Phantom of the Oy-pera.

[leleboo]

OK, I admit that I don't hate The Phantom of the Opera. I was a young teenager when I first saw it and it was fun, a spectacle. I also liked the old Gaston LeRoux fiction on which it was based -- a good pulp read.

But today, Phantom replaces Cats as the longest-running show on Broadway.

Well, it was sad in the first place when Cats took that

Comments

[eblizelteth]

Hmm, I'm not convinced that a lot of Broadway's big money-makers are any better than Phantom, even than the dulled, dated Phantom that we have today. Sure, Light in the Piazza: haven't seen it, heard it's great. But more often than not Broadway is overrun (as much as you can be given how relatively few theatres there are) with shows based on movies or older shows or, worst of all, freaking medleys. The economics of big-budget theatre have created a bit of a crap-machine, if you ask me. Instead of decrying the persistence of Phantom on Broadway, I think we should be shouting down instead the dominance of Broadway itself. (Can we really say that tourists have no taste if they choose to see Phantom instead of In My Life or Mamma Mia?)

Although lest I give the impression that I have something against The Good Phantom, let me point out that I have now seen the movie in two separate languages, and I would happily see it in several others. The scene where Christine finally removes the mask is particularly worthwhile if you slow it down so you can see the precise moment when Gerald Butler's lush mahogany locks are replaced with a thinning gray fright wig. Really, it's all kinds of genius.

[leleboo]

Yeah, we caught the end and that was definitely genius of a must-watch-while-drunk type. :)

My parents -- who as you know can be vaguely theatre-snobbish -- actually enjoyed Mamma Mia, which sort of amazes me. Then again, I believe one goes to that show expect, well, a Tony-and-Tina-meets-ABBA experience; if one goes for quote-unquote theatre, it's a bust.

I agree that, no, we can't make a judgment of a theatregoer's taste based on choosing among several terrible shows, and I also agree that the more the bottom line takes over, the more crap reigns (cf. indie films versus studio blow-em-up-fests, for the uber-obvious example).

I'm not one of those who think theatre has to be deep or unenjoyable to be good, of course. (Did you know John Simon was fired at age 80 because he gave a good review to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?) I just happen to think that this particular show has outlived any usefulness it may ever have had (like Mel's comment above, where the once-groundbreaking tech is now ho-hum and so it barely even counts as "spectacle" anymore). Does it mean it should never be seen again? Nah. Might it be the only Broadway show, and in fact only stage show ever, seen by someone? Sure! Am I still sad that Broadway would rather ensconce it and laud it than take risks on other, possibly better (never a guarantee) shows? Hell yeah.

And I also know that I'm coming at it from the literary critic's viewpoint that theatre should even have usefulness, have a point or a meaning or something that leaves a viewer thinking about his or her life afterwards. Clearly, it's not all about that.

(BTW, I know we're on the same side here -- so I'm not arguing, just elaborating.)

Still and all? Oy. :)

[eblizelteth]

To be perfectly honest, I should have admitted upfront that I am very much down on theatre these days, so I'm coming from a particularly biased perspective. I don't know if I've misplaced my grown-up attention span or if I've lost my patience with theatre generally as a mode of expression (I've certainly lost my patience with theatrical dialogue, due in no small part to the travesty that was Closer), but it takes a lot to get me to see a show these days.

Also, I fucking hate - HATE - Wicked.

All this being said, I am very much looking forward to my roommate's upcoming show: Heddatron. Hedda Gabler ... with robots.

[leleboo]

Yeah, I'm the same. I'm the worst theatre-goer ever these days; I just have no patience. I've never seen Wicked and I have no desire to. Granted, I still adore the Into the Woods soundtrack -- and I always will -- but it's definitely nostalgic at this point

Hedda Gabler, however, can only be improved by robots. :)