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

[Raoul & Christine] AVM Blog Party -- Day Six

Day Six is your favorite Theatre OTP.

Raoul x Christine (The Phantom of the Opera.)

"Christine Daae, where is your red scarf?"

I bet you all knew I would pick this pairing. :) Raoul and Christine hold a special place in my heart. I remember being really little and thinking that I liked the sweet man who loved Christine because he gave her roses and he hugged her a lot, and he proposed with a song, and really that song was gold. I remember I always felt sad for the Phantom, but in the end I was glad the cute guy and Christine ended up together.

"Say you'll share with me, one love, one life time!"

Raoul and Christine have a sweet love story. They grew up together and were best friends for most of their childhood. Even when they were little they had a thing for each other, and it was clear Raoul really, really liked Christine. When he was just fourteen he ran into the cold sea to rescue Christine's favorite red scarf from the waves. He was so, so cute.

When you first see Raoul in the musical, he is a guest at one of the plays in the Opera House. He spots Christine as the lead, and you can tell he still really likes her. After the Opera is over, he goes to visit Christine. He is kind of shy and nervous, because he is a little afraid she might not remember him, but the minute he mentions her red scarf, Christine turns around, smiling and laughing, "OH RAOUL IT IS YOU!!!" So, she remembers him too. You can tell there is still a spark between them. Raoul is gentle and sweet with Christine. He makes her laugh. She seems relaxed and happy, and she obviously still feels very close to him, because she tell him that she's been visited by 'The Angel of Music.' She isn't afraid to share her secret with him. She trusts him.

The first night they're together, Raoul asks Christine to dinner. She is a little reluctant because, as she puts it, "The Angel of Music is very strict." but Raoul is persuasive and she agrees to go. He leaves to get his hat and Christine starts to change. However, before they can have their date, the Angel of Music appears inside Christine's mirror and takes her down to his labyrinth under the Opera House. Raoul hears voices in the dressing room and throws the door open, only to find Christine missing.

Now, at first, Raoul doesn't believe there is really an Angel of Music. He thinks the whole Opera House is a little strange and superstitious, and the whole "Opera Ghost" thing is out of hand. He knows that there is something going on, but he doesn't think it's a ghost. He thinks it is just a man... an unstable man perhaps, but a man all the same. All he really cares about is the fact that Christine seems to be scared of this Ghost and that, for her, he is very real indeed. When Christine isn't cast as a lead in the newest Opera, The Phantom gets angry and causes a scene which ruins the play. Then he hangs one of the Stagehands and drops him on the stage. Christine flees to the roof of the Opera House with Raoul close behind, and you can tell she is really scared.

"Who is this man, who hunts to kill?I can't escape from him! I never will! 

And in his labyrinth, where night is blind,

The Phantom of the Opera is there inside my mind!"

"There is no Phantom of the Opera!"

"Raoul, I've been there! To his world of unending night! 

To a world where the daylight dissolves into darkness..."

I think Raoul thought Christine was going a little crazy. She was hysterical and going on about a Phantom she couldn't get away from, and she was acting kind of insane, Maybe he thought she was having nightmares about this man. Maybe he thought she was disillusion. Either way, he didn't really understand what was going on with her. But then she collapses and starts crying, and suddenly he doesn't care anymore. He just knows she is scared and he wants to take care of her. 

"No more talk of darkness, forget these wide-eyed fears."

He makes Christine feel safe. He tells her that he won't let anything hurt her, and Christine believes him. He makes her feel like she'll be okay, and that is what she really needed. He made her feel like she didn't have to be afraid anymore. 

"I'm here, nothing can harm you."

"Say you'll love me every waking moment. Turn my head with talk of summertime. 

Say you'll need me with you, now and always. Promise me that all you say is true.

That's all I ask of you."

-Christine (Why have you brought us here/Raoul I've been there.)

Christine wants to be with Raoul. She loves him. I think she's loved him for a long time, but this is when she realizes it. And when Raoul gets down on one knee and proposes to her, she holds nothing back. She falls to her knees beside him and grabs his hand, and she is all happy and excited... You can tell how in love she is with him, and how in love he is with her. And I love how Raoul puts out his proposal. He doesn't say "Come with me, Christine." He says, "Christine, let me go with you...Take me. please." IT IS SO SWEET.

"Christine, that's all I ask of you!"

