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The Phantom Of The Opera May 25, 1988 OBC ProShot Notes

(Ft. Sarah Brightman, Michael Crawford, & Steve Barton)

I watched the OBC Pro-Shot of Phantom at the New York Public Library in June, so I want to share my notes and thoughts on it with people who may be interested! A little context, I'm exclusively invested in the original cast for Phantom so I haven't watched many other performances of the show in full, therefore the notes provided are just my opinions/interpretations with my bias towards this cast.

These notes are rather wordy and long as I ended up writing 6 pages of notes while I was there, I hope it is still enjoyable, and I even included gifs for entertainment.

General Notes:

Above everything I just love how nuanced the whole performance and story seemed to be, from every single character, I was already a huge fan of the original cast before, but this was absolutely transformative to my pre-existing thoughts.

Quality is much better than I expected, and much more vibrant than any of the content I believe I had seen before of the cast on stage, especially the press reels, like the sets were incredibly clear. I like the use of multiple shots and zoom-ins!

The sound design is also really good, sometimes I can hear the costumes moving around, which I also believe were all form-fitted. It felt like the vocals were much louder than the orchestra to me but I think that's just the recording.

Sarah Brightman's makeup for Christine is so vibrant, especially the blush and eyeshadow. Super 80s, but I really loved it. I also am enamored with how she plays Christine as someone who is torn between her career and her life. She clearly loves performing, but she also values her personal life as well. Definitely a more personal portrayal, but to me that is more impactful.

Michael Crawford's makeup seemed like they painted him to be super pale, like extremely so, but it makes him more ghostly. I like that! And the way he played The Phantom, I mean there is a reason he is legendary for this role, which I hope these notes rightfully explain as to why!

ACT I NOTES

We see the audience sitting down before the show actually begins! Prologue feels like it has a few dialogue differences, but nothing that I took genuine note of. Raoul also seems much more down.

The overture sounds like it has a voice behind it, but I doubt there is someone singing in the back. Maybe it's a theremin, but I can't tell, however whatever it is I think it should make a comeback, because it makes the chandelier seem much more haunted.

For the Hannibal rehearsal, Judy Kaye enters scene and hits those wonderful high notes. Kaye's Carlotta is actually really charming and charismatic I find, she makes the character fun with what she has to work with, up there with another Carlotta I like, Janinah Burnett, in terms of characterization. When the rest of company enters the scene, I feel like there is more people on stage than recent productions, because there were definitely some costumes that I believe are out of use. Another random note, I could hear the beads on the Hannibal girls costumes! I think the colors on their bodices are richer too, especially the green. Sarah dances en pointe, it's very nice.

While they dance, Meg asks "Christine what's the matter?" and is reacted with "She always has her head in the clouds," when Andre & Firmin inquire about Christine. Another random thing. The elephant's head moved, and I quite liked that. When the rehearsal is over, Christine seems much more reserved and insecure in this iteration. After Carlotta sings her "Think of Me" portion, and Meg screams out "He's here, The Phantom Of the Opera" she acts it out more than simply screaming it, over-dramatizing her reaction. And after Carlotta leaves scene and Madame Giry enters, people audibly jump and gasp at her entrance, I feel like it was much more reactionary here.

When Meg refers Christine to sing "Think Of Me" she grabs Meg's arm in disagreement but Mme Giry notices and is adamant that she should sing. Sarah as Christine expectantly does not stutter, but I was quite shocked at how mature her voice was here, I always loved how crystal it was. Christine appears elated to be playing Elissa, as though Christine is more reserved here, her joy definitely shines through the performance. Also the Elissa dress is more teal than green here, I found that interesting. It was beautiful to see it on Sarah Brightman in motion.

Raoul is head over heels for Christine, and when she delivers her final cadenza it's more flowy yet still quick.

The stage goes dark and we see the fictional audience, and the ballerinas rush to Christine though quickly leave due to Giry's presence. She seems more certain and sharp in this production. When Christine hears The Phantom during "Angel Of Music" she seems nervous and frozen during.

She is definitely more mysterious than joyful when talking to Meg about him, (which Elisa Heinsohn masterfully portrays) definitely with her mind in the clouds. Once Christine sings "angel" however she seems more happy at the idea of The Phantom before becoming more nervous again at the prospect of his existence. When Mme Giry calls towards Meg, she looks guilty for letting her leave.

Raoul is nervous approaching Christine, but when they reunite they are very tender and soft, Raoul is gentle with his hands. Sarah Brightman and Steve Barton's reserved behaviors as Christine and Raoul make for a very heartwarming portrayal. Before he leaves, Christine appears frightened yet still smiles when he says "my little Lotte" to her.

