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So the 25th Anniversary edition of Phantom of the Opera came up on Spotify Radio, and I ended listening to about half an hour of it (the last half hour, so I could get the revised ending) and then giving it up and going back to the original Broadway recording. And then I felt the need to write a lot about it.
Is it my imagination, or has Broadway, at least big-production Broadway, gotten a lot more… emotional… in the last twenty-five years? There was just so much aaaaaangst in the 25th-anniversary recordings of both POTO and Les Mis that I feel wasn’t in the original (and which I wasn’t really a fan of). It’s almost like they feel that if they don’t shriek and wail that we won’t actually believe that they’re feeling any real emotion.
Anyway, it’s interesting to me that in terms of the musical itself, I’ve only gotten more rabid about Les Miserables, while POTO has not aged well in my reaction to it. POTO is kind of a terrible story, boring narratively (oh hey love triangle, never seen that one before!) and thematically incoherent, and full of Relationship Fail. (Even when we were kids, my sister and I used to make fun of “I must go! …Order your fine horses!” It never, I think, even occurred to us to take Christine/Phantom seriously.) And worst of all where I’m concerned, the music is just so boring (because let’s face it, I will still listen to your musical if it has terrible plot and no themes and horrible messages about relationships). I present to you Music of the Night… Masquerade… need I say more?
And yet the original Broadway recording is still special to me. Some of that, I’m sure, is early childhood imprinting. But also — also the triumvirate of Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman, and Steve Barton transcends the poor material they were given to work with.
( In which, among other things, Music of the Night has a crappy chord progression. )
Anyway, I still love this recording, but I don't think I can deal with anyone else singing POTO. (Though I would welcome recommendations!)
Also, note to self: do not listen to Phantom/Webber’s Don Juan Triumphant in close proximity to Don Giovanni like this time, because, um. Yeah. Webber? Not even close.
Is it my imagination, or has Broadway, at least big-production Broadway, gotten a lot more… emotional… in the last twenty-five years? There was just so much aaaaaangst in the 25th-anniversary recordings of both POTO and Les Mis that I feel wasn’t in the original (and which I wasn’t really a fan of). It’s almost like they feel that if they don’t shriek and wail that we won’t actually believe that they’re feeling any real emotion.
Anyway, it’s interesting to me that in terms of the musical itself, I’ve only gotten more rabid about Les Miserables, while POTO has not aged well in my reaction to it. POTO is kind of a terrible story, boring narratively (oh hey love triangle, never seen that one before!) and thematically incoherent, and full of Relationship Fail. (Even when we were kids, my sister and I used to make fun of “I must go! …Order your fine horses!” It never, I think, even occurred to us to take Christine/Phantom seriously.) And worst of all where I’m concerned, the music is just so boring (because let’s face it, I will still listen to your musical if it has terrible plot and no themes and horrible messages about relationships). I present to you Music of the Night… Masquerade… need I say more?
And yet the original Broadway recording is still special to me. Some of that, I’m sure, is early childhood imprinting. But also — also the triumvirate of Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman, and Steve Barton transcends the poor material they were given to work with.
( In which, among other things, Music of the Night has a crappy chord progression. )
Anyway, I still love this recording, but I don't think I can deal with anyone else singing POTO. (Though I would welcome recommendations!)
Also, note to self: do not listen to Phantom/Webber’s Don Juan Triumphant in close proximity to Don Giovanni like this time, because, um. Yeah. Webber? Not even close.