Raoul literally spends the whole musical taking care of Christine. He is always there, whenever she needs him, and it is the most precious thing ever. Christine keeps close to Raoul too, and relies on him for comfort and support. He makes her feel like things are going to be okay. He is her protector, her guardian, her dearest friend. She knows that whatever happens, Raoul will be there to fix everything. Raoul is going to make sure she is okay. 

"Christine, Christine, don't think that I don't care..."

Raoul spends the whole musical looking out for Christine. When the Phantom writes an Opera and demands Christine sing the lead, he defended her. The only reason he asks her to consider it, is because this Opera might be their means of escape. The Phantom will attend if Christine sings. They can finally catch him and be done with him. He is tired of the Phantom going after Christine. He is tired of the Phantom acting like he owns her. He is tired of the Phantom making her feel scared. He just wants to catch the stupid guy and end the nightmare Christine is living through. 

"Christine, what are you afraid of?"

Christine doesn't want to sing the lead, but she agrees to do it because she knows Raoul will be watching, and he's not going to let anything happen to her. Shortly after the first rehearsal for 'The Phantom's Opera' she goes to her father's grave to pray for strength to do what she has to. While she is praying, the Phantom shows up. 

"Wandering Child, so lost, so helpless, yearning for my guidance." 

Whenever the Phantom sings, Christine ends up in a sort of trance... it's almost like he hypnotizes her. In this instance it's even worse, because Christine is emotional and vulnerable, and there is a part of her that still believes the Phantom is her Angel. She goes toward the voice, hesitant and afraid, but unable to stop herself. 

But then, Raoul comes. Raoul always comes. He calls out to Christine and his voice helps her to break lose of the Phantom's hold. She runs to him and hugs him, and Raoul starts to pull her away from the graveyard. But then the Phantom starts throwing Fireballs at them, taunting Raoul, daring him to take one more step. 

"You can't win her love by making her your prisoner!" (Raoul - Wandering Child)

Raoul has had it, he's too angry to care about fire. He tells Christine to stay back and heads right toward the Phantom, ready to fight him off for her. He literally risks fire getting rained down on him, just to stop the Phantom from getting to Christine. RAOUL IS FABULOUS, OKAY?

"Raoul!"

When the Phantom traps Christine and takes her down to his lair at the end of the musical, Raoul is the first to go after her. He swims across a freezing lake in the middle of winter, just to get to The Phantom.  (cause, you know... his lair is across a lake. Go figure.) When the Phantom catches him in a lasso and strings him up, Raoul begs Christine to get away while she still can. He never once thinks of himself. He begs her to forgive him, and tells her to run before it's too late.

"Angel of music, why this torment?"

For pity's sake, Christine say no! 

Don't throw your life away for my sake!

Raoul was willing to die to save Christine. The only thing he wanted was for Christine to be safe, free, and if he had to die for her to escape then so be it. He loved that girl with all his heart, and no one can tell me differently. And Christine... Christine couldn't say no. She couldn't let Raoul die, not when she could save him. She told the Phantom that she would stay with him. She gave up her life so that he could live. Both Raoul and Christine were willing to sacrifice everything for each other. If that isn't true love, I don't know what is.

Heck, even the Phantom saw their love! When Christine promised to stay with him, it was like he realized just how much she loved Raoul. He saw how much these two souls loved each other and how cruel it would be to keep them apart. He let Raoul go and commanded him to take Christine away. Even the Phantom couldn't deny their love. Just saying.

"Let me lead you from your solitude."

In conclusion, Raoul and Christine are the strongest, most innocent and adorable Theatre couple ever. They make me feel warm and happy inside, and I am glad that, in the end, they got to build a home and a life together. They deserved that. 

Three cheers for the best Christine and Raoul ever.

Have you listened to The Phantom of the Opera. Do you ship Raoul and Christine? Who is your favorite OTP?

Peace out Y'all!

*swings around cape and leaps off stage.*

Bella

[Favorite Theatre Males] AVM Blog Party -- Day Five

Day Five: Favorite Theatre Males:

Come on. You knew this was coming....

Sydney Carton. (A Tale of Two Cities.) 

"Was failure born inside my heart?"

You all know how much I love Sydney, In fact you're probably sick of him by now. I've already posted about him here and here, so you're probably like, "Bella we knooooow." But I can't help it! He is such a sad potato.  He can see nothing good in himself. All he sees is a pathetic drunk who fails at everything he does. But he is just a very broken man. He wants to be better but that he thinks change is impossible for a man like him. Everyone in his life views him badly, everyone treats him badly, and his boss seems to make it his point in life to bash Carton whenever he gets the chance. And Carton believes all the horrible things said to him, so he has completely given up on himself.

