All I Want Is Freedom

Amateur Phantom historian with an affinity for understudies

[operaofthephantom]

Before I disappear from this blog for 7 years again I would like to say three very important things:

1) RIP Phantom Broadway

2) To anyone and everyone I bonded with on this hellsite in the Phantom of the Opera fandom 8 years ago, thank you so, so, so much for being so gracious as to befriend my angsty, emo, obnoxiously dramatic teenage self who so desperately needed a community. You all were (are) exceptionally kind, warm, and welcoming people, and being involved in the phandom during the absolute worst years of my life absolutely kept me alive. It is because of you all that I survived and went on to thrive. It is because of every single one of you that I was able not only to stay alive, but to succeed and achieve my dreams. (Even the very few who were not so kind, you all played a vital role in my growth that I am very grateful for.) Throughout my darkest days, you all taught me everything I needed to know about love and light and grace and goodness, and to always aspire to embody it and reach for it, no matter how dark the world may be around you, no matter how dark you feel inside. Funnily enough, I realize that echoes the character arc of a certain soprano in a musical we all love. Anyway, that’s invaluable wisdom that I have carried with me through the years, because of you. Thank you for all the love and laughter we shared here. Please keep fangirling about Phantom and attending streams (now led by @wheel-of-fish, who I am SO grateful for taking on the responsibility of, for years longer than I ever led it — it is truly a labor of love and the fact that Fish has been doing it this long?? Give her all the love and gratitude!!) and writing fanfiction and fostering a place for people to enthuse about what they love and find likeminded friends. So many people need a space like that to escape to.

3) Long live Laird Mackintosh’s Phantom, may he return to the role in a production somewhere someday soon 🙏 (this is not intel I’m just manifesting)

Love,

Meg 👻

[operaofthephantom]

Hugh Panaro, Telly Leung, Clay Singer on the 'Brotherhood of Phantoms' at Masquerade

Six actors, one role: How they all share the man in the mask in Off-Broadway's immersive Phantom of the Opera .

This one’s for the phans. 💙

Love,

your old friend. xoxo

[lindakml88]

The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall (5/?)

[Think of Me]

Flowers fade, The fruits of summer fade, They have their seasons, so do we. But please promise me, that sometimes You will think of me!

[operaofthephantom]

Final Phandom Fridays Stream on 8/19

As many of you know, once the summer ends I will no longer be able to host Phandom Fridays. I will be passing on the responsibility of hosting these streams to two lovely individuals (and I’ll announce who they are once we get closer to the end of the summer), so the streams will continue, they will just continue without me.

Streams are how I made my friends in this phandom. Hell, they’re how I got in this phandom. I had a blog, I was in Discord, but I was shy and awkward and felt so clueless, like I knew nothing about Phantom and nothing about the phandom. Streams were an opportunity for me to meet and talk to people (and were somehow a little less nerve wracking than talking in Discord, I guess because I always had something to talk about: what was happening in the bootleg or movie we were watching.) and they were also a way for me to learn more about Phantom with people that loved it just as much as I did. So, streams are really special to me, and this last stream that I will be hosting is very, very special to me. I’ll be hosting an all day event on Sunday, August 19th (yes, I know, that’s not Friday, but more people are free on Sundays) showing the “best of” bootlegs - all the bootlegs you guys raved about and loved, as well as an hour dedicated to some goofy things as requested by quite a few of you (*cough* @wheel-of-fish *cough*). I’ve come up with a rough schedule of what time I’ll be showing each bootleg. Note: this schedule is according to Eastern Standard Time. Here it is: 2:00 PM: the 2004 film, since it’s the reason that so many of you are in the phandom today. 4:30 PM: Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess (it was recorded on his first night!) 6:30 PM: David Shannon and Gina Beck 8:00 PM: Laird Mackintosh and Kaley Ann Voorhees 10:30 PM: an hour dedicated to goofing off - watching the particularly awful parts of “stubble Phantom” as @glassprism calls him, watching Uwe Kroger’s Final Lair slowed down, and if we have extra time, watching some of Ali Ewoldt’s Dear Daae vlogs and other fun things 11:30 PM: the 25th anniversary performance I don’t expect people to come all day or even come for half of it, that’s why I came up with the schedule, so you guys can come and go as you please. But I do hope that if you’re able to be there for the final showing of the 25th at the end, you will be. I just really want to watch that with you guys. It’ll be the perfect way to end these streams <3 Oh, and since Friday, August 17th was supposed to be the final stream, I still have the 25th scheduled - if anyone has any requests for something else you’d like me to stream that night, feel free to send me a message! Just check the schedule first and make sure I’m not already streaming it before then. Feel free to like to bookmark and please do reblog to spread the word <3 and remember, although this last stream is a celebration of Phandom Fridays and all the wonderful times we’ve had together, newcomers are absolutely welcome at this stream!! This is the one time it’s okay to crash someone’s going away party ;)

