Anyway, I'll answer all 30 questions at once!
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| The 30 Questions |
I watched the movie on 15th July 2013 (don't ask me why I remember the date). I was bored, and I saw the DVD just sitting there, so I decided to watch it. There begun the obsession
Q2. Your first ALW show and/or your first Phantom, when and where
London, 22nd March 2014, Gerónimo Rauch
Q3. Your favourite minor character
Meg, probably, if she constitutes as a minor character
Q4. Your least favourite character overall
Joseph Buquet probably. Thank goodness he is only in the show for a short time
O5. Favourite part of the stage version
Think of Me, Angel of Music/Little Lotte, the title song, Music of the Night, the ballet from Act Three of Il Muto, Wishing/Wandering Child, and the Point of No Return
Q6. Favourite Phantom costume (any version)
6.) Stage Show - The Phantom's sparkly cape in All I Ask of You Reprise, West End
Q7. Favourite Christine costume - any version
Stage Show - the Aminta dress in Point of No Return/the Star Princess dress in Masquerade
Q8. Your favourite song from the ALW production
Think of Me. But I also love the title song, Wandering Child, and the Point of No Return
Q9. Your least favourite song
Magical Lasso. It's one of those songs you can't really listen to on a daily basis because it's about a minute and contains a lot of screaming from the corps de ballet
Q10. Favourite sung line (Act 1)
'I am there inside' - The Phantom, Little Lotte/The Mirror (Angel of Music)
Q11. Favourite sung line (Act 2)
'I gave my mind blindly' - Christine, Final Lair
Q12. Favourite instrumental potion of the score
The Overture, or the violin part in between Notes II/Twisted Every Way and Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
Q13. Your favourite ALW Phantom
Gerónimo Rauch (West End)
Q14. Your favourite ALW Christine
Olivia Brereton (UK Tour; West End)
Q15. Your favourite ALW Raoul
Sean Palmer (West End)
Q16. Line you ALWAYS mess up when singing
I suppose it's not really a line but I always mess up Christine's cadenza at the end of Think of Me
Q17. Whose part do you follow/sing when multiple people are singing?
In Notes I/ Prima Donna I sing Carlotta's part; in Notes II/Twisted Every Way I sing Christine's part. Generally I follow Christine's part
Q18. Song with the highest play count on iTunes
Probably Olivia Brereton's or Gina Beck's Think of Me
Q19. Have you seen the 25th Anniversary Concert? If so, what was your opinion?
Yes, I own it on DVD and I have the soundtrack. I love Ramin and Sierra, indifferent when it comes to Hadley, I don't like Daisy's Meg, and I adore Wendy's Carlotta. However, I do think it was terribly miscast as it was supposed to be a celebration of 25 years of PHANTOM IN THE WEST END. Daisy, Hadley, and Sierra had nothing to do with Phantom in the West End. Yes, I know Sierra did do Love Never Dies, but that isn't Phantom. I think the cast should have been Ramin/John Owen-Jones/Earl Carpenter, Gina Beck/Sofia Escobar/Rachel Barrell and Simon Bailey/Killian Donnelly. And Sierra shouldn't have had that wig, it was awful and stringy, and she should have done the WEST END CADENZA IN THINK OF ME. I REPEAT, THIS IS THE WEST END CELEBRATION, THEREFORE THE WEST END CADENZA SHOULD BE DONE
Q20. Opinion on the 2004 movie
Like many phans, it is what got me into Phantom. I still love watching it, though I see many flaws. I like some of the costumes, some of the set design, and I like Patrick Wilson's Raoul (don't like the hair, though) and Jennifer Ellison's Meg. However, the two lead roles were terribly miscast IMO. Emmy was just too young - she was sixteen/seventeen and, although was trained, didn't have actual university training (a degree), which most, if not all Christines have. This is shown through the extremely dumbed down cadenza, and how her high note at the end was a Bflat5, instead of the C6 that all other Christines do. Furthermore, her final high note at the end of the title song was definitely not the traditional E6; I believe it was a D6 or an Eflat6 six. However, I did like her voice, as it was youthful and that aspect of Christine's personality really shone through. Yet she didn't act much - her portrayal was muted; a lot of the same facial expressions, and she didn't react to the Phantom's utter madness as well as most Christine's do. She wasn't fierce and seemed to just take it. Even after the Phantom killed Buquet she didn't seem all that scared