When The Phantom begins singing, he is loud and rough with his words. Surprisingly Christine seems like she is under a trance immediately from his words and all former feelings of distress seem to disappear as she appears hypnotized with his presence. She grins, praising him. The way they had Michael Crawford lit up in this scene, in the mirror, makes him look a bit terrifying as he just remains flat expressioned. Raoul screams out for Christine.

The Phantom leads Christine beneath the Opera House, into his lair, I liked the trapdoor and how it was lit in the stage. Christine and The Phantom face each other nearly the whole time, and during their entrance to the stage on the boat, he leans down to nearly caress her face. He is very gentle during the title song. Christine looks extremely pleased but also out of it.

After the theme song, The Phantom looks extremely pleased with her presence and grins, quite creepily, but it's unique. He slowly starts MOTN and also approaches her slowly, as Christine sways to his words, and he uses his hands to convey the lyrics as if he is conducting.

He almost kisses Christine but retracts, and walks towards the portcullis, while she follows him, completely entranced. They don't touch but she gazes closely at his mask. After he sings "be", she easily falls into his arms. No actually touching except on the mask and Christine's collarbone. When he leads her to the mirror, she stumbles towards it and falls swiftly.

As The Phantom puts his cloak on Christine, he almost caresses her with both hands, only hovering above her face. Once again, the lighting makes him look haunting.

After Music Of The Night, we get to see the monkey! Christine's voice waivers as she sings lying down before standing up, and it's clear she looks uncertain and even scared, stuttering to approach The Phantom, getting increasingly frantic. After unmasking him, she runs from him and holds onto what she can in her way, before she cries into the floor. The Phantom also seems to cry as he inches towards her on his knees, and he seems much larger which looks intentional before he sinks in on himself again. I really enjoy how emotionally vulnerable this direction is, as when she gives him back the mask and he puts it back on, The Phantom extends both arms out to her face, seemingly about to grab it but instead opts out and grabs her arm instead. It's that kind of emotionally unstable relationship which you feel so compelled towards, I love it here.

During Notes, it looks like Firmin is addressing the camera directly, and the managers are full of personality I love it. Notes also is seemingly played more seriously here rather than a humorous song.

Surprisingly, Raoul seems more demanding and sarcastic here, in fact the whole company seems intentionally petty towards one another. Raoul is very defensive against Carlotta's accusations as well. Carlotta herself has an extravagant dress of course and is ever so dramatic here. Judy Kaye's vocals are insanely good that they pierced through everything else on the headphones I was wearing.

During Prima Donna, the managers are big and slow with their movements, emphasizing their excessive desperation, with Carlotta clearly entranced with their offers and praise, unaware of their irony. Piangi is serious about her! Raoul is reasonably concerned about the "angel" which Christine speaks of. Phantom is angry, not much has changed but the vocals were absolutely incredible. I liked how much more personality the company has here, their tension with each other contributing to Christine's reserved nature from the rest of them because of their absolutely ridiculous behaviors, it would be enough to drive anyone mad.

Sarah Brightman is very cute as the pageboy/maid! Her smug expressions capture me. She is much more playful here, and takes pride in her role, a noticeable pattern. Random, but I like her emerald shoes here.

We see the Phantom actually above the stage, toying with the chandelier, shaking it. When Christine calls out for Raoul, he says "don't worry I'm here!" During the ballet scene, the Il Muto ballerinas freak out over The Phantom's presence, and his shadow continuously grows larger in the back before taking over the entire backdrop and dropping Buquet's body.

Raoul and Christine walk out the aforementioned trapdoor on the stage, used before the title song into the scene, and Christine is properly frightened! Brightman is very good at utilizing emotions and portraying when Christine is or isn't fully "all there" I feel like.

Christine tries to reason with a worried Raoul, but when she sings about the Phantom in "Why Have You Brought Me Here" she looks out past Raoul, and walks past him when recalling The Phantom, her feelings about him complex. When she hears The Phantom and returns to being terrified, Raoul softly touches her and embraces her, caressing her huge wig. Christine looks unconvinced by him telling her there is nothing to fear, but still comforted. Additionally, the countess dress is very sparkly.

They are both soft and very tender during "All I Ask Of You", certainly in a lot of love. I wrote down after this, "Especially Raoul, he seems just as desperate as The Phantom" whatever I meant here. Christine is grateful for Raoul, grinning and focused on him. He picks her up and sways her as they kiss & caresses her face before picking her up again! And twirls around. Brightman and Barton have incredible chemistry as Christine and Raoul, but also vocally I feel like! Those things combined are fantastic.