[operaofthephantom]

Reblogging because this is in just six days (!!) and I also changed a few things - thanks to the amazing @glassprism who is always so SO generous and thoughtful, we’ll be watching Gina Beck and David Shannon at 6:30!! I switched it with Jeremy Stolle because we literally just saw Jeremy a week ago, but if anyone wants to watch some of Jeremy’s best scenes (MOTN + Final Lair?) we can def do that during the free hour at 10:30.

[operaofthephantom]

Tomorrow!!

[operaofthephantom]

The room is open, we start in about 20 minutes!! Feel free to come in now and watch Phantom videos while we wait, if you like. Please don’t forget the password, it’s “you great booby” as always :) https://www.rabb.it/daysinthesun

[operaofthephantom]

Final Phandom Fridays Stream on 8/19

As many of you know, once the summer ends I will no longer be able to host Phandom Fridays. I will be passing on the responsibility of hosting these streams to two lovely individuals (and I’ll announce who they are once we get closer to the end of the summer), so the streams will continue, they will just continue without me.

Streams are how I made my friends in this phandom. Hell, they’re how I got in this phandom. I had a blog, I was in Discord, but I was shy and awkward and felt so clueless, like I knew nothing about Phantom and nothing about the phandom. Streams were an opportunity for me to meet and talk to people (and were somehow a little less nerve wracking than talking in Discord, I guess because I always had something to talk about: what was happening in the bootleg or movie we were watching.) and they were also a way for me to learn more about Phantom with people that loved it just as much as I did. So, streams are really special to me, and this last stream that I will be hosting is very, very special to me. I’ll be hosting an all day event on Sunday, August 19th (yes, I know, that’s not Friday, but more people are free on Sundays) showing the “best of” bootlegs - all the bootlegs you guys raved about and loved, as well as an hour dedicated to some goofy things as requested by quite a few of you (*cough* @wheel-of-fish *cough*). I’ve come up with a rough schedule of what time I’ll be showing each bootleg. Note: this schedule is according to Eastern Standard Time. Here it is: 2:00 PM: the 2004 film, since it’s the reason that so many of you are in the phandom today. 4:30 PM: Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess (it was recorded on his first night!) 6:30 PM: David Shannon and Gina Beck 8:00 PM: Laird Mackintosh and Kaley Ann Voorhees 10:30 PM: an hour dedicated to goofing off - watching the particularly awful parts of “stubble Phantom” as @glassprism calls him, watching Uwe Kroger’s Final Lair slowed down, and if we have extra time, watching some of Ali Ewoldt’s Dear Daae vlogs and other fun things 11:30 PM: the 25th anniversary performance I don’t expect people to come all day or even come for half of it, that’s why I came up with the schedule, so you guys can come and go as you please. But I do hope that if you’re able to be there for the final showing of the 25th at the end, you will be. I just really want to watch that with you guys. It’ll be the perfect way to end these streams <3 Oh, and since Friday, August 17th was supposed to be the final stream, I still have the 25th scheduled - if anyone has any requests for something else you’d like me to stream that night, feel free to send me a message! Just check the schedule first and make sure I’m not already streaming it before then. Feel free to like to bookmark and please do reblog to spread the word <3 and remember, although this last stream is a celebration of Phandom Fridays and all the wonderful times we’ve had together, newcomers are absolutely welcome at this stream!! This is the one time it’s okay to crash someone’s going away party ;)

