10 Favourite Musicals Link-Up!

Christine Eyre over at Overflowing Mind and Pen is doing a Favorite Musicals Link Up on her blog, and invited me to join. Of course I jumped at the opportunity. It's a musical Link Up! I can't say no to that.

Anyone can participate in this. It runs until February 28th. The Rules can be found on Christine's blog, HERE.

She had a cool little Button, but for some reason it won't show up on my blog. 8-(

Here are my top ten favorite Musicals:

1.) The Phantom of the Opera
2.) A Tale of Two Cities
3.) Ghost
4.) The Secret Garden
5.) Finding Neverland
6.) Jekyll and Hyde
7.) Newsies
8.) Jane Eyre
9.) Les Miserables
10.) Mary Poppins

 You can post about as many or as few as you'd like to per day.  Which is awesome! By this point I'm sure all of you know exactly why I love TPOTO and ATOTC so much. I've posted about both of them enough times to relay how I feel about these beautiful musicals.  So today I'm going to post about TPOTO and Ghost. If you want you can skip my thoughts on Phantom and jump down to Ghost. It made make it more fun for you.

Reasons I like The Phantom of the Opera.

This is easy. I grew up on The Phantom of the Opera. I don't remember when it wasn't a part of my life. I think by  the time I was four years old I was already familiar with the music, and by the time I was eight I was singing along with most of the main songs. It was a big part of my life. The musical that played when a big sister did my hair in the morning. The songs that blared out in the car when we drove down to Barnes and Nobles. The songs we sang together when we did dishes or chores. Yeah. It was everywhere, and I got attached to it fast. The older I got the more I loved the music, the composition, and the characters. It was obviously worth the fame it had.

He welcomes you to his Opera House, and requests that you continue to keep Box 5 empty for his use.

The Phantom of The Opera is still my favorite musical. In the past few years I've become even more in love with it. One of my favourite elements of Phantom is the love story between Christine and Raoul. There are plenty of arguments made against this beautiful pairing, some being that Christine should be with the Phantom, (ew) others being that Raoul didn't deserve her, or vise versa (what?) and some being that they barely knew each other so they couldn't be in love.

That last point is silly. Yes, when the musical first opens Christine hasn't seen Raoul in years. They were best friends in childhood but it's been a long time since either of them have spent time together. There's obviously still a spark between them right off the bat, but it would be a bad call to say they still knew each other after so much time had passed.

HOWEVER. Between the time that Raoul proposes to Christine at the end of Act One, and the Phantom taking control of the opera house and presenting an opera in Act Two, six months pass. The two characters have plenty of time to date, to catch up, to learn each other all over again. And it's pretty obvious at the beginning of Act Two that they are happily engaged and very in love. So, the argument that they don't know each other is invalid. I'm just saying. Throughout Act Two they are together as often as possible and fiercely protective of one another. Especially Raoul. He's like, You hurt Christine, I'll smash your face. It's precious how much they care for each other.

Anywhere you go let me go to.

Of course the other brilliant element of this story is the Phantom himself. His character is beautifully written, layered, and tragic. He's creepy and insane, he doesn't seem to grasp right from wrong, and he is obsessive with what he wants. Yet there is a sadness in him that is hard not to empathize with. He had a rotten life. He was driven to insanity because of his deformity, because the world hated him, because he was a genius with absolutely no outlet. That's sad. He's sad. your heart bleeds for the poor fellow. It doesn't excuse how disturbing and cruel he can be, but it does add some depth and tragedy to his character. That's one of the reason I don't like it when an actor plays the Phantom too angry or harsh. There needs to be that underlying element of tragedy or the ending isn't as powerful. You need to see his vulnerability early on. I really love how Michael Crawford breathed that trait into his performance. Dave Willets also did an excellent drop balancing the insanity and cruelty with vulnerability, and from the bits I've seen of him John Cudia did a good job with it too. I like the Phantom to be creepy, crazy, and obviously the villain, but also have that gentle unexpected side that can love. That side is his redemption and it needs to be seen throughout the story.

The Phantom of the Opera is such a unique story, full of love, sacrifice, and redemption. It's timeless, it's interesting, it's full of gorgeous music that brings you right back to the Opera House in 1881. The vocals are incredible, the characters are well written, and the whole story is worth listening to.

Ghost.

Ghost is a new musical that I've only recently discovered. The music is a lot more modern than I usually like in a musical, but Ghost pulls it off. I listened to the OBC in September and fell in love with the story on the spot.

*Spoiler* I'd never seen the movie Ghost and I didn't know anything about it either, so I had no idea what to expect. I was upset and horrified when Sam was killed. I cried right along with Molly when she lost him. I was just as shocked as Sam when I found out who betrayed him. I was so freaking into this story! It was the first musical I'd found in a while that actually made me cry. *End spoiler*

If there's anything more I can do, I'll do it and find my way back to you.

