Studying the Phantom: Some Resources, and a Search for More

Hey again!

I recently discovered a review of a Phantom-related book that, until recently, I wasn't really interested in getting (mainly due to its cover price -- a new copy is $110 on Amazon.com). This review, though, made me want to get the book.

The book's title is a bit long and ungainly, but sounds fascinating all on its own -- The Undergrounds of the Phantom of the Opera: Sublimation and the Gothic in Leroux's Novel and its Progeny, by Jerrold E. Hogle, published in 2002. The review was one of many (and I do mean many) posted on The Phantom Project, a website by Anne Myers that was itself started as an academic project. Ms. Myers' self-made project is to review every version of POTO she can, ranging from the original novel to the various film and stage versions, and even down to things like video games, radio shows, and self-published spinoffs and sequels created by Phans. It seems like a monumental task, but I admire Ms. Myers' gusto in taking it on, and it seems that getting to read superb works like Hogle's book would make the whole thing worthwhile.

Orchestras: Canned Or Alive

Greetings, all! In the spirit of trying to be more active on this blog, I've decided to attempt a weekly format. Instead of waiting for an awesome topic to pop up in front of me, I'm just going to blog about anything that pops into my head that has to do with the world of POTO. That is, after all, how most blogs tend to work, right?

Fortunately, this week's topic is something pretty interesting. A recent post on Mark Shenton's blog points out that stage musicals seem to be turning increasingly to artificial things in order to save costs, potentially leading to greater profits. For example, some use projected sets and effects rather than ones that actually have to be constructed by hand. And some stage productions, as Shenton notes, use pre-recorded instrumental tracks rather than hiring live musicians.

Now, the example Shenton brings up near the end isn't a great one if he wants to argue the point that this is a bad thing – I don't think anyone could deny that the use of canned music in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is a stylistic choice rather than merely a cost-cutting one. And it's certainly not a new thing; in its early days, Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom was mocked by critics for its use of drum machines and prerecorded synth instruments. (The organ, percussion, and synth strings of the Overture and the title song, for example, are entirely prerecorded.) And in the Japanese productions, the orchestra has been completely prerecorded since the beginning. Going back even further, it's often said that Bye Bye Birdie was the first musical to feature some prerecorded singing, and that was way back in 1960.

So what do I think of this? In short, I think it can work well as an artistic choice to create a new and different sound. And as a cost-cutting measure... well, I'm not the biggest fan of it, but given the economic situation, it may be the only way for new musicals to make enough money to last for a good length of time on Broadway. In any case, feel free to weigh in on this issue by posting your comments!

Keep an eye out for another blog post next week – perhaps one that's more POTO-related!


I remain your obedient servant,
I.A.E.

Phandom Heresies

I'm a huge fan of the website TVTropes. It's a really fun site on which you can find a lot of popular devices and conventions used in well-known fictional works, be they novels, films, TV shows, video games, and yes, even stage shows. (The section they have for POTO is quite fun and informative, covering the novel, ALW musical, and a few of the film versions.)

The title for this post comes from one of my favorite tropes to return to (and also look at the Troper Tales page for): Fandom Heresy. That trope illustrates the idea that within a fan community, there are certain opinions so unpopular that they may drive people to send hate mail to a fan who expresses them, particularly on fan websites, blogs, and forums -- heaven help you if you're a Star Wars fan who liked Episode I, or if you're a Batman fan (or a movie fan in general, really) with anything negative to say about Christopher Nolan.

Although reactions to differing opinions on the internet can often be intense, I like to think the majority of Phantom Phans are a pretty tolerant bunch. No version of the story nor any actor in a film or stage production is universally loved or hated (with the possible exceptions of Lon Chaney under "loved" and the Forsyth and Argento versions under "hated"), and most Phans seem to be pretty okay with that. No version or actor is going to please everyone because we all have our own visions of what the story is or should be. It's a lot like how everyone who reads a novel is going to have different views of how characters and locations look, how the dialogue is spoken, or what certain things are supposed to represent; therefore, even the most faithful attempt at a film adaptation isn't going to please everyone who loved the book.

There are, however, some Phantom Phans who do take it personally when someone else disagrees with them on favorite and least favorite versions and actors. As I said previously, I understand to an extent why some react so harshly -- the reason why we are Phans is because the story and characters mean something to us and touch us on some deep, emotional level. It can sometimes be a bit shocking to hear that someone really didn't like a version or performance that profoundly moved you. Sometimes, we may try to rationalize it -- for example, if someone didn't like a particular actor, we may tell ourselves that maybe the person was unlucky enough to catch that performer on an "off-night." Other times, as with hot-button issues like religion or politics, we may become convinced that our own opinions are the "right" ones; therefore, everyone who disagrees is "wrong" and has to have their opinion changed to conform to ours.

"Don Juan Triumphant": The Artist's Plea

Greetings once again! This is an essay I posted on my Facebook page some time ago about Erik's Don Juan Triumphant as it was portrayed in the original novel and some of the adaptations. I've made some minor changes and corrections since that original posting in order to post it here. Again, feel free to comment and offer your own opinions or insights!