June 25, 2010 · 3:12 PM

The angel of…explosions!!!

By Rick Lax

Everybody in the audience got a Phantom mask. Looked better on the guy onstage.

Whenever I see a musical and somebody asks me how it was, I always make the same joke: “Not enough explosions.”

Well, last night I saw Phantom, The Las Vegas Spectacular at Venetian, and I’ve got to say, there were enough explosions.

Phantom, The Las Vegas Spectacular, which just celebrated its 4th anniversary, is the 300 of musicals. I mean that in the best way possible. If you like special effects, if you’ve got a short attention span or even ADD, then Phantom, The Las Vegas Spectacular is the musical for you. If you don’t like musicals, Phantom, The Las Vegas Spectacular is the musical for you, too.

I don’t mean to suggest it’s ‘dumbed down’—it’s not. Or, let’s put it this way, if it is, then all musicals should be dumbed down. I’d love to see director Harold Prince, choreographer Gillian Lynne, and scenic designer David Rockwell create a 90-minute Little Shop of Horrors for Wynn….but I’d settle for a 90-minute Les Mis at Monte Carlo.

Congrats to the whole Phantom gang!

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