HERE IN HAWAII, OPENING TODAY.
THE LONG RUNNING BROADWAY
HIT PHANTOM OF THE OPERA IS
FINALLY HERE IN HAWAI'I, OPENING
TODAY AND WE'RE GRATEFUL TO HAVE
THE STAR OF THE SHOW HERE, THE
PHANTOM HIMSELF.
DERRICK DAVIS.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
SAY IT AGAIN.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
I'M LOOK FORWARD BECAUSE I'VE
NEVER SEEN IT.
MY DAD'S LIKE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN
IT.
NO, I'VE NEVER SEEN IT.
I KNOW YOU GUYS OPEN TONIGHT
BECAUSE THIS IS A SPECTACULAR
NEW PRODUCTION.
TELL ME WHAT MAKES IT
SPECTACULAR AND NEW.
FIRST, A LOT OF PEOPLE
HAVEN'T SEEN IT SO I'M EXCITED
FOR YOU AND EVERYBODY ELSE TO
GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE
THIS.
FIRST OF ALL, IT'S THE SAME
BELOVED MUSIC AND STORY LINE OF
ANDREW LOYD WEBBER.
WHAT WE PUSHED FORWARD IS THE
THINGS TECHNOLOGY HAS ADVANCED
IN THE 30 PLUS YEARS THE SHOW'S
BEEN IN EXISTENCE.
THE P PYROTECHNICS ARE PHENOMENAL.
THE RELATIONSHIPS WITH DEEP AND
MORE GRITTY.
I LIKE TO CALL IT AN ACTION
ADVENTURE MUSICAL WITH A LOVE
STORY MIXED IN.
I LOVE IT.
CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE
WAY YOU PLAY THIS ROLE.
IT HAS BEEN PLAYED BY OTHER
ACTORS AND I'D LOVE TO KNOW HOW
YOU FEEL IN THIS ROLE.
I HAVE TO PLAY HOMAGE TO
EVERY ACTOR THAT'S PLAYED THE
ROLE, ESPECIALLY MICHAEL
CRAWFORD.
BUT EVERY ACTOR CARRIES WITH HIM
OR HER THE WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE
THAT THEY'VE EXPERIENCED AS A
HUMAN BEING BUT EVERYTHING THEY
LEARNED AS A PERFORMER.
SO ALL OF THAT THAT I'VE
EXPERIENCED AS A PERFORMER IS
INFUSED INTO MY PLAYING THE
CHARACTER OF THE PHANTOM.
AND I LIKE TO DELVE INTO HIS
HUMANITY.
SO CONNECTS WITH THE AUDIENCE IN
A DEEPER WAY.
THAT'S GREAT.
DOES IT CONNECT WITH YOU?
NOT THE MURDERING SIDE BUT
ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS, YEAH.
SPOILER ALERT.
I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW.
NO, I'M KIDDING.
THE LOGISTICS OF THE SHOW,
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
PYROTECHNICS AND HOW BIG THE
PRODUCTION IS.
HOW DID BRINGING IT TO HAWAI'I
ADD TO THAT BECAUSE IT'S BIG AND
IT'S A LONG WAY TO COME.
WE TRAVEL ABOUT 20 TO
2518-WHEELERS NORMALLY IN THE
CONTINENTAL U.S.
SO WE HAD TO GET ALL OF THOSE
THINGS, THE COSTUMES, SET AND
EVERYTHING ON TO A SHIP AND
WE'RE JUST VERY EXCITED TO BE
HERE.
THE COSTUMES, YOU TOUCHED ON
THAT, THOSE ARE ALSO PRETTY
ELABORATE.
THOSE ARE STILL THE ORIGINAL
COSTUMES.
THAT HAS NOT CHANGED.
WHEN YOU'RE DOING THE SHOW,
THINKING ABOUT WHERE YOU'RE AT
AND THE AUDIENCE THAT IS THERE,
HOW DO YOU FEEL?
WHAT DOES THAT DO TO YOU KNOWING
THE AUDIENCE IS ENJOYING THE
SHOW AS MUCH AS YOU'RE ENJOYING
PUTTING IT ON?
IT MAKES IT WORTH IT.
AS A PERFORMER I WANT TO
INSPIRE.
I WANT TO ILLUMINATE, I WANT TO
EFFECT CHANGE.
I WANT TO TRANSPORT SOMEBODY TO
SOME PLACE THEY ARE NOT ACTUALLY
AT AND GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY
TO ESCAPE REALITY JUST FOR A
LITTLE WHILE.
WITH AN AUDIENCE --
YOU THINK ABOUT ELABORATE
MOVIES.
YOU TALKED ABOUT THE
THERE'S A LOT OF PROPS INVOLVED
IN THE SHOW TOO.
YES.
IT FILLS 18 SEMIS.
YEVMENT THE PROPS, BELIEVE IT
OR NOT, A LOT OF THEM ARE VERY
AUTHENTIC PIECES BROUGHT OVER
FROM EUROPE.
EVERYBODY CONNECTED, THEY WANT
IT TO BE AS AUTHENTIC AS
POSSIBLE AND SO THE PROPS THAT
WE HAVE HERE, YOU CAN'T REALLY
SEE FROM FAR AWAY BUT SOME OF
THEM ARE THE MOST ORNATE
BEAUTIFUL THING THAT ARE A PART
OF OUR SHOW.
HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN YOU PUT
ON THAT ICONIC HALF MASK?
IT TRANSFORMS ME.
THERE'S SOMETHING THAT I LIKE TO
THINK ABOUT BEFORE I GO ON AND
TO PLAY THE PHANTOM EVERY TIME
AND THAT'S WHAT HE'S A
REFLECTION OF SOCIETY IN THAT
THERE'S A PART OF US THAT WE
WANT TO HIDE FROM SOCIETY SO
THAT WE CAN SHOW OUR TRUE SELVES
BEFORE THEY SEE THE UNIFORMITY
THAT LIES WITHIN.
WHEN I PUT IT ON, I TAKE ON THE
WEIGHT OF THE ENTIRE AUDIENCE ON
MY FACE AND PUT IT ON TO THE
STAGE AND HOPEFULLY THEY ARE
MOVED BY IT AND THEY FIND SOME
CATH ATTIC RELIEF.
DERRICK DAVIS, EVERYBODY.
THIS IS AMAZING, THE PHANTOM
HIMSELF.
THE SHOWS BEGIN TONIGHT.
TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE.
I KNOW CHRIS IS RIGHT OFFSCREEN.
BLAISDELL CENTER AUGUSTTH
THROUGH SEPTEMBER FIRST.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE HERE FOR A
WHILE.
PLATE LUNCHES, BASH KEUNCHT I'M
GOING TO ALL HILO THIS.