Jan 10, 2024
The Phantom of the Opera performed its first preview at the Majestic Theatre 36 years ago today.
seen from Philippines
seen from T1
seen from Netherlands
seen from Netherlands
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Yemen
seen from Philippines
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Austria
seen from United States
seen from Bangladesh
seen from China
seen from United States
The Phantom of the Opera performed its first preview at the Majestic Theatre 36 years ago today.
The Phantom of the Opera Broadway Thoughts/Review - April 4, 2023
The main trio was Jeremy Stolle, Julia Udine, John Riddle and it was my first time seeing all three of them in these roles! Unless I win the lottery tomorrow for the final performance this was my last time seeing Phantom on Broadway before it closes and it proved to be the performance I needed to have closure.
Nehal Joshi continues to add something every performance as Andre. During Hannibal, he linked arms with Piangi during a choreography bit and then he went to stand by the elephant to sing like he was a member of the ensemble.
Julia really comes alive during Think of Me it’s obvious that her Christine loves performing once she gets over her initial nervousness.
As the candles rose during the title song, Jeremy was feeling himself and he spun the boat pole in a circle like it was a lightsaber before starting to row again and it was ~ hot ~
When Julia got out of the boat, he grabbed her hips and kind of spun her to look at him and it was also hot. His cape twirl and the way he throws it down onto the bed boat while not breaking eye contact with Christine is also hot. His phantom definitely has some Leo somewhere in his chart he is a slutty showman
I had seen some reviews on here saying that in recent months Jeremy’s voice has sounded strained while playing the Phantom. Vocally he struggled with the “I have brought you” part of MOTN, the end of AIAOY reprise, and “deep as hell” in Down Once More but those were the only parts he had to adjust the notes.
The Phantom and Christine almost kissed while leaning up against the portcullis. Which made the phantom chasing her to that corner of the lair in STYDI feel like a cruel parallel
During I Remember... Julia starts singing while lying down which seemed more realistic.
John’s Raoul is so so so earnest. That’s the best word to describe him. Right before Primadonna when the managers said Christine would play the page boy his head jerked up like “say what?”
When they are scrambling to read the Phantoms note from Madame Giry Firmin dropped the note to the ground
Jeremy’s Phantom really shines while messing with Carlotta he soaks up taunting her and is having a ball stealing the attention away (again there is Leo somewhere in his chart)
During the ballet scene, all of the ballerinas were adding little extra things in their performance while the shadows and murder are happening like adding lines saying “Did you see that?” and playing up the humor and fear.
John’s love language as Raoul is definitely physical touch but before kissing Christine for the first time he seemed so hesitant and nervous even though it was so apparent he wanted to.
During Wishing, it comes across like Julia’s Christine has been compartmentalizing or was in denial about her dad’s death. And her “her father promised her” is very pointed like she’s angry at her dad for dying
In Wandering Child, Jeremy isn’t really paternal he’s more of a patronizing “I know you have daddy issues” and he caressed his face during “far from my fathering gaze.” Julia was actively trying to resist it like physically trying to fight against the trance which I appreciated
John was ready to FIGHT in Wandering Child he charged up to the grave and it seemed like if Julia didn’t stop him he would have climbed up the wall to the Phantom.
An overall note about John… he seems to really pay attention to what the Phantom does. He keeps glancing at the chandelier during Il Muto and he notices the Phantom almost as early as Christine does in Masquerade. And while he’s protective of Christine he seems to be analyzing the Phantom, possibly sizing him up or trying to figure out what he’s going to do next. And I think this works really well in the last half of act II where Raoul is leading the charge because of course he is. He’s like “I’ve been studying this guy I have an idea” which also plays into the earnestness of John’s portrayal.
Jeremy’s vocals I think were strongest during PONR and his character really leans into the horniness of the song. Once Julia realizes it’s him she performed the most over-the-top sexy I’ve seen Christine do but it seemed to be to taunt the phantom. Like fully flashed her entire leg when she put her foot up on the bench.
When the Phantom proposes, Julia gently shook her head with her eyes pleading “please don’t ask that of me” and god it was such a subtle acting moment but it stood out to me so much. And then she ripped off his mask to get him to stfu
Jeremy’s Phantom has a strong attachment to his mask. As soon as he gets it back in STYDI, you can see his whole demeanor change. In the Final Lair, when he sang “A mask my first unfeeling scrape of clothing” he started to cry as if he was truly remembering his first mask. And then he realizes he’s being vulnerable in front of Christine and he gets mad at her pitying him
John is the only Raoul I’ve seen act like he’s being strangled the whole time during the final lair. Some eventually stop struggling but he kept it up the whole time. His energy was just really refreshing.
