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Yes, it’s a musical based on the Andrew Lloyd Webber version.

May God help us all ;)

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I know some men who actually *LIKE* musicals! (Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me — LOL!)

I have no idea what to think of the fact that Phantom has been made into a movie. It’s kind of odd, but I guess Hollywood has to have their hands into everything.

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I got free tickets for the show last night and it was fairly good. I mean, it was “Phantom” - but on the screen. The actor choices were good and the movie was…well, a musical.

This of the play and then throw it on the screen. Done. Phantom of the Opera, the movie version. If you don’t like musicals (sorry, I do and have been in many) I wouldn’t go.

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I’ll probably see it at some point, but as a fan of musicals, I’m terribly critical of any adaptations. I was doubtful when Chicago came out, but loved it. As for Moulin Rouge, that took the back shelf quickly and has been gathering dust since.

It’ll be interesting to see how they pass the long (and honestly not thrilling) recitative parts in Phantom. It’s one of those musicals, just like Joseph, that has only a few true melodies that get re-used repeatedly. Let’s see if they can fool the viewers!

Hmm the more I think about it, the more curious I become…

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I’m about as straight as they come and I like musicals. I’ve been involved in 6 musicals:

- Bye Bye Birdie (pit band)
- Annie (various roles)
- Crazy For You (Sam the singing cowboy)
- Little Shop of Horrors (Bob the wino)
- Fiddler on the Roof (vocal director)
- The Baker’s Wife (band director)

I was the only one of my friends (in high school) who knew that Southpark: The Movie had so many “borrowed” elements of other musicals (especially Les Miserables). Musicals rule!

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I very much enjoy musicals in my hetromale capacity as well.

I remember reading that Lloyd Webber was involved in the production of the Phantom movie, though I’m not sure to what degree. Still, the structure of Phantom’s songs and plot is fairly simple and clear, so I don’t antipicate too much change from the stage version. I’m more worried about the movie adaptation of RENT, which has just gone into production.

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Chris Columbus decided to pick up the project. He’ll be directing as well as handling the screenplay adaptation (using the old Steve Chbosky screenplay as a starting point). From what I gather, he does have an appreciation for the show, and he seems to have snagged six of the eight original Broadway cast for the movie, so I’m hopeful but worrisome.

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Amanda: Most of the original Broadway cast is in it, which is great (though they may be getting a bit long in the tooth). Chris Columbus is an unremarkable, overly-sentimental director, but that will probably play well.

Hollywood names are Rosario Dawson and Taye Diggs. Diggs’ is essentially a non-singing role, which Dawson plays Mimi. That’s worrying, because I think she’s an awful actor and I’ve never heard her sing.

The musical runs two and a half hours, so they’re going to have to cut something, or shorten many of the songs. I’d cut that awful song “Today 4 U” and the pedantic “Life Support” and significantly shorten “Over The Moon”. That might buy you ten minutes.

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