#john cudia

[greenstripedcat]

The most down for it Christine and the worst Phantom fumble stream notes

the notes from last year's stream!

@from-aldebaran: this boot was filmed July 1, 2006 in St Louis, Missouri

@lonlonranching: how pissed you think this chick is looking forward to talk to her walls and this gooner shows up interrupting

@glassprism: I remember a Tumblr anon sending me an ask going, "I saw Adam Monley on your trading site and I love him! Did you like his Raoul?!" and I was like, "...Um... if you can't say anything nice..."

@GlassPrism: I remember a Tumblr anon sending me an ask going, "I saw Adam Monley on your trading site and I love him! Did you like his Raoul?!" and I was like, "...Um... if you can't say anything nice..."

@paper-faces: this raoul is a fuckboy who wants dinner with her only bc its convenient and his other girlfriends arent available but hes on his phone the whole dinner bc he doesnt know anything about opera or any of your other interests @ravens-repine: Rachel, this is a Raoul who comes for the beauty of faces iykwim @Luukfy: The Raoul from Under the shadows

@probablynotben (@electronickittenstarfish): I saw the tour with Cudia in Philly in December 2006. By then, Kim Stengel was principal Carlotta, and Marnie Raab was Christine (Sarah Lawrence as alternate), and Michael Gillis was Raoul. @probablynotben: When I went, Marnie was Christine & a very tiny, cute and fierce understudy was on for Carlotta

@from-aldebaran: You can actually here his tongue when he sings

@lonlonranching: the experience of following a man you’ve been talking to on victorian tinder taking you to his basement apartment through the most harrowing hallways of apartment complex really is timeless huh @Ravens_Reproach: She really said, secondary location? Sign me the fuck up! @paper-faces: EXTREMELY private? on our first date? im sure this is safe! @haunted-hideaway: Historically accurately stabbing a man in the eye with a hair pin

@warpweight: house of leaves au where raoul and christine move into a scary morphing house and christine goes into the expanding abyss to explore it and there's a scary creature inside and she's like Omggggg <3 ok yay <3

@warpweight: ugh it's so fun when the mask FITS and at a distance you get some of that uncanny effect where it does look a little like his face @warpweight: the way the mask eyebrow is sculpted so that it's like knit upward a little bit. like he's serving Tortured Darkness no matter what lmao

@warpweight: A CHRISTINE IS TRUE SICKOMODE WHEN HE MASHES HIS DUMB HAND INTO HER FACE AND SHE LOOKS LIKE "OH I LOVE TO SMELL YOUR PALMS LIKE THIS"

@lonlonranching: im building this man a DOG HOUSE. RIK HOUSE. im gonna leave him outside in thunder storms

@-Aldebaran-: He does not even need to take the mask off to get all sorts of things done right

@warpweight: and she's like STARING AND PANTING. BROTHER YOU REALLY FUMBLED HARD

@warpweight: some christines are like..... by the time they see the number of taper candles they're like "i gotta call a cab" but SOME. some see the doll and even then they're like "it's so important to have hobbies.... he's so creative"

@probablynotben: By the way, in that 4 Phantoms concert that aired on PBS, John said something about HIS version of LND has the Phantom & Christine moving to NJ and having 2 kids and 2 dogs. Then he sang "Til I Hear You Sing"

@-Aldebaran-: He is like tall dark serotonin

@warpweight: christine is like "ok so can you get back on the portcullis and act like you're a bird with its legs trapped in a chainlink fence and i try to pull you out but you peck and caw at me and then i get you in a cardboard box and take you to a rehabber but there's nothing we can do to help you"

@lonlonranching: if only immersive was 300 dollars for rik to chase you around his lair until his knees go out and you get to watch him crawl to the lair bar

@Luukfy: and he retracts like a touched crayfish. Or like a snail's whisker

@GlassPrism: Yeah and her turning from him was more like... "I can't look at you because I'm still so betrayed by what you did" rather than "I'm scared of your face"

@marumotto: Love when a Buquet turns into a halloween animatronic

@angelofmusicals87614: We telling ghost stories in the dark?

@paper-faces: can we please talk about the fact that she was about to glue herself to the slick on the wall to see how long it would take to get mold to grow on her and rik STILL somehow fumbled THAT @glassprism: @paper-faces Maybe he fumbled it the moment he chose the Angel of Music persona. It makes the whole thing more tragic - there was no saving the relationship before the show even started. But what other choice could the Phantom have made to speak to her? @paper-faces: @glassprism FUCK CELINA OUCH. RIP i will be thinking about this for way longer than my small heart can handle cries

@Aldebaran-: Raoul draws his brows in thought and then remembers thought is not his strong suit

@Aldebaran-: Since this part is prerecorded, they should send the Phantom out into the audience after the coughers

@GlassPrism: "Don't worry, I'm here physically, but not necessarily mentally or emotionally" - Raoul, very soon @GlassPrism: I should stop being so mean, he might be better than I remember

