#knightsofshame

Happy holidays to my Phandom Secret Santa giftee, @knightsofshame!

I have some Phantom goodies for you. :)

First, above are scans of Apollo’s Lyre (La Lyre d’Apollon) from the first edition of Le Fantôme de l'Opéra from 1910 (the first scan is from my paperback copy, and the pages themselves are from my hardcover copy). Even if you don’t read French, it’s a gorgeous old book, and there’s something entrancing about seeing what the original audience of Gaston Leroux’s novel read over 100 years ago.

Next, here are links to the Studio Life production of Susan Kay’s “Phantom.” Studio Life is an all-male Japanese theatre company based in Tokyo that produces an eclectic mix of shows. They do an awesome job of bridging classic and modern theatre, translating the all-male tradition of Kabuki and Nō into contemporary works. Back in 2011 and 2012, they produced a two-part adaptation of “Phantom” by Susan Kay. Part I (”The Untold Story”) goes from Erik’s birth to his time in Rome, and Part II (”The Kiss of Christine”) goes from Erik’s time in Persia to the end of his story.

Studio Life double casts each of its shows, so both of these productions feature two different companies. I have linked to videos of both casts. Although the videos don’t have subtitles, they follow Kay’s novel very closely, so if you are familiar with her book, you will be able to follow along with what is happening.

The Untold Story, cast 1 (featuring Yoshiki Yamamoto as young Erik):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYLQTX25zCU

The Untold Story, cast 2 (featuring Yusuke Hayashi as young Erik):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ty1ipGyvZU

The Kiss of Christine, cast 1 (featuring Yoshiki Yamamoto as adult Erik):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug3PlQzh1wE

The Kiss of Christine, cast 2 (featuring Hiroo Kasahara as adult Erik):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q5zfxWFgSg