The tragic love triangle between the deformed Phantom of the Opera, the young singer Christine Daaé and her childhood sweetheart Raoul has captured the hearts of Phantom fans around the world since the long-running musical premiered in London in 1986. In Phantom—The Las Vegas Spectacular, Kristi Holden performs as Christine six nights a week (she shares the part with Kristen Hertzenberg, who performs twice a week), a role that is challenging both vocally and emotionally. To prepare for the role of the chorus-girl-turned-opera-singer who is seduced by the melodies of the Angel of Music, Holden arrives at the theater between 5 and 5:30 p.m. for a 7 p.m. show. She puts her long hair in her wig cap, applies her makeup and enjoys a relaxing cup of coffee while listening to her iPod. It’s at 6:30 p.m. when her wig is placed on her head, though, that she becomes the character. “Then I look like Christine,” Holden says. “That’s when I’ll start thinking about the show, mentally preparing and I start warming up.”
Backstage in her dressing room, we spoke with Holden about playing one of the most famous lead female musical theater roles of all time.
What’s On: Is playing Christine a dream role for you?
Kristi Holden: It is! I think Christine is probably one of the ultimate ingénue roles any soprano would want to sing.
WO: How did you develop your character?
H: When I was hired for the role, I spent some time in New York with the creative team and they gave me some background. …I read the book (Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera) to help me glean what I could from the story, and I took a lot of what I learned in the book as my subtext that the audience may not really know, but that I brought into the character.
WO: Are you at all like Christine?
H: Yes, I think for a long time in my life I was very innocent, and life experiences help you grow up and that happens to Christine. Also, I feel like I’m a compassionate person, and I find that at the end of the show, the biggest lesson is compassion. For Christine it’s not that she’s choosing the Phantom to save Raoul, she’s deciding to show the Phantom that there is love and that he can be loved, and after all he’s done to her, she’s finding that compassion and strength inside herself. I think that’s an important thing to carry through in your own personal life.
WO: How do you keep your voice in shape for the show?
H: The show keeps my voice in shape—doing it six nights a week and singing most of the show. I have to watch how much I sing outside of work because it’s a pretty demanding role. My voice has gotten much stronger singing these songs.
WO: Do you have a favorite song or moment in the show?
H: [One of them] is “Think of Me.” It’s one of the most challenging moments in the show because it’s the first time the audience meets Christine. Vocally, I have to make sure I’m on top, and [I’m] singing with the scarf, [trying] to be coordinated, singing and running around that big stage, and to pull it off to where it looks effortless. It’s also the moment where Christine is finally living her dream, so every moment I live that as Kristi as well.
WO: Valentine’s Day is coming. Where would you recommend people go for a romantic evening?
H: I think the perfect Valentine’s Day would be to see Phantom and eat dinner at Valentino [inside The Venetian].
Phantom—The Las Vegas Spectacular | Mon.-Sat., 7 p.m.; Mon. & Sat., 9:30 p.m. (dark Sun.) | From $59 | The Phantom Theatre, The Venetian | 702-414-9000
Photo by Shane O'Neal
