Mayor Leon voices support for "Phantom of the Opera"

It is no secret that Mayor Paul Leon is a fanatic of the arts. At the last council meeting, in support of Chaffey High School Theater department's latest production, "Phantom of the Opera," he brought a portion of the show to the council meeting.

At Tuesday night's council meeting, Leon reminded the public that their last chance to catch the well-known musical was fast approaching.

"There's only a few show left," he said. "This world class entertainment is at our high school. I saw it and it was off the charts, I don't know how to explain it."

Final performances at Gardiner Spring Auditorium will be Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Regular tickets are sold at the door for $13, first-come, first-seated. Which Leon said, is significantly less compared to shows such as "Wicked," which is currently showing at Pantages Theaters.

"I recommend you go see it. It will really impress you," he said.

Chaffey High School Theater Director Dave Masterson, who is spending $62,000 on the show, said the public will not be treated to a typical high school production.

"Even though this is a high school production emulating the professionals, it's at a much higher level," he said of the 61 student actors and 45 technicians in the show.

To ensure the Ontario show is as close to the London production as possible, Masterson has spent $21,000 on a computerized chandelier that travels six feet per second. At one point during the show, the chandelier will fly across the audience, he said.

To add to the authenticity of the show, Masterson has asked several professional actors who were part of the Los Angeles production of "Phantom of the Opera" to assist with the rehearsals.

Tickets may be reserved and guaranteed by purchasing at www.chsthespians.com. Children under 6 will not be admitted.

Chaffey High School is at 1245 N. Euclid Ave.

For more information, call 909-988-5560 ext. 2314.