PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA - This is a series of posts on the ongoing theme of my favorite musical, Phantom of the Opera. The material remains the same: with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Charles Hart, all based on LeFantome de L’opera by Gaston Leroux circa 1909. This is the story of Christine--reunited with her long-lost love Raul, thrust into a leading role--at the hand of her saboteur and vocal coach. It’s not the first time I’ve seen the musical at the Orpheum Theater in San Francisco. What’s different, you might ask? It really comes down to advancement in set design and technological innovation. Thanks to producer Cameron Mackintosh with well-known hits such as Miss Saigon, Les Miserables and Cats. He has made the Paris Opera House and its subterranean labyrinth the star of this production (when it really should have been the Phantom or at least Christine). I don’t feel this Phantom was as strong as the previous version. There was a production glitch, which caused the house lights to come up with a 5 minute pause, between the theme and Music of the Night. The stall derailed the momentum. Still worth seeing? Yes! It is Phantom, after all.

http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com/ustour/

http://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2014/06/phantom-of-opera.html

http://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2014/06/ghosts-feat-instrument-of-death-73-pdf.html

http://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2014/06/enjoy-out-of-print-horror-comic-book.html

http://chadschimke.blogspot.com/2015/09/love-never-dies.html

  

   

LOVE NEVER DIES

LOVE NEVER DIES - Recently, I watched a City Center movie theater presentation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, titled Love Never Dies. Webber's new work is a follow up to an all-time classic and personal favorite; a sequel to ‘The Phantom of the Opera’. The pros of seeing the film version: larger-than-life, movie screen sized performers singing music that's been recorded live. While it's obviously not shot in one take, it's clear that this performance is not a lip-sync. The cons are; ‘Love’ will never match the elegant brilliance of ‘Phantom’, along with the film's static nature that isn't as exciting as live theater. While I don't think ‘Love’ is still in theaters, it will be released on DVD in May, according to the Playbill website. On a related topic, the 25th anniversary performance of ‘Phantom’ continues on PBS this week, as well as being currently available on DVD. My love affair and deep admiration for Phantom began in orchestra section seats at the Orpheum in San Francisco. The phantom's anguish over an opera singer, amidst the subterranean opera house catacombs, is beautifully conveyed in concise lyrics and soaring musical arrangements. 

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA 1925 full movie

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA - This month’s comic book, “The Instrument of Death”, reminds me fondly of my favorite musical, “The Phantom of the Opera”. This vid clip is taken from the Lon Chaney black and white version dated 1925. The musical and movie are based on the French novel entitled Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux. Enjoy!

https://www.chadschimke.com/2014/06/ghosts-feat-instrument-of-death-73-pdf.html