Lullanotes

You are crying! You are afraid of me! And yet I am not really wicked. Love me and you shall see! All I wanted was to be loved for myself.
― Gaston Leroux, 'The Phantom of the Opera'

I was fourteen when 'The Phantom of the Opera' came to Singapore. My best friend then, let's call her WL, asked me if I would be interested to watch it with her. I remembered that the Category 1 tickets were about SGD128 then and Category 2 tickets were at SGD90. Being in secondary school and having parents who did not understand my interest in musicals and frankly with no means to meant that I could only afford Category 2 tickets on my own then. I did not blame my parents one bit. My father was the sole bread winner and I have no doubt that they would have given me the money had they known I wanted to see it that badly. But paying for my ticket would also mean they have to scrimp and save in other ways. We tried to buy our tickets too late and by then, the only tickets available to us were the Category 1 tickets. I gave up watching the musical, telling myself that it will be back someday and I would make sure that by hook or by crook, I would get to watch it then.

Time passed by - WL and I graduated from our secondary school and went our separate ways to other institutions. She left Singapore to further her studies. She had always excelled academically and is ambitious of what Life can offer. I started work earlier than my peers and at this very moment, we are no longer friends. We lost touch, due to differences I am afraid to say, was largely my fault. I read and re-read the book till I could lift paragraphs out of it. I met my first boyfriend and fell in and out of love a few times. During particularly emotional nights, I wept, remembering of Erik's selfless love and how he died lonely and broken. I worked for different establishments. I dabbled in religion till I stumbled out of it and still, 'The Phantom of the Opera' was as elusive as his namesake, keeping me out of reach. It was to be a twelve years wait. It finally made its re-appearance in Singapore in 2007 and happy to say, I was already earning as an adult by then. I bought the most expensive ticket the day tickets went available for sales. I dressed myself beautifully and went off to the theatre to watch in rapture but what an agonizing wait it had been! Besides climbing The Great Wall of China which I had already done in 1996 on a school trip, watching 'The Phantom of the Opera' became the next biggest thing in my bucket list that time. Even if it had never made its way back to Singapore, I would have found a way to London.



'The Phantom of the Opera' is making its comeback from July 16 to August 11 this year so if that is in your bucket list, go grab your tickets from Sistic. I had already bought mine before it went on sales at Sistic. Even though I've watched it, a compelling love story that is my favourite musical still holds its undeniable magnetic appeal. Maybe one day, I will find myself seated in a West End theatre.