Visit to Stuttgart in December 2003 to see Das Phantom der Oper
at the Palladium Theatre in the SI Centrum Complex

Lavinia and I travelled out to Stuttgart to visit one of Germany's famed Christmas Markets, but the main reason for our trip was to see our favourite show sung in German again, having previously seen Das Phantom performed in Hamburg in 2000. The Stuttgart production opened on 1st November 2002 and will close in May 2004.

We saw three different actors/actresses in the roles of the Phantom, Christine and Carlotta, and two actors played Raoul. The principal Phantom is Ian Jon Bourg (who also played the Phantom in the Hamburg production), Thomas Schulze and Marko Woytowicz. Each was excellent and have created their own intimate portrayal of the character. I couldn't choose a favourite because each actor was so good in their own way so perhaps a third of each making up the whole is a fair enough way of putting it. The actresses whom we saw in the role of the young soprano ~ she who became the Phantom's Angel of Music ~ were Marion Wilmer, Michaela Linck and Maike Switzer. Our favourite among the three was definitely Marion, who was a delightful Christine. Of the two actors we saw play Raoul, Steve Lucas and Roy Weissensteiner, we preferred Steve.

Carlotta was played by Barbara Gray Nystrom, Petra Koschatzky and Karen Michelle Buck. I think Petra was the best, but they were all excellent as the haughty prima donna. We had the pleasure of seeing Marcello Ronchietto again as Piangi, whom we had previously seen at the Neue Flora Theatre in Hamburg. The rest of the case were fantastically good and we enjoyed all four shows that we attended at the Palladium Theatre.

There was a small souvenir stand, so we bought everything we didn't already own, including a cigarette lighter each although neither of us smoke! I use mine to light my scented candles at home. The beakers had a slightly different design with the mask sculpted on the outside of the cup, i.e. it doesn't change to white as hot liquid is added but instead is raised from the side of the cup.

Stuttgart is a lovely city, although it was absolutely freezing cold at that time of the year. On our visit to the Christmas Market we spent hours walking around the gaily decorated stalls which sold every kind of fascinating Christmas goodies, helped on our way by a glass or two of hot spiced delicious glühwein and a freshly cooked crepe.

I've posted up several photographs of the phabulous Phantom Bar which is located in the SI Centrum Complex, just along the way from the Palladium. To round off our Phantom trip to Stuttgart, we treated ourselves to an intoxicatingly gorgeous Phantom Cocktail before saying auf weidersehn to Das Phantom der Oper. See the link below.

Hope to have another account of a Phantom-inspired trip to add to the ones I've already posted. Off to Budapest in June to see the Hungarian version. Should be great and I'm looking forward to it very much!

Photographs of Stuttgart Phantom

Jeanette
http://phantom-cat.org.uk