@maroogaly: Love when you can tell he just does shadow puppets for himself in his spare time

@GlassPrism: She's trying to shake some emotion into him @leeringsatyr: She's basically throwing herself at him and he's just standing there @Ravens_Reproach: Like she was kissing Barb, but less hot @GlassPrism: "I am only kissing you because the stage manager says I must" @warpweight: JHW IS MANNING HIM LIKE A PUPPET

My God, he was so devastating on the angel in the reprise, so wet and desparate and weeping; I love him so much

@motelpearl: THE WEEPING SMIRLING FUMBLING CUCKLER

Phantom boogie blues from the intermission

(from the behind-the-scenes videos - see the last year's notes) @warpweight: ok seeing like face-done-up casual footage..................... i feel really normal about the phantom of the opera and i don't ever need to read 100000 words Compulsively about him using a funnel to put soy sauce into the fish containers he is packing in his childrens stupid bento boxes

Phantom-related book mention: Phantom by Greer Rivers

Also! We watched @rose-margaritas's phanfic art video in the intermission, and specifically talked about Verdun and Teach me to live (but please watch the video with the links to all the fics on Margaret's page, they're all such woderful stories!)

@probablynotben: @wheel-of-fish Fish recently reblogged some backstage pics of Alyssa Giannetti, and she has one of the Broadway style star princess dresses! @GlassPrism: I think there's a fuller pic she posted and the skirt is West End

@paper-faces: it would be great if the showe came full circle with her holding rik's severed head here like in hannibal get it?

@paper-faces: paper-faces: whats the opposite of when your dad says "good eye" at the little league baseball game? thats what christine is throwing at her dad @LeeringSatyrs: It's an interesting choice to be kind of angry during Wishing instead of just mournful. Her dad died without giving her the skills she needed to be independent! That anger isn't completely misplaced! They were kind of codependent and that's on him.

@haunted-hideaway: ahh a far-reaching fellow [for once!]

@maroogaly: I always saw it as just - he's so desperate to have a connection to her in any way that's he's like....you want to friendzone me? Fatherzone me? It's all good baybeeee

@PhantoonsOfTheOpera: if you have fireballs, you should consult your physician

@warpweight: jennifer. your hopes and willisses

@-Aldebaran-: He is trying to keep every part of his body from betraying him

@maroogaly: God i LOVE when a Christine got a lil smirk on her face. Play him like a piano girl

@from-aldebaran: -Aldebaran-: Abhorrent face and the he turns to the sharpest profile known to humankind @GlassPrism: @-Aldebaran- They put him in the cage out of hear of his sharp jawline

usually m stands for moisten the boy, but this time... @Aldebaran-: M for meh

@emotionalsicknessxx: yeah i now understand how this was my first rik and it ruined my life

@warpweight: LOOOOVE THATHE DOESN'T LOOK LIKE ENTIRELY SHOCKED BY TEARS OF HATE AND INSTEAD HE'S JUST LIKE "I KNEW THIS BUT DID NOT WANT TO HEAR IT"

@paper-faces: john cudia rik doesnt make it two feet past his magic chair

Also! Deb is planning to play the stream again on riday night! @from-aldebaran: It will be the exact show, because it is all built already @GlassPrism: We're watching Cooper Saturday

@motelpearl: as i said i saw john cudia as a kid and slept through it but i think that was like instilling me with subconscious mental insanity as i slept like how people listen to recordings in different languages while they sleep to learn them

@paper-faces: this is a love never dies accurate raoul i suppose

[from-aldebaran]

Saturday, August 15, 2026 • 9 p.m. EST:

John Cudia/Jennifer Hope Wills/Adam Monley

(US Tour 2006)

This week's stream is another all time fan favorite, featuring John Cudia wielding his Red Death cape like a wet towel in a locker room. Also a former Christine (on the same tour in fact), Kimilee Bryant, following the Christine to Carlotta pipeline with her appearance as Carlotta in this performance. And, of course, Jackhammer Meg!

Each week I try to post a bit about where each production we stream fits in time, in space (location) and in Phantom history. In the eight streams I have hosted so far, we have stuck firmly to the 2000's, and our locations have been London, Broadway, Copenhagen, France, China (current World Tour stops), various US city stops on past US tours, and actual Hell (Spiritual Twist). With the exception of Spiritual Twist (the only way in which that production is exceptional) all the versions we have watched since June 13, 2026 have been versions of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.

London/West End: In ALW Phantom history, we are presently in the 40th anniversary year of this iteration of Phantom of the Opera, which had its first preview September 27, 1986 at Her Majesty's Theatre in London, England. The official opening night at Her Majesty's was October 8, 1986.

New York/Broadway: First preview on Broadway was on January 9, 1988, with an official premiere date of January 26, 1988.

With both the London and Broadway shows running, a series of tours was launched. This stream note discusses what are referred to as the US National Tours (although I am still not certain if there may have been a few Canadian stops here and there, still trying to find this out.)

