If Sondheim had made a Phantom...

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If Sondheim had made a Phantom...

Posted: 3/13/07 at 1:34pm

How do you think Sondheim's version of Phantom of the Opera would have ended, were there not a novel's ending to follow?

Beyond talent lie all the usual words: discipline, love, luck- most of all endurance.

Updated On: 3/13/07 at 01:34 PM

re: If Sondheim had made a Phantom...

Posted: 3/13/07 at 1:37pm

The music would have had much more variety, and the lyrics would be a lot better.

Edit: Whoops, I misread the question. But I'll leave my previous response here anyway.

"It's a goddamn beautiful day, shut up!"

Updated On: 3/13/07 at 01:37 PM

re: If Sondheim had made a Phantom...

Posted: 3/13/07 at 1:37pm

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! :-)

re: If Sondheim had made a Phantom...

Posted: 3/13/07 at 1:42pm

^ The sad, sad truth.

Theatre is a safe place to do the unsafe things that need to be done. -John Patrick Shanley

re: If Sondheim had made a Phantom...

Posted: 3/13/07 at 1:46pm

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.

You promised me poems. ~Tricky

re: If Sondheim had made a Phantom...

Posted: 3/13/07 at 2:05pm

Hence the imminent sequel? The Phantom could probably get work at a piano bar.

yr ronin,
joey

re: If Sondheim had made a Phantom...

Posted: 3/13/07 at 2:30pm

SorryGrateful... I think you may be on to something..

Beyond talent lie all the usual words: discipline, love, luck- most of all endurance.

re: If Sondheim had made a Phantom...

Posted: 3/13/07 at 2:33pm

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)."

***************************

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

re: If Sondheim had made a Phantom...

Posted: 3/13/07 at 2:35pm

There would have been an 11:o'clock number called "Losing My Mask".

Actually he did do a version of an ugly/deformed character falling in love with a hot young thing. It's called Passion.

....but the world goes 'round

#10

re: If Sondheim had made a Phantom...

Posted: 3/13/07 at 3:33pm

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.

#11

re: If Sondheim had made a Phantom...

Posted: 3/13/07 at 3:41pm

That sounds like his version of Hamlet with Horatio dead instead of Ophelia.

You promised me poems. ~Tricky

#12

re: If Sondheim had made a Phantom...

Posted: 3/13/07 at 5:42pm

Actually Meg would be found dancing alone in an all-white room, playing the tuba.

#13

re: If Sondheim had made a Phantom...

Posted: 3/13/07 at 6:17pm

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.

#14

re: If Sondheim had made a Phantom...

Posted: 3/13/07 at 8:07pm

If Sondheim had written Phantom...
It would have been A LOT better than the piece of crap playing now.

#15

re: If Sondheim had made a Phantom...

Posted: 3/13/07 at 8:27pm

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...

Hi, Shirley Temple Pudding.

#16

re: If Sondheim had made a Phantom...

Posted: 3/13/07 at 8:33pm

brilliant

#17

re: If Sondheim had made a Phantom...

Posted: 3/13/07 at 8:42pm

Actually he did do a version of an ugly/deformed character falling in love with a hot young thing. It's called Passion.

I just got the cast recording yesterday, and was thinking about how similiar it is to Phantom, story-wise.

One time, Patti LuPone punched me in the face...

It was awesome. - theaterkid1015

#18

re: If Sondheim had made a Phantom...

Posted: 3/13/07 at 9:05pm

Well, Fosca wasn't a psychopathic murderer though... Stalker, yes. Murderer, no.

Jimmy, what are you doing here in the middle of the night? It's almost 9 PM!

#19

re: If Sondheim had made a Phantom...

Posted: 3/13/07 at 9:39pm

I think that Sondeim would have made an even darker musical. It would have been more true to the book.

#20

re: If Sondheim had made a Phantom...

Posted: 3/13/07 at 9:52pm

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.

Stop looking at my charisma.

Updated On: 3/13/07 at 09:52 PM

#21

re: If Sondheim had made a Phantom...

Posted: 3/13/07 at 11:05pm

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

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