At one point Julia tried to put her arms around the Phantom’s shoulders to plead with him, and Jeremy ducked out from her (I don’t know how since he’s so much taller)
Jeremy was scaryyyyyy when he leaned over Christine before “you try my patience” and even after he turned around Julia was still frozen terrified. I think that was the first time I’ve ever watched it live and actually felt really really scared for Christine. Her fear was just so palpable.
After the kiss, when the Phantom walks up to Raoul, John started breathing really hard like he thought the Phantom was going to kill him and Julia’s desperate “No!” showed that she thought the same.
Because of how much Julia’s Christine wanted to be free of the Phantom it surprised my how sad her Christine seemed during the ring return. It did seem to be the mostly out of pity though.
There was no second “I love you.” When Jeremy was standing watching Christine and Raoul ride off on the boat together, something about his body language really captured the finality of his loneliness in that moment.
When I saw Phantom in December after so many years away all it did was reawaken my love of the show, and when I saw it in March the performance was so chaotic I was distraught (an understatement) when it ended because I knew I needed to go again. Something about this performance brought a lot of closure and as soon as it ended, I didn’t cry like I did in March. I just felt content.
I think that’s partially because every cast member is just doing the most so there were so many small moments to savor, but I also think it’s because I got to see Jeremy’s Phantom. I met him twice back in 2013/2014 when I was deep in the Phandom and him being so involved with fans was a huge part of my formative love of Phantom in high school. And when I wasn’t following the show as much I still kept up with a lot of backstage stuff through his Instagram. So it felt very full circle to finally catch him as the Phantom.
Our current Phantom of the Opera on Broadway is Ben Crawford who once played Shrek so now the phantom/shrek memes don’t stop comin
Why so green? Am I seeing Wicked or Phantom?
Did POTO Korean producers S&CO do something to make POTO Korea’s proscenium look so gross and green in order to discourage audiences from taking photos? (You bet this did not happen in NYC, London & China!!)
So S&CO in Korea has these extremely strict rules:
(1) Absolutely no curtain call photos/videos allowed.
(2) No designated day(s) for fans to meet & greet Phantom actors at all. Stage dooring for Phantom in Korea doesn’t exist. Actors either (a) stop to wave and bow and then get into a car or (b) walk quickly while smiling and bowing.
(3) No official curtain call photos/videos were ever released except a few seconds in promotional videos early in the production.
So one day, my phriend @jeremyonthelair and I were talking about POTO’s proscenium and how beautiful the angel statue is. But then he mentioned something that piqued my interest right away.
“Did you notice Korea proscenium in Charlotte theater has a green tint on all the golden sculptures? And the strangest thing is I didn’t see the green tint in person!! Only in photos!!”
Side note: Jeremy saw POTO China this past summer and POTO Korea in the fall, so you could say he had something to compare to in a short period of time.
We proceded to share proscenium photos – Jeremy with his China and Korea photos and me with Bway photos.
↑ Jeremy’s Korea photo
↑ My Majestic theatre photo taken on the day of the last public performance
↑ Jeremy’s Shanghai photo
Please note: I did not edit any photos in this post at all (other than a black oval to cover my phriend).
Here I have compiled some Korea proscenium photos as evidence. And for comparison, I also added some Majestic theatre photos provided by me and a fellow NY phan @flagbridge – along with some POTO China photos.
The Phantom of the Opera Broadway Thoughts/Review - March 9, 2023
This marked my fifth time seeing Phantom on Broadway, and I went with my friend who was seeing it for the first time. The Phantom was Ben Crawford, Raoul was Paul A. Schaefer, and Christine was played by both Emilie Kouatchou and Kanisha Marie Feliciano. Kanisha replaced Emilie during Il Muto.
compared to when I saw it in December, the audience was not as loud during songs and was more enthralled/not taking a breath
From the start, Paul’s Raoul seemed stronger than the last time I saw him. It was also a vocally strong performance all around for everyone.
While going down to the lair during the title song, Ben’s Phantom caressed Christine’s arm as she passed him at the end of the travelator
During STYDI, Emilie and Ben had a lot of tension when she decided to hand his mask back. And the way Ben hovered over her before grabbing her arm made me sjdjsk
Ben and Emilie were not seen coming up the trap door after the lair and the part where the ballerinas would spot the Phantom and Christine was cut. Instead the ballerinas just screamed after Magical Lasso and exited instead of pointing toward the Phantom and Christine so something felt off there
Kanisha came on during Il Muto instead of Emilie and it was my first time ever seeing an emergency cover happen in a show. During Il Muto I thought Kanisha’s confusion played well, but in All I Ask of You she seemed a bit overwhelmed. Paul really took over All I Ask of You and increased his energy in a really reassuring way.