"Where did all those stars come from?"

*I can't believe I found a gif of him!

Carton tries to be better after he meets Lucy. He tries to be his best whenever he is with her. He doesn't drink as often, and he  never drinks when he visits her or her family. Underneath the careless attitude his is really very kind, gentle, and he has a soft spot for children. After Lucy marries Charles, Carton asks if they might be friends, and Charle's agrees, welcoming Sydney into his home. He becomes sort of a godfather figure to Lucy's daughter, and that inspires him to change all the more. He has a slow, steady character ark, and in the end he sacrifices himself to save his friends. It is beautiful and horrible and it makes me cry. Carton is a very sad, sweet potato. I adore him.

2.) Raoul De Chagney.  (The Phantom of the Opera.) 

"So, it is to be war between us."

Raoul was my first Musical Theatre hero. He is a severely under-rated character, since most POTO fans love The Phantom, and therefore hate Raoul. I really don't understand the hate. He is such a cool person! You meet him as this charming young man who really fancies the Chorus girl, Christine Daae. He is all shy cause they haven't seen each other in ages and he is kind of afraid she might have forgotten him, but then he brings her in a flower, and Christine is all happy and she remembers him, just like he remembers her, and that old spark fires up again and.... *flails.*

Raoul is a very gentle sort of man. (can you sense a pattern here? I like gentle guys.) He is kind and sweet, and he is incredibly protective. (And the pattern continues.) When he realizes that the Phantom is a real danger in the Opera House, he does everything he can to stop him and make Christine feel safe. He defends her and stands by her, through thick and thin. He calms her down when she is practically hysterical with fear, and he supports her even when he doesn't understand what is going on and Christine is acting kind of crazy.

"Let me be your freedom, let me be your light."

Raoul is also very brave. He stands up to the Phantom and refuses to step back, even an inch. He braves fire for Christine, he braves drowning for her, he braves death for her. When the Phantom kidnaps Christine and takes her down to his lair, Raoul risks his life to go down and save her. When the Phantom strings him up with a noose and tells Christine to either stay with him forever or watch Raoul die, Raoul begs Christine to say no. This is only one of many times when he put Christine before himself. The man is a hero in his own right. He's fabulous.

3.) Percy Blakley. (The Scarlet Pimpernel.) 

I couldn't find any good pictures of Percy on Broadway, so I had to use the actor from the movie. I love the movie too, so I don't really mind using this Percy. He's great.

"There will always be perilous waters which someone must sail."

I couldn't post about my favorite male character without at least mentioning Percy. Percy is a very iconic character, if you don't know him you should start rethinking your life choices

Percy is one of those characters who is incredibly unique and mysterious. He's quite remarkable, really. He spends most of his day pretending to be an fainthearted idiot, but underneath his clever mask he is a strong, reckless leader who tears through France saving "aristocrats" from the Guillotine. He is ingenious, rebellious, reckless and practically fearless. There is nothing that Percy can't do, and you are never really sure what to expect from him. He fools everyone, he always finds a loophole, and he always has a second play to the second plan in case plan B failed. He even manages to play a trick on someone who knows the truth of who he is, and furthermore, was waiting for him! And he wins! The guy is fabulous!!

"That demmed, elusive, Pimpernel."

Seriously, if you don't know who Percy is it is time to find out. The Scarlet Pimpernel as a musical is really good, and I would also recommend watching the 1982 film, which is the one my pictures are from. That Percy is amazing, perfect for the role.

 4.) Curly McLain. (Oklahoma.)
.

"Who's the best bronc buster in this here territory?"

I really love Cowboys and the whole "Wild West" aspect of American History, so Curly is very special to me. Plus, I saw version where Hugh Jackman was Curly and that basically sold me on his character. He's a rugged, redneck American with a dangerous, reckless streak in him that you don't see in most men nowadays. He is the kind of guy you could see having a showdown with someone he really didn't like. (for example, Jud Fry.)

Curly is rough-around-the-edges, stubborn and a little crazy. He doesn't like losing or backing down. He captures the spirit of men back in those good ol' days and it is incredibly fun to watch.

Did I mention he has a soft side?

I FOUND THIS GIF AND IT WAS TOO CUTE TO LEAVE BEHIND

Curly may be a hard nut, but he has a big heart and he is very protective of those he cares about. His relationship with Laurey is sweet, if a little odd, and I adore.how cute and awkward he gets when he proposes. Like... Curly.

5.) Edward Rochester (Jane Eyre.)

