Months of hype and anticipation ended Saturday with the official opening of ''The Phantom of the Opera'' in Chrysler Hall. Raising the curtain on this sumptuous production may signal a new chapter in blockbuster musicals for Hampton Roads.

Though the talented cast conveys Andrew Lloyd Webber's sweet melodies passionately, they share equal billing with the production's stunning visual element. A quarter-million dollars in renovation work has transformed the stage into a replica of the Paris Opera House of the 1880s. The proscenium of ornately carved, gilded figures and the much-talked-about chandelier that rises majestically into the ceiling are just the beginning. Lavish sets unfold one after the other until the audience takes a thrilling journey to the Phantom's lair.

Based on the 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux, the musical tells of a deformed, murderous Phantom who haunts the opera house. The show's operatic setting gives designer Maria Bjornson plenty of opportunity to dress divas in glittery costumes and fashion elaborate sets for the brief scenes of three operas presented as part of the story. Huge, billowy draperies everywhere contribute to the grand feeling.

In the masquerade scene that opens the second act, the entire 36-member cast turns out in splendid pageantry. Arranged on an elaborate staircase, they perform a formal dance that is interrupted by the appearance of the Phantom, dressed as a chilling red devil. This scene offers one notable example of the brilliant work of Broadway director Hal Prince.

The unseen star of the show is lighting designer Andrew Bridge. Using darkness as a dramatic element, he creates dimly lit scenes to give the production an eerie, melodramatic feeling that defines the Phantom and his world. It's difficult to remember when the look of a show has been so totally realized through the talents of one individual.

When the Phantom falls in love with a young soprano named Christine, he threatens to wreak havoc unless the opera management promotes her career. Their relationship, and her romance with another suitor, Raoul, create a love triangle that's the backdrop for Webber's soaring melodies.

Webber's orchestration mixes pop and opera styles, often jarringly so. His vocal lines lie in the upper ranges of the voice, sometimes uncomfortably for the singers, and his melodies have a sameness and overly saccharine quality about them. Still, there are moments of thrilling music that this cast captures beautifully.

Thomas James O'Leary, as the Phantom, is strongest when playing the pitiful quality of a man, hideously deformed at birth, who learns the true meaning of love from Christine. Though not a large, commanding figure, O'Leary makes the role his own. His agile movements, enhanced by a swirling cape and arms stretched out into the air, create a sinewy, spine-tingling Phantom.

Adrienne McEwan, as Christine, accomplishes a difficult transition from the struggling ingenue to a woman tortured by her ambivalence over the Phantom. And John Schroeder, as Raoul, begins somewhat timidly but comes into his own as a dashing figure at the show's conclusion.

The strong supporting cast features David Cryer and Roger DeWitt as the opera administrators and Julie Schmidt and Ray Friedeck as a pair of humorous Italian opera singers.

Ensemble and group singing come through the clearest. In some sections of the second act, as the principals sing over Webber's thick orchestration, the words sound muddied and hard to understand.

One thing is clear. This ''Phantom,'' with seven weeks of performances, promises to keep the local economy booming through the holiday season.


* ''Phantom of the Opera'' will be presented through Jan. 6 in Norfolk's Chrysler Hall. Performances at 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sundays, and selected dates. Tickets are $16.50-$66.50, available by calling 671-8100.

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