[operaofthephantom]

Reblogging because this is in just six days (!!) and I also changed a few things - thanks to the amazing @glassprism who is always so SO generous and thoughtful, we’ll be watching Gina Beck and David Shannon at 6:30!! I switched it with Jeremy Stolle because we literally just saw Jeremy a week ago, but if anyone wants to watch some of Jeremy’s best scenes (MOTN + Final Lair?) we can def do that during the free hour at 10:30.

[operaofthephantom]

Tomorrow!!

[operaofthephantom]

Weekly streams

As many of you know, I will no longer be hosting Phandom Fridays. However, I still want those weekly streams to remain, even if I’m not there for them. I created Phandom Fridays for two reasons. One, so new phans could have an opportunity to meet new people and make friends (streams are how I got integrated into this phandom!) and also broaden their horizons and learn about other Phantoms. Two, so that no matter how crazy things get during the week (I created Phandom Fridays during my fourth semester of college in which I worked two jobs along with having classes) there would be one day we would always be together. I desperately want that to continue for you all. So, I’m passing the responsibility of hosting weekly streams onto @persephone-victorious, @madiamazing and @phantom-triumphant!

These streams will be on Sunday nights (beginning on Sunday, September 2nd) as opposed to Friday nights, and they’ll be a lot earlier too, at 7:30 PM EST. I think that works out better for everyone - truthfully, the only reason I held my streams on Friday nights was because I worked Sunday nights. However, it seems like a stream with friends is the perfect way to conclude the week, and most people are free on Sunday nights.  Persephone, Madi and Grace will share the responsibility for these streams, since it is a lot to ask for someone to host a stream every single week. However, to avoid confusion, they’ll be making a single Rabbit account so you guys are going to the same room every week and there’s no confusion as to what room to go to that week. They’ll soon be making a post advertising these streams. I’ll reblog the heck out of it so no one misses it and everyone knows that the streams WILL continue, I just won’t be hosting them. I hope you all continue to go to them and use them as an opportunity to share love for this show. To share love for each other.  I could keep rambling, but I’ll spare you all the sappiness. Just know that these streams were so special to me and I am so grateful to each and every one of you for always coming and hanging out with me every Friday night. You genuinely have no idea how much I needed that. Here’s to many more streams with many bootlegs and many friends :)

[drawnby27emilys]

Poto Wind down sketch :) 

[hatsunemykie]

BEST BABIES

[operaofthephantom]

Weekly streams

As many of you know, I will no longer be hosting Phandom Fridays. However, I still want those weekly streams to remain, even if I’m not there for them. I created Phandom Fridays for two reasons. One, so new phans could have an opportunity to meet new people and make friends (streams are how I got integrated into this phandom!) and also broaden their horizons and learn about other Phantoms. Two, so that no matter how crazy things get during the week (I created Phandom Fridays during my fourth semester of college in which I worked two jobs along with having classes) there would be one day we would always be together. I desperately want that to continue for you all. So, I’m passing the responsibility of hosting weekly streams onto @persephone-victorious, @madiamazing and @phantom-triumphant!

These streams will be on Sunday nights (beginning on Sunday, September 2nd) as opposed to Friday nights, and they’ll be a lot earlier too, at 7:30 PM EST. I think that works out better for everyone - truthfully, the only reason I held my streams on Friday nights was because I worked Sunday nights. However, it seems like a stream with friends is the perfect way to conclude the week, and most people are free on Sunday nights.  Persephone, Madi and Grace will share the responsibility for these streams, since it is a lot to ask for someone to host a stream every single week. However, to avoid confusion, they’ll be making a single Rabbit account so you guys are going to the same room every week and there’s no confusion as to what room to go to that week. They’ll soon be making a post advertising these streams. I’ll reblog the heck out of it so no one misses it and everyone knows that the streams WILL continue, I just won’t be hosting them. I hope you all continue to go to them and use them as an opportunity to share love for this show. To share love for each other.  I could keep rambling, but I’ll spare you all the sappiness. Just know that these streams were so special to me and I am so grateful to each and every one of you for always coming and hanging out with me every Friday night. You genuinely have no idea how much I needed that. Here’s to many more streams with many bootlegs and many friends :)

