The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera

[Devin Dayley]

This is my all-time favorite musical! I know that is such a “basic” musical to have as my favorite musical but it is. I love everything about it. If you’ve never seen the musical and have no idea what the story is...welcome to 2019. The show has been around for 30+ years, get with the program.

Here’s a quick overview, though, if you’ve forgotten or if you are deprived enough to not know the story: the phantom is a “ghost” that haunts an opera house in Paris. He is in love with a chorus girl named Christine Daae. Using fear and his ghostly tactics, he gets Christine promoted to the lead soprano, or the main headliner of the opera, much to her competition, Carlotta’s, chagrin, and finally reveals himself to her. Meanwhile, Christine is being reunited with her childhood sweetheart and new patron of the opera where Christine works, Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny. They fall in love once again. Feeling cheated, the phantom concocts a plan to take Christine for himself. He writes an opera, uses intimidation to get the opera house to put it on, assigns Christine the lead, female

role, and steals the male, lead role and goes on for the performance. Once onstage, Christine reveals him as the phantom and he forces her down to his lair.

Raoul, Christine’s lover, attempts to follow them and save Christine. The phantom catches Raoul, though, and gives Christine a choice: she can either stay with him forever and he will let Raoul free, or she can escape and he will kill Raoul. Filled with compassion for the phantom, Christine kisses and embraces him. He, then, feels regret for what he has done and decides to let them both free. When they both leave, he disappears underneath a cloth never to be found by the mobs of people searching for him and Christine.

Whew, I am getting emotional just thinking about it. This is one of the most famous and well-known musicals of all time. A movie has been made of the musical, with Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum. I wouldn’t suggest watching that, though. The music is great, the talent and the changes to the story are subpar, though. If you can’t see the musical, I would suggest watching the 25 anniversary version at Royal Albert Hall with Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess.

Ramin Karimloo is incredible. I like him almost as much as I like Michael Crawford, the original, and in my opinion- best, phantom yet. Sierra Boggess is also just sublime. I like her take on Christine better than anyone else’s I’ve ever heard. I am somewhat of a snob, though, since this is my favorite musical. The only reason that I like Michael Crawford more than Ramin Karimloo is because he brought an element of “creepy” to the role.

The phantom is creepy. When I was little, I was scared of looking into mirrors for fear that I would see his face. The phantom is also supposed to be a genius. He is a creepy genius. Michael Crawford had a way of exuding the creepiness of the phantom through his voice. Every other phantom I’ve seen, seen videos of, etc. doesn’t exude the creepiness. They play the phantom as more mysterious and sexy. THAT’S NOT HOW IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE!!!

***A spoiler alert is in effect until my review***

Another “basic” opinion that I have is: I love the journey the phantom goes on throughout the show. We get to see such a wide range of emotions from him. He draws us in to him, he is intriguing and mysterious- when he first appears to Christine. He is happy and passionate- when he is in his lair with Christine for the first time. He is hurt/jealous which turns to anger- when act 1 ends. He is stoic and secretive- when act 2 begins. He is alluring with an undertone of rage- when he and Christine are in the cemetery. He is, yet again, intriguing and alluring as well as vengeful- during “The Point of No Return” scene. He goes from furious to divisive to demoralized to hopeless- in the very last scene of the play.

Thinking about it, I think the reason that I enjoy this play so much and the reason I find this play so fascinating is because I can see myself in the main character of the phantom. To think about it, aren’t we all kind of like the phantom? Not in the murder/stalker way, but in a much simpler, more primal way. We are all these mysterious, alluring people (to some people, at least), we are just wearing a mask, though. If someone exposes what’s underneath the mask to the world, then there is some real fear that those who see underneath our masks will reject us as the world did to the phantom.

Whoo! That was deep. And sobering. I guess you could say the show “The Phantom of the Opera” gives us an exaggerated view at the worst the world has to offer. Maybe the show is just fun and I am reading WAY too much into it. Who knows. On a lighter note, when I was a young child, in the 90’s, I remember driving around with my mom listening to “The Phantom of the Opera” cast recording- because, you know, back then it was cool to drive around listening to Broadway cast albums. That finishes explaining why I love it so much and why people may think I’m “obsessed” with it. Okay reading over it now, I may actually be obsessed with it.

Review:

I had the opportunity to see “The Phantom of the Opera” at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London, England on Wednesday April 10, 2019.

This is the theater phantom opened on originally, back in 1986. I tell this to everyone, there was no legroom. I am 5’ 8,” so not tall by any means. My knees touched the seat in front of me. There was no/minimal space between the rows. If I were to suddenly have a spasm or something, I would have had to leave the row before I could straighten my legs.

Let me just clear this up for everyone. I am not British. Even though I wish I could be, I am not. This was made abundantly clear to me during THIS show. I am loud. I am one who appreciates good theater and wants to manifest my appreciation with his voice. I noticed that I was screaming and cheering after every song whereas the other, BRITISH, people, were just lightly clapping. When the show was over I sprung to my feet, cheered, and clapped with all my might while the other, BRITISH, people just clapped for the performances. Some were standing by the end of the curtain call but not everyone. This hurt my heart because I know I would want people to validate the performance I was giving so I gladly validate other people’s performances.

The show was great. I often times will get emotional seeing shows that I know the music to or have built up in my head for a long time. This was no different, only I hadn’t really built the show up in my head since I had seen it before, many times. I had built up the experience, though, and it did not disappoint! I got very emotional, towards the end, in the”final lair” scene. That is when the phantom, Christine, and Raoul are down in the phantom’s lair again singing their trio.

The scene is so emotional, the music is so emotional, and the emotions are so raw. The music, ah! The music was spectacular. I’ve got to say, seeing shows lately, I don’t feel like I am listening to live orchestras. I know at a lot of places I am, I just rarely feel like I am. This was different and fantastic. You heard the instruments playing before the show started and during intermission. Hearing that created the atmosphere that I wanted, that atmosphere I’ve wanted since I was a kid seeing shows and watching the orchestra warm up in the pit.

There was also something about being in Europe that made this show more sentimental to me. I always love this show but since it is based in Europe and I saw it in Europe, with people who had European accents. I’m not going to say it seemed more real, because that would actually make it really scary, but it did make it a little more authentic. This was a great experience. If anyone has the opportunity to see the show, take that opportunity. I’ve been told I have an old soul, so I tend to like things that older folks like BUT, I would easily, EASILY rate this a 10/10.