Phantom 25th Anniversary Concert--THE REVIEW!
Alright, here's the deal. It's been a while since I've actually tried to piece together a coherent review, so bear with me is what I'm saying. I'm going to attempt to be as objective as possible, but you must understand that there is a raging Phan Girl in the back of my head, and she just wants to squeal about "OMGPHANTOMOMG DID YOU SEE IT LOOKIT PHANTOM OMG." In my defense, the place I live is not privvy to a lot of Phantom performances. I'm far from NYC, Las Vegas, and LA. When there was a US tour, it rarely stopped here. My senior year of high school, Mom and I drove 6 hours to Detroit just to see it (and let me tell you, that is a big story for another time). My point being, I am just BEYOND thrilled to have the chance to see this on stage, even if it was beamed to my local movie theater, and even if it was a trimmed down performance.
SO HERE WE GO.
We missed the beginning hoozits and festivities, as we got trapped in traffic. We got into the theater literally just as the auction was getting underway. I rather liked this auctioneer, some of them feel the need to shout which is just grating. First impression of Raoul was...well, I was going to reserve judgement. I got tingles as the infamous Overture started, but I missed the chandelier cracking and firing to life. It was already suspended above the stage with a curtain over it, which lifted. The close ups of the chandelier were nice, the craftsmanship was absolutely beautiful. I understand why they had to do it that way (that's the Royal Albert Hall for you), but still a bit of a boner killer. There were wonderful shots of the grotesques lifting though, which was nice, I love that particular piece a lot.
A brief note about the set: The stage itself was rather shallow and small, so allowances had to be made. There was a large projection screen in the back, split into two by the orchestra; instead of being below in a pit, it was half way up the back of the stage, which was interesting. During the Overture, there was a video of the Phantom bashing away on his tiny little Crazy Organ of Craziness and Composing the Crazy. Interesting, but kind of...unnecessary? I don't know, it just seemed to take away some of his mystery when he appeared at the Mirror.
Apologize for voices, people behind us would not SHUT THE GRAND FUCK UP (more on that later).
I am really, really miffed at myself for not clearing my camera out and thus having to really ration what I got video of. I'm going to be perfectly honest, the Slave Master? WOW. He was amazing. Quite possibly one of the best male dancers I've ever seen. Sidenote: Mom leans over and says, "Hot damn, can we just get a couple hours of that?" Bless.
Angel of Music and post ToM (What do we even call that? The Degas scene?) was a bit odd, set obviously seriously altered. No 'dressing room' to really speak of, just Christine and her little table. Meg looked really old, kind of distracting.This is the point where I started to forgive Sierra for Love Never Dies. She's just lovely and her voice is superb, even if she did do some weird accent thing every so often. Ramin was also pleasing enough at this point, very nice voice. I started to take umbrage with the mirror isn't actually THE MIRROR WHAT. The lyrics aren't, "Look at your face in the oddly pixelated projection screen," people. Also, why is she HUGE on the screen? I don't think you can see in the video, but the Phantom's face is just hanging out in the upper right corner of "the Mirror" and his mask was ON THE WRONG SIDE. THE WRONG. SIDE. I don't even. And of course, I ran out of space right as he opened "the Mirror" and the titular song started. SO mad at myself, I can't tell you.
The PotO song was good, except that the doubles were really glaring with the closeups. Kind of distracting, but alright. Sierra and Ramin both delivered pleasingly. The one thing that I really, really hated was there were no candle-things coming up out of the stage. We had, you guessed it, projections. The idea of the projection screen is nifty and everything, but there is no substitute for the real deal.
