Review: PotO at RAH

[ladycdaae]

Everyone else seems to be posting their reviews of the Royal Albert Hall concert, so why not jump on the bandwagon? Here are my disorganized thoughts, entitled:

Comments

[divadeanna]

Then a line or two later, he goes too much into belt or throws in too much pop inflection, and the moment is lost. Someone (I think on Deserted Phans) said he could make a good Phantom when he grows up, and I’ll agree with that-but right now, he still feels miscast.

This is pretty much why I've never been able to get behind Ramin. Too pop-inspired, and he plays the character way too young for me. I'm seeing it on Tuesday though, because I want to hear JOJ and Anthony Warlow. :)

[ladycdaae]

It's worth it, really--I know I probably sound really nit-picky here, but there are plenty of wonderful little moments (and some not-so-little moments) that make it worthwhile, and saying it's better than the film is no damning with faint praise--I'm talking miles ahead. And yes, JOJ and Warlow are simply marvelous in their brief performances. :-)

~LCD

[divadeanna]

Oh, I'm definitely looking forward to it. :) It'll be interesting to see what they've done with it, and see faces and reactions up close, which you don't always get in the theater, unless you're closer to the stage. Plus two of my favs are singing, and one is appearing. Pretty happy about that!

[amyable_nature]

I was on such a high for a few days after seeing this concert/performance because I just kept thinking, this is going to be my new Phantom DVD! No more Gerik! Yay

[ladycdaae]

If Ramin had played the whole of the part the way he did PONR on out, I think I would have liked him a lot more--maybe not enough to rate him one of my all-time top players, but a performance I could give props to. As it is, I think what I said about MotN pretty much sums it up--he's halfway there, but there's still a lot missing for me. Give him a few more years' maturity, get him to sing with a more consistent and classical tone, and he can have something really good going. YMMV, as always.

~LCD

[longlostblue]

I'm still not sure how I feel about the choke. The Phantom is, of course, an unstable and violent individual, but him physically hurting Christine is a little jarring. Isn't Raoul usually separated from them at this point, by the portcullis? Since he wasn't, this time around, it would make sense for the Phantom to grab Christine, otherwise Raoul could just rush at him. Regardless, I did like Ramin's reaction after he let her go; like he was shocked at himself.

(especially Brightman, who ALW claws at in a frankly creepy manner when she goes to hug MC).

Holy secondhand embarrassment. I saw it in theaters twice and the second time, I knew it was coming and had to look away.

[ensign_beedrill]

Regardless, I did like Ramin's reaction after he let her go; like he was shocked at himself.

Oh, I loved it.

[ladydemando]

Yes! Good fuckity god what the hell up was that creepy clawing?

[ensign_beedrill]

I feel like I'd seen that documentary before. Maybe as an extra feature on the movie DVD. Or maybe I'd just seen all the same people say all the same things before.

And okay, WTF was up with the faint? In the absence of the mirror bride, what prompted it?
I thought it was a bit odd too, but then thought about it and I figured if I had a mysteriously captivating man singing thus to me, I might have a hard time staying on my feet, too.

Buquet's death was pretty awesome. It was cool to see it coming, with dramatic looks at Buquet up in the flies and Poto sneaking up on him.

The chandelier, I’m told, was much more effective live
That's good to hear because I was feeling underwhelmed. I was hoping to have that thing just crashing down.

And was that a note of genuine pity in Carlotta’s “She’s mad!”?
I really liked the way that came across.

What do you call it when he keeps bringing out hints of the character then stops before you can be drawn inI call it a tease. Or, as we say at Olsen, teeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease. I don

[ladycdaae]

The actual last moment between Christine and the Phantom was very nicely done, but AIAOY was a bit too...sad for my taste, I guess. Not that this is a sunshine-and-puppies moment in any event, but Sierra just looked utterly defeated (part of this could be the camera angle--maybe if I could see her face more it would play differently) and I don't think that's the last impression we should have of Christine--more like the strong, mature woman she has become finally facing her life with confidence. One of my acting profs in college always warned us against leaving an audience too depressed, and I thought this particular interpretation didn't carry the element of hope and "rightness" that it should.

~LCD