Monday, August 31, 1998
Phantom star returns to haunt Los Angeles stage after hiatus
THEATER: Legendary actor of Broadway, L.A. forums glad to be
back behind mask
By Stephanie Sheh
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Eight shows a week. Fifty-two weeks in a year. For five
years.
When Davis Gaines finally left the "Phantom of the Opera" about
a year and a half ago, he had completed 1,937 shows as the Phantom.
Now Gaines, who has the distinction of being the longest running
Broadway and Los Angeles Phantom, dividing his five-year time span
between the two cities, is putting the mask on again.
Gaines returned to Los Angeles and the Phantom on Friday at the
Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. The limited run is scheduled until
Nov. 1, and Gaines has slid comfortably back into the role.
"It was exactly like riding a bike," Gaines said. The actor was
performing the title role in "Phantom" for two weeks in Minneapolis
before his Los Angeles return. "I didn’t know if I would remember
it. I had no idea because it had been such a long time. And as soon
as I got all that stuff on and the make-up and shoes and my costume
and the set (and) the stairs, I just fell back into place. My body
just went back to what it used to do, and it was fun."
Gaines was initially wary about returning to the role, however.
He admits that it took some convincing on the producers’ part to
get him to return.
"It was a very hard decision because I had done it for five
years the first time around and loved it and enjoyed every minute
of it," Gaines said. "It was great experience for me. I kind of
wanted to leave it with that memory, saying that I finished on
Broadway and (did it there) for two and a half years."
He also had some concerns that people would scrutinize his
decision for returning to the part.
"I thought, ‘Why should I be concerned that people will think
that that is the only part I can play?’" he said. "’Why is that guy
doing that part again?’ And I thought, ‘You know what? Life is too
short to spend it worrying about what other people are going to
think, as far as that’s concerned, because it’s a part that I love
doing. And a part that I’m good at. (When) I’m young enough and I’m
fit enough where I can still do it, why not just do it?’"
One of the main reasons that Gaines finally decided to return
was Los Angeles itself. During his previous five years as the
Phantom, he never lived in the same city as he was performing. The
actor said that he’s excited about being able to live in his own
house, sleep in his own bed and go to the theater to work.
But after playing the Phantom in New York for such a long time,
Gaines is also looking forward to the Los Angeles audiences. In
fact, he closed "Phantom" in Los Angeles on Aug. 29 in 1993 and
opened it this time on Aug. 28, making it almost five years to the
day.
"I remember the L.A. audiences being extremely, extremely
responsive and verbal and excited by the show, and I hope that they
are when I get back," Gaines said. "But it’s a whole new generation
coming to see it; kids that were 2 and 3 are now 8."
Gaines said that since "Phantom" has been running on Broadway
for so long, there are differences between New York and Los Angeles
audiences. According to Gaines, most of the locals have already
seen the show. The actor said that a lot of the audiences have been
non-English speaking tourists.
"It is interesting because at the end of the show they really
enjoy it, but during the show, they’re just watching and listening,
and they don’t really understand," Gaines said. "It’s like going to
the opera where you don’t really understand the words. You
appreciate the sound and you appreciate the beauty of the piece,
but you don’t respond to the jokes or to the different words. So
there’s a difference in the reaction in the audience. So I’m
looking forward to L.A. where people understand what’s going
on."
What Gaines thinks audiences probably won’t notice are the
subtle changes in the way he plays his character. The actor said he
has not made any drastic changes to the character, but does notice
differences in his own performances.
"For me, subtle things make all the difference in the world,"
Gaines said. "Every night, you can subtly work on those certain
moments or change something that makes it clearer or simpler or
better for the audience to get the story. It was a much needed
break for me. I came back to it fresh and focused and looking at it
from a different place, as opposed to doing it every day for five
years. I don’t know if anyone else will notice it, but for me
that’s all that matters."
After removing the mask, Gaines hasn’t been just lounging in
front of the television these past months. He was hand-picked by
Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber to star in "Whistle Down the Wind." He
appeared in episodes of "Veronica’s Closet" and "Chicago Hope"
during the ’97-’98 television season. He took part in the Kennedy
Center Honors tribute to Hal Prince. On top of that, Gaines has
been doing charity work.
"I do it whenever I can," he said. "If I can make a difference
and raise a few bucks here and there for different charities if at
all possible I will go do things. I get requests from different
charities all the time, especially being in New York with Broadway
Cares: Equity fights AIDS. It’s a big, big charity that all
Broadway shows give their time and talents to."
Most recently Gaines sang for an event to raise money for his
friends’ new organization that was formed to help fight retino
glaustoma, which is an eye disease affecting children.
As for after the show, Gaines has no concrete projects lined up,
but he plans to pursue film and television work. The actor is
currently in negotiations to shoot a movie during September. If
things work out, he will be filming duirng the day and playing
Phantom at night.
And what about returning to the Phantom after a couple of
years?
"I never dreamed of going back to Broadway to do it again, and
that was two and a half years," Gaines said. "And this time, I
never thought I’d be back five years later in L.A. doing it. So
I’ve learned never to say never. I’m sure in whatever condition, if
the time is right, and the situation surrounding it were right,
then yeah, why not?"
THEATER: Gaines appears as the Phantom in "Phantom of the Opera"
through Nov. 1 at the Pantages Theatre. For tickets and more
information, call (213)365-3555 or go online to
www.ticketmaster.com.
Broadway L.A.
Davis Gaines (left) is the Phantom, and Marie Danvers plays
Christine in "The Phantom of the Opera".