APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV)

There are musicals, and there are MUSICALS.

(Watch Local 5 News at 10 p.m. Saturday, December 14 for the on-air story)

The MUSICAL visiting Fox Cities Performing Arts Centerarrived in 20 truckloads, brought a company of 64, took three 16-hour days toinstall and includes a dress weighing 80 pounds and a chandelier weighing 2,000pounds.

This MUSICAL The Phantom of the Opera has been runningfor more than 30 years on Broadway and in London.

It is an honor to protect such a great piece, Max Quinlan,resident director of the touring production, told especially interested studentsduring a workshop Friday afternoon.

The students are from 23 schools participating in the CenterStage High School Music Theatre Program. Part of the elaborate program is accessto various elements of shows behind the scenes.

Theres not common knowledge of what goes into this show,said Leland Bartikoski, a junior at Green Bay Preble High School.

As did others, he liked getting a glimpse into the process.

Pouring on the information was Quinlan in four spaces in thecenter a secondary theater, a lobby walkway, the main hall and back to thesecondary theater.

Quinlan said his widely encompassing job was part manager, part director and part therapist.

A prime question from a student was about his No. 1 piece ofadvice.

Be kind, Quinlan said.

Everybody in a show the scale of The Phantom of the Operahas to rely on one another, he said.

Collaboration and communication are part of that.

We become a team together in order to bring this to an audience,Quinlan said.

Answering a student, he said a favorite part of his job is bringingnew cast members into a production to help them feel they are individually contributingto what this show is.

Answering another student about pursuing a degree in theater,Quinlan said, Theater is valuable outside of being in theater (as a career).Theater helps anyone understand human beings and human behavior, he said.

On the lobby walkway, students heard Quinlan pour out his soul about his feelings for theater, acting and directing. Along with offering many technical details about the workings of the production, Quinlan offer to the students lessons in life.

He told of coming from performing family in the Chicago anddeveloping through acting and studies and experience. A key meeting was withCameron Mackintosh, producer of this reshaped production of The Phantom of theOpera and shaper of much about theater in his home country, England, and the UnitedStates.

I was liked, and that was it, Quinlan said.

He often returned to the theme.

Theater is all about relationships, he said.

And, what is needed to put on a show of this scale is respectingeverybody.

Quinlan also offered a tip on directing. Every player bringshis or her own self to a role, an individual quality, and he or she should begiven that space. Its not like, This is the way its done, he said.

A highlight of the workshop was Quinlan telling the ins andouts of the specially built chandelier. That included his descriptions as thechandelier was being checked and prepared for the evening show. In theperformance, the chandelier sparks and puffs flames and smoke, aside from eek! falling.

It is unbelievably safe, Quinlan said.

Students came from both onstage and backstage experience in their school productions. Most I spoke with from Fond du Lac, Mishicot, Pulaski, Kaukauna and Green Bay Preble said they hoped to come away with a broader knowledge of what theater takes, from a high-level pro.

One student boiled down his expectations to simply this: Enjoy. Anywhere Quinlan held forth, questions flowed from students.

Only one stumped him. He didnt know how many lights are used in The Phantom of the Opera.

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PREVIEW: Director of touring Phantom of the Opera offers insights in Appleton - WeAreGreenBay.com