I don't know how closely the musical followed the movie, but the story was rock solid, emotional, and stirring. The characters were great, well-written, and strong. As usual I liked the Original Cast best. The newer casts are a bit much for my taste. The original's balanced power with a soft undertone and that is really important in a musical like this. Caissie Levy did an excellent job in the role of Molly Jensen. She embraced the loud and vibrant music without becoming too brassy or obnoxious. She would belt in moments of intense anger or regret where it was obviously meant to be so, but she always brought her voice back to a gentler, softer tone. She never went over-board with her belting or her vocal power, and she balanced the anger with deep sadness and pain so that it never overwhelmed the character. I loved her portrayal of Molly. Richard Fleeshman did just as well in the role of Sam, bringing power and the modern sound to his role, but keeping a more vulnerable tone whenever possible. He got loud and sharp but he never stayed that way for long. That's why I like the Original Cast best. I don't usually like musical with modern music because it's too loud, brassy, and annoying. The vocalists sound like they're trying to out-belt each other, the tones are overwhelming and heavy... it's just too much noise and not enough technique or beauty. The Original Cast of Ghost were very aware of their power and made sure not to overdo it. They made the volume and capacity work. The newer casts aren't always so careful. Most Mollys' sound like they were Elphaba in their first life. I think a lot of them were. 8-P It's like Girl. Stop yelling.

But yeah, this musical is really emotional, beautiful, and powerful. I would definitely recommend it. I believe there is a scene near the beginning between Sam and Molly, but besides that it's pretty clean too. It's an excellent story with incredible lyrics and solid music. It's wonderful.

Oh, my love, my darling, I've hungered for your touch.

Here ends my first official day of the Musical Link-Up. 8-) This was fun! Hope to see you all again soon!

*Swings around cape and leaps off stage*

Bella

[Favorite Theatre Females] Blog Party -- Day Four

Day Four: Favorite Theatre Females. (*flails* Yes!)

I'm going to do my top three females. ;-) That makes it easier.

1.) Christine Daae (The Phantom of the Opera.)

Strong female characters are often hard to find, especially in Theatre, but Chrstine Daae is definitely one of the stronger girls on Broadway. I love her character.

"Little Lotte let her mind wander..."

Christine is a very kind, she has a tender heart, and it is shocking how compassionate she is. Even when she realized how crazy and unstable The Phantom was, she still found it in her heart to have pity for the man. She saw the horror that life had dished out to him and she was full of sympathy for him. Even more ... I think Christine wanted to love the Phantom. I think there was a part of her that wanted to save him from the darkness he was trapped in.... just not in the way he wanted. The Phantom wanted a wife, and Christine didn't have those feelings. He was more like a father to her, a mentor, a teacher. She cared for him in that sort of way. I don't think she liked betraying or hurting him, but she didn't see any other way because of how crazy he got after she accepted Raoul's proposal of marriage. She didn't want to make his life worse than it already was. I think it broke her heart to leave him alone, but at the same time she couldn't possibly stay with him. He killed and manipulated people. He was a broken, sad man, but he was insane and he terrified her.

"Try to forgive, teach me to live, give me the strength to try!"

Christine is a very complex girl because she is very young and very naive, but she grows a lot through the musical. Raoul comes into her life and with him she finds hope. He makes her feel safe and happy, he makes her feel like she doesn't have to be scared anymore, and I think he gives her strength to stand against the Phantom and try to take her life back. She has a strong will, and when it comes down to it, she is very brave. I love her character development, and I think it would be incredibly fun to act out.


2.) Lucy Manette (A Tale of Two Cities.)

"Do you always see the best in people?"

I adore Lucy. She is so cute! Like Christine, Lucy is very kind and compassionate. She strives to see the best in people. She liked Sydney Carton even when Sydney was was drunk and acting like a fool. She saw the best in him and inspired him to be better. She takes care of everybody and I love how sweet and awkward she is with Charles, it is freakin' adorable. (I am probably one of the few people who actually like both those characters. I ship it so hard.)

Lucy is kind of my hero. She sees goodness in everyone, and she always tries to be gentle. She takes people in and makes them her family, asking nothing in return. She is like a ray of sunshine, she can make everything better just by walking into the room. She always seems happy and light-hearted, and she brings brings joy into the lives of everyone she meets.

"I'll be brave, and I'll be strong..."