When Ben appeared in the angel my friend went “oh fuck oh fuck” so it’s cool how surprising the angel still is to people who haven’t seen it
Ben also timed his hand coming up over the angel to the music so well it made it feel really gothic and creepy
Nehal Joshi as Andre really brought a ton of physical comedy and had dialed it up a bunch since I saw it in December. He walked through the ballerinas performing in Hannibal and bumped into more ballerinas during Il Muto. He also was more exaggerated with Firmin.
Ok so we have to talk about Paul in act II... the first time I have seen him have consistent stage presence all the way through. He had so many cute moments with Kanisha and was appearing so protective instead of just standing there. I can’t even begin to recount the number of little reassuring touches he did that just added so much to his relationship with Christine. My friend commented that she thought she would be bored of Raoul based on the beginning but was obsessed with him in act II so she also noticed it
Kanisha has such a beautiful voice, but I think it took until Wishing for her to settle into the character. Her Wishing was really beautiful!
When Ben appeared in the graveyard my friend went “not this fucker again.”
It was the best Wandering Child trio I’ve seen (and I do not like the trio in the song I prefer how it used to be from years ago). But the trio actually worked here. It was really cool to see Ben’s characterization change with Kanisha compared to how he would be with Emilie. With Kanisha he was immediately more paternal with her and this made the lyrics “wandering child” and “fathering gaze” that much more impactful.
Paul was bringING it during Wandering Child and since Kanisha and Ben were too, the sequence of Christine walking in a trance to the Phantom to Raoul stopping her, to the Phantom yelling at them while Chrisitne tries to stop Raoul while Raoul tries to protect Chrisitne just all ~ came together ~
Ben sounded really good in PONR. The new blocking I think this time I interpreted that Christine was just trying to force the Phantom to finish the choreography and then once she unveiled it as him she was maybe going to try and find a way to help the situation without the Phantom needing to die. And then he proposed to her and she was SHOCKED
During the final lair Ben was a bit more scary and physical than when I saw him in December and this made Paul louder and more protective. Kanisha’s “tears of hate” line was very defiant.
After the kiss for a second it looked like Kanisha’s Christine maybe felt something for the Phantom but a bit unclear on what that feeling was. She definitely stopped hating him after the kiss though and was looking at him almost perplexed and even after he let Roaul go, she still seemed to be trying to figure out what he was doing and what she felt
Ben broke my heart because when Christine came back to return the ring he leapt up and seemed to be thinking she was going to stay. Then Kanisha took a huge step back and stiffly outstretched her arm and it dawned on him that she wasn’t staying.
He sang “I love you” once, and once she left he said it again but more in a pitiful way to himself. So he wasn’t trying to convince her to stay like he did when I saw him with Emilie.
I don’t get the 100% vibe that Ben’s Phantom goes after Kanisha’s Christine. He seems to have sadly accepted it and I see more of like a 25% he considers trying to find her but doesn’t go through with it
I cried multiple times during the show and when I got home I sobbed at the thought of that being my last time seeing Phantom, so I bought one more ticket for April. My credit card and friends and family are probably unsurprised yet exasperated, but I think need one more time to say goodbye. This show in particular was pretty much perfect vocally, and it was so cool to compare the different acting interpretations and how they changed once Kanisha came onstage.
But it was super chaotic and a roller coaster of emotions from hoping Emilie is OK, wondering what happened, being disappointed Emilie wasn’t on anymore, loving that I got to see Kanisha, and then being disappointed I couldn’t have seen Kanisha at the beginning while still wishing I got to see Emilie all the way through. By the time Ben was singing at the end of the Final Lair, I realized my emotions had been so all over the place and I had so much adrenaline that I didn’t get to use the show the way I originally intended and hadn’t been able to just sit back and appreciate it one last time.
So I guess I’m going back again
The Phantom of the Opera Broadway Thoughts/Review — Dec. 7, 2022
After 8 years away (my last Phantom was Norm Lewis), I went back to see it on Broadway.
Going in, I was really apprehensive about seeing Ben Crawford’s Phantom because I had heard so many mixed things about him. Everyone either thought he was the best or had multiple criticisms and there was no in between, and tbh in bootlegs I wasn’t wild about his voice. As a Hugh Panaro Stan, I had seen a lot of fans who prefer Hugh-esque Phantoms not enjoying Ben’s as much. So I was nervous but curious about what I would think
The audience on Dec. 7 was clearly primarily made up of fans. The energy was INSANE. I honestly can’t describe it. Everyone was thrilled to be there
I was fully chocking back a sob during the overture because it was so overwhelming
As soon as Emilie smiled while performing “Think of Me” I almost started sobbing again lol
Emilie’s Christine is so so so good. Her vibrato is beautiful, her enunciation is super clear. And I think acting wise she is probably one of the strongest I’ve seen. There’s just something about how everything she does is so purposeful and you can see and understand why her Christine is choosing to do something.
