Arts | Three Phantoms to perform Asian premier at The Parisian

From left: Earl Carpenter, David Shannon and Kieran Brown

Musical theater show Three Phantoms is slated for its Asian premier at The Parisian Theatre tomorrow night.

Presenting songs from some of the best-known musicals, Three Phantoms features three singers who have performed the male lead in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s genre-defining musical, The Phantom of the Opera.

Kieran Brown, David Shannon, and Early Carpenter will collaborate together on this show for the first time.

In an exclusive media preview on Tuesday, the trio told the press that the duration of the upcoming show was reduced from two hours to 90 minutes.

“We kind of do a show within a show. We don’t just sing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s version,” said Carpenter. “There are some 57 different renditions of the Phantom of the Opera [so] what we do is we introduce the audience to new music based on Phantom of the Opera.”

Carpenter devised and directed the concept though his company, Ginger Boys Productions.

Despite the trio’s performances in renowned shows such as Les Misérables, the group prefer to work on Three Phantoms for the variety it offers them as performers.

“Because you get such a platter of music and different types of music, you’re brought from one extreme from another. It’s also very different doing this show because you’re not wearing the make-up and masks,” Shannon, who recently toured the U.S. with Irish duo Fïr, told the press.

Carpenter added, “It’s allowing us to enjoy different genres of music as we’re doing the Phantom of the Opera.”

The 90-minute show is set to give audience visual diversity as female singers and dancers will also be featured.

Since the show’s conception in 2008, Carpenter noted that they have already performed to some 100,000 audiences.

Commenting on the region’s musical scene, the group noted that Macau acquires a “variety of styles.”

Brown, who has performed in Wicked, said, “This is my first time ever in Asia. […] We had the chance to explore a little bit [and] went to the other part of Macau. It was wonderful.”

“It’s also great for westerners to experience different cultures and be sensitive to different cultures,” Carpenter remarked.

He also observed, having recently performed Les Misérables in Manila, that Asian audiences react well to musicals.

Carpenter noted that the trio gets a “real sense of reaction” in Asia, which is unusual for them.

“Brits are quite reserved. […] In England you’re kind of fighting for reaction,” he said by way of comparison.

Echoing the sentiment, Shannon added, “It’s very similar to the American audience. People come to enjoy the whole experience. […] It’s just a cultural thing.”

The trio will be joined on stage by West End and Broadway performers including singers Alistair Barron, Olivia Brereton, Marisa McIntrye and Lisa-Anne Wood, headed by musical director and conductor Mark Aspinal.

The show includes more than 20 songs from some of the best-
loved musicals, including “Tragedy” (Saturday Night Fever), “Bui Doi” (Miss Saigon), “Anthem” (Chess), “Bohemian Rhapsody” (We Will Rock You), “The Music of the Night” (The Phantom of the Opera), “For Good” (Wicked) and “Defying Gravity” (Wicked).

Three Phantoms will be staged at The Parisian Theater until March 26. The group will then head to Singapore to perform  several shows.