“The Phantom of the Opera” tickets going fast in Ashland

ASHLAND — Ashland High School’s musical is a perennial favorite in the Ashland community. This year’s production of “The Phantom of the Opera” seems destined to hit a high note, too.

“The response has been phenomenal,” said producer Rich Wasowski. “We’ve had the support of the community becoming patrons, and I have staff members who I’ve never sold tickets to before saying, ‘I love ‘Phantom.’ I’ll come to ‘Phantom.'” 

For those who have seen the 1986 Andrew Lloyd Webber musical on Broadway, Wasowski said, the high school production should be familiar. But it will be scaled back on some of the technical aspects and will mix in a few surprises. 

“If you’re looking for all those bells and whistles, no. We’re focusing more on the music and the vocals and the characterization and a couple of key technical parts that we hope to have to create some ‘wow’ moments,” Wasowski said. “People ask, ‘Are you going to have a chandelier?’ Yes. ‘Are you going to have a boat?’ Yes. But I’d rather not say more about that.”

The musical clocks in at about 2 1/2 hours and has the cast singing almost the entire time.

“We have to look at do we have the talent to sing it, do we have the talent to act it, do we have the musicians to play it, do we have the techies to build it?” he asked. “It’s very demanding vocally. It’s very demanding on the kids in the pit. It’s very demanding in the tech aspects, like you need the chandelier and the labyrinth and the big masquerade.” 

The production team decided this would be the perfect year to take on such a challenge, Wasowski said, in part because the three seniors who play the female leads are all outstanding, and they all plan to continue with musical theater in college. 

Mikayla Myers plays Christine. Isabel Merkel plays Meg. Leah DeBracy plays Carlotta. Other lead roles include Andrew Prezioso as Phantom and Luke Blackley as Raoul.

Ashland audiences will remember Myers from her roles as The Mother Abbess in “The Sound of Music” as a freshman, Fiona in “Shrek” as a sophomore and the title character in “Mary Poppins” last year.

Myers said Phantom has special meaning for her because it was seeing that musical on Broadway that truly sparked her interest in performing. 

Phantom is Prezioso’s first time cast as a lead at Ashland, a role that he said made him “very excited, but not as excited as my mom.”

“When I first heard what the show would be during the summer, I listened to the soundtrack a lot. I love all the orchestration,” he said. 

Senior Matt Dorrell, the student tech director for the show, said when he first heard “Phantom” was the choice for this year’s musical, he wasn’t sure he and his team could pull it off. 

It’s been a challenge, he said, to get everything built in time and pull off some of the “surprises” that will be in the production. 

The show is equally exciting for the cast.  

“Last year I thought nothing could top Mary Poppins, and honestly every year I’ve thought that, but every year they’ve pulled through something amazing,” Merkel said. “It’s really incredible to be part of something as big as ‘The Phantom of the Opera.'”

“The Phantom of the Opera” requires the cast to have a high level of stamina to keep up the intensity throughout the show, Blackley said, adding that his favorite part is the climax of the musical when he sings as part of an intense trio with Myers and Prezioso. 

Anne Fink, who plays the auctioneer and dances in the corps de ballet, said she expects audiences will be delighted by the talent on stage.

“I think they are going to enjoy seeing kids our age who just want to be part of a high school musical be pushed to that level,” she said. 

Tickets for the show went on sale Thursday, and the cast, crew and pit members are hard at work perfecting the production for opening night Feb. 23.

Performances are at 7 p.m. Feb. 23 and 24 and 2 p.m. Feb. 25 in Ashland High School’s Archer Auditorium. 

Tickets are $8 for the center section and $6 for side sections. To reserve tickets, call 419-289-7968 ext. 3128, email riwasows@goarrows.org or visit the Ashland High School office 3:15-5:15 p.m. on school days.