It’s a far cry from the lush and lavish visuals the production is known for. Most people are dressed casually and the rehearsal space is practical and bustling.
When I arrive everyone is setting up – cast members,fresh off the Sydney season greet each other warmly and find their seats,while the Orchestra Victoria musicians chat in between tuning,assembling their instruments or practicing snippets of the score. The effect is a warm and slightly chaotic wall of sound,where every so often a familiar refrain breaks through.
It’s a strange thing to see a room full of people simultaneously switch into professional mode;as the rehearsal starts everyone sits up a little bit more straight and gets immediately stuck into things.
Set in the late 1800s,Phantom of the Opera is both a tragedy and a love story,set in an opera house besieged by a mysterious figure who leaves threatening notes and bodies in his wake,but who also carefully nurtures and trains one of the emerging singers in the company.
The sitzprobe runs through the show in order,skipping over any dialogue,focusing only on the aspects where orchestra and vocals intersect. “It’s important because it gives us a chance to work purely on the music without having to worry about anything else,” says Thomas Higham,associate principal viola from Orchestra Victoria.
It’s fascinating to watch the production with everything stripped away except for the music;to see how the story still comes through,still has an impact. In between the technical aspects of the rehearsal however,the main joy is seeing how everyone in the room interacts,and the way they react to one another.
Normally the 27-piece orchestra is mostly hidden from view in the orchestra pit – here it’s possible to see exactly what each person is adding to the music swirling around us. Cast members not involved in a specific number sit in their chairs and mime along to the lyrics. Josh Piterman,who plays the Phantom,moves his arms in time with the drums. As key moments in the score happen,people take out their phones to capture them.