So that all goes on and we come dashing right into Music of the Night. I've always kind of...not liked Ramin. I find his voice to be perfectly adequate, his acting is really pretty good, but something has always nagged me. I finally realized what it was, what with all these closeups during MOTN: HIS HANDS. What in the fuck is going on with his hands? Seriously, they look like packs of hot dogs waving around. He uses them well enough, but they are so ugly I can't even look at them. There was something off about his jacket as well, I couldn't quite place it... The sleeves are longer, thus making his stubby hands look stubbier... The shoulders are puffed, what is going on here, did he rob Madame Giry's wardrobe... OH YOU ARE SHITTING ME, IT'S HIS JACKET FROM LOVE NEVER DIES WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT. Ugh. Way to just kill the mood. (Have I ever told you guys that the reason I love Michael Crawford so damn much isn't because of his voice or acting or any of that, which is pretty damn good, but more due to his attention to detail? He knew that wearing black, on a dark stage, his hands would stick out like neon lights, and he wanted to optimize this exposure. That's why he asked for the jacket sleeves to be a bit short, so we get that amazing glimpse of wrist and his hands would appear longer and more elegant. Just love it.) Sierra faints because of...something? There's no doll bride this time, so...?
Another thing about the closeups: They did something to Ramin's face. I mean, beyond the obvious, glaring deformity. Something was done to the 'good' half of his face to make him appear older/sickly/something. I approve. The umasking was as usual, Ramin did a very nice job. There's something very amazing about how he goes from this posturing, self-assured Lothario to a crawling, broken man in the space of a few seconds. I like this scene a lot, it's just full of all kinds of crazy.
Prima Donna blah blah, I really like the guy who plays Raoul, guyliner and all. He's a very handsome bit of gentry, quite able to stand his own and get in the face of whoever is needed. Very alpha. I am seriously in love with Wendy Ferguson, who plays Carlotta. She's a wonderful diva, she is just so playful and full of attitude. I am equally charmed by Piangi, who has a sweet face and looks like a big huggable bear. Really like the pair of them. Managers are also vastly entertaining, very distinct personalities.
I had to make a break for the bathroom during Il Muto, so I missed that whole bit. Got back for the end of All I Ask of You, lots of happy snuggles and whatnot between Christine and Raoul. They're so twee and treacly it kind of makes my teeth hurt. And of course Phantom has his meltdown on the angel statue, Ramin really delivered nicely here. I was literally on the edge of my seat, waiting to see the chandelier crash and... Wow, nothing happened. Literally. The chandelier threw of some sparks and flickered, and everyone dashed off the stage, but... What? It didn't wiggle? Nothing? Beyond anticlimactic.
I must say, the next part had me just full of clappy-hands. Masquerade was...amazing. SO many people! SO many costumes! The cameras were really a boon here, it was worth the ticket price for the closeups of the costumes. The colors all seemed very rich. Some of them looked like they'd been altered a bit, Christine's was definitely different.
I really got the sense this time though that this was a really harrowing and horrifying experience for Christine. It's like she'd developed a phobia of masks, which is completely understandable/likely, and this whole party was beyond scary. It was similar to the party scene in Sweeney Todd, with the masks and general terror.
And then it was time for our favorite party crasher!
...Oh.
Well. Huh. I love his costume so much, it's always been one of my favorites. His exit was a little weird, and he didn't yank off Christine's necklace with her engagement ring on it. He just...pointed at her. With his stubby sausage finger.
*sigh*
So now comes Twisted Every Way, and Raoul is IN CHARGE MOTHERFUCKERS. Seriously, give this man a sword or a gun or something, because he is gonna give old Maskypants a good thrashing, or at the least some Very Dirty Looks. He was a bit rough with Christine, I don't think he handled her quite right (I get the feeling they're trying to make him a bit assholey to prep for LND). Sierra was good here too, though my favorite was Carlotta. God, I just want her wardrobe. SO MUCH FUR! Don Juan rehearsal was awesome as always, I LOVE the music when the piano starts playing on its own, I want a whole song of that and the cast singing like daft opera zombies.The piano seemed a bit quiet, but we got a nice effect with the cameras.
The Journey to the Cemetery music is lovely as always. I have to confess, I am really, really angry at myself for not getting video of Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again. Really. Very. It was, by far, the absolute best I've heard/seen, ever. Sierra really just let herself go and sank into the role of grieving so completely, and her voice was just sublime. I was very emotional at this part, which NEVER happens for me. I mean, I sat through Titanic and ate popcorn with M&Ms while everyone in the theater was sobbing. I always cry at Phantom, but never this part. Never. It was just amazing.