After "All I Ask Of You" Christine is brought back to the situation, and genuinely seems rushed to get back to her role, once again the pattern of being dedicated to her work.

The Phantom is atop the angel, almost completely dark and it sounds as if he is wailing while singing. He heavily breathes and growls, covering his ears before grabbing the angel and releasing the chandelier, and the chandelier is lit red. Crawford delivered a fantastic vocal performance as expected, especially in the "Go!!"

ACT II NOTES

After the intermission, we get to see the audience yet again!

I personally saw the beginning of Masquerade to be shot like a comedy, once again loving how sassy Firmin and Andre are. The audience claps for the staircase reveal.

Choreography of masquerade is much more active here! Christine & Raoul enter scene from the right side of the stage. They run around a bit, before Christine nearly kisses him. There is so much more movement, with people on the ground and staircase running amok. Though it's clear Christine is certainly the "weird girl," isolated among her peers. She also has the star tiara here!

Brightman & Barton are incredible dancers and very eye catching!! Raoul fully picks Christine up before they return to the stairs. When The Phantom as The Red Death is cued in, Christine stops dancing before all the others and remains frozen until Raoul grabs her.

The Phantom remains sensual with his hands, he slowly turns to Christine and commands her towards him with his hands, and she even pushes Raoul away to get closer to him. She is so easy to succumb to his influence in this iteration, it is stupefying!

During Mme Giry's story, she seems much more frightened, and Raoul is furious and demanding.

Carlotta's pie dress is so cool, I know it is not a pie but my soul tells me it looks like one. The managers seem to still not take the Phantom seriously too. Seeing Brightman in motion wearing the "wishing dress" is incredible, I always felt like there weren't enough pictures of her during that scene. Carlotta's much more snappy during this scene, and kicks around upon The Phantom's comments about her. Christine looks conflicted upon hearing about her teacher, nearly paralyzed. She's scared about Raoul's proposition. She hides away from them while they argue, back to the audience staring into darkness, then moving, further disassociating before she loses composure.

When she sits in the chair, expressing her fear, she wipes her tears and pleads with Raoul, shaking & wavering. She cannot even focus on anyone, even if she looks at them. She looks at the verge of tears singing "Twisted Every Way" not even angry with The Phantom, just truly sad and miserable. She is physically shaken yet again upon leaving. Raoul angrily threatens The Phantom, almost seeming irrational.

The conductor is SO sassy towards Piangi, honestly, this company is so snarky towards one another and I live for the worldbuilding it provides. Christine appears so disengaged, like she's truly haunted, but still tries to help Piangi.

Chorus fades as Christine's back faces the audience before turning around and singing about The Phantom. She grabs her red scarf in thought of him, it's almost as if she is consistently under his trance even if she doesn't want to be and that it gets worse as the plot progresses.

While Christine is mostly idle during Wishing, she contemplates & looks up to the "sky" thinking of her father, still clutching the scarf. Her vocal performance is incredible though, emotions coming through at the peak/end of the song where you can feel her desperation and isolation. There is no second "help me say goodbye."

The Phantom softly glances onto Christine from above, and he is very soft with his delivery. They come to face one another and Christine walks towards him while he commands her to him. Once again, she seems out of it until Raoul grabs her. Crawford's face remains pretty dimly lit until the fire appears underneath him which is haunting. There is no trio "Wandering Child" but Raoul does have a top hat here. Also thank goodness the lyric is "far-reaching" here I am not a fan of fathering, sorry!

Raoul seems a bit uncertain about his plan, brows furrowed & frightened. They shoot, & The Phantom runs out of view before Don Juan Triumphant begins.

Again, the company seemed bigger, and the set is beautiful, I feel there is a bigger emphasis on the background being immersive rather than the table being the centerpiece. The Aminta shawl has extra flare, seems longer as well. Christine seems constantly aware here, but this time it is different and she seems guarded as anytime she hears The Phantom, she freezes, and tries her best to avoid him/play her role, which is so calculated, genuinely one of my favorite parts about this production. Christine's conflict between her feelings and job, but that will have to be for another post.

She passes the apple to The Phantom, and he gives her the chalice then softly commands her, before forcefully grabbing her closer upon "no use resisting," literally up to her ear, and she is clearly shocked at this contact! Christine as Aminta plays along, The Phantom's hands follows hers as she caresses herself. She playfully tries to uncloak him before standing up after he retracts. She up-plays the sensuality of the scene, The Phantom also expresses his sensual feelings towards Christine through his hands which lay by his thigh and groin area. She plays into this by grabbing his hands, and he pulls her hands further down on himself, with her looking concerned. They then slowly go across the stage, not much force like in newer iterations, more like a balancing act, and we can see his mask through the hood.