Lucy is a good role model because she proves you don't have to be bratty or high-strung to be a 'strong' women. She is very kind, but she is also spunky. Like, I could totally see little Lucy climbing trees and stomping through rain puddles with the neighborhood boys, and then getting in trouble because she was a lady. Then she would laugh to herself and run upstairs to change. She has a lot of spirit, this teasing side that comes out when she is especially friendly with people. She is brave, and sweet, and full of life, and she is just a beautiful person. I love her.

3.) Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre.)

Hehe. Jane is kind of a new favorite female for me. I've always liked her, but since I actually read the book and watched the musical, I've grown to really love her character. She is a very unique sort of person. She grew up poor, mistreated and abused, yet somehow managed to make it into adult-hood without becoming bitter or vengeful. Helen, of course, had a lot to do with that. She befriend Jane when they were both children and she helped her to trust in God and learn to forgive.

"She pledges to spread her wings, through her hurricanes she'll fly!"

Jane loves God very much, she is very loyal to Him. She would never do anything that might harm her soul, or her relationship with her Maker. Her drive comes from Faith and the belief in heaven, and I really liked that because not many females have that kind of angle to them.

"A slip of a girl who misplaces her grace and disgraces her place."

Laughable, impudent, brazen, audacious! Saucy, impertinent, bold and ungracious!!

Jane comes off as very serious and thoughtful. She usually keeps her own counsel and she doesn't say too much. I think this is mostly because, underneath her calm exterior, she has quite a temper, and she can be very blunt, even rude. She has a dry sense of humor and will often over-step her bounds as a 'women' by talking back and standing her own ground. But she does everything in this subtle, serious way and it's hilarious. She is a careful little spitfire, and it is the best thing ever. Jane Eyre is the sass-master of the 1800's.

Who are your favorite females? Do you know any of these characters? Are any of you taking part in my Blog Party? (because I'd love to read your posts!!!)

Peace out y'all!!

*swings around cape and leaps off stage*

Bella 

[Phantom of the Opera] AVM Blog Party -- Day One.

Your Favorite Musical. 

Today I get to blog about my absolute favorite musical. I think you all saw this one coming.

Sing once again with me, our strange duet.

I think that no matter how many musicals I listen to and how many I fall in love with, I will always resort back to The Phantom of the Opera. One of my earliest memories, and I mean earliest is singing along with Christine Daae. The Original Broadway Cast is my favorite, it will always have a special place in my heart. It was the first cast I heard and I personally think they nailed their roles.

"Angel of Music, Guide and Guardian, Grant to Me your Glory!

Angel of Music, Hide no longer! Come to me strange Angel..."

"I am your Angel of Music. Come to me, Angel of Music."

The Phantom of The Opera is a very odd, kind of frightening story. I am not sure what it would be like to be introduced to it now. I'm sure I would like the music, and I know I would still like Raoul (because Raoul is fabulous) but I don't know if I'd actually like the story. It is weird. It is about this young chorus girl (Christine) who thinks the Angel of Music is teaching her how to sing. She thinks this Angel was sent by her Father after his death. Christine is very young - only about twenty or so - and her father died when she was like, sixteen or seventeen. It hit her hard, and to be visited by an angel from her father was a big comfort to her

"The Phantom of the Opera is there, inside my mind..."

Come to find out this so-called Angel is actually a crazy, dysfunctional man, 20+ years older than Christine who has this burning obsession with her since she came to the opera house. The musical isn't clear on the timeline, but I think Christine came to the Opera House when she was about Ten. It couldn't have been long after that the Phantom found her and decided she was the one. He hides in her walls and sings to her while she sleeps. He lives under the Opera House and makes paths to his lair behind her Mirror. He full on stalks this poor chorus girl, brainwashes her into thinking he is the Angel that was promised to her, and lurks creepily out of sight, teaching her to sing for his music. It's. Weird. And creepy. And really disturbing, especially because, at least in the beginning, Christine trusts the Phantom and actually believes that he is from heaven.

"That voice which calls to me, and speaks my name."

Poor Brainwashed child.

So what exactly do I love about the Phantom of the Opera?

A big reason why I love Phantom so much is because it is the Musical I grew up on. A lot of really good memories are linked to it and it makes me feel happy and excited. Another reason is, I really, really love the characters, the cast and the amount of emotion that comes through in that story. Christine is young and naive but she is also strong, and I love that about her. Raoul is so incredibly fabulous. He shows up at the Opera House and he remembers Christine instantly. She was the little girl he used to play with, the little girl he had a real thing for. He obviously still had a thing for her, and she fancied him too, and it was adorable. He was so protective. - Anyway, more on that later. I love the music in Phantom. It sweeps you off your feet and it transports you right into the story. The lyrics are beautiful. the characters are layered and complicated. The whole story is original and fascinating and unlike anything you will ever hear again.

