Phantom Phacts- Page 2

[Justice]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 7:03pm

My boyfriend LOVEs phantom, and we have different musical tastes, as he hates Sondheim. But, it calls for a good debate sometimes. I don't think he's unintelligent.
We both love Wicked, Les Miz, Rent, Ragtime, Hairspray
and we both Hate Nine, Cabaret.
I love Caroline or Change, almost anything by Sondheim, Aida (and he hates them)
And he liked Movin' Out, which I hated.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 7:03pm

He hates Sondheim?
Psh. I say dump him.

[Justice]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 7:12pm

He likes Sondheim's slow jams,
and enjoyed the performances in Assassins.
He also sat through Into the Woods and Passion
as I forced him to watch the DVD's.
So, despite the fact that he doesn't like him, he respect's the fact that I like to share Sondheim with him.

[broadwaybaby1624]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 7:15pm

justice- so i was reading your response earlier...
ignorance wiped away from your eyes, to see that phantom isn't good, because the lyrics don't make you think.... okay fair enough, and don't get me wrong, I love wicked, but how is that in any way deeper or how does it make you think more than phantom? food for thought

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 7:24pm

Hal Prince's Production of The Phantom of the Opera is a magical, musical masterpiece. It is certainly one of the most thrilling, riveting and crowdpleasing shows ever to play on Broadway.

It has become fashionable to some silly folk "in the theater community(or so they think)" to bash this show and talk about it as a special effects stunts show with a crashing chandelier.

That is often a dead give away the writer has never seen the show. Those who have seen Phantom know that the chandelier never actually crashes and the genuine thrill of the chandelier is its majestic rise to the top of the theater to the breathtaking overture.

I hope negative comments on this board written about this landmark musical do not keep anyone from seeing it. Phantom is simply phenomenal. If you are ever bored and want to stand outside the theater after the show........you will see people leaving with broad smiles on their faces, looking thrilled, satisfied and amazed.

That is one of the many reasons Phantom has run so long and reaped so much profit around the world. People love it and they tell their friends who love it and so on and so forth. People love Phantom because of some lush songs and its amazing display of all the theatrical fireworks we have learned.

Indeed if you actually see Phantom, you will know that about a third of it is displaying Hal Prince's love of theater. Phantom is full of backstage, trapdoors, etc.........

There are not too many shows that touch as many people as Phantom. Popular masterpieces like this also help create continuing new audiences for other musicals.

Phantom's win of the Best Musical Tony over Into the Woods was by no means a fluke.

If you have friends wondering what show to see, you never have to fear recommending that they see THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.

It dazzles the senses and is unforgettable. Let us hope it runs at least another 17 years in New York.

PHANTOM has pumped millions upon millions of dollars into the Manhattan theater community. I can't wait to see it again...and again.

Updated On: 1/27/05 at 07:24 PM

[Justice]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 7:31pm

Well, Broadway, I don't like to compare...but since you asked, I'm going to have to....

With Wicked, there are so many things hidden that you have to see more than once to pick up. Not only with lines, lyrics, or stage effects, but with direction as well. It's also fun to see the way actors work with these characters (unlike the cardboard characters like Christine Daee or Raul).

Wicked is also humorous, and the "plagerism (sp)" is intentional, as some of the music takes off from the Wizard of Oz. Also, many of the songs are different with one main theme, as opposed to POTO which has many different themes and one main song.

Stephen Schwartz also wrote the lyrics, and I find it more challenging of a composer to write both the lyrics and music then it is for a composer to write one and take all the credit. (Honestly - how many POTO fans actually know who the lyricist is?)

Wicked flows.
POTO does not. It remains on one level.

Personally, I do not feel for any of the characters in POTO, the way I do for those in Wicked.

And Defying Gravity, as minimal as that effect is, comes off better than some cheap looking chandelier falling.

This note is also of preference - I enjoy Wicked's score more.

I did not want to compare, because those are two different musicals, but these are my opinions on the matter.

Updated On: 1/27/05 at 07:31 PM

[broadwaybaby1624]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 7:31pm

I agree 100%...
And I think that you should only bash ALW if you can write anything remotely close to his talent.-- IE If Sondheim, Berlin, Bernstein, Porter, etc etc etcccccc ever come to this site, they can feel free... other than that...I don't know what to tell you... Except that we should also remember how many award winning musicals he has come out with and how much money he has.. haha

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 7:36pm

To say only other composers, and not fans, can critique a score is beyond insane.