Raoul was really ready to get right up in the Phantom's face at the cemetery, kudos to him. He was very angry and shouty throughout the whole show, which I kind of didn't care for. I think it works here though, it shows that he was really quite ready to deal with this masked idiot right now.
Don Juan was smoldering. The choreography is always very suggestive, but this time it was more so, probably due to the closeups. Speaking of closeups, the cloak seems to have a very pretty texture/pattern to it, I've never noticed that before. The Aminta dress was just gorgeous, I never have fully appreciated the very rich fabrics used for it. Phantom's AIAOY is very wrenching. The unmasking happens, and the deformity looks slightly different. Hmm. You know, now that I mention it, something seems off about the mask too, I wonder what's bothering me about that, it's just not quite the same--
YOU ARE SHITTING ME.
YOU. ARE. SHITTING. ME. IT'S THE LOVE NEVER DIES MASK WHY AUGH STAB STAB STAB I HATE EVERYONE. Seriously, I was completely yanked out of the moment of Down Once More when it hit me. I have no words, just angry frustration noises.
So here we are at the Final Lair scene. I am going to warn everyone right now: This scene destroys my emotions. I mean, PotO in general does, but this part just takes the cake. This is where Ramin and Sierra really shine as a pair. I was very pleasantly surprised by the new wedding dress. It's just...it's beautiful. @_@ There's a different bustle and the bodice seems more streamline. Better materials too, the ruffles on the sleeves and skirt positivevly float. I've heard a couple people compaining about the 'tiara' on the veil, but I personally loved the flowers. They look wilted and dried up, perfect for his dead bride. It's something that really dials the creepy up a notch. I love it. Christine really shows some assertiveness here--when Raoul is all noosed up and the Phantom makes a few steps in his direction, she intercedes very clearly between them.
The Kiss(es): I have no words. Really, it was just beyond anything I had hoped for. Ramin was so charming, looked almost like a little boy. He placed his hand over Sierra's on the bad side of his face which was a wonderful touch, I haven't seen that before. He touched her hands afterward, I like it. One thing that kind of yanked me out of the moment: Raoul's face. He made the best EEEWWWWW face ever, I almost died.
The button to turn the 'candle' on when he frees Raoul is visible and audible. -_- When he starts in with "GO NOW AND LEAVE MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" he really, really cuts loose. I kind of shrank back in my chair and was like, "Is this the new Nightwish album? Why did this suddenly turn into a metal album?" It did seem to take something out of him, as a character; Phantom is very meek after his meltdown.
When Christine comes back to return his ring, he looks at her very balefully with these huge eyes, nervously wiping his hands... Again, he looks almost like a little boy, which I suppose he is in a lot of ways. I was hit very, very hard with the simplistic perfection of him singing "I love you," and that's all. There's nothing else really for him to say, and he does it in such a beautiful way; his voice isn't the Mysterious Phantom, or the Demanding Phantom, or even the Crazy Phantom--it's just him, plaintive but resigned. Sierra bends over his hand and kisses it, obviously torn. She looks back as she's climbing the stairs which I found a little...unsettling. There's no gondola for she and Raoul to sail off in, which I think kind of detracts from the solidity of their relationship. She was always kind of...regret-ish at the end, but she and Raoul leaving together always smacked of sureness. This is right, it said.
I apologize for any and all sniffles in the videos of the ending, but you know how it is. I never cry, so this is always kind of cathartic for me.
MOVING ALONG, the ending is wonderful as always. Ramin almost tosses the veil away, like he's just done with it all, like it was burning him. He really cuts loose and belts for all he's worth; I'm frankly surprised he can after going all Sabaton on us. I always took the end to mean that he had let his Phantom persona go, he left the mask, it was over. He even says so. I kind of dislike that the spotlight wasn't on just the mask at the end, Meg was right there too--it felt like they were trying to shove Phantom/Meg at us, didn't care for it.
