I hope you’ve done your vocal exercises, because today I’m taking a quick dive into the strengths of The Phantom of the Opera!
The Phantom of the Opera is a fairly obvious choice for stories to turn into a musical, and it works objectively well (longest running show on Broadway, anyone?) for a few reasons. Which I have conveniently put into a numbered list.
1. The Nature of the Story Itself
The Phantom of the Opera is about a phantom…of an opera…
Okay, but seriously. The story is set in an opera, and two of the main characters are renowned for singing. Various performances are even part of critical plot points. With all this singing going on, it makes logical sense that if the story is going to be adapted, it be adapted into a musical.
2. The Presence of the Audience
The stage show relies heavily on the existence of the audience. What do I mean by that?
If you look at some of the show’s renowned features that draw an audience to it again and again, you see the big dramatic set pieces, the chemistry of the actors, the power of the songs. All these things are stronger when live. It’s one thing to see a chandelier fall on a television screen. It’s another to be in the room when a chandelier falls what feels like just a few feet away from you.
The powerful vocal performances are also more meaningful in a stage show than in another format. It’s the same reason going to a concert is more compelling than seeing a clip of that concert online. Being there in person means that you feel the actor’s energy, and isn’t that what musical theatre is all about?
3. Streamlining and Likability
The musical version of The Phantom of the Opera streamlines the story quite a bit, making it more focused on the gothic romance aspects of the story instead of the mystery of the phantom. It also makes certain characters (ahem, Raoul) much more likable to be more palatable to the modern theatergoing audience. Making the story simpler also means you can focus more on pure emotion through song and performance.
Overall, it’s really the emotion of the musical that makes The Phantom of the Opera so successful, and another medium wouldn’t be able to capture that.
But what do you think? Let me know in the comments.
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