Phantom of the Opera review: A hauntingly beautiful performance at Dubai Opera

An unforgettable experience… 

The Phantom has returned to Dubai Opera, and it was a meeting we penned in our diary since last year, September 2023.

If you haven’t seen a musical before, or haven’t heard about this iconic performance before, here are all the reasons why you need to see it before the curtains fall on the final night on March 10, 2024. 

What is The Phantom of the Opera about?

Based on the novel by French journalist and mystery writer Gaston Leroux, the performance follows the tale of a disfigured musical genius who haunts the performers from the labyrinths hidden within the Paris Opera House. 

He falls in love with a young soprano, Christine and devotes his time to turn her into a star by nurturing her talents. Soon however, Christine meets Raoul, a childhood friend, and they fall in love causing the phantom to fall into a jealous rage. Of course, drama, horror and tragedy follows suite… 

The music…

If you haven’t seen the performance before, you would have surely heard a few of the wonderful melodies and haunting tunes before – a creation of the one and only, Andrew Lloyd Webber. 

The most popular operatic score – known across the world, is of course, The Phantom of the Opera, and thankfully the spellbinding tune surrounds the audience throughout multiple moments of the performance, almost echoing throughout the Dubai Opera theatre.   

Other personal favourites include Masquerade, Music of the Night, and All I Ask Of You... but each musical number is hauntingly beautiful in its own way. You’re sure to go home singing the stirring melodies and tunes. After all, The Phantom of the Opera is there… inside your mind…

The production…

If you’ve seen The Phantom of the Opera when it was in Dubai in 2019 and fell in love, you still need to book your tickets to see it again. And we can confidently tell you, that it is absolutely worth every dirham.

For one, this show promises a fresh take on this timeless story. Dubai Opera states that the current production also focuses on the emotional complexity of the character, and as we watched the performance unfold in front of us, we can say this is absolutely true.

The character is brought to life by British-Lebanese actor, Nadim Naaman, who brings out the Phantom’s emotional depth and turmoil. Not only were there tears in our eyes, we couldn’t help but want to reach out and comfort the Phantom, who is treated inhumanely by almost everyone.

Read our interview with Naaman here.

A quick review… 

There’s a reason why The Phantom of the Opera is one of the most popular musical in the world. The tale is so much more than a love story. It has it all: horror, action, comedy, suspense, thrills, mystery…

We laughed, we cried, we sang along and got chills as the drama unfolded in front of our eyes. We were in awe of the set designs, the costumes, and loved the perfect balance of comedic touches throughout the show. And we can’t forget the iconic chandelier scene… 

Several moments will live on forever in our hearts (and in our minds), which we will not share here lest we spoil it for you. We are certain that this will vary for different people, but one thing is for sure, you will be discussing it with your loved ones long after the show comes to an end.

Final verdict: Memorable, and we are making plans to see it again. And we are confident we will discover something new we didn’t see before…

Ticket details

Can’t wait to nab your seats? Get your tickets here.

Tickets are Dhs275 for grand circle silver, Dhs450 for royal circle gold, Dhs650 for royal circle platinum and Dhs850 for VIP.

Where to dine before the show?

Because you wouldn’t want your belly rumbles to distort the musical masterpiece taking place on stage, you best dine before the show. Here are some great options.

The Phantom of the Opera at Dubai Opera, Downtown Dubai, until March 10, 2024, Tel: (0)4 440 8888, dubaiopera.com