"Will I not guard and cherish you as long as I shall live?"

Since I've already done a long and extensive post on this particular character, I won't say too much about him. Rochester is a bitter, cynical man when the story begins, but he finds Jane and, slowly, he comes to realize that not everything is lost. There is still good in the world, maybe even in himself, and there is reason to hope. He starts out broken and full of anger but as the musical goes on his character goes through an ark and he becomes kinder. gentler. He's a rough man who has a lot of love hidden behind his walls and he is one of my favorite characters in Theatre... and literature.


Who are some of your favorite male characters? Have you ever seen Oklahoma? Do you like Hugh Jackman? Have you read/watched the Scarlet Pimpernel? Do you think he is Faaaabulous?

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

In which I muse. (Hey. I'm trying.)

I bet you didn't think I would post today.

I almost didn't.

But I am.

Hai!

You may applaud me now.

How have you all been? I've been great! Well except for the getting sick and having a head-cold that keeps me feeling tired all day... yeah great! I am so excited! Summer is finally here and that means bare feet and reading and days by the lake and hikes and sitting in the shade with a notebook writing, writing, WRITING! I had a thought the other day. Kind of a thought that came to me around 3:20 A.M or so. When I was half-asleep and almost dreaming but not quite. My thought was this. What is I wrote a script over the summer?

The sane half of me yelled out in anguish but the actor side of me - the insane side of me - thought how cool would it be to write a musical?

I have been OBSESSED with musicals lately. Sometimes I get on these highs and all I want to do is listen to musicals. I think that is my favorite type of storytelling. I have always wanted to attempt writing a script, but I've never quite gotten up the courage to do so. However I have a sort of plot now and maybe I will try It. What could it hurt? I'll need help with the music writing itself though, and that is the down side.

I just really want to write a musical you guys!!!!!

In light of this idea, I want to try to start reading scripts too. I need to learn how they flow and (especially) how to break down characters. It is something that really excites me - learning about a character. I think I am a little odd though cause I don't do it the normal way. I just tackle the character head on and then start climbing up the learning peak and find out more and more what kind of person it is. I know I should take more time with character study of course - for an actress that is crucial - it just is something I don't do too much. It's a resolution. Hopefully I can live up to it.

But I know what you are thinking. You're wondering what else I have been up to during my (long?) absence. Well, I painted my room, which is nice because it has been the same color for a while now and it's fun to have a change every now and then. Tiny and I picked out this soft light purple and I love how it turned out. It made our whole room look warm and cozy with a touch of Spring to it. It also makes our room look a lot cleaner and I like that. We had to move around all the furniture and stuff so we took advantage of the situation and packaged up some of my sister's nick-knacks and books. I have to say the room looks much less cluttered now. I don't even know how there was that much in the room. It was shocking.

It was a lot of fun painting though. We listened to four musicals in a row one of the days and I was able to sing along with almost all of the songs - (With Phantom I can sing them ALL) That was a total blast! Musicals man. It's like I can't get enough of them right now. All of my younger sisters are starting to get a twitch because I have been listening to musicals not stop for about... two months. But I don't care because now I know almost all of Tale of Two Cities and I'm excited! I want to play in that musical. It is on of my dreams. That and being Christine. *that might actually be a possibility. 

I performed my second solo in singing class and got RAVE reviews. If Pandy will let me maybe I can sing The Climb on her channel. That would be kind of fun. I was happy. See, I had this awful head cold and for most the past few days I've been cracking every time I get too strong. So I was really afraid I'd crack during my performance. But I said a prayer and God was good to me. I did a brilliant job and it was crack free! I was even given compliments on my projection and emotion.

YOU DON'T KNOW HOW FUN IT IS TO BE COMPLIMENTED!

Besides those few things not much is going on. I am reading Brother's in Arms again and it hurts WAY worse this time because it's been picked to death and everything flows better and is tighter and just more full and brilliant and painful. Franz hurts! He hurt before but now he is even worse and I think he has made it to my top five favorite book characters ever! HE ISN'T A MONSTER HE IS A SAD DYSFUNCTIONAL PUPPY! I LOVE HIM.

Oh yeah, I'm also trying to finish up my LOTR review. I feel really bad that I haven't gotten that posted yet, but its a hard subject to approach. Because.... Lord of the Rings! I want to get it done soon though. It is almost finished.

Righto. I have a bed to climb into and music to listen to. PEACE OUT Y'ALL!

*swings around cape and leaps from stage.*

 

 

 

Bella