Up The Coast / THEATER ‘Phantom of the Opera’ And ‘Alice in Wonderland’ : Comic Twin : The masked lead character’s the same, but there’s no trace of the Andrew Lloyd Webber songs in this “Phantom” version.

Theatergoers who unknowingly venture north instead of south to see “The Phantom of the Opera” Nov. 7 may be in for a surprise. Those expecting the Andrew Lloyd Webber extravaganza will afterward find themselves scratching their heads and wondering, “Who was that masked man?”

Billed as “The Original London Stage Musical,” this “Phantom” is not the same one that’s been playing to packed houses in Los Angeles--a show that surveys indicate remains one of the top cultural attractions among Ventura County residents.

Rather, it’s the touring production of British director Ken Hill’s musical comedy adaptation of the Phantom story, a lesser known version that has also met with enthusiastic critical and public response since its premiere, in 1984.

Among those most impressed with Hill’s “Phantom” during its initial run was none other than Lloyd Webber himself, who even approached Hill about a possible collaboration before deciding to create his own version.

Webber was perfectly free to do so--the original novel by Gaston Leroux had long since fallen into public domain. In subsequent interviews, Hill has steadfastly refrained from criticizing either the propriety or the legality of Webber’s action, though he once mentioned that he wouldn’t have minded the courtesy of a postcard from Webber notifying Hill of his intentions.

Ah, show biz. While there were certainly enough elements of melodrama in this tale of two “Phantoms” to turn Hill into a figure of vengeance like his own protagonist, he sensibly chose instead to take his version on the road, where it’s enjoyed popular longevity ever since.

According to San Francisco-based producer Jonathan Reinis, who first brought Hill’s “Phantom” to the United States in 1988 and has remained actively involved with the tour ever since, the company has played in every state and grossed in excess of $52 million.

Because of his long association with the show, Reinis has had to deal with the Phantom’s perpetual identity crisis longer than anyone except Hill himself, but there was no trace of impatience or annoyance as he ran through the differences between the two “Phantoms.”

The chief point of change is that Hill’s version is a comedy thriller relying heavily on plot and character. “In the Lloyd Webber ‘Phantom’ there’s no book at all--it’s entirely sung,” Reinis said. “So we have much more of a story, and it’s framed in a comic point of view.”

He also pointed out: “Our music is real opera. It’s the music you would have heard in the Paris Opera House at the turn of the century--arias by Mozart, Verdi, Gounod.” Hill added his own lyrics to hold the story together.

Most of Hill’s comedy comes from the Phantom butting in, like a poltergeist in the Opera house, said Todd Alan Johnson, who plays the mysterious Opera spook. “The opera producers and performers all want business as usual,” he said, “and here’s this malicious ghost who kills and maims and destroys, the elusive Phantom they can never see.”

Johnson feels his Phantom is a little less romantic than Webber’s lovestruck crooner. “But he’s really a tragic figure in all the versions, including the films,” he added. “Sort of like the beast in ‘Beauty and the Beast’--a mythical archetype for that tortured, lonely soul. He’s been deformed since birth, and he has a face not even a mother could love.”

That deformity really cut into the Phantom’s social life, Johnson added. “He was forced to run off and join a group of Gypsies, where he learned magic and ended up in the torture business.”

The Hill production boasts 16 different sets and plenty of special effects. Still, Reinis cautioned, “There’s no way it’s going to be as elaborate as the Lloyd Webber version, nor does it pretend to be.”

On the other hand, at only half the admission price of the L.A. “Phantom,” “it’s a lot cheaper,” he said

For “Phantom”-on-a-budget fans, this could be just the ticket.

* WHERE AND WHEN

“The Phantom of the Opera.” Performed on Saturday Nov. 7 at 3 and 8 p.m. at the Arlington Theatre, 1317 State St. in Santa Barbara. Tickets are $31 and $25. Call (805) 963-4408 for reservations or further information.