Review: Phantom of the Opera

A Review of the Phantom of the Opera 

Geraldine Navarro

photo credits to: http://www.lyrics007.com/images/cover_art/64/12/23

The story begins when two men, Andre and Firmin, take over the opera once owned by Lefevre. To celebrate the change of owners they decided to throw a gala, but the lead diva, Carlotta, refuses to sing as she was afraid of the "opera ghost". Madame Giry, the opera's ballet mistress recommended Christine Daae, who is well taught by a mysterious tutor. The night of the gala Christine told Meg, Madame Giry's daughter that she doesnt really know her tutor and only pertains to him as "the angel of music". An opera patron, Rauol, recognizes Christine as his childhood playmate, which he wants back in his life. Christine tells Rauol of her “angel of music” but he doesnt believe her. Meanwhile in the theater a man called Joseph Buquet, like Madam Giry who knows about the phantom of the opera tells everyone tales about the opera ghost and his Magic Lasso.  In the managers’ office, Madame Giry delivers a note from the Phantom that he demands that Christine replace Carlotta in the new opera, or there will be a terrible disaster "beyond imagination". Firmin and Andre assure the scared Carlotta that she will remain the star but during her performance, disaster strikes. The Phantom makes Carlotta's voice to sound like a frog’s croak. A ballet interlude begins, to keep the audience entertained. Suddenly, the corpse of Buquet, hanging from the magic lasso, drops from the rafters. Firmin and André was saying that was only an accident while the Phantoms laughs were heard from the backstage.

In the end Phantom wanted to marry Christine so he too her to his lair and forces her to marry him. Rauol to the rescue comes to Christine’s aid. Christine kisses phantom and says that it is his soul that is deformed, not his face. Christine forces herself to turn away knowing she loves him but has to leave and exits with Raoul. The Phantom makes his way to his throne and covers himself with his cloak.

Back in high school we were open to different kinds of musicals, plays and literary works. In which it made me curious into the different famous works such as, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Anna Karenina and A Midsummer night’s dream. The Phantom of the Opera tickled my fancy as I watched the production at the Royal Albert hall for their 25th anniversary. Not only the way that the actors acted their specific roles, but also the way they sung the different songs and lines they have. Phantom’s character was what I liked the most since at first he seemed like an antagonist but in the end he was a protagonist after all, searching for someone who will love as he is and not be afraid of him nor his face. There was a part 2 or a continuation for the phantom of the opera which I also saw called, Love never dies. It was a story about how a few years later, Christine married to Rauol has still feelings for Phantom in which she had a child with.