I think Ben has somehow become my second favorite Phantom?? The small things I didn’t like are just me nitpicking, like some of the pronunciation and some physicality choices. But I really loved his voice, and his interpretation fits with the energy of the cast. He’s also the only Phantom I think that would successfully seduce me
As for Paul A. Schaefer as Raoul... . He does the bare minimum of what is required of Raoul, and is much stronger in the first act or when he’s acting alongside Emilie. His voice is good. But something about his stage presence is just like “go girl give us nothing,” especially during the Notes scenes. I think he was best during “Think of Me,” “Little Lotte,” and “All I Ask of You.” During Notes II he looked like he didn’t want to be there or deliver his threat to the Phantom.
Ben, Emilie, and Paul as a trio is really interesting. It’s as if the Phantom’s insanity is what pushes Christine to Raoul. Like she was happy to see Raoul at first, there was some ~ romantic tension~ but as soon as the Phantom appeared she forgot about Raoul. Then once she was scared of the Phantom, she defaulted to Raoul, and her fear is what kept pushing her toward Raoul throughout the show because she wanted comfort and to feel safe, not because she was head over heels in love. Which is why the Phantom had a stronger hold on her chemistry-wise than some other Christine’s who want nothing to do with the Phantom. Instead of the Phantom disrupting Christine and Raoul’s relationship, him disrupting Christine is what brings Raoul in. If that makes sense.
It’s the best supporting cast/company/ensemble I’d seen in a long time. The epitome of “acting is reacting.” Everyone (aside from Paul I’m sorry) brought something different, had high energy, and were acting in a way that fit seamlessly with those on stage with them. The best way I can put it is I think sometimes in past casts, people had their interpretation and stuck to it no matter who they were playing alongside, while this felt like you were watching something unique and a one-of-a-kind rendition that might be different the next night.
Aside from Ben and Emilie, the two other strongest cast members were Nehal Joshi as Andre and Raquel Suarez Groen as Carlotta
The sound quality is sooooo much better than when I was last there in 2014, which I think is partially why the overture was overwhelming in the best way. Everything was clear and impactful.
As soon as I heard Ben’s voice over the speakers during “Angel of Music” I fell in love ajksjk bootlegs really don’t do it justice.
The orchestra and music sounded amazing during the title song. And I actually liked the change at the beginning with Raoul and the ballerinas instead of the body doubles
Ben definitely has some pronunciations that take getting used to, but it sounds like Emilie’s Christine mimics that pronunciation a bit for continuity
I am not an E/C shipper but I was rooting for them to kiss during MOTN their chemistry was that good, especially when Ben sings “touch me, trust me” like *feral screech*
Ben’s crawl across the floor during “Stranger Than You Dreamt It” was more toned down than I had seen it bootlegs, which made it more emotional instead of funny. Emilie handing back the mask I think was one of the strongest acting moments of the show you could feel the tension between them
“All I Ask of You” was very cute, and Emilie and Paul’s kisses were more realistic and less theatrical if that makes sense which I appreciated. They were believable as a couple
Ben and Emilie’s chemistry was so apparent during PONR and they both vocally sounded so good. I still prefer the original blocking, but the new blocking worked well enough
During the final lair, it didn’t feel high stakes because of Christine or Raoul being in danger, but more so high stakes in that you didn’t know what Christine was going to do? One of those cases where the lines she delivers pick Raoul, but her chemistry and body language is saying other wise. When giving back the ring Emilie definitely lingered long enough that you question if she’s having ~feelings~ instead of just feeling bad. I also typically assume the Phantom dies like a week later, but I don’t get that vibe from Ben’s Phantom and could see him still waiting around for her idk.
Normally I’m like “girlie get out of there” during final lair. But even though I am a LND HATER, this is the trio where I wouldn’t mind Christine ditching Raoul and going back to fuck the Phantom ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I went back up to see Phantom one last time to appreciate all the set pieces and orchestra that will be butchered when Cameron Macintosh brings on whatever he has planned. So I really tried to soak everything in as far as the feeling of seeing it live and remembering how things were. But the cast was so good and the energy of the audience was so great to be a part of I think I’m going to try and swing another trip in 2023 just to have one final phantom experience.
I’m definetely Ali Ewoldt and Jeremy Stolle trash
Favourite Christines (3/5): Kaley Ann Voorhees