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So, I dunno what’chu heard about me…

But last night I saw Phantom of the Opera for twenty dollars and a can of mandarin oranges. What’s more, it was the Really Useful Group US Tour, which means totally sanctioned by God- I mean, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. If anyone here actually thinks it necessary to differentiate between the two.

So, a couple points.

First off, you have to understand that ALW is a genius and if he wants you to feel a song inside your chest, he’ll make sure you do. If you’re into it, it usually starts with the illumination of the Jesus cross or chandelier or cat eyes during the overture/intro, and doesn’t really let up except during speaking parts.

Phantom uses some old school set illusions, and has kept with them for a quarter of a century, even as more Disney-fied productions have gone slicker and sleeker. And it’s so classic, such a good call. There were two disappointments on this front though- the boat wasn’t on a track, but on rollers, wheels. Obviously it LOOKED fine, and was only disappointing if you were looking for the track. The other one was that there was no trap-door… uhhh. So during the performance of Don Juan, we’ve got Phantom and Christine standing on-stage, and when he decides he’s outnumbered by ARMED men and decides to make his grand exit, he just kind of drags her off-stage. The armed forces confuddled into inaction, perhaps? So I got a smile out of that.

My predominant complaint about the performance was that Meg Giry (blond dancer whose number of lines is disproportionate to her usefulness) was fucking obnoxious. She was like a cross between the little girl in Urinetown and the little girl in The Music Man, only worthless. And I mean, she could sing, but I just generally preferred her silent. She should have been the page boy, ho ho ho.

There are some points I’d like to include, so I’ll remember them later. I’d like to remember how in “Angel of Music,” before the mirror opens to show the Phantom swirled in smoke, we could see the reflection of not only Christine, but of the conductor below and behind her, his dark hair and flicks at the wrist and elbow.

Another thing I noticed was in “Masquerade.” To refresh, what starts as “a ble~~~~ssed relief” was mostly an excuse for Raoul and Christine to revel in their engagement and attractiveness. Raoul is dressed, in effect, as a Valiant Guy, and Christine is just dressed more phantasmally than usual, in pink and purple and with a sparkly masquerade mask. So then the scene turns into something more schizophrenic and paranoid, and at one point we’ve got Raoul trying to keep his crazy girlfriend grounded (during the dance, in costumes) while she’s busy being haunted by everything remotely reminiscent of the Phantom. And a masquerader dressed as a cymbal monkey starts dancing around her, more than echoing the Phantom’s music box. So it messes with her and distracts her from Raoul… and then it steals her mask. Oh man oh man!

A couple of the songs were just hot. I hate degrading pieces of this masterpiece into that kind of language, but between the choreography of “Music of the Night” and the lyrics/vocal delivery of “The Point of No Return,” I don’t mind saying I found this an incredibly erotic performance.

A run down of the three leads. Christine was…. Buhhh talented? The play really isn’t written to test the leading lady’s acting abilities, so all I can say is that her voice was as amazing as the voice of someone playing Christine Daae should be. Out of all the numbers, the top “show-stopper” of the night was definitely “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again.” She was just so in tune with the swell- it’s as if they practiced measure by measure how to build it up with the orchestra. I can only imagine the concentration that goes into the tiny adjustments that went into every single line of that song. Oh, and. I should mention that I wasn’t irritated with her for her flip-floppery. She’s the first time I remember believing that Christine was a manipulated victim, and not just indecisive.

They made a valiant and largely successful effort to make Raoul interesting. It helped that he was really cute, but he also just moved more. Not so much that he was animated, per se, but there was an element of joy in his happier scenes with Christine, and of intensity in his more desperate ones, that I don’t remember seeing before. Also! Near the end of “All I Ask of You” he has this one gorgeous line- She tells him to “say you love me,” to which he replies “you know I do.” And this guy was all over it- he drew out ‘know’ in a very Michael Ball-esque fashion. Plus he was wearing a scarf. Finally, his very particular line –he sings it as he hangs by a magic lasso- “I fought so hard to free you” is hard to notice unless you’re listening for it underneath the Phantom and Christine, who generally commandeer that particular musical moment. In the soundtrack it’s just sort of sung but in the movie and in last night’s production this line, though hidden, is pathetic and beautiful. Really, during that entire scene Raoul’s part is a little on the stunning side, but it’s just easier to pick out the Phantom and Christine.