Curtain call was nice, our theatre was poltie until the Phantom came out, at which point everyone clapped. It was overall an amazing experience, something I am so glad I got to do. It really renewed my appreciation and love for PotO.
Let me ammend the statement "our theatre was polite" with the following: There was some rude bint sitting behind me who insisted on commenting the whole goddamn time, and not brilliant observations either: "OHHHHHHHHH HE'S IN THERE I KNOOOOOOOW HE IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS. WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT, DAT'S DUMB, TALKING ABOUT THEIR PLANS WHEN HE'S IN THEEEEERRRRRE." She clearly missed Mom's withering glares, so I decided to say something. I usually don't use profanity at people, but she was fucking with my Phantom. I stood up, asked her if she would very kindly shut the fuck up or I would shove my gothasol up her flaccid asshole, and she just smiled blankly at me. Mom informed the manager, who came in, agreed she had a big mouth, and gave us replacement tickets, so guess who's going to see it again? THIS CHICK RIGHT THERE. This will also probably mean more video, whoop whoop.
Okay, so after the curtain call, things happened. I'm sure everyone knows what by now. I was so embarassed by the way Andrew Lloyd Webber treated Sarah Brightman. He kept trying to grasp her hand (or any other bodypart) and pull her back over by him. I felt like Michael Crawford really got snubbed, like ALW's lingering feelings for Sarah erased any chance for him to say anything. Wish we could have heard him sing, but whatever. He was obviously very emotional, especially when Ramin bowed to him. Sarah's singing was...okay. Not the best, not the worst. There was a shot where Michael/Sarah and Ramin/Sierra were standing next to each other, and it was kind of astounding to think about 25 years between them, like bookends. The 5 Phantoms singing were great, except for Peter Jöback. Man, I was just beyond disappointed with him. His voice stood out in a really glaring way between the richness of the other Phantoms. SWEDEN, STEP IT UP A NOTCH WITH YOUR PHANTOMS. I AM DISAPOINT.
And then everyone clapped and it was amazing and I loved it and I kind of never wanted it to end. I will definitely be buying the DVD when I can, which means my Swedish had probably better be prepared to come home and find me emotioning for no good reason. Except...maybe it is a good reason. Maybe crying over such a sad, beautiful, strange story is exactly right.
SO HERE WE GO.
We missed the beginning hoozits and festivities, as we got trapped in traffic. We got into the theater literally just as the auction was getting underway. I rather liked this auctioneer, some of them feel the need to shout which is just grating. First impression of Raoul was...well, I was going to reserve judgement. I got tingles as the infamous Overture started, but I missed the chandelier cracking and firing to life. It was already suspended above the stage with a curtain over it, which lifted. The close ups of the chandelier were nice, the craftsmanship was absolutely beautiful. I understand why they had to do it that way (that's the Royal Albert Hall for you), but still a bit of a boner killer. There were wonderful shots of the grotesques lifting though, which was nice, I love that particular piece a lot.
A brief note about the set: The stage itself was rather shallow and small, so allowances had to be made. There was a large projection screen in the back, split into two by the orchestra; instead of being below in a pit, it was half way up the back of the stage, which was interesting. During the Overture, there was a video of the Phantom bashing away on his tiny little Crazy Organ of Craziness and Composing the Crazy. Interesting, but kind of...unnecessary? I don't know, it just seemed to take away some of his mystery when he appeared at the Mirror.
Apologize for voices, people behind us would not SHUT THE GRAND FUCK UP (more on that later).
I am really, really miffed at myself for not clearing my camera out and thus having to really ration what I got video of. I'm going to be perfectly honest, the Slave Master? WOW. He was amazing. Quite possibly one of the best male dancers I've ever seen. Sidenote: Mom leans over and says, "Hot damn, can we just get a couple hours of that?" Bless.
