The Official Phantom of the Opera Thread v2.0

PotO in Paris! Yea or Nay?

Yeah dude!	48.6%	[ 669 ]
Nope	6.5%	[ 89 ]
Who cares?	22.4%	[ 308 ]
FRENCH CAST ALBUM NEED	22.6%	[ 311 ]
Total Votes:			[ 1377 ]

[Friday_Dora]

It sounds like bad fan fiction, to be honest. >_>

[TheAngelsWeepTonight]

Mmmhmm, their vision of modernizing it is really off-putting. I think it stretches the connection to PotO.

[Catherine_de_Silver]

The Tour Review - Act 1 - Part 1


I finished writing up the first act. Only trouble is, it's too big to download it all to DA. So, here's part one of act 1. I'll upload the other half in a few minutes. It comes with a warning - it's completely biased and a full on rant. I even warn as I go along. So - here it is. More to come, more to come.

[Bleeding Art]

Silvy you're a darling for writing all that, even though it's just the first part. And from what you've described to me I'm completely turned off the tour as well. I guess I'll just have to wait until I (maybe) win the lottery and can afford to go to Broadway.

[Friday_Dora]

Sorry you had to endure that, Silvy, but thank you for the writeup. It's a shame there's not a Phantom-of-the-Opera Ghost to haunt the "spectacular" revamp...

[The Opera Toast]

Bleeding Art

I'm not a big fan of the "modern day" universe they're going with. The last time that happened we ended up with Phantom of the Paradise and while I love that movie it's still a drug trip. The whole phandom's vying for a true-to-book version and I just don't understand why they can't give it. Period mysteries are in right now, why not bank on it?

I think that the problem is, while the phantom community is vying for a true-to-book version, the general public on a whole couldn't care less. We represent such a small fraction of the general media consumers, and it'll be a while before someone cares enough to make it.

The hype of the 2004 movie has died down, but that did so well, main stream producers likely can't see the profit in it. While I think some people will go see it, too many people were happy with the Webber version, and will not care for another phantom movie.

And as long as it has no massive promise of money, they might as well make a vampire drama or superhero film. Film is an expensive industry, and there are not a lot of people who are in a position to make a large scale gamble like that.

The only gamble worth it is to try to reinvent it so much people will watch it just to go "Wait, the hell? Would that work?" It's the hook thats going to pull in the people who wouldn't otherwise just watch it.

[Catherine_de_Silver]

Thanks guys. I tried to be as true and descriptive as I could. I just finished the entire thing (all caught up with NaNoWriMo because of it too. smile

But, I'll try and post the other parts later on.


Man - I'm bummed about that whole TV thing too. I was hoping they'd actually be a bit true to the book. I mean the WWI vet with a burned face - that was just like in the Forsyth novel when he did the opera about the Civil War vet with a burned face. (Don't judge, I've read and see a few versions that I'm not proud of.) Eh. On a phantom high right now. Or, trying to get back up there.

[Bleeding Art]

Toast: Yeah, which is why this travesty of a tour is going to survive. The real fans are so few and far between and without a strong voice behind them that those who either haven't seen the show before (like me, but less fanatical anyway) and those that really couldn't care less one way or the other so long as they get a halfway decent show of SOMETHING for 2 hours will rule.

It's an old book. I get that. But look at the popularity other just as old or older books are getting. Hell, Hunchback of Notre Dame just got a Broadway version based off the book (even though it has some of the Disney movie's songs) when it's been running in Germany for a good while now with a rapid success rate BECAUSE it follows the grim book. And look at Dracula, how many remakes does that book have? Seems like every 5 years there's a new movie. Granted not a whole lot of them STICK to the book, but you see my point hopefully.

Silvy: Thanks again for writing all this. Can't wait to read the rest. And wasn't that Opera in PoM? I remember that was the reason Erik lured Christine to New York to begin with, to star in his cheesy new Opera set in wartimes.

[Catherine_de_Silver]

Art - yup. That's the one. I'll try and get the rest of it up soon.


EDIT: The Tour Review Act 1 Part 2

[The Opera Toast]

I see your point, and it sucks, but our book just isn't as popular. Supply and demand. It is sad really.

Honestly, if the tour reboot gives it a boost, brings in some new fans who might go see it simply because it's new and convert them to phans, then I think this new tour is a fantastic beautiful thing that is worth it. Think about it. The tour wasn't made to pander to those of us who already love it. The tour was made to hook those who weren't to make them jump on board.

How many of us came to absolutely love all versions Phantom by watching and falling in love with Gerard Butler mangle Music of the Night before we found other versions BECAUSE we were hooked?

[Catherine_de_Silver]

Toast - I see you point. I knew of the phandom for years, even did projects on the show, but never really became 'hooked' until the Butler versioun. It definitely hooks you in if you don't know better.

Maybe if we get more reboots like Dracula then we might eventually get a decent rendition.

[Act 2 coming soon]

[Bleeding Art]

Toast I have to disagree. They're doing this tour because Webber's bordering senile and gave Mackintosh full reigns of the tour hoping to reinvent his brand, spice it up and yes probably bring in new blood. The thing is there's a MASSIVE difference between the 2004 movie and the tour, one being that the movie was a one shot deal and the tour's got an indeterminable run as it is. Not only that but to people like me who can't afford to go to New York for the original, it's ALL we have to go on. How many people are going to end up hating this show because of the tour? How many people are going to dismiss it and wonder just why it's been running 20-odd years on Broadway and has a slew of awards?

Sure we might get a few who look into the original, see other versions or just get curious and go on Youtube but I don't see this pulling in the same kinds of people the movie pulled in. And for the faithful, it's driving them away. Webber made a beautiful trainwreck with the film because it had its redeeming points. Thus far reading Silvy's review I'm not seeing any redemption aside from Carlotta and Piangi's comedy.

What has been working since the 80s is now butchered and laid out for all its gore to be seen and we're supposed to present this as innovative and creative and a new spin on an old favorite? No I don't think so.

Maybe I'm being blinded by hate, it's a very good possibility, but I just find this tour to be unforgivable. Not only for all I've mentioned but because these people also took the ONLY chance I had at seeing this show. I'm deprived of a beautiful experience because of rotating sets and bad staging choices and lack of this and too much that and cutting out chunks of the show and replacing it with things that make no sense.

Silvy: You mentioned something about a suicide move. I've never heard this rumor. Do they seriously stage it like Christine's going to commit suicide? That's... well it's stupid but it's also rude.

[Catherine_de_Silver]

Art - Yup. Yup and Yup. I almost missed it because I was distracted by Raoul, but when I caught on I was completely confused. It was a what the crap moment right there.

I'll try to get act 2 up sometime today. It will be in 2 parts - don't expect anything different from what you've read so far.


EDIT: Nevermind with act 2. DA is being stupid in regards to uploading text. Says there's some sort of error.

[TheAngelsWeepTonight]

Yikes, Catherine! Just got around to reading your critiques. I'm ...baffled. Why...why were so many of those changes necessary? Or even "Oh this sounds good. Never-mind the irrationality of it."

Edit: Oh, my god. The chandelier is pretty accurate for the Lolita Phantom print.

http://imgur.com/thC2EaJ

[Bleeding Art]

Saw something earlier on Tumblr that is pretty accurate.

All other Fandoms: This movie is nothing like the book!

The Entire Phandom: Please.