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Andrew Lloyd Webber, books, Gaston Leroux, Gerard Butler, Joely Sue Burkhart, Lon Chaney, Love Never Dies, movies, music, Phantom of the Opera, Raelyn Barclay, readers, reading, Susan Kay
A couple weeks ago I brought up the Phantom of the Opera in my What’s Your Inspiration post and I thought I’d share my love affair with the Phantom.
One night during high school, I believe it was, I stayed up way past my bedtime…shh, don’t tell!…and watched The Phantom of the Opera with Lon Chaney.
I fell in love. The Phantom will always be the ultimate tragic hero to me. (The closest I’ve come to a similar reaction to a character would be Joely Sue Burkhart‘s Gregar.)
The fact that a movie — and a silent one at that — made almost half a century before my presence turned a stick blue, almost a decade before either of my parents were glimmers in my grandparents’ eyes, and spoke to my teenage self on such an elemental level, still resonates with me. Lon Chaney also had to have been one hell of an actor to convey all the layers of the Phantom without saying a word!
Thus started a love affair that’s been going on nearly thirty years. (Wow, I feel old now!)
I think I’ve seen every movie incarnation out there, including a bunch of foreign ones complete with subtitles. Of course, I’ve seen the Andrew Lloyd Webber version. The Broadway incarnation once or twice, the Vegas version once, and The Phantom of the Opera movie too many times to count. (If I was Christine, I’d have no problem being locked up with Gerard Butler’s Phantom for the rest of my life 🙂 )
I listen to The Phantom Of The Opera CD a lot, too.
And what good reader, in the middle of a love affair, would miss reading The Phantom of the Opera? Not I. Sadly, I speak not a word of French, so have to rely on the translated version of Leroux’s work. *le sigh* I remember falling in love all over again the first time I read the book.
I’ve not got into all the reincarnations of the book — a little too fan-fic for my tastes — but do plan on reading Phantom by Susan Kay once I can lay hands on a copy. I’ve heard nothing but good things about her take on the original story. I’m on the fence about Love Never Dies. Though the music I’ve heard sounds amazing, sequels rarely live up to the hype.
Angela Brown said:
I’m not sure if there’s been a character that really captured me mind, body and soul. I’ve loved various movies and books but I must admit I envy your love affair with the Phantom. I think my love affair has just been genre-centric: Fantasy.
Raelyn Barclay said:
Romance has long been my go-to genre but I read across all genres. It’s all about the character for me, something about the Phantom grabbed me and hasn’t let go yet 🙂
Thanks for stopping by Angela!
marykateleahy said:
I actually have more of a love affair with Michael Crawford, who will always be the voice of the Phantom to me. I listened to the CD before I saw it on stage in Chicago, and later Broadway, and well before I say the movie (GButler version). I liked the movie visually, but I didn’t think that the singing was as good as the London Cast recording (which is what I happen to have.) All props to Butler for being a sexy beast, but I didn’t think he had the vocal ability to do justice to the role.
I love how twisted the Phantom is. I would have picked him over Raoul any day. At least he was interesting, but I never had much use for Raoul. I think Christine also pales in comparison to the awesomeness of the Phantom. Maybe Carlotta would have been a good match for him, LOL.
Oddly enough I’ve never had any desire to read the book. *slaps hand. “Bad writer”* To me the whole point of Phantom is the music and I don’t think I could read it without being distracted by the music in my head constantly. I did read Les Mis though, and I thought it was excellent. Great post 🙂
Raelyn Barclay said:
For me it’s the character, not the actor playing the role. (And the book shows that twisted tragic hero amazingly.) Perhaps that comes from my intro to the story being Lon Chaney…long before I knew of ALW and the amazing music he breathed into it.
I agree Butler didn’t have the vocal ability for the role but at least he actually sang his parts compared to the dubbed voices of some of the others. And as you said, he’s a sexy beast 😉
Thanks for stopping by Mary Kate!
marykateleahy said:
Maybe it is whichever one you are exposed to first. I was big into the music scene back in the day too (and by that I mean high school LOL but I’m not sure if 10 yrs ago = back in the day) which has a lot to do with it. That was when I was first exposed to the awesomeness of PTO.
Don’t even get me started on the auto tunes epidemic! Drives me absolutely crazy.
Raelyn Barclay said:
LOL, you noticed I said this love affair has been going on thirty years, right?
I agree it probably has to do with exposure, ALW’s version opened in London in 1986, two years after I graduated high school and probably four years after I saw the Lon Chaney version.
Misha Gericke (@MishaMFB) said:
I love Phantom of the Opera, although I still have to read it. And I LOVED No One Would Listen. It added such a wonderful layer to who Phantom was.
^_^
Raelyn Barclay said:
You are so right Misha! I love the heart-wrenching depth of that song. I wish it had been included with the words instead of just the music when the Phantom sanctuary was breached.
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Ciara Knight said:
I LOVE Phantom. Also, Edgar Allen Poe had a huge part in why I wanted to write.
Raelyn Barclay said:
Poe, okay I had the worst dreams after we studied him in high school…something about a hand still sticks in my mind :shudder:
I was telling That Man he needs to take me to the Vegas production for our anniversary. What could be better than an evening with my two favorite men 😉
Thanks for stopping by Ciara!
Ciara Knight said:
Really, nightmares? I’m not a fan of scary things on movies but LOVE to read scary works of fiction.
Sounds like a great idea, Raelyn. 🙂
Raelyn Barclay said:
Call it an over-active imagination 🙂
Brynne said:
LOVE Phantom…and when the organ pounds in your chest right up close to your super-love-infused-hopeful-heart…wow…its hard not to love! Soo happy to meet you, Raelyn!
Raelyn Barclay said:
It does speak to the heart, doesn’t it Brynne?!
I look forward to getting to know you. Thanks for stopping by!
Melanie Macek said:
Ah Phantom. I just watched the latest version last weekend. I think Gerard does justice to the role. I got hooked right after high school. A roommate had the CD and I was addicted. Back then, I could actually hit some of those high notes Sarah Bachman was reaching, not so much anymore. I got to see the stage production in Houston one year. It cemented my love of the Phantom. Can’t wait to see what ALW comes up with for the next installment. All I know is its set 10 years later in 1910 Coney Island.
Raelyn Barclay said:
I’ll watch just about anything with Butler in it, LOL. Acting-wise I think he nailed it but singing-wise he spoke the songs more than sang them, definitely more of the rock star sound. Still love the movie 🙂
Thanks for stopping by Melanie!
Lena Corazon said:
I have to say, Gerard Butler mastered the art of the cape flourish with wonderful panache. I’m not the biggest fan of his singing, but ohhhh, he is a sexy beast. I’m also not a huge fan of Emmy Rossum (I am a die-hard Sarah Brightman fan), but the thing I loved best about the movie was seeing the sets and the costumes — so much detail, and so very beautiful.
I haven’t seen the Lon Chaney version of POTO, but I saw the 1943 version with Claude Rains as the phantom when I was younger. They changed the storyline quite a bit, and for me it didn’t compare with the magic of the musical (or the soundtrack, at any rate, since I hadn’t seen the stage performance yet). Still, the Phantom is one of the best tragic heroes ever.
Raelyn Barclay said:
Oh, you HAVE to see a stage performance. You think the movie sets and costumes were beautiful you’ll love the stage.
It’s been so long since I saw the Claude Rains version I can’t remember the specifics of the storyline but I do know ALW took some liberties with the story. I still love all the versions and, because my introduction was Lon Chaney, the music isn’t all of the magic for me.
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
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