First US National Tour: Christine Tour or Christine Company. Launched May 18, 1989. Final Performance January 3, 1999. Although billed as a national tour, it played in two cities only, Los Angeles and San Francisco. 3,092 performances. Replica of original staging.

Second National Tour: Raoul Tour or Raoul Company. Launched May 22, 1990. Final Performance November 15, 1998. Played major markets for a total of 3,364 performances. Replica of original staging. Third National Tour: Music Box Tour or Music Box Company. Launched December 13, 1992. Final Performance October 31, 2010. Played major markets for a total of 7,284 performances. Replica of original staging.

This whole post started with attempting to answer the question of why the Third National Tour was called the Music Box Tour. In an article from the LA Times, July 22, 1994, "O.C. Theater: 'Phantom' Flexes Its Muscles" by Jan Herman, I find an answer:

You know the show that opens Sunday for a six-week stand at the Orange County Performing Arts Center as “The Phantom of the Opera.” But the troupe for this national touring production thinks of itself as “The Music Box Company.” The name, chosen by producer Cameron Macintosh [sic], suggests a delicate object tinged with nostalgia and romance. It refers to one of the most evocative elements in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s pop opera: the Phantom’s papier-mache music box with its little monkey on top and “Masquerade,” its haunting little tune, inside. The box becomes a poignant symbol of the disfigured Phantom’s obsessive love for the beautiful young opera singer Christine, who is torn between him and the handsome Viscount Raoul de Chagny. The reason for the company name, however, is more practical than poetic. According to Bill Miller, a spokesman for the show, Macintosh [sic] wanted to distinguish this production from his two other road versions now playing in the United States. The “Phantom” in San Francisco, which opened last Christmas after running for 4 1/2 years at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, is called “The Christine Company.” The “Phantom” in Boston, on a 19-city tour that began 4 1/2 years ago in Chicago, is “The Raoul Company.”

(Still not sure why the first two tours were named Christine and Raoul though!)

Fourth National Tour: Commonly referred to as the Restaged Tour. Launched November 27, 2013. Final performance February 2, 2020. Played major markets, including at least one stop in Canada (Toronto). I was unable to locate the total performances number for this tour. It is called the Restaged because it is not an exact replica of the original London/Broadway staging. More forthcoming on this tour and staging.

Fifth National Tour: The Box Five Tour or Box Five Company. Launched November 7, 2025. Currently ongoing. Called on the official site a North American Tour, but has not as yet played any cities outside of the US. Celebrated 300 performances August 6, 2026. West End (London) Revival staging. More forthcoming on this tour and staging.

And there you have a brief history of US Tours of Phantom, in preparation for watching a performance this Saturday from the Third US Tour as performed by (say it with me) the Music Box Company!

As always, the stream will be on cy.tube and shy anons are welcome!

⭐Link and password will be posted here at 8:45 the day of the stream.

⭐For more info, please see the Saturday Streams FAQ 

⭐Remember to follow @from-aldebaran for stream posts going forward.

⭐PFPs featured on the Saturday Streams banner are left to right Streams Founder @operaofthephantom, 300 Club Streams Host @wheel-of-fish, new host @from-aldebaran, and our Phantom Founder, Gaston Leroux. Massive thanks to @opera-ghost for the PFP additions to Fish's original banner design.

⭐ Gifs by @wheel-of-fish

[dailyphantomhands]

John Cudia (with Marni Raab)

[dailyphantomhands]

John Cudia (with Jennifer Hope Wills)

[wheel-of-fish]

john cudia supremacy🗣️‼️

obligatory gifs pulled from the dregs of my hard drive!!

Also here he is making out with Marie Danvers:

And shoving the phantom:

[litloverscorsetlaces]

I don't think you understand how John Cudia's STYDI hands have disturbed me on a visceral level. He went OFF in this boot.

[wheel-of-fish]

Stranger Then You Dreamt It

still thinking about john cudia's mocking "stranger than you dreamt it" line

[litloverscorsetlaces]

Suing John Cudia for Emotional Distress for:

The way his evil laugh sounds like a wail/sob.

Looking upward during the portcullis sprawl like his soul is going to leave his body with Christine brushing up against his--

Panicking and considering CPR when Christine faints.

HANDS (see items 5-7)

Doing motions that make me squirm during STYDI of all numbers when most Phantoms are concerned with the crawl.

Clutching at everything--fabric, air, his own knees and legs--during PONR.

Balling up in a fist when Christine kisses him and then stationed like they're almost protecting his heart afterwards.

The way he slides his whole body up against Christine during PONR.

The way he slides his whole body up against Christine during the final lair kiss.

Laying ON TOP of Christine when he's spiraling during the final lair.

Turning his neck at a damn near 90 degree angle when Raoul arrives in the graveyard.

Cheekbones.

It was all intentional. Lawyer up.