Because you can't do a Phantom post without some kind of Christine x Raoul gif

Andrew Lloyde Webber really is a master of music. (even if he has done things I don't approve of.) He wove together a strange story with beautiful, enchanting music so that you can't help but get a thrill from seeing the Chandelier rise as the Overture blasts all around you. Even you don't see the Chandelier rise, the music is so perfect that you can practically feel it rising. It is such a wonderful thing to experience. It is one of the very few musicals where I will listen to the whole four minutes of just Overture because, THE OVERTURE. 

Perhaps we may frighten away the Ghost of so many years ago
 with a little illumination! Gentleman!

What I also really love about Phantom is the depth all characters have, Christine has a strange trust, almost an infatuation, with "The Angel of Music." She thinks he is her guardian, someone her father sent to protect and teach her. At the same time she is also afraid of him, something that is very clear almost from the beginning. Then there is Raoul, who is young and gentle, but fierce and even reckless when it comes to protecting Christine. Literally the best part of the whole Musical is the love story between Raoul and Christine. THEY ARE SO CUTE! The Phantom himself is a very sad, mysterious character. He is this broken man, a genius through and through, who heard Christine's voice and fell in love with it - and then with her. If you can say nothing else for The Phantom, he did really care for Christine. He never took advantage of her and, up until the Final Lair, he never physically hurt her. He tried to be his best when she was around. She was his saving grace, the one thing in all the world that he really loved.When he gave her up, that was his redemption. (That is why LND is so horrible. It didn't just ruin Raoul. It ruined the Phantom and Christine too. It destroyed all the characters.)

"Forget me, forget all of this.."

The Phantom of The Opera is the musical that I am the most persnickety about. I am really picky when it comes to who is cast and all that. I grew up listening to the Original Broadway cast, and that is kind of the feel I always expect the musical to have. I know the story. I know all the characters inside out and backward, and therefore I get irritated if people don't do them properly or choose to show them in a way contrary to the original masterpiece. Love Never Dies really hurt The Phantom as a story. So many of the actors/actresses today take the LND story line and use it to help fuel their performance. For example, most girls play Christine as very close, very in awe with the Phantom. They give you the idea that she could love him, she almost loved him, she would love him if she would just let herself. Here is the point of fact; Christine did not love The Phantom. She pitied him but she did not love him.

what kind of life have you known?

The Phantom is also portrayed very differently from how Michael Crawford did him. Many of the Phantom's now are very aggressive and overwhelmingly powerful. They seem to bring a very angry side to the Phantom and almost leave the rest of his character behind. He is a lot more 'shout-y' than he should be. I'm not saying actors can't bring a bit of power to the role. My favorite Phantom on Broadway right now is James Barbour. He is an incredible Phantom. He has a lot of power behind him, but he is careful to even out the power with a gentle undertone. He will crescendo and get strong but then he goes back to gentle, alluring, entrancing. He is a lot more gentle than most Phantom's have been recently and I appreciate that. He is right under Michael Crawford in the fabulous rank. (On Broadway, that is. I really love how my singing teacher played him...) I also really like like Anthony Warlow and Hadley Fraser. They have incredibly depth and strength to their voice. There is nothing wrong with that. And it is also fine to portray the characters in different ways. That is what is so fun about theatre, seeing all the different actors play the same character in their own way. But I do think there is a root that should always be drawn on.

For example. The Phantom should always be more gentle than powerful, particularly with Christine. He should always be more creepy than angry, more cunning than cruel. That is who he is. Christine should always be very kind and gentle (especially her voice) She should always be naive and a little carefree, but with a hidden strength. As for Raoul, Raoul should always be amazing and sweet, fierce and reckless... basically, just be Hadley Fraser.

Rawr.

I honestly think some of Phantom's appeal and beauty is being lost on Broadway today. It is too much about how much you can amp up the emotions, and how loud or how powerful you can sing. (This doesn't just happen with Phantom either, it is the Theatre world at large.) If I was introduced to the musical now, I don't know if I would like it as much, and I know for a fact that I would have very little sympathy for the Phantom. He is just too angry. I wish the Directors would go back to the original score and stop trying to perfect it and make it 'bigger.' I personally think a lot of actors let the emotion of the moment take over and they get pitchy or drift away the real melody. They are trying too hard and giving too much and they just need to back off and play the role as it is presented. That is not to say the actors/actresses on Broadway aren't talented. They are! They are incredibly talented! I just think with Theatre, less is actually more.

"You'll learn to see, to find the man behind the monster..."

Regardless, The Phantom of the Opera will always hold a special place in my heart, since it was my door into the musical world. Christine Daae is my dream role, and if I could play her, even once, it would be amazing.

What is your favorite musical? What are your thoughts on The Phantom?

PEACE OUT Y'ALL!!

*swings around cape and leaps off stage*

Bella