That half-masked man returns to Cincinnati today for his third visit. He's been away for almost five years.

        He brings along an impressive bag of theatrical tricks: a 1,000-pound chandelier (duck!), a candlelit underground lake, 35 supporting cast members, 11 well-dressed mannequins to fill out crowd scenes, 10 fog and smoke machines, 550 pounds of dry ice (per show), 16 musicians, 2,700 yards of drapery, 60 crew members and one elephant.

IF YOU GO

What: Phantom of the Opera When: 8 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday through Oct. 13. Additional performances: 1 p.m. Sept. 20 and Oct. 11, and 8 p.m. Oct. 8 Where: Aronoff Center for the Arts Procter & Gamble Hall Tickets: $15-$67. 241-7469

        All of this is put to work in Phantom of the Opera, a near-century-old tale of horror, romance and outrageous melodrama, made grander than the Grand Guignol thanks to technological wizardry and a melodic score by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber. It's added up to a formula for success since Phantom debuted in London in October 1986. Since then, 63 million theatergoers have seen it worldwide.

Great journey

        The man behind the mask on the Procter & Gamble Hall stage is Ted Keegan, who has performed the role live on The Today Show and at half-time of an NBA All-Star Game as well as on Broadway.

        It is a terrific gig, he says, even if people waiting outside the stage door for autographs after the show don't recognize him when he leaves the theater.

        “It's a blast to do,” he says of the tormented madman who haunts the Paris Opera.

        The Phantom finds his doom in the beautiful young singer he mentors but who, alas, loves another. Mr. Keegan says, “It's a great journey from the first moment to the last.”

        Mr. Keegan first made the acquaintance of the Phantom in 1991 in Toronto, where he was in a touring show and Phantom was also playing.

        “I couldn't help it,” he says. “As I was watching, I was thinking, "I could do this.' ”

        He started three years of understudying Broadway's Phantom in 1996, left the show for a few months and got a call to come back and take the lead in the national tour.

        As for the anonymity, it doesn't bother him a bit. “Being able to do what you love for a living every day — it's a wonderful gift,” Mr. Keegan says fervently.

Local ties

        There will be some familiar faces in Phantom, although three performers with local connections may not be as easy to spot as Mr. Keegan:

        • Heather McFadden, a 1989 graduate of School for Creative and Performing Arts, plays the heroine's good friend Meg. She understudied the role on Broadway before joining the tour.

        This is the second national tour that brings her to her hometown. She was dance captain for Carousel several years ago.

        • Milford native Melissa Allen started taking ballet when she was 5 (a doctor's suggestion to offset flat feet). She put time in at SCPA and University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music before joining Cincinnati Ballet at 16. She was with the company for eight years. Ballet fans will remember her as the Cowgirl in Agnes de Mille's Rodeo.

        She plays one of the ballerinas in the show.

        • Local opera fans will remember Kirk Vaughn-Robinson, who was here a few years ago and performed with Cincinnati, Dayton and Sorg operas. He was a member of Cincinnati Opera's outreach ensemble and spent a summer season performing in the Songs for a Summer Night series at University of Cincinnati.

        Spot him in Phantom in the auction scene that begins the show. He's wearing a top hat. Later on he's a policeman, the tallest of four, blond with a moustache.

        If you just can't get enough of Phantom, try the official Web site at www.thephantomoftheopera.com.
       

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