The Phantom of the Opera, or, Don't make a public proposal unless you've discussed it beforehand

[nineveh_uk]

I thoroughly enjoyed last Friday's Phantom broadcast, and also got to stop feeling foolish that I hadn't gone to see the production live, because although I still remember the advert from the Observer I had forgotten that it was only on for three performances, and I never knew that the tickets sold out within hours anyway.

Some thoughts:

* The orchestra is enormous. I love seeing a live productions with a really big band and cast. Admittedly on the music front this is rather more impressive in the theatre than streamed via YouTube.

* antisoppist and I appear to be diametrically opposed in what we consider the best bits. I like the Phantom of the Opera/Music of the Night sequence and Past the Point of No Return to the end. She likes the mystery "what is going on in the theatre" plot.

* Notwithstanding that I like Past the Point of No Return, I have to ask, what the hell was the Phantom's plan there? I assume it is that the scene is a set up whereby he gets to exit the stage with Christine once not!Leporello arrives, and thus is able to kidnap her at a time of his own choosing. But probably he should have thought of a better fall-back option than "propose on stage to woman who is in on a plot to kill you".

* Likewise the sharpshooters really needed more guidance on when to shoot. Still, Raoul is young and no-one else seems to be very inclined to come up with a plan as opposed to flap about in panic.

* I felt the production had been romanticised a bit since I saw it in the mid-90s, though it could be my memory. I want it to make me feel a certain sympathy for the Phantom, but he is also a self-obsessed killer, there's only so far sympathy can go. I feel it should be "he might have been a decent person, but unfortunately he is both completely mad and kills a lot of people" not "poor woobie", and this did tip slightly over my preferred line. But even so, it was eminently clear that in the end the Phantom is his own worst enemy, Christine running off with Raoul is definitely the best option, and there is no set up for Love Never Dies (see below). There is a poor quality video on YouTube of the the final scene from the original production with Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman, and Steve Barton and I really liked it. Crawford's Phantom is dangerous, deranged and pitiable. I must explore what else is on there.

* ETA One flaw of the filming, like a lot of filmed staged productions, they do too many close ups of individual actors or pairs, not enough that take in the the wider stage. But unlike film or TV, the design is for an audience expected to be taking in the whole scene.

Obviously I am now wandering around the house singing bits, if croakily, and digging out the piano music.

Unfortunately, no good things last forever, and this Friday's musical is the terrible PotO sequel Love Never Dies. I've given my opinion on this before. As a friend put it, it is one of ALW's better scores, but the worst book.

I can therefore only recommend that if come Friday evening you want to watch a musical about a nineteenth-century woman in a pre-Raphaelite wig who is the object of the creepy obsession of a weirdo who lacks key social skills and who when the woman rejects him turns to manipulate her through her young son instead, and whose husband doesn't understand her - watch Elisabeth das Musical instead. It's a lot better. That said, I'm going to be watching LND, though probably on Saturday over the ironing so I can look away, because it is an opportunity to gaze on the horror for free.

Elisabeth DVD version with English subtitles here.
Original cast here (no subtitles).

Comments

[alithea]

I'm with you on the best bits :) I shall have to go and watch that version of the final scene, I thought I remembered he was shot and then vanished from beneath his cloak on the floor when I saw it, but it was 26 years ago so I may be misremembering. Whoever I saw as Phantom was more deranged killer too, definitely creepier than whoever was playing him in 2011.

I had managed to forget there was a sequel. I probably don't want to watch it, do I? I've never heard the music but I hate people ruining good endings by writing sequels with a passion.

[nineveh_uk]

I can't remember him being shot, my memory of my obsessive reading of the library's making of book ( I should have bought it) is that he was always supposed to disappear, but it was a long time ago, so I could equally be wrong!

I don't want to watch the sequel, but am compelled by a power greater rush my will to resist. I expect to cringe continuously.

[alithea]

I think I must be mis-remembering the being shot part. Having watched that original cast final scene on Youtube, I suspect they actually had the rescue party running down the stairs letting off occasional shots in the background before Meg arrives to find his mask.

I think I'll resist temptation to watch it just to see how awful it is!

[nineveh_uk]

Possibly wise. I shall report back!

[carbonel]

I was lucky enough to see an original cast performance in 1987 by lining up for a couple of hours for same-day tickets. (I saw eight performances in eight days that way, and Phantom was the most expensive, at GBP 18.)

As I recall, the Phantom was a compelling character, but not a romantic one. It's classic stalker logic: if I can't have you, no one will. Along with the trope of "I made you, therefore I own you."

[nineveh_uk]

Wow, that is incredibly lucky! £18 well spent.

"Compelling but not romantic" is a good formulation. I want my villains villainous with a spark of humanity, because then the spark of humanity is the brighter for the villainous surrounding. If you dull the villainy, then the spark gets weaker, not stronger, by comparison. It's not that the Phantom might not genuinely love Christine in his way, but the stalking/obsession/possessiveness should be shown as stronger.

[mountainkiss]

This does sound very fun indeed. I'm sorry I missed it.

[nineveh_uk]

I enjoyed it a lot - indeed I'm going to buy the DVD.

[(Anonymous)]

Your summary of Elisabeth is hilarious 😆

[nineveh_uk]

But not inaccurate!

[azdak]

Hilarious BECAUSE accurate!

[nineveh_uk]

Admittedly when not trying to make parallels I might mention the exciting opportunity to learn some lurid Austro-Hungarian history, but really that's window dressing.

[azdak]

Sorry, that was me

[imhilien.livejournal.com]

I've always had a soft spot for POTO. I liked how you saw the behind the scenes goings on, with 'rumours of an Opera Ghost will bring in the crowds, what can go wrong?'

I heard there was to be a sequel, shame it was never produced. /s

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

I think it does a wonderful job of creating a sense of the opera house as a community in which/to whom the story can happen, with all the people just trying to get on with their professional jobs in the midst of all this weird stuff going on, and preferably without dying.

Truly, that is a better leg of the trousers of time.