Angel of Music and post ToM (What do we even call that? The Degas scene?) was a bit odd, set obviously seriously altered. No 'dressing room' to really speak of, just Christine and her little table. Meg looked really old, kind of distracting.This is the point where I started to forgive Sierra for Love Never Dies. She's just lovely and her voice is superb, even if she did do some weird accent thing every so often. Ramin was also pleasing enough at this point, very nice voice. I started to take umbrage with the mirror isn't actually THE MIRROR WHAT. The lyrics aren't, "Look at your face in the oddly pixelated projection screen," people. Also, why is she HUGE on the screen? I don't think you can see in the video, but the Phantom's face is just hanging out in the upper right corner of "the Mirror" and his mask was ON THE WRONG SIDE. THE WRONG. SIDE. I don't even. And of course, I ran out of space right as he opened "the Mirror" and the titular song started. SO mad at myself, I can't tell you.
The PotO song was good, except that the doubles were really glaring with the closeups. Kind of distracting, but alright. Sierra and Ramin both delivered pleasingly. The one thing that I really, really hated was there were no candle-things coming up out of the stage. We had, you guessed it, projections. The idea of the projection screen is nifty and everything, but there is no substitute for the real deal.
So that all goes on and we come dashing right into Music of the Night. I've always kind of...not liked Ramin. I find his voice to be perfectly adequate, his acting is really pretty good, but something has always nagged me. I finally realized what it was, what with all these closeups during MOTN: HIS HANDS. What in the fuck is going on with his hands? Seriously, they look like packs of hot dogs waving around. He uses them well enough, but they are so ugly I can't even look at them. There was something off about his jacket as well, I couldn't quite place it... The sleeves are longer, thus making his stubby hands look stubbier... The shoulders are puffed, what is going on here, did he rob Madame Giry's wardrobe... OH YOU ARE SHITTING ME, IT'S HIS JACKET FROM LOVE NEVER DIES WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT. Ugh. Way to just kill the mood. (Have I ever told you guys that the reason I love Michael Crawford so damn much isn't because of his voice or acting or any of that, which is pretty damn good, but more due to his attention to detail? He knew that wearing black, on a dark stage, his hands would stick out like neon lights, and he wanted to optimize this exposure. That's why he asked for the jacket sleeves to be a bit short, so we get that amazing glimpse of wrist and his hands would appear longer and more elegant. Just love it.) Sierra faints because of...something? There's no doll bride this time, so...?
Another thing about the closeups: They did something to Ramin's face. I mean, beyond the obvious, glaring deformity. Something was done to the 'good' half of his face to make him appear older/sickly/something. I approve. The umasking was as usual, Ramin did a very nice job. There's something very amazing about how he goes from this posturing, self-assured Lothario to a crawling, broken man in the space of a few seconds. I like this scene a lot, it's just full of all kinds of crazy.
Prima Donna blah blah, I really like the guy who plays Raoul, guyliner and all. He's a very handsome bit of gentry, quite able to stand his own and get in the face of whoever is needed. Very alpha. I am seriously in love with Wendy Ferguson, who plays Carlotta. She's a wonderful diva, she is just so playful and full of attitude. I am equally charmed by Piangi, who has a sweet face and looks like a big huggable bear. Really like the pair of them. Managers are also vastly entertaining, very distinct personalities.
I had to make a break for the bathroom during Il Muto, so I missed that whole bit. Got back for the end of All I Ask of You, lots of happy snuggles and whatnot between Christine and Raoul. They're so twee and treacly it kind of makes my teeth hurt. And of course Phantom has his meltdown on the angel statue, Ramin really delivered nicely here. I was literally on the edge of my seat, waiting to see the chandelier crash and... Wow, nothing happened. Literally. The chandelier threw of some sparks and flickered, and everyone dashed off the stage, but... What? It didn't wiggle? Nothing? Beyond anticlimactic.
I must say, the next part had me just full of clappy-hands. Masquerade was...amazing. SO many people! SO many costumes! The cameras were really a boon here, it was worth the ticket price for the closeups of the costumes. The colors all seemed very rich. Some of them looked like they'd been altered a bit, Christine's was definitely different.
