In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s
The Phantom of the Opera, Cameron Mackintosh produced a unique, spectacular staging of the musical on a scale which had never been seen before. Inspired by the original staging by Hal Prince and Gillian Lynne, this lavish, fully-staged production set in the sumptuous Victorian splendour of London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall features a cast and orchestra of over 200, plus some very special guest appearances.To celebrate its 25th Anniversary year, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh present PHANTOM OF THE OPERA in a fully-staged, lavish production, set in the sumptuous Victorian splendour of London s Royal Albert Hal with a variety of very special stars and a supporting cast and orchestra of over 200. Participants include the original stars SARAH BRIGHTMAN and MICHAEL CRAWFORD and PHANTOM film star Ger! rard Butler. An added treat will be composer Andrew Lloyd Webber accompanying his actors on the piano.
This spectacular, once-in-a-lifetime staging of the world s biggest musical, has been captured live for a must-have anniversary album release for fans everywhere. We have partnered with Universal Pictures to release both a DVD and a live 2 disc version of the show.
The Phantom of the Opera, SoundtrackFor better or worse, Andrew Lloyd Webber's adaptation of Gaston Leroux's gothic horror/romance novel has done for stage musicals what Spielberg's
Jaws did for fish stories, with worldwide sales of its original cast album approaching 25 million. While director Joel Schumacher's film turns on his typically ambitious visual verve, its new film soundtrack recording has been paradoxically focused in scope, yet beefed up dynamically via the brawny presence of a hundred piece orchestra and The London Boys Choir. This single disc version showcases all of
Phant! om's key songs (a deluxe, double-disc edition is also avai! lable), with Gerard Butler imparting a welcome, youthful sensuality to his Phantom, making a fine foil for Emmy Rossum's ever-conflicted Christine. Original show orchestrator David Cullen has fashioned compelling new contemporary arrangements to frame Webber's songs -- which now conclude with the lilting, upbeat new ballad he wrote for the film, "Learn to Be Lonely," sung by Minnie Driver.
--Jerry McCulleyNo Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
Title: ORIGINAL CAST
Street Release Date: 10/10/1988
Domestic
Genre: CAST RECORDINGSLose yourself in "the music of the night" with this lush film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Tony-winning musical. In the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera House in the 1870s, a mysterious mad genius (Gerard Butler), whose mask hides his scarred face, stops at nothing to help the beautiful young singer (Emmy Ros! sum) he loves from afar. But when she falls for a handsome rival (Patrick Wilson), the Phantom prepares a terrifying revenge. Minnie Driver, Miranda Richardson also star; Joel Schumacher directs. Songs include "All I Ask of You," "Think of Me," and the original "Learn to Be Lonely." 141 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; theatrical trailer.Although it's not as bold as Oscar darling Chicago, The Phantom of the Opera continues the resuscitation of the movie musical with a faithful adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's blockbuster stage musical. Emmy Rossum glows in a breakout role as opera ingénue Christine Daae, and if phantom Gerard Butler isn't Rossum's match vocally, he does convey menace and sensuality in such numbers as "The Music of the Night." The most experienced musical theater veteran in the cast, romantic lead Patrick Wilson, sings sweetly but seems wooden.! The biggest name in the cast, Minnie Driver, hams it up as di! va Carlo tta, and she's the only principal whose voice was dubbed (though she does sing the closing-credit number, "Learn to Be Lonely," which is also the only new song). Director Joel Schumacher, no stranger to visual spectacle, seems to have found a good match in Lloyd Webber's larger-than-life vision of Gaston LeRoux's Gothic horror-romance. His weakness is cuing too many audience-reaction shots and showing too much of the lurking Phantom, but when he calms down and lets Rossum sings "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" alone in a silent graveyard, it's exquisite.
Those who consider the stage musical shallow and overblown probably won't have their minds changed by the movie, and devotees will forever rue that the movie took the better part of two dec! ades to develop, which prevented the casting of original principals Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. Still, The Phantom of the Opera is a welcome exception to the long line of ill-conceived Broadway-to-movie travesties. DVD Features
The special edition of The Phantom of the Opera has two major extras. "Behind the Mask: The Story of The Phantom of the Opera" is an hourlong documentary tracing the genesis of the stage show, with interviews of composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, director Harold Prince, producer Cameron Macintosh, lyricists Richard Stilgoe and Charles Hart, choreographer Gillian Lynne, and others. Conspicuously absent are stars Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford. Both do appear in video clips, including Brightman performing with Colm Wilkinson at an early workshop, and Crawford is the subject of a casting segment. Other brief scenes from the show are represented by a 2001 production. The other major feature is the 45-minu! te making-of focusing on the movie, including casting and the ! selectio n of director Joel Schumacher Both are well-done productions by Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group.
The deleted scene is a new song written by Lloyd Webber and Charles Hart, "No One Would Listen," sung by the Phantom toward the end of the movie. It's a beautiful song that, along with Madame Giry's story, makes him a more sympathetic character. But because that bit of backstory already slowed down the ending, it was probably a good move to cut the song. --David Horiuchi
More on The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (Special Extended Edition Soundtrack) (CD) |
The Phantom of! the Opera (2004 Movie Soundtrack) (CD) |
The Phantom of the Opera (Original 1986 London Cast) (CD) |
Evita (DVD) |
Andrew Lloyd Weber: The Royal Albert Hall Celebration (DVD) |
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