"I just realized something. Could th reason that Gerard sounds strange when he sing and like he has down syndrome or a speech impediment be because the Phantom is actually a deformed maybe mentally challenged character? Even if that wasn't his intent, could it still work that way? I think it's fine that the part is not sung operatically since it's not an opera."
Okay, I don't want this to sound like i'm jumping down your throat--but NO THE PHANTOM IS DEFINATELY NOT MENTALLY CHALLENGED! EVER! I'm sorry, I just want to make sure that people who aren't familiar with the show are aware of that because it is a very integral part of the plot. The Phantom (Erik) is a genius (not just musically, he excels in everything--hence the home under the Opera House that he built for himself), and that's the essence of the story: His genius is wasted because he will never be accepted because of his face.
Okay, now that that's out of my system: I think the problem wiht Gerard Butler's singing (and I can't TOTALLY judge because I've only heard the clips from the website) is that, while his voice is okay, it's just not good enough (or trained enough) for such a difficult role. And what makes that so disappointing is that, as someone on the board (I think Spiderj3) so nicely put it, the phantom hypnotizes people (using his voice--which is explained more thorougly in the book "Phantom" by Susan Kay, and eluded to in the original novel as well), and if his voice is just okay, you have to wonder how he manages to make such an impression on Christine in the first place.
Okay, thanks for listening to my rant--I'll try my best to not be a psychotic Phantom fan for the rest of the day
p.s. anyone know how to make things italic on the messages? Is there a way to do it?
"No thoughts within her head, but thoughts of joy.....no dreams within her heart but dreams of love."