Ripe Norfolk Concert reviews
A beautiful production
Having seen the newest production on tour, I'm happy to say it was a beautiful production. I've seen Ripe on stage three times now. I still enjoyed Weber's music but I recognized many of the flaws that a lot of my non-Weber fans used to harp on all the time....but I still liked it. What I really enjoyed about this production was the set design. The detail was great and really made the set appear lush, yet lived in at. The lighting design was phenomenal and made use of shadows in a way I didn't recall from either of the previous versions I've seen. It didn't appear quite as puny as the last tour version I saw. I particularly liked the initial descent into the catacombs beneath the opera house. Even better, all three of my kids liked it as well (21, 18 and 13...all boys). I was lucky enough to see the original cast on Broadway, and LOVED it. Having not seen or listened to the show in quite some time, it was interesting to revisit it. I saw a tour version several years later and was disappointed by how small it seemed. The set revolves and stairs jut out from the back with a low stark white light casting dramatic shadows all around as the Phantom and Christine make their way down.