Andrew Lloyd Webber’s beloved musical The Phantom of the Opera may have celebrated its last run on Broadway after 35 years, but Fort Wayne Summer Music Theatre is keeping it alive in all its Gothic glory right here in Fort Wayne. 

Directed by Andrew Sherman with music direction by Eric Van Cleave, this production of Phantom promises to tug your heartstrings with all the enthusiasm and energy of its Broadway counterpart. You can catch this production, incidentally FWSMT’s 25th anniversary, at Fort Wayne’s historic North Side High School from July 14-23.  

If you’ve never seen a FWSMT production, Sherman assures you the $18 ticket price for students and $22 for adults will get you a seat to a truly riveting show. 

“If you’re trying to introduce your child to a classic, beautiful piece of theater at a not-Broadway ticket price, come see us this summer,” he said. “I promise you we will not disappoint.” 

If you have seen a FWSMT production, such as Les Misérables or West Side Story, then you already know how much effort and sheer talent goes into each show. Meanwhile, if you’re a Phantom of the Opera fan, I don’t need to sell you on the idea of checking out a version done by one of Fort Wayne’s most talented theater companies. But if I do, just keep reading.

Rising to the occasion

In Sherman’s estimation, Phantom of the Opera is about as big as it gets. Having applied for the rights to the show a couple of years ago, it was thrilling for everyone involved when they got the confirmation call. Putting their best foot forward, the Indiana Musical Theatre Foundation made sure they could pull out all the stops before finally deciding to put the show into production for their Fort Wayne Summer Music Theatre this year.

“We’re building some of it, we’re renting some of it, we’re borrowing some of it,” Sherman said of the set. 

Anything to bring the show to its full glory — you’ll find no half-hearted enthusiasm here. 

This production features more than 65 high school-age students that bring the presentation to life. That includes 50 cast members, including an 8-year-old (but I won’t give away why an 8-year-old is in the show!) 

For auditions, they drew students from a 50-mile radius, some of them even coming from places like Hicksville and Goshen. With more than 100 students auditioning for roles, Sherman said it was hard to turn some of the talented youths away. 

Ultimately, they ended up with an “all-star team” ready to tackle each chromatic drop and ballet twirl with aplomb and enthusiasm. 

“We have students of all skill sets, of all shapes and sizes, of all ethnicities, of all pronouns, and it is just one of the most inspiring things as an educator to just get to do this every summer and watch all of them excel,” Sherman said. 

More than acting experience

While the students steal the spotlight for most of the production — even handling aspect such as set building, lightboard operation, and soundboard operation — this production is brought to life behind the scenes by people like costumer Kelly Gomes, lighting designer Jacob Zeigler, and carpenter Scott Troemel. 

Sherman told me they “have 50 cast members this year and each of those cast members has a minimum of three costumes. So, it’s well over in the 300 costume range.” 

The crew is also mostly students, but they have professional adult stage managers who oversee them. 

Allowing the students so much hands-on involvement is what makes FWSMT such a great environment for kids passionate about theater. 

Since each student signs a contract that assigns them to no less than eight build hours, what you see in the final production is a comprehensive effort of these young and talented individuals to join forces and knock it out of the park.

Added dimension

When it comes to FWSMT, it’s all about setting an expectation of excellence for the students and encouraging them to step out of their comfort zones. 

In Phantom of the Opera, several students are doing so by learning ballet, with Britney Lombardo and Leslie Beauchamp tackling the choreography. 

Twelve students, some unfamiliar with this type of dance, have stepped up to the challenge. Sherman says learning new skills during FWSMT allows them to “leave as more disciplined performers,” and he was delighted to see how improvement in the first session was like “night and day.” 

Sherman also told me this is one of the first FWSMT shows where ballet features prominently. 

“This show in particular is crossing into a realm that we have never really done before, and that excites me, and that’s ballet,” he said. 

It seems Sherman’s enthusiasm is echoed by students taking part in the production. From dancing to singing to acting to boat piloting, these students have all risen to the occasion to learn new skills and sharpen existing ones. 

Support during school year

Head on over to the FWSMT website to grab your tickets at imtfinc.com and enjoy some of the best theatrical production Fort Wayne has to offer. 

After all, when the curtains open on Phantom of the Opera, not only will you know that these high school-aged students have worked their tails off, but you’ll see it in every detail of their performance — from the set to the singing to the supportive nature embellishing everything they do. 

Lastly, if you’re impressed by Phantom of the Opera, I have good news for you: You can continue to support many of these talented kids at their own high schools once the school year resumes!