I really got the sense this time though that this was a really harrowing and horrifying experience for Christine. It's like she'd developed a phobia of masks, which is completely understandable/likely, and this whole party was beyond scary. It was similar to the party scene in Sweeney Todd, with the masks and general terror.
And then it was time for our favorite party crasher!
...Oh.
Well. Huh. I love his costume so much, it's always been one of my favorites. His exit was a little weird, and he didn't yank off Christine's necklace with her engagement ring on it. He just...pointed at her. With his stubby sausage finger.
*sigh*
So now comes Twisted Every Way, and Raoul is IN CHARGE MOTHERFUCKERS. Seriously, give this man a sword or a gun or something, because he is gonna give old Maskypants a good thrashing, or at the least some Very Dirty Looks. He was a bit rough with Christine, I don't think he handled her quite right (I get the feeling they're trying to make him a bit assholey to prep for LND). Sierra was good here too, though my favorite was Carlotta. God, I just want her wardrobe. SO MUCH FUR! Don Juan rehearsal was awesome as always, I LOVE the music when the piano starts playing on its own, I want a whole song of that and the cast singing like daft opera zombies.The piano seemed a bit quiet, but we got a nice effect with the cameras.
The Journey to the Cemetery music is lovely as always. I have to confess, I am really, really angry at myself for not getting video of Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again. Really. Very. It was, by far, the absolute best I've heard/seen, ever. Sierra really just let herself go and sank into the role of grieving so completely, and her voice was just sublime. I was very emotional at this part, which NEVER happens for me. I mean, I sat through Titanic and ate popcorn with M&Ms while everyone in the theater was sobbing. I always cry at Phantom, but never this part. Never. It was just amazing.
Raoul was really ready to get right up in the Phantom's face at the cemetery, kudos to him. He was very angry and shouty throughout the whole show, which I kind of didn't care for. I think it works here though, it shows that he was really quite ready to deal with this masked idiot right now.
Don Juan was smoldering. The choreography is always very suggestive, but this time it was more so, probably due to the closeups. Speaking of closeups, the cloak seems to have a very pretty texture/pattern to it, I've never noticed that before. The Aminta dress was just gorgeous, I never have fully appreciated the very rich fabrics used for it. Phantom's AIAOY is very wrenching. The unmasking happens, and the deformity looks slightly different. Hmm. You know, now that I mention it, something seems off about the mask too, I wonder what's bothering me about that, it's just not quite the same--
YOU ARE SHITTING ME.
YOU. ARE. SHITTING. ME. IT'S THE LOVE NEVER DIES MASK WHY AUGH STAB STAB STAB I HATE EVERYONE. Seriously, I was completely yanked out of the moment of Down Once More when it hit me. I have no words, just angry frustration noises.
So here we are at the Final Lair scene. I am going to warn everyone right now: This scene destroys my emotions. I mean, PotO in general does, but this part just takes the cake. This is where Ramin and Sierra really shine as a pair. I was very pleasantly surprised by the new wedding dress. It's just...it's beautiful. @_@ There's a different bustle and the bodice seems more streamline. Better materials too, the ruffles on the sleeves and skirt positivevly float. I've heard a couple people compaining about the 'tiara' on the veil, but I personally loved the flowers. They look wilted and dried up, perfect for his dead bride. It's something that really dials the creepy up a notch. I love it. Christine really shows some assertiveness here--when Raoul is all noosed up and the Phantom makes a few steps in his direction, she intercedes very clearly between them.
The Kiss(es): I have no words. Really, it was just beyond anything I had hoped for. Ramin was so charming, looked almost like a little boy. He placed his hand over Sierra's on the bad side of his face which was a wonderful touch, I haven't seen that before. He touched her hands afterward, I like it. One thing that kind of yanked me out of the moment: Raoul's face. He made the best EEEWWWWW face ever, I almost died.