on the rooftop. There's no emotion in her voice. But I still do enjoy watching her, and she's definitely not the worse Christine in the world, at least voice wise. Gerard Butler as the Phantom was even worse; at least Emmy had had actual singing training. The Phantom of the Opera, such an iconic role that most musical theatre actors have to spend years gaining experience before even considering taking on the mammoth part. The West End's youngest Phantom, Ramin Karimloo, was 29 when he debuted as the Phantom - that means he had eight years of experience working in his respective field. Gerard Butler had four lessons. Just four singing lessons. I swear that in parts he goes out of tune, and his voice is quite weak. I don't like how the Phantom was "sexed up", but I know that wasn't his decision. And his last note in Music of the Night was looped. And his deformity. . . But he did act in the Final Lair well, not as much as I would have liked, but I felt he was believable. Really, Emmy had the voice but not the characterisation; Gerard had the characterisation but not the voice. But it's still an enjoyable movie, and the pair - known as "Gemmy" - aren't the worst Phantom/Christine duo.
Q21. Favourite part of the 2004 movie
The Point of No Return scene
Q22. Favourite interview of cast members
(I think this means 2004 cast members, but I haven't read any interviews with them so I've gone with my favourite interview that involves a Phantom cast member)
http://thoughtsofablueeyedgirl.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/blue-eyed-girl-interviews-phantom-of.html (Harriet Jones interview)
Q23. Favourite Phantom GIF
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| With Gina Beck as Christine and Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom |
Q24. Favourite Phantom-related YouTube video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwmS4A8Fjzc (this is so hilarious)
Q25. Your opinion on Love Never Dies
I like it. Probably an unpopular opinion, but I do like it. I think Raoul as a drunk and a gambler was a bit harsh, and that Meg didn't care for Christine at all wasn't fully believable. And some of the songs didn't serve anything to the plot, but all in all, it is enjoyable. I think I'd rather watch the Australian production of Love Never Dies DVD than the 2004 movie (even if I hated LND, I'd still watch it because Anna O'Byrne is heavenly)
Q26. Favourite Phantom item you own
My Phantom pillowcase. Best. Thing. Ever
Q27. Favourite cast member ship
Boring answer, I know, but I don't ship cast members. I used to ship Rierra (Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess) but don't any more
Q28. Your favourite phanart
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| So beautiful. I wish I could draw |
Q29. Your favourite [personal or otherwise] headcanon
I really don't know. After much deliberation, I ship both Phantom/Christine and Raoul/Christine. I don't know why; usually I find phans either strongly ship Phantom/Christine or Raoul/Christine and do not under any circumstances ship the opposite pairing. I also ship Raoul/Meg - never the Phantom or Christine with Meg. And never Phantom/Raoul. . . I see sense in the other pairings (Phantom/Meg because Meg could love the Phantom; Christine/Meg because they're best friends - they could fall in love. I'm not as against Phantom/Meg as I am against Christine/Meg - to me, Christine/Meg is like shipping G(a)linda and Elphaba from Wicked together - they're just best friends. Nothing more.) I think Raoul and Christine, in the stage show, have a lot in common, and were childhood sweethearts; Raoul represents something that Christines craves, and the Phantom could never give her: calmness and security. Although I don't read Raoul/Christine phanphiction, but do read Phantom/Christine phanphiction. It's interesting to see how writers write their relationship dynamic
Q30. Your favourite thing about the Phantom story
How beautifully tragic it is. Every character is tragic, and very real. It's just the most stunning story, and it touches my heart. It will forever be a part of me. I love how many different versions there are of it, I love discussing the subtle differences between different productions. I love Think of Me and Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, and how Phantom has made me want a career in musical theatre. Most of all, I love how you can love Phantom no matter how old you are. It's classically timeless.
