123musicalfan said: "Thank you. I really hope it becomes freely available one day. A lot of my questions are about Brightman, I hope you don't mind.
How wasthe Angel of Music/Mirror Scene?
Iread in a review of it that SB does a lot of dancing, and is present right from the beginning of Hannibal, and also has a significant part in Masquerade. Was it the same as you've seen other Christine's do it, or was it different? And how effective was it, given that Christine is also a dancer?
Sarah definitely moved more in Masquerade. As far as Hannibal, I can't remember if she did more dancing, but she was noticeably more graceful than other Christines I've seen. What struck me most about her whole performance was her excellent acting. She wasn't earth-shattering like Michael, but was extremely effective - especially in "He'll always be there singing songs in my head." I was pleasantly surprised by her, since she got railed for her acting. Steve Barton was fine, but vocally wobbly and pushed. Even at his best, I don't get why sooooo many adore him to pieces. He's always sounded like a ho-hum typical Broadway baritone to me.
ALW has said Twisted Every Way is the most personal part of Phantom to him, and Brightman has spoken about it as well and even performed it in sole of her concerts. How did she act that bit?
She did some mild convulsing during "He'll always be there singing songs in my head," that was very convincing, and made perfect sense why Carlotta would say "She's mad!" right after. As far as the 'Twisted every way..." section, if memory serves, she just kind of stood there, looking scared / sad. Nothing crazy.
And finally how was the Final Lair scene, and Crawford/Brightman/Barton in it?
All three were great, Crawford being spectacular. He gave his Phantom many autistic traits, especially with his hands. One example was "You try my patience! Make your choice!!" On that second sentence, he shook both fists like an autistic or very young child having a temper tantrum. The only thing I've not loved about Crawford's entire performance is the squealing, squeaking repeated "I loooove youuuuu's" at the end of the show, before his final line. It's always struck me as too over the top, too hammy. Visually, it worked a bit more convincingly, but still was awkward to me. Haha.
Many point out that Crawford is more mysterious / ghostly than other Phantoms, who play it more forceful / macho. I agree, though Crawford doesn't strike me as wussy unless he's playing up the character's inherent awkwardness - makes total sense, based on the background within the show and book. Man's socially a mess. Haha.
Thanks
CStock92 said: (It was spectacular; feel free to ask any questions)
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