??Remember there are worse things than a shattered chandelier…?? the Phantom explains.

George Mason??s 2014 annual Fall musical is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ??The Phantom of the Opera.?? The show will be in the GM auditorium at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 20 through Saturday November 22. Tickets will be sold at the door.

In this chillingly beautiful production, a hauntingly vengeful man in a mask terrorizes an opera house and it??s inhabitants, including his attempts in finding affection with one of the chorus girls, Christine Daae. The show is frightful, romantic and has been on Broadway for over 25 years, holding the current record for the longest show on Broadway.

Mr. Shawn Northrip is directing and Mrs. Lauren Carpell is the musical director. They chose this production for our school because they found the proper talent acquired for this difficult show.

??We decided to embrace the challenge,?? Mr. Northrip said.

The leads for the show are: George Castillo (junior) as The Phantom; Alexandra Smith (senior) as Christine Daae; and Arijeet Sensharma (senior) as Raoul and Vicomte de Chagny.

??I??ve always liked ??Phantom?? since I was in 7th grade,?? Sensharma said.

All of the leads are very eager about this production, especially since for many of the students at George Mason, in 7th grade theatre at Mary Ellen Henderson, they had an entire unit on ??The Phantom of the Opera.??

??Everyone became obsessed with the music then,?? said senior Meagan Pierce, who in this production is playing the diva, Carlotta Giudicelli.

Rehearsals for the musical are long and tedious, going from around 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. When asked how she found time for her schoolwork, Smith laughed. Smith then said that she does her schoolwork whenever she finds a sparing moment, sometimes in rehearsal, sometimes getting up early to do it, after going to bed early.

??The hardest part so far has been trying to maintain my vocal health [because the music is so difficult]?? Smith explained.

Her favorite part of the musical is the song Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again because it evokes a deep emotion for her about missing loved ones.

In reference to Smith??s comment about her favorite part of the musical, Castillo said, ??I like that scene too, because I get to fight Raoul (Sensharma).??

??[It??s] a one of a kind experience that no one will forget,?? Northrip said.