Haunted by ‘The Phantom of the Opera’
As news broke in September 2022 that Broadway’s longest running show would close its curtains for the last time on Feb. 18, 2022, it made me sentimental. As a child, I watched the 2004 film production of “The Phantom of the Opera” whenever I could find it on television. Every night, I sat on the couch flipping the remote looking for the movie. My father told my mother the obsession was getting weird.
In high school, I went on a field trip to see “The Phantom of the Opera” live at the Majestic Theatre. My class landed free orchestra seats. Since I never saw show live before, I didn’t know that the chandelier would actually drop and spark. From. the orchestra section, it was terrifying.
When I heard the show was closing because of declining ticket sales, I was determined to see it one last time. Recently, the show’s producer, Cameron Mackintosh, announced that the show will be extended to April 16, 2022, due to an increase in ticket sales after announcing the show's impending closure. I looked into buying tickets, but with prices still between $400 and $600, it was out of the question. So I did the next best thing: I rented “The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall,” which premiered in 2011.
With the performance at the Royal Albert Hall, you get the best of both worlds. On one hand you get a film that you can pause whenever you need to and you can watch it whenever you want to. On the other hand, you get to see what it was like live and see it in detail, whereas if you were sitting in the audience, you wouldn’t be able to see their faces or the details in their costumes.
However, you also get the worst of both worlds. When you’re watching a movie, you are placed in the world that the characters are in. You can see their lives as if you are standing in front of them. When you’re watching a show, you are literally in front of them watching, but you don’t visualize their world as well. The sets are made well, but it’s not the same. Since this show was a recording of a live performance, it loses what makes a live performance enjoyable. You can’t feel the singer’s voice inside of you.
Watching Sierra Boggess perform “Think of Me” as Christine Daaé gave me chills. As good of a singer as Boggess is, she’s an even better actor. Since the performance at the Royal Albert Hall was recorded, the cameras zoomed into her face allowing viewers to see her furrowed eyebrows and tears in her eyes. In some ways you could feel the emotion better than if you were truly watching it live.
Additionally, I started taking voice lessons in September 2022, and my teacher had me learn “Think of Me.” It gave me a new appreciation for the song and the process that goes behind learning the music. You start with various stretches and vocal exercises. Then you get sheet music, which if you’re seeing it for the first time, looks like a foreign language. The squiggly lines, or musical notes depending on who you ask, indicate how high or low your voice is supposed to be at a certain point and other lines convey how long you have to carry a note for. I definitely did not master the song, but it was fun trying.
Ramin Karimloo, was an amazing Phantom. His voice was dusky and soothing and everything it needed to be, but unfortunately in my eyes and in my heart, he never had a chance as Gerard Butler was cast as the Phantom in the film.
Maybe I am biased because the film version of “The Phantom of the Opera” was one of my first loves. I was about three years old when the movie came out so I had a lot more time to view it. Overall, “The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall” is a good watch for someone who wants to get a feel for a live performance, but can’t afford to watch it in person. I, however, will be watching the movie next.