[heaven-by-the-sea]

[operaofthephantom]

hello everyone!! when I first joined the phandom back in August, there used to be a stream every Sunday night. this was how I met most of my friends and was something I looked forward to every week. unfortunately, I think we all got pretty busy when school started, and we stopped having scheduled weekly streams (but we still streamed randomly several times throughout the week.) now we’re deeper into the school year and some of us hardly talk at all, so I wanted to start hosting a scheduled stream every Friday so no matter how hectic our week is, there’s always one night that we’re together. so every Friday at 9:00 PM EST, I’ll be hosting a Phantom stream in my Rabbit room! we’ll watch different stuff every week, like the 1925 film, bootlegs of different actors in the ALW musical or the 1990 television series.  for security reasons, the room will be locked, but when you click the link it’ll ask you to give me your name. instead, please use the following phrase as a password so I know you came from my blog: “you great booby.” (clearly, I just wanted to a reason to make you all say “you great booby.”) here’s the link to my Rabbit room, and remember, the password is “you great booby”! I’ll be opening the room 15 minutes before the stream starts, so you guys can feel free to click the link at 8:45 PM EST. also if any new phans are wondering I swear to god I’m not a freak that says “booby” all the time, that’s actually a quote from the original novel by Gaston Leroux haha

everyone is welcome!! if you’re new to the phandom or just don’t talk to people much, this is a great way to make friends. so please do join us this Friday for our first stream!! also, please do reblog if you plan on attending to spread the word <3 I can’t wait to spend time with you guys and hopefully get to know some new people as well!! 💛

[operaofthephantom]

Gary Mauer tonight!! We start in about eight hours. I can’t wait to see you guys 💖

[operaofthephantom]

The room is open, feel free to come in now and watch some comparison videos with us!! <3 please don’t forget the password, it’s “you great booby” as always :)

[glassprism]

Beneath this mask I wear                     there’s nothing of me                                         just horror, shame, despair…

A Star Wars + Phantom of the Opera AU, in collaboration with, inspired by, and for @bodhimwe

As children, Anakin Skywalker, heir to the nobility, retrieves the scarf of young ballerina Padmé Amidala. Ten years later, Padmé is making her grand debut when she falls in love with the now-grown Anakin. Their relationship would be a scandal, but the strain of keeping their secret - and Padmé ‘s pregnancy - unleashes a dark, possessive side to Anakin bent on controlling her - and murdering anyone who gets in their way.  

Padmé Amidala as Christine Daaé

Anakin Skywalker as Raoul de Chagny

Darth Vader as The Phantom

Obi-Wan Kenobi as The Persian

Luke Skywalker as Gustave de Chagny

[glassprism]

I know this sounds really vague but can you name a few special details that only happen once / performed by only one actor / actress? like the third kiss of Thomas Schulze and Maike Switzer, or an one-of-a-kind cadenza.

Oh, it’s not vague, but there’s quite a lot that can count as things performed only by one actor or were one-offs.

For the latter, look to the final matinee or evening performances of a production or actor. For example:

The last performance of the Vienna performance had balloons tied to the monkey girl’s tail and M. Reyer ad-libbing the line, “Once again, for the 1364th time” (the production had 1364 performances)

The last performance of the original Hamburg production placed sunglasses on the three skulls in the auction and some extended cadenzas in Il Muto, as well as a medley of ‘Think of Me’ and ‘Music of the Night’ after curtain calls

The last performance of the Stuttgart production the third kiss, and Raoul saying “Mamma Mia!” at the end of ‘Little Lotte’ (a funny reaction to Christine, but also referencing the show that would replace Phantom in that theater)