(Side note, I vividly remember the shot looking exactly like this picture.)

When The Phantom sings "All I Ask Of You" to Christine, he sounds like he is about to cry. She simply picks the ring from The Phantom, before unmasking him, I wish they hadn't changed this, it makes the characters of The Phantom and Christine so much more interesting in the musical. Also, I think his "anywhere you go," was the best part of this act, genuinely.

The Phantom looks like he is going to cry, and he doesn't scream, just looks around after Christine had done that before taking her away.

Meg's scream is visceral!! Raoul and Mme Giry seem more aggressive or adamant to one another. Also, it doesn't seem like The Phantom hung Piangi, or the rope was just loose here as his body was just lying.

In "Down Once More" Christine looks on the verge of tears, it's unclear whether it is with regret or despair. The Phantom goes down to her level as she's in the boat, potentially to ridicule here or make her feel smaller, as she does collapse onto herself in the boat. There's applause as Raoul jumps in the lake.

Christine appears more scared and betrayed rather than angry with The Phantom, frozen and wide eyed at his audacity. He seems extremely heartbroken and despaired holding her veil. She breathes heavily as he puts it on. Christine is still sympathetic but upset, clearly sad. When Raoul appears, she quickly throws the bouquet of flowers out of the way, and they immediately hug before the lasso is applied onto him. The Phantom forces Christine into a hold before dropping her.

Christine looks at the Phantom and him only, he looks exasperated and in disbelief, sad at her response of disapproval. When she is in-between him and Raoul, she looks so conflicted with the choice she's given, pleading with The Phantom until the very end, nearly crying. When she is at his feet, he doesn't go all the way down to her and faces away. His hands shake so much.

When she kisses him, she caresses his face, and he shakes even more fervor! He can't even face them after the kiss, and she looks pensive, but he lets Raoul go and the whole time, he stares at the ground before they go, then shuts his eyes and cries. He faces the monkey music box, swaying his arms on his side singing to it.

When Christine returns, he is still shaking as he takes his ring back, and she almost reaches out again before running off swiftly, his hand still extended as she goes before he grabs the veil. He holds the veil to his face as Christine and Raoul take the boat crying into it, with Raoul leaning down to hold her face similar to how The Phantom did during the title song.

The Phantom hugs the veil to his face before sitting on his throne and disappearing.

The recording features the curtain call! They all got an immense amount of cheers, and plenty from me, in my soul.

PERSONAL NOTES

I understand now that a movie musical with this cast would have been too powerful and destroyed the world as we know it.

Wow. Just wow!

I love the company's relationship with one another and how tense it was. It makes Christine's disassociation from everything and everyone else more fitting, but I do believe it is more unique and tailored to this production specifically.

Christine was reserved in public but playful & emotional in private, Brightman plays a very naive Christine and it just works so well. It makes the relationship between her and The Phantom much more "inexperienced"/unstable (that's what I had written down at the time) due to the fact that they are personal people, but are able, or believe they are able to, to see each other's souls.

Speaking of, The Phantom is very blatant with his feelings, but not spoken about them which sounds ridiculous considering that every actor for the role must sing the same lyrics, but the acting really does matter lots. Like the tenderness and sensuality displayed here was genius, Hal Prince I understand you. Christine and The Phantom are so emotionally inexperienced, and are people who inevitably cannot meet halfway, and do what they believe is best, and it is clear especially with their final interactions in the Final Lair!

I also love how Raoul is an outsider to the complexities of Christine and The Phantom's relationship (which I don't believe is strictly romantic here) like everyone else, but he's more concerned than anyone else despite that. Obviously it is because of Christine's involvement, but I just find it sweet that despite how estranged she is from everyone else he does everything in his power to try and reassure her and reinforce just how serious the problem is, because he loves her!! Even if he may not believe or understand her concerns fully himself.

Also yes, the entire performance is super melo-dramatic but damn, if it doesn't make it more convincing. Like I said, Harold Prince is a damn genius, and I hope that if there is ever a revival the suspense and drama return. It felt like a good balance to the "romantic" content, especially with the build-up to some of the bigger events. I know that once you have a show that lasts as long as "The Phantom Of The Opera" you must switch things up a bit, but the direction of this show, it is rare I ever find myself thinking that I wouldn't change something in an adaptation, but I truly wouldn't after seeing this Pro-Shot.

I don't want to talk too much because I want whoever read this fully to come to their own interpretation through my notes despite all that talk I just did LOL, so please, I implore you to interact with this post however you please. I now leave you with a few of my favorite pictures from the original 86-88 production.

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