FRANCO-TURK ACTOR THRIVES AS THE PHANTOM IN TURKISH TOUR
In this fast-paced, magical, and ambitiously abridged version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical Phantom Of The Opera, produced by Cloud Theatre, there is little doubt that Emile Aslan Lacheny reaches the absolute peak of excellence. Lacheny shines in this role, bringing the charming and elegant demeanor that Webber’s version of this character requires in order to be successful. It’s also nice to see an actor of French origins portray a character that is rooted in French literature. People will always associate Phantom of the Opera with Britain because of the stage show, but Cloud Theatre honors the character’s origins by casting a French actor in the lead. And they couldn’t have cast the role better. I would love to see Lecheny perform lead roles in other musical theatre shows, particularly as Enjolras or Marius in Les Miserables or as Sweeney in Sweeney Todd. He not only has the voice for such roles but his character work is outstanding.
Co-starring alongside Lacheny, Anthony Kairouz brings a unique energy to Raoul which definitely sets him apart from most actors who take on the role. We can certainly see how Christine might be torn between him and the Phantom. Speaking of Christine, Andrea Stein was born to play this part. I would love to see what she would do with her in a non-abridged version. Abridged or not, Christine is not easy to pull off but this actress does not let her audience down.
Cloud Theatre is a professional English TIE Theatre Company that has performed throughout Turkey in schools in order to entice them to develop their English skills. To this date, Cloud Theatre holds the title of Largest English-Speaking Theatre in Turkey. What’s completely obvious when watching this version of Phantom is that they hold this title for a reason. The show is well directed, entertaining, and filled with talent. There is not a single weak link in this show. Every single student that attends this show is lucky to do so.
For more information on the performance and to read more about Cloud Theatre, check out their website at https://www.cloudtheatre.net/