Written by Jeanette Birt

As soon as I got to my hotel in downtown Toronto, I simply left my unpacked suitcase in my room and dashed off to find the theatre. I found that I was only about ten minutes walk away from the Pantages, so I was really pleased about that! I booked two shows, one for that evening (being a Thursday) and one for Saturday evening. My penpal, John, had already booked seats for the Sunday matinee performance so I was delighted to know that I'd be seeing My Hero at the Pantages at least three times. I would certainly have booked for more but time didn't allow, especially as I had a longed-for visit to the Avon Boutique arranged for the Friday, thanks to John and his wife Shirley.

At the Thursday performance, (I'd managed to get a great seat about eight rows back from the stage at HALF-PRICE!) I saw Kimilee Bryant play Christine, along with Jeff Hyslop as The Phantom and Laird Mackintosh as Raoul. Kimilee has a beautiful voice and I very much enjoyed her portrayal. Laird was a charming and devoted Raoul, the two actors playing the managers were brilliant, and Kim Stengel as Carlotta was great. Jeff was very good as Erik, although his voice was a little rough at times because he was taking medication for something (I found out later). His acting and stage presence was excellent throughout. I went back to my hotel on winged feet, even though at that point I'd been up and about for 24-hours, given the time difference. Wasn't a bit tired though - I could easily have sat through it all again!

I thought the Pantages Theatre was absolutely beautiful, especially after taking the tour and learning the history of the theatre. From the street, it doesn't look very much like a theatre, but once inside, it really is stunning. Spacious, elegant, with wonderful decor and excellent amenities, and I just LOVED the gorgeous cookies for sale during the interval! They went down a treat with my coffee as I stood watching the theatregoers milling about. Many of the female members of the audience wore evening dress - not long ballgowns as such, rather more sort of cocktail dresses - and they looked wonderful. Some even wore long gloves and lovely jewellery, and looked simply marvellous! And I really appreciated the fact that no smoking was allowed anywhere in the theatre. At Her Majesty's in London, smoking is allowed in the bar and it gets a bit overpowering, so I always spend the interval upstairs in the foyer.

Next time I saw the show was on Saturday evening, after I'd had a great day sightseeing in Toronto. One of the highlights of my trip was having my lunch at the top of the CN Tower, which was totally fantastic, even though I'm really scared of heights! Needless to say, I didn't go anywhere near that glass floor - ooohhh nooo!! Anyway, the show was superb and I enjoyed every moment - it really was a cracking production and I was really sad when we finally came to that moving finale, when that poignant, lonely mask is held aloft by Meg. The cast were given a standing ovation and cheered to the rafters - oh, and this time I saw Melissa Dye as Christine, who was very sweet, although I think I preferred Kimilee's voice. Again, I went back to my hotel on an absolute high and looked forward to the following day when I would see the show once more.

Next day, Sunday, I met John and Shirley for lunch in the Eaton Centre and then we went over to the Pantages where I found to my huge delight that John had managed to get front-row seats. As soon as he knew I would definitely be going out to Canada, he booked the seats - what a great pal! This would be my 87th time of seeing the show (I'm currently now up to 95 and counting...) and my last visit to the Pantages production (boo hoo!), so I settled back in my seat and thoroughly enjoyed the show. The cast were on great form and once again had a standing ovation - thoroughly deserved. I wanted to see it all over again! Anyway, as we gathered up our things, John told me to "take your time as I have a little surprise for you". I looked at him enquiringly and he said, "You are going to meet...The Phantom!!!". Oh heavens, I fell back in my seat unable to speak for a moment. He and Shirley laughed, but assured me it was true.

We made our way to the Stage Door, where I waited with my legs trembling and my heart beating at twice its normal speed. Kim Stengel came up the stairs holding her gorgeous little baby, and we all had a little chat as she signed our programmes. Then Laird Mackintosh appeared with Deanne from the ballet chorus. He is so good-looking and absolutely charming and friendly. They both signed our programmes, and then Jeff came bounding up the stairs, dressed in t-shirt and shorts. We were invited down to his dressing-room (a first ever for me!), where he entertained us for half-an-hour or so before he had to drive to the airport, as he was going to New York later that afternoon. I spotted the Red Death mask on a stand, and someone had plonked a sort of Groucho Marx bald head and glasses mask on top of it! Jeff is again just like Laird, a really charming man who answered all our eager questions, told us about his plans, and had his photograph taken several times with us three. He had been having some problems with his voice recently and had to take medication, which is why his voice unfortunately failed a couple of times. It happens to the best!

Then it really was time for us to go, and after saying goodbye to Jeff and thanking him for making my trip to Toronto even more wonderful, we left the theatre. I also said goodbye to John and Shirley, for they live an hour's drive from Toronto and had to stop off on the way to visit a relative. They are a super couple and made me so welcome to their home, and taking me to the phabulous Avon Boutique, as well as that last phantastic show at the Pantages.

Next day was my last in Toronto as I was due to fly home that evening, so during the warm, sunny morning I wandered around the town and the harbour, then went back to the Pantages to take a couple more photographs and say goodbye. I had had a truly great time in Toronto, which I loved and would love to visit again one day, but the reason for my visit was to see Phantom at the Pantages and realise a dream. I had my souvenirs to take back home, including a superb stained-glass picture of Erik which I'd bought in the Avon Boutique, and of course I have my memories.

It is a great tragedy that the show was taken off, for it was a superb production. I hope that one day Toronto will be able to welcome back The Phantom if perhaps another entertainment company will be able to stage the show. For me, it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life and I'm so glad I was able to see The Phantom of the Opera at the Pantages Theatre.

Thank you, Toronto, for a phantastic time! Love you lots!