Dale Kristien had spent her performances gradually extending her ‘Think of Me’ cadenza, until by her last few shows it sounded like this

The last performance of the Polish production had this very extended cadenza in ‘Think of Me’

Gina Beck gave an extended cadenza in ‘Think of Me’ for her second-to-last performance

As for other unique things, you can read long lists of unique or otherwise favorite things from Il Muto, ‘Point of No Return’, and the ‘Final Lair’. Some other things I found unique or which I’ve only see one or two actors do:

The way Rebecca Caine (and I think Jan Hartley-Morris) sing the title song vocalization

Patti Cohenour’s ‘Think of Me’ cadenza

Inger Olsson Moberg’s ‘Think of Me’ cadenza

Michael Shawn Lewis’s over-enthusiastic clapping in ‘Think of Me’

Earl Carpenter’s hair-touching in ‘Music of the Night’

Howard McGillin catching and lowering Jennifer Hope Wills to the floor at the end of ‘Music of the Night’ (done only because she recently returned from maternity leave)

Ethan Freeman kissing the hem of Christine’s dress in ‘Stranger Than You Dreamt It’

Eiji Akutagawa masturbating during ‘Point of No Return’

Hugh Panaro kneeling to propose to Christine in ‘Point of No Return’

Uwe Kroger’s boob stroking in the ‘Final Lair’

John Cudia practically lying on top of Christine in the ‘Final Lair’

Stephen R. Buntrock’s almost-chokehold in the ‘Final Lair’

Gary Mauer’s almost-slap in the ‘Final Lair’

Marcus Lovett collapsing and crawling towards Christine during “You try my patience. Make your choice!”

And there’s far, far more out there…

[operaofthephantom]

Friendly reminder that WE LOVE YOU TOO MEG!! 💜💜

I can’t even describe how much that means to me, anon, thank you so so much for this :’) I hope you’re having a wonderful day 💖

[operaofthephantom]

Friendly reminder that I love you guys 💖

[operaofthephantom]

hello everyone!! when I first joined the phandom back in August, there used to be a stream every Sunday night. this was how I met most of my friends and was something I looked forward to every week. unfortunately, I think we all got pretty busy when school started, and we stopped having scheduled weekly streams (but we still streamed randomly several times throughout the week.) now we’re deeper into the school year and some of us hardly talk at all, so I wanted to start hosting a scheduled stream every Friday so no matter how hectic our week is, there’s always one night that we’re together. so every Friday at 9:00 PM EST, I’ll be hosting a Phantom stream in my Rabbit room! we’ll watch different stuff every week, like the 1925 film, bootlegs of different actors in the ALW musical or the 1990 television series.  for security reasons, the room will be locked, but when you click the link it’ll ask you to give me your name. instead, please use the following phrase as a password so I know you came from my blog: “you great booby.” (clearly, I just wanted to a reason to make you all say “you great booby.”) here’s the link to my Rabbit room, and remember, the password is “you great booby”! I’ll be opening the room 15 minutes before the stream starts, so you guys can feel free to click the link at 8:45 PM EST. also if any new phans are wondering I swear to god I’m not a freak that says “booby” all the time, that’s actually a quote from the original novel by Gaston Leroux haha

everyone is welcome!! if you’re new to the phandom or just don’t talk to people much, this is a great way to make friends. so please do join us this Friday for our first stream!! also, please do reblog if you plan on attending to spread the word <3 I can’t wait to spend time with you guys and hopefully get to know some new people as well!! 💛

[operaofthephantom]

Gary Mauer tonight!! We start in about eight hours. I can’t wait to see you guys 💖

[coatntails]

Can I be super annoying and request and e/c kiss or almost kiss if you're feeling so inspired? I love you and your art! 💖

Requests are never annoying, especially requests to give my favorite musical couple a tender moment. <3

[coatntails]

Cleaned up, and now available in my Etsy store as a print ;)  (X)

Thanks again for the request, @a-partofthenarrative! I had a lot of fun with this one.

[dynaphan]

Plez forgive me for this

[a-partofthenarrative]

@persephone-victorious