Costume Blog

Phantom 30-Day Challenge: Day 1

1. How you first learned about Phantom.

Let me start off by saying I have a horrible memory of my younger years, combined with “repressing” tons of stuff, so anything I remember in detail before age 14 is pretty awesome or a very strong memory for me!

I first learned about Phantom when I was 12 years old.  My music teacher played us the OLC recording during one of our classes, but everyone was so young, and I don’t think any of us really remember it much.  

Later that same year, I was fortunate enough to see Kopit & Yeston’s version of Phantom: The American Musical Sensation at the Carousel Dinner Theatre in Akron, OH (a theatre that no longer exists).  I went with my Mom, Dad, and my sister.  I’ve had a few theatrical experiences before age 12 but this one always stood out to me.  The theatre was an elaborate space with a large stage, and tables in a semi-circle around it.  There was also an upper level and more tables in a semi-circle, where my family sat.  This was the kind of place where out in the lobby, a pianist in a full-out tux would be playing on a grand piano… it was beautiful.  I remember elaborate lamps on each of the dinner tables (electric, but made to look like candle-lit or gas-lit lights), and when the show was ready to begin, rather than the house lights flashing, all of the lamps on the tables flashed instead.  I thought it was so magical.  Just a little detail I remember.

I loved the show.  It was spectacular! (And it wasn’t even a multi-million dollar ALW version).  I couldn’t fully grasp it at age 12, but it had an impact on me.  I felt different after seeing the show.  I actually thought about the show a few days, a few weeks, etc, after I had seen it.  Nothing had affected me like that before.  But like I said, I was unsure of what it was at the time due to being so young.

Jump ahead a couple of years, which lacked anything dealing with Phantom.  It was not a good time in my life, and that’s all I want to say about it right now.  I saw a commercial for The Phantom of the Opera movie (bear with me folks, I was young and stupid and not involved in theatre much).  I dragged my friend Steve along to the movie theatre to a 10pm showing.  I have no clue why we went that late (remember, we’re 14, hehe) and I was BLOWN AWAY by the movie!!  I’ve never been so impacted by a movie before.  The reason I mentioned 10pm is that it’s a long movie, and by “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again”, I was nodding off to sleep.  But I woke up of course.  Everything was so “Fresh” when I saw the movie the first time, because I had only faintly known/remembered the Kopit/Yeston version.  The plot was new to me!  The music was new to me! Everything was so new and exciting and I listened to the soundtrack over and over. Theatre was still very new and very foreign to me, so for the moment, all I had was the 2004 movie.  I loved it.  I wanted to see it again and dragged my Mom to the theatre, and she loved it.  Then one last time, we dragged my Dad to see it.  I drew Phantom artwork, I went on the forums online in 2005 and started chatting with other phans, and I just immersed myself in all things Phantom.

When the movie DVD was released and I started watching the special features, I was intrigued to learn about the opera house, the ballerinas, ballet in general, Degas (I was ENTRANCED!!), other impressionists, classical and operatic music, France, and other historical aspects of the play.  It started my love for all of these things.

And then… I listened to the OLC soundtrack.  Michael. Fucking. Crawford.  Voice of an angel.  All love for Butler went flying out the window.  I loved it so much I researched other casts, like the Canadian cast album and the studio recording with Claire Moore.  It took a LOT of time for me to appreciate Sarah Brightman’s voice (I used to hate it) but I adore it now.  She’s not my fave, but she’s very good.  At that time I loved Rebecca Caine and Michael Crawford the most.

Lastly, my story’s not complete without the first time I saw the stage show and the impact that had on me.  But that’s Day 2’s question, so I’ll save it :)

P.S.: I hate the movie with a fiery passion to this day.  I want to explain why right now, but it’s another “Day” of the challenge, so you’ll have to wait :)