YourLocalSlenderMan

in terms of concept i just reallyreally like the idea of a guy in the sewer. which is an AWFUL reason to like poto probably but the phantom is a very intriguing character as a whole in general. he's obviously the biggest appeal, and that's not JUST... because i like freak men with A Problem who hide in little holes and bite people. he clearly has a very multidimensional psyche which i think the play touches enough to tickle my brain and so he haunts me... perhaps like... a ghost..... or a phantom.... i also LOVE raoul as a character. he is the perfect other half to the love triangle plot problem and the fact that he's the stereotypical knight character and still has his own flaws and character arc is really satisfying. it's definitely a play that (while it can lean one way or the other depending on who's putting it on) doesn't make itself obviously partial to either side, and equally empathises and gives attention to both sides

+ the setting is my favourite thing ever. i love the opera populaire and the eevil phantom sewer and the costumes and visual style sooo much.. the stark difference (visually and stylistically) between each scene makes every part easy to recognize no matter the adaptation which i am a HUGE fan of. i think this is especially potent in the 2004 movie where there's more room to characterize each location, and it really shines. i love the scene on the rooftop in the snow, i love the rigid color pallet of the masquerade ball (and how the phantom contrasts it so aggressively), i also really love the scene for 'twisted every which way' where they sit by the multicolored window and it reflects on their faces. soo so gorgeous

i'd also mention that there isn't a single character in poto that i explicitly dislike. they're all quite efficiently used and they're all so charmingly characterized that they're hard to forget (even if it took me forever to remember their names... which is on me. lol) there's nobody that i'd say gets too much or too little screen time or muddles up the plot. i'm also a huge madame giry stan and want to pick her brain to see what's wrong with her lol, ESPECIALLY in the 2004 movie. the side characters don't feel flat and have their own little thing that can be explored which makes them eternally charming and interesting to me

also the MUSIC..... OHHHH.... i could go on FOREVER and EVER about the excellent use of motifs in this musical. it is genuinely so perfect, there's not a single track from poto i'd say is a "weak link" or an odd one out, as they're all thematically sound (ignoring 2004 movie including "learn to be lonely" for some reason during the masquerade ball. kicks rock. my biggest gripe) this wasn't something that stuck me so badly on my first watch of the movie but every other time i've listened to the soundtrack or watched the movie/play afterwards it has been a MAIN point of interest to me. each motif has a very clear meaning and use and adds so much to each scene esp when you go back with their meanings in mind and analyze the music proper....

my two favourite motifs are probably 'masquerade' and 'i remember...' they're kind of contrasty and not very associated with each other, but i love masquerade showing up at the very beginning and being subtle but still a good prod at the phantom's insecurities/background.. (especially so when he weeps about it at the end) and i love 'i remember' as it embodies a kind of recall that's associated (? i presume. ive only so many listens and good conclusions) with the phantom. every time it shows up i smile with glee, they're talking about my guy!! i also quite like the contrast between it being used in "i remember..." and "magical lasso", even though it's severely lacking in the 2004 movie..

i'd also go off on a tangent here about me constantly coming back to the 2004 movie because of the extra included scene of the phantom's past, because the musical use in the flashback is SO good. it took me forever to actually realise what i was recognizing (a very screwy version of masquerade + point of no return) but it fits in really really well for a movie-unique scene !! and i love it dearly. the mishmash of motifs is a treat to listen to every time and also i just really like them expanding on his background a little bit (especially so as the movie does everything in its power to make the phantom 1000x worse)

i'll also note some of my favourite parts of each version i've interacted with

2004 movie: GORGEOUS camerawork. good lord! it's so organic, especially in 'prima donna' and 'masquerade'. i also love the use of vivid colors and the costuming. also this version has my FAVOURITE raoul of all time. he's so handsome. i could smooch him

Royal Albert Hall Recording: has the best masquerade costuming between the two i've seen. it's a little more erratic but it's just so perfect and there's so much to take in. the artistry is lovely.. i also like this phantom more than the 2004movie. he's like a bug to me. he's also a lot more "musical" than in the movie, which is much more charming

book: i LOVE the emphasis on erik's weird factor in this. he's a 100% verified freak and i love him for it. my favourite passage is when they talk about him being so focused on his Big Project that he literally will forget to eat and sleep. he's so real. hes just like me fr! (freak in the basement that would kill EVERYONE.. for a lover) i'm also just a huge gothic horror fan so this was a big hit for me. i watched that one animated adaptation of the book before i read this so it was also a fun read because i could visualize it in the worst way possible basically for free

OK that's all. im done yapping. the yapperrrr. how it feels to be a level 1 phantom of the opera fan. im sorry if this is too long for your project i turn evil when this musical is mentioned 💔