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It was billed as an all-weather performance but Sydney’s heavy rain saw the cast get lashed while belting out songs from the iconic musical.
Intense rain wreaked havoc on a production of The Phantom of the Opera set to the backdrop of Sydney’s iconic Opera House and dazzling city skyline.
Musical lovers paid as much as $389 for tickets at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair during the opening week of Handa Opera’s world-class show.
Heavy bursts of rain forced organisers to call off the show early – but not before drenched audience members were treated to an incredible scene performed through the downfall.
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In footage uploaded to TikTok and Instagram, rain can be seen lashing the stage as Georgina Hopson (Christine Daae) and Joshua Robson (the Phantom) perform the song ‘The Point of No Return,’ in the second act.
Hopson also shared behind-the-scenes footage of the performance, of her sitting backstage in her soaked costume.
“Tonight we had to stop the show because of a torrential downpour – @jrobson4 and I literally performed the Point of No Return in a monsoon. I couldn’t even open my eyes,” she wrote in the caption on an Instagram story.
“I had to sit down in this dress because it was so heavy soaked with water! My job is insane.”
In the comments or a TikTok video, several of the viewers joked that they thought the rain was part of the performance.
Others expressed sympathy for the crew, cast and wardrobe department.
“I think the rain adds to the scene but the poor stage crew and costume people who has to dry everything,” one comment read.
“I really thought the rain was part of the performance,” shared another.
“Not me thinking this was a special effect until I read the comments,” wrote another.
“Imagine cleaning that up after and the potential safety issues a wet stage could cause.”
An audience member who attended the perfornace also shared their experience watching the show amid the downpour.
“Can confirm we were soaked but we came prepared for rain as it was forecast,” they wrote.
In a follow up video, the account (@lefantomedelopera) who posted the video confirmed that the microphones are waterproof and the actors have different, slip-proof shoes to wear in the event of wet weather.
The news was given to her by a cast member who also said that the costumes are able to withstand rain and the orchestra perform in a protected area underneath the stage.
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical created by Andrew Lloyd Webber and based on the novel of the same name by French author, Gaston Leroux.
While the musical’s event notes stated that the production would continue in all-weather conditions, Sydney’s heavy rain on Tuesday night proved too much.
However, it’s unknown whether the show goers from Tuesday night will be refunded for the short portion of the show they missed out on. The show was stopped after the third last song and the vast majority of the musical had already been performed.
Tickets for the Sunday to Friday shows range from $99 to $389, while Saturday night tickets are a little more pricey and range from $126 to $389.
News.com.au has reached out to Handa Opera for comment.
Originally published as Opera Australia’s Phantom of the Opera open theatre hit by rain
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