit by a rugby player) and had the wind taken from me. I didn't say anything. I couldn't breathe. I really don't consider myself to be overdramatic, but this was the worst feeling I'd ever felt.

My heart was beating very fast, and I didn't know what to do. I had just flown 5,900 miles (9,495 kilometers) and spent a great sum of money for the sole purpose of seeing this guy play the Phantom. Regardless of the beauty of Australia, and the other wonderful things about the country--I was not interested in anything else. I wanted to see Anthony in this show. It was quite devastating...all in a moment.

I walked to the box office, clutching my chest, fearing that my heart would leap out. I spoke calmy but clearly to the manager behind the desk. Rebecca. She was very kind. I explained my situation to her as best I could. "I realize you may not care about this--but I have to share this with you so you can understand how much I care about this." I told her how far I'd come just to see Anthony, and that as a performer, I certainly understand there are no guarantees about any performance. She said that Anthony was sick, and had been the previous weekend. She listened intently to my problem--but said there wasn't anything she could do at present. She suggested that we check back later in the week (since we were going to be in Sydney for another week), to see if he was back in the show, and she would see what she could do. But again, she made no guarantees.

It was time to get into the theater to watch the show. I didn't even want to watch it. I was very angry now. Not like I wanted to hurt anyone, but angry, as if I'd just gotten in trouble in school and forced to endure something I didn't want to. Yes, I suppose I was feeling like a spoiled child who hadn't got his way. But I think you can understand the situation was a little more serious than that.

We went to our seats...which were perfect, by the way. Fourteen rows from the front, directly in the center. I had purchased these seats specially. I was very disappointed that Anthony wasn't doing the show.

I sat in my chair and tried to breathe. I tried to remain calm. After the usual announcements, we heard, "Ladies and gentlemen, we would like to inform you that as this evenings performance, the role of the Phantom will be played by Simon Pryce." There was a collective sound of disappointment, with the exception of two or three girls who cheered loudly. Weirdos. The lights went down and the show began.

I thought for sure that this Simon Pryce fellow would have to be pretty darn good to be second-string to Anthony Warlow. I couldn't have been more wrong. It was like hearing Kermit the Frog sing the part. I was not pleased. I realized, quite honestly, that I could have performed the role better than this guy (I later met the guy, and he was nice and all, so this isn't a personal attack). But I knew in my soul that I could not only perform better vocally, but I could act the role better. Oh well. All the more reason to hope that I'd get to see Anthony perform before the week was out.

I felt like strangling someone after the show, Patrice would have to do--This brings us to Thursday night, two nights later. We spent all day Thursday on a tour of the Blue Mountains (to be discussed in another blog). We got back into Sydney at around 6:10. We weren't far from the theater, so we decided to head over there and see if Anthony had performed the night before, and if he would be performing that night. I tried not to get my hopes up, only to have them once again violently crushed by a falling chandelier of disappointment.
I couldn't bring myself to look, so I asked Patrice to look for Anthony's name on the silver sign; while I went to the box office to find out if Anthony had performed the previous night.

He hadn't.

But his name was on the sign.

My heart stopped again...briefly. "Don't get your hopes up. There are no guarantees. You can't get back up again if another chandelier hits you in the head."

Rebecca said she would do what she could...but that we should check back 5 minutes before the show.

When we did, Rebecca had secured two seats in a box on the left side of the theater. I thought we were going to be way up high--but she got us seats very close to the stage...just on the left side. Basically, the view was partially restricted, but we'd get to see everything that Anthony did. And she understood that seeing (hearing) him was the only concern.

When we got to our seats, I was amazed that we were so close. Literally, we were within 10 feet of the stage. Towards the end of the show, I could have spoken to Anthony in my regular voice and he could have heard me. I didn't do this, however. I didn't want to disturb the perfection of what was happening on stage.

I can't express the feeling of relief I felt once this show started. This was marking the TENTH time I was seeing the show...and unless something terrible happened during the next few minutes...I was going to see Anthony Warlow, the greatest male singer I've heard in my life, sing and play the greatest musical theater role ever created.

I sat back, and tried to remember to breathe. This is a harder task than you may think.

As soon as his voice came over the speakers...I was pretty much dead. I could not believe that I was seeing and hearing this. I just could not believe it.

Earlier in this blog, I listed all the Phantoms I'd seen live. I've heard many more on youtube and other places. Let me be clear here--no one, and I mean no one, sings or plays the role as well as Anthony Warlow. Had there been any question in my mind before the show...there was no longer.

My life can now continue.