Updated On: 1/27/05 at 07:36 PM

[broadwaybaby1624]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 7:39pm

Justice-
Don't get me wrong, I love Wicked... it's definitely my favorite, I just think that yes, Wicked is a humorous show and it is much lighter than POTO of course, and I don't really agree with you that there are all hidden things in the show... Maybe I'm stupid for not picking up on certain things, lol ... but I think it has a fairly simple storyline. I was not arguing that POTO is the deepest thing ever, just that it definitely makes you think more than Wicked does. Everyone knows the story of the Wizard of Oz... And I'm not going to bother to comment anymore to tell ppl to stop bashing ALW... its a lost cause... Anyway, I wasn't attacking you...

Just out of curiosity, have you seen POTO on stage and/or the movie? Because you said you don't sympathize with any characters in the show, and idk i found that i really sympathized for the phantom in the movie, way more than the stage show... i thought he did a great job at making the character more of a pathetic one than an evil one...
That question is open....

[broadwaybaby1624]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 7:41pm

stick-
im not saying don't critique- i'm just saying that maybe people shouldn't keep bashing him, because he's obviously doing something right

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 7:43pm

Don Black didn't write the lyrics to POTO, Charles Hart did. Don Black wrote the lyrics to Sunset Blvd and Tell Me on A Sunday

[Justice]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 7:45pm

Broadway, I saw both and...
Gerard Butler did play it pathetic. His acting was pathetic. I did not believe him as the Phantom or as an actor.

Truthfully, Christine Daee is probably one of the most boring characters Broadway has to offer.

As for ALW doing something right, just keep in mind that Bush won the elction this past year.

(No attacks Broadway - this is a civilised discussion)

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 7:46pm

No matter if you like POTO or not, Woman in White and Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar are MASTERPIECES. OH YEAH!!!!!

[Justice]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 7:46pm

Thanks for the correction Deej.

I love Evita and JCS.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 7:48pm

no problem. I live to serve.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 7:49pm

Evita. Now THERE'S a fantastic piece of theatre.

[Justice]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 7:49pm

LOL, Deej..you shouldn't publicize that.

Updated On: 1/27/05 at 07:49 PM

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 7:50pm

Dirty, dirty, dirty.

[broadwaybaby1624]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 7:50pm

haha--- not to get myself killed or anything, but i am actually a bush fan...

and yes i love evita and jcs... maybe im ignorant but I'm not familiar with woman in white... new?

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 7:51pm

Yes, just opened in London. I have never seen it (seeing that I live in SC and a college student and oh yeah.....POOR!!!) but I do own the cast recording and it is AMAZING. Like a lot of people have said, it is more of a mature sound from him. I think Sondheim fans will really enjoy it.

[broadwaybaby1624]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 7:56pm

sounds good, I'll have to pick up a copy... seeing as I LOVE ALW AND Sondheim

[Marcomeatball]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 10:15pm

Honestly, going into the Phantom of the Opera (movie) unbiased without having seen the play or for that matter knowing anything about it until maybe two weeks ago was a great experiecence, I left the theater with a smile on my face! And because of the film I am incredibly interested in seeing Phantom at broadway, #1 because it's my dream to play the phantom and #2 because I want to see how the special effects are...oh and the story.

Honestly you cannot compare the two, I have listened to Michael Crawford and Gerard Butler and it's blatently (sp) obvious that Gerard is not a singer, he's an actor and he acts phenomenally. Like in Point of no Return "What raging fires bla bla bla" It's very intense and deep, I like that. But Crawford has got incredible vocals and his performance as a singer is great. Mind you I only listened to the orignal broadway recording, so I wouldn't really know how the acting is. On camera, camera angles are part of the overall deliverance and I think the camera angles really showed the emotion on Gerard Butler's face, I don't know It's my opinion.

And it's dumb to argue about a play, no matter what the cast of Wicked and the Cast of Phantom both work their asses off, so we should give credit to all of them whether the songs are good. Working on Broadway and being on stage is incredibly difficult and energy consuming. We all know that!

[Marquise]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 10:29pm

JOSHUA488 RANTED:
"HAHAHAHA! Marquise is, umm... funny. Yes, I typed "pish-posh". I talk like that when I'm being condescending. Sorry, should I say something more current and cliché and blunt, like "F*ck you, motherf*cker"? Do you understand that better?"


DID I STRIKE A NERVE JOSHUA488?

GOOD. NOW PISH-POSH YOUR SORRY @SS ON OUTTA HERE. Updated On: 1/27/05 at 10:29 PM

[Joshua488]

Posted: 1/27/05 at 10:32pm

That's alright! I'm good! And I'll leave when I want to. :)

EVITA is definitely a great show. And Sondheim is genius... I can't understand why someone wouldn't like him! Oh, well... Updated On: 1/27/05 at 10:32 PM