With excellent reviews, lots and lots of Tony Awards including Best Musical, a year and half run on Broadway and the undying devotion of Theater Queens everywhere.
Cheyenne Jackson tickled me. AFTER ordering SoMMS a drink but NOT tickling him, and hanging out with Girly in his dressing room (where he DIDN'T tickle her) but BEFORE we got married. To others. And then he tweeted Boobs. He also tweeted he's good friends with some chick on "The Voice" who just happens to be good friends with Tink's ex. And I'm still married. Oh, and this just in: "Pettiness, spite, malice ....Such ugly emotions... So sad." - After Eight, talking about MEEEEEEEE!!! I'm so honored! :-)
If Sondheim had written Phantom, Christine definitely would have married Raoul, but she would have been deeply depressed. As she and Raoul headed off in the boat at the last scene, she would be singing a reprise of "Marriage Is a Dirge (But a Necessary Urge)." Raoul, meanwhile, would be scoping out Meg as she rappelled down from the rafters, but he, of course, is sad when he realizes she's only wearing tight pants and not a skirt. The Phantom has otherwise relocated to a bar somewhere in Chelsea having realized that the bitches are just too much work.
As she and Raoul headed off in the boat at the last scene, she would be singing a reprise of "Marriage Is a Dirge (But a Necessary Urge)."
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Wow, I needed that laugh in the middle of this day. The odd part is I can almost hear the song...
Good one.
Now what would you say if today I started over?
Without a thing but this taped together four leaf clover
And I'll pretend like everything is already alright
And I'll run toward the sun till the castle's out of sight
Raoul and Christine would die. The Phantom would have commited suicide. Actually the only one left standing would be Meg and she'd be found dancing in an all white room with a straight-jacket on.
If Lrry Gelbart wrote the book, Sondheim's songs would interrupt a farce involving confused identities, as Raoul is in disguise and hilariously mistaken for Christine, finally marrying Monsieur Andre.
If John Weidman wrote the book, it would offer a savage indictment of the French beau-monde.
If James Goldman wrote the book, there would be no definitive version but Sondheim would write 3 patter songs in which the Phantom cannot make up his mind whether to commit to the steady Christine, or run off with the quietly rampant Madame Giry.
Personally, I prefer the version where Stephen Schwartz writes the score in which the Phantom, though green, is shown to be entirely justified in dropping a chandelier on the wicked Parisian opera-goers.
Under the mask I go again I have to every Now and then Under the mask I go again To lure another singer
Under the mask I haunt the place I have to hide My distorted face Under the mask But not forget- ting why the chandelier fell Under the mask To get the girl I don't care how The time is now...
The Phantom marries Christine, but is left flummoxed as to what to do with his virginal child bride, all the while secretly pining away for Madame Giry, who is now sleeping with the new comically chauvinist tenor, who is married in turn to Carlotta.
::inhales:: OR.
The show would be set over a series of Sundays, with Christine musing over the Phantom's obsession with his music and his inability to connect with the rest of the human race. The Phantom muses over his inability to pull himself away from his Don Juan Triumphant, which is under criticism from the opera company ("... if you can call this gibberish art!"). Christine then decides to go off with the Vicomte de Chagny because he offers her security, which is what she needs - even if it's not what she really wants. Then the plot moves 100 years later to 1981. Repeat, rinse.
omg this is so interesting for me because i just wrote a research paper for my english class in college comparing ALW and SS and their contributions and success in the 1980s.
if SS had made phantom, the spectacle would be no more haha