The button to turn the 'candle' on when he frees Raoul is visible and audible. -_- When he starts in with "GO NOW AND LEAVE MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" he really, really cuts loose. I kind of shrank back in my chair and was like, "Is this the new Nightwish album? Why did this suddenly turn into a metal album?" It did seem to take something out of him, as a character; Phantom is very meek after his meltdown.
When Christine comes back to return his ring, he looks at her very balefully with these huge eyes, nervously wiping his hands... Again, he looks almost like a little boy, which I suppose he is in a lot of ways. I was hit very, very hard with the simplistic perfection of him singing "I love you," and that's all. There's nothing else really for him to say, and he does it in such a beautiful way; his voice isn't the Mysterious Phantom, or the Demanding Phantom, or even the Crazy Phantom--it's just him, plaintive but resigned. Sierra bends over his hand and kisses it, obviously torn. She looks back as she's climbing the stairs which I found a little...unsettling. There's no gondola for she and Raoul to sail off in, which I think kind of detracts from the solidity of their relationship. She was always kind of...regret-ish at the end, but she and Raoul leaving together always smacked of sureness. This is right, it said.
I apologize for any and all sniffles in the videos of the ending, but you know how it is. I never cry, so this is always kind of cathartic for me.
MOVING ALONG, the ending is wonderful as always. Ramin almost tosses the veil away, like he's just done with it all, like it was burning him. He really cuts loose and belts for all he's worth; I'm frankly surprised he can after going all Sabaton on us. I always took the end to mean that he had let his Phantom persona go, he left the mask, it was over. He even says so. I kind of dislike that the spotlight wasn't on just the mask at the end, Meg was right there too--it felt like they were trying to shove Phantom/Meg at us, didn't care for it.
Curtain call was nice, our theatre was poltie until the Phantom came out, at which point everyone clapped. It was overall an amazing experience, something I am so glad I got to do. It really renewed my appreciation and love for PotO.
Let me ammend the statement "our theatre was polite" with the following: There was some rude bint sitting behind me who insisted on commenting the whole goddamn time, and not brilliant observations either: "OHHHHHHHHH HE'S IN THERE I KNOOOOOOOW HE IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS. WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT, DAT'S DUMB, TALKING ABOUT THEIR PLANS WHEN HE'S IN THEEEEERRRRRE." She clearly missed Mom's withering glares, so I decided to say something. I usually don't use profanity at people, but she was fucking with my Phantom. I stood up, asked her if she would very kindly shut the fuck up or I would shove my gothasol up her flaccid asshole, and she just smiled blankly at me. Mom informed the manager, who came in, agreed she had a big mouth, and gave us replacement tickets, so guess who's going to see it again? THIS CHICK RIGHT THERE. This will also probably mean more video, whoop whoop.
Okay, so after the curtain call, things happened. I'm sure everyone knows what by now. I was so embarassed by the way Andrew Lloyd Webber treated Sarah Brightman. He kept trying to grasp her hand (or any other bodypart) and pull her back over by him. I felt like Michael Crawford really got snubbed, like ALW's lingering feelings for Sarah erased any chance for him to say anything. Wish we could have heard him sing, but whatever. He was obviously very emotional, especially when Ramin bowed to him. Sarah's singing was...okay. Not the best, not the worst. There was a shot where Michael/Sarah and Ramin/Sierra were standing next to each other, and it was kind of astounding to think about 25 years between them, like bookends. The 5 Phantoms singing were great, except for Peter Jöback. Man, I was just beyond disappointed with him. His voice stood out in a really glaring way between the richness of the other Phantoms. SWEDEN, STEP IT UP A NOTCH WITH YOUR PHANTOMS. I AM DISAPOINT.
And then everyone clapped and it was amazing and I loved it and I kind of never wanted it to end. I will definitely be buying the DVD when I can, which means my Swedish had probably better be prepared to come home and find me emotioning for no good reason. Except...maybe it is a good reason. Maybe crying over such a sad, beautiful, strange story is exactly right.