The Phantom of the Opera: comparing the movie to the stage

I was watching the Phantom of the Opera movie last night and and I have seen a stage version twice. I think the talent overall in the stage versions I saw was much stronger than in the movie. However it was very nice to see the musical in a much more realistic setting because it helped me understand it more. Also the scenery and costumes were so gorgeous. One of my favorite scenes was Masquerade in the movie because of the choreography. I loved that. What do you think?

Natasha

Persistance and Determination will help the passionate person succeed in their dreams.

The movie was very cool (I wish they had kept that extra Phantom song in - I liked the movie Phantom), but in general, I like the production better live on stage.

My only gripe with the movie was that the actors all seemed so - emotionless. I think Emmy Rossum is a lovely girl, but she has one expression on her face throughout the whole movie. Raoul was similar.

But the rest of the movie is fantastic. I loved the flashbacks and the catacombs...I liked Mme Giry a lot as well - and usually don't pay that much attention to her in the stage production.

And masquerade was very fun to watch on screen.

Updated On: 5/12/05 at 12:44 PM

what did you all think about Point of No Return? Better or worse? I personally was appalled by the 'modern dancing' or whatever it was because i thought it looked cheesy and out of place. then i talked to some people who loved it.

I saw the B'way production recently, which is the third time I saw the show (once in Broadway many years ago, and at the Wang Center in Boston, also many years ago) and I prefer the film version. I never cared much for all that Punjab lasso nonsense and all those other abracadabra things the Phantom did. I absolutely DESPISE the staging of the final trio in the lair scene, when Raoul is on tiptoes singing his heart out while being strangled by the Punjab lasso. That just drives me insane.

While the current B'way Phantom, Hugh Panaro, is vocally superior to Gerard Butler, I thought Butler did a phenomenal job in humanizing Erik. I was moved by Butler's final scenes, when he sat in front of the music box and Christine reappears to return the ring, in ways I never felt watching such scenes onstage.

The acting on the stage show is also so broad and over the top (as it's meant to be) but I, along with other fellow audience members, couldn't help but snicker whenever Raoul made one of his overacted line recitations (especially in Raoul's lines after "Prima Donna" and his lines while the Phantom shot fireballs at him, another stage convention that drove me up the wall).

Also, the stage Christine I recently saw was vocally atrocious. Emmy Rossum is a tad young but, at 17 when the film was shot, has a lot of vocal potential. Emmy was like Kathleen Battle compared to the Christine I recently saw at the Majestic. She was so awful, a recast should be made immediately.

The movie, for me, was a disappointment. I would much rather see it onstage. Yes they remained pretty faithful to the stage show but there was just no energy in the movie. Minnie Driver was the only really good thing about the movie, acting wise, for me. I was nice to look at but the voices were not all that thrilling! Just my opinion.

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I liked the staging and dancing of Point of No Return. I was expecting more out of Masquerade. I thought the vouging was completely out of place. YUCK. I wish the dancers would have moved around a littlemore.

GERARD BUTLER SUCKS

Thank you.

I hated the black and white color scheme for "Masquerade." That and the breakdancing robot guy. Would it have been so hard to design colorful costumes?? And I don't miss the Phantom throwing fireballs at Raoul. The swordfight worked much better, IMO.
But I loved PONR on screen. Garrrowwrrr......

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Updated On: 2/7/06 at 05:20 PM

It's pretty simple in my opinion, the singers are actually GOOD on the stage on Broadway... the movie had poor choices as leads. Raoul was the best, but I still feel that the entire cast was sub par, and I never plan on seeing the movie... hearing the music was enough to let me know how bad it really was.

~kangaroo

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i thought that the stage and movie are very comparable! I love to see the movie cause I have only seen the stage version once but loved it and know love the movie!!!

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Wow, that New Yorker article was brilliant. Haha.

~Steven

I liked the movie. But I think the show works better on stage. It was boring to sit in the movie theatre and watch the "Wishing you were somehow here again" -scene where they showed Christine doing nothing but walking and singing. Somehow it is more bearable to watch it live on stage - even though it is my least favorite scene or song of the score...

I liked the "Point of no return" -scene in the film! The flamenco dancing in the background was weird, but not too distracting.

The choreography of "Masquerade" made my skin crawl!! Watching the choreography made me want to start singing 'Come on - vogue! Let your body move to the music...' It was like directly from Madonna's video!


The film had fantastic costumes and sets. And the whole opera auditorium looked fabulous!

Updated On: 5/13/05 at 10:30 AM