It's About Phantom, So It's Long...

Today, I'm suffering from Writer's Block. So I figured I'd just talk about a minor obsession. I like movies...probably more than most people. As in, some people are content to watch a movie once. I've seen a few movies at least twenty times, and one movie in particular I have seen (exactly) 47 times. That movie is Phantom of the Opera. I've actually seen four or five different versions of Phantom of the Opera. I've also read both of the major novelizations (The Phantom of the Opera, Gaston Leroux; Susan Kay's Phantom). Now, in all likelihood, you're thinking "Yeah...that's a little bit much." I know. It's intense.

By the way, you should listen to this while you read. It'll set the mood. :D

So, why Phantom? I'll be honest: I'm not sure. The first time I was exposed to it was (I believe) January or February of 2005. It was the film version, still in theaters, and I was in my Freshman year of High School, and my choir teacher (a wonderful lady) mentioned going to see it with the class. I wasn't really all that interested, and forgot about it. So I showed up at school one day, and the entire choir was sitting in the lobby waiting for me. They were all "WHERE WERE YOU!?" And I was like "...?" Apparently, everyone was waiting for me to go on this trip I had totally forgotten about, but I was excited for two reasons. First, I was getting out of my morning class (I'd do anything to skip math...) and secondly, I love horror films, and a free horror film was brilliant, in my opinion. ...However, it turns out that Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera wasn't actually a horror film. It was a musical.

I didn't know this, and my excitement level dropped considerably when I realized this. I was not a musical person then. I mean, I loved music, and I was a singer...but theatre was a completely new concept to me, and musical theatre struck me as terribly boring. It dawned on me, as the Overture started, that this was not going to be anything like I had expected. By the time the film had made it through "The Music of the Night," I was hooked. My poor teacher had no idea what she had started in me.

A few months later, my sister (who was only, like, ten at the time) went to a yardsale down the block and bought a few CD's. She happened to randomly buy a CD that further increased my obsession: Sarah Brightman's Encore. Track 4 on that particular album is "Think of Me" from Phantom. I had it memorized in a matter of hours. A few months later, I purchased the 2004 film soundtrack, and had the entire film committed to memory soon. I joined a Phantom of the Opera site in September '05, and I got the movie for Christmas in 2005. It ran on loop in my room for a few weeks.

Later on, I found out that the musical was based on a French novel by one Gaston Leroux. Turns out that the tiny library at my school had a copy of it. I read it. I read it again. On top of that, I watched the 1925 Lon Chaney silent film, and then got my hands on a copy of Kay's Phantom thanks to my friend Terra.

The day before my 18th birthday, my parents took me to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center to see the Andrew Lloyd Webber stage version (Richard Todd Adams as the Phantom, Marni Raab as Christine. I don't remember who Raoul was...don't get me wrong, I lover Raoul, but I can never remember who plays him....with the exception of Patrick Wilson, 2004, because he was astounding). I'm pretty sure Dad fell asleep, but I was on the edge of my seat. I saw it again last Spring on Broadway (John Cudia, Marni Raab).

Anyway, Phantom was the start of my interest in theatre. It's also been the start of a lot of great friendships (that website, y'know...) (including the fabulous Darcy, who I'm totally married to on Facebook, because she's splendid). I've seen ALW's version exactly 50 times (2004 film and stage show combined) and I can't count the number of times I've listened to the OLC recording.

Obsession? I think so, but it's lovely, so I don't mind so much. Plus, backstage areas aren't creepy anymore! Actually...they are, that was a lie. But whatever. [/rant]