NEW YORK — Christine Daaé is the heroine of one of theater’s most beloved productions, “The Phantom of the Opera,” which has enchanted audiences for decades through spectacle and stunning musical numbers. But for actress Francesca Mehrotra, Christine’s story of betrayal, mercy and love also carries an unmistakable echo of the Gospel.
Mehrotra, a Catholic soprano currently playing Christine in “Masquerade,” an immersive off-Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera” in New York City, sees a biblical message in the character’s decision to show mercy to someone who has hurt her.
“I think a lot of Christian women who’ve gotten to play Christine — I know there are multiple in our cast — we would all say that the story has an inherently Christ-like message to it,” the singer and actress told The Christian Post.
For Mehrotra, so much of Christ’s unconditional love is reflected in the character of Christine and how she lives throughout the show.
In “The Phantom of the Opera,” Christine is a young singer whose father had promised that, after his death, he would send the “Angel of Music” to guide her. Christine becomes the obsession of the Phantom, a masked musical genius who lives beneath the opera house.
The Phantom deceives Christine by pretending to be the promised “Angel of Music,” a lie that allows him to gain her trust and serve as her vocal teacher. As the story progresses, the Phantom’s obsession with Christine grows, and he even commits murder and resorts to abducting the young opera singer.
In the musical’s final scene, which takes place in the Phantom’s lair beneath the opera house, Christine is forced to make a choice: Save the life of her childhood friend Raoul and live out the rest of her days with the Phantom, or refuse the Phantom and watch as he kills Raoul.
Despite the Phantom’s betrayal and many sinful acts throughout the show, Christine responds with compassion by kissing him and expressing sorrow over the loneliness and pain he has endured due to his deformities.
Mehrotra believes this moment reflects the story of the Gospel and the day-to-day encounters that she has with God.
“Every day, I betray the person who died for me by sinning,” she said. “I’m so imperfect; I’m messing up on a daily basis in small ways, sometimes in big ways too. And every day, Christ meets me with open arms in the midst of those mistakes.”
Mehrotra interprets the kiss as Christine deciding to look beyond the pain the Phantom has inflicted on her and instead recognize the pain that has shaped him.
“Instead of looking at the pain you’ve caused me, why don’t I instead choose to look at the pain that has been inflicted upon you?” Mehrotra said.
Christine, the actress said, chooses to put aside her own pain and show the Phantom generosity. The immediate act of mercy may be painful for her, but Mehrotra believes its effects can extend beyond Christine’s relationship with the Phantom.
The decision to forgive, in Mehrotra’s interpretation, can “bear a lot of fruit” that lasts beyond their relationship. For Mehrotra, playing Christine has provided her with a “beautiful opportunity” to be in a show with a message that aligns with something she tries to embrace in her daily life.
“I’ve been a recipient of great mercy,” she said. “So what a gift to be able to play a character that has to give such mercy.”
“The Phantom of the Opera” has remained part of popular culture for generations, starting as a newspaper serial before it was published as a novel in 1910, spanning numerous adaptations over the years, including Lloyd Webber’s stage musical.
Mehrotra believes the story’s longevity comes from the truths that it reveals about humanity, which, as a Christian, she views through the lens of the Gospel.
“But I think even if you’re not a person of faith, there’s a lot of truth and beauty of the human experience written into the show,” she explained. “It’s a message that is universal.”
One way that the immersive nature of the “Masquerade” show makes the story’s theme about the duality of humanity more tangible is by requiring audience members to wear masks. The audience wears masks as they move through different rooms throughout the production, each featuring a scene from “The Phantom of the Opera” musical that brings them into close proximity with the actors.
At the end of the show, once Christine has redeemed the Phantom and departed with Raoul, the audience members all remove their masks.
According to Mehrotra, members of the cast would often cry during rehearsals when they reached the point where the masks were removed, and they looked at one another. Not only is the moment an emotional one, but for the Christian actor, it also highlights the show’s message.
“You know, we all hide. We all wear masks,” she said. “And I don’t think that God caused us to wear masks. I think He wants us to look at everything. To look at the whole person, good, bad, everything in between.”
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
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