And of course… the lead. So, I realize this is a bold statement, but I’m going to say the absolute best parts of this play are the parts where the Phantom becomes the haunted, not the haunter. This is, essentially, the story of a tormented soul who kills people and whose voice makes people cry. So one of my favorite parts of the whole production was the “All I Ask of You” reprise, when he descends from his hiding place (after the Raoul/Christine kiss), cries, and laments that “he was bound to love you, when he heard you sing.” Then there’s some tearful moaning “no…no…” which I really find quite delightful, but isn’t on my soundtrack or the movie.

This Phantom’s voice was probably the best of the three. Michael Crawford set sort of a raspy precedent in this role so it’s always a jolt initially, hearing a smooth voice come out of the Phantom. But there’s a certain benefit to that, when his mask is off and half his head is discolored and bloody and his hair is sticking everywhere. Because then Christine comes back on-stage at the very end, returns his engagement ring to him, and this broken animal-like man on the floor sings

“Christine, I love you ~”

in one clear, pointedly human contour that doesn’t warrant vibrato and touches the heart of every audience member who has a heart to touch.

I really am a Raoul fan. But damn. There’s something about the Phantom’s role, though economic, that overshadows the rest. Something to do with the elements of beauty and tragedy, I'm sure. It’s kind of like how Superstar has an extra-special place in my heart, but only a tool would argue that Phantom isn’t Andrew Lloyd Webber’s absolute best work. This was my third time seeing it, and I could do it again tomorrow.

P.S. Sorry about the length, but my LJ cut isn't working. I've tried to use some colors so people could hit the highlights if they wanted.

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      Sort of a grab-bag LJ post coming up. First, okay. You know how when you go somewhere, you might save a memento of some sort, like a ticket or brochure? Well, both this summer and last I came back with a collection- 2008 I kept them in a blue paper folder that BU gave us, and this summer I kept them in the white bag I got my Boston post cards in. So, all this is, is a list of the little slips of papers and things I kept. Mostly it just represents well the sort of thing I went out and did. 

 

     Sorry for the font change. Also, making those lists made me realize that my LJ is actually pretty valuable. I mean, on one hand it’s totally worthless, but I’m pretty sure when I graduate, I’m going to be pleased that I can go back and read about my freshman-senior years. In fact, I’ll probably print it all one of these days, in case LJ crashes and dies. Guess this nostalgia is part of the preparing-to-leave-UNC process.
 

     I started work. It’s chill, but I’m going to have to step it up. It’s tempting to just sort of lean back and do the stuff and then check my e-mail a thousand times, but the fact that there IS stuff to be done makes me feel like I should do it all quickly, so that I can find more to do. Not only does the English Department need quality undergraduates like me to be proactive, and I’m not into doing a bad job of things, but I’m also going to need a recommendation from D. Anderson when it’s all over.
 

     Still planning on going to graduate school, by the way.
 

     Rachel and Vann and I haven’t done anything together, other than giant family things, since Avenue Q, and before that it was Urinetown. Now we’re all set going to the “Classical Mystery Tour,” which is the NC Symphony doing Beatles music. I also ensured my attendance to the LONDON PHILHARMONIC next year… for ten dollars. Oh Carolina. Thank God you’re not scrimping absolutely everywhere.
 

     My cousin’s wedding happened to the sounds of an islandy acoustic strum. The bridesmaids had flowers in their hair and were bare-footed. I shouldn’t make it sound more free-spirited than it was because half the crowd there was my family from Sanford and it took place in the middle of Raleigh, but still.

 

Later days!

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       "
       So, I’m pretty chill for the moment.  My back is killing me because I have bad posture and it always seems to hurt once I go back to school, but no major complaints.  I’m sitting here eating a peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich, and it’s weird to think that somewhere in Raleigh, my cousin’s fiancé is really nervous and excited and getting ready for the wedding in four hours.  As I chill.

       That’s what my Saturday is, then- this wedding and reception for my cousin. It’ll be fun because I’m obviously a fan of Josh, but it’d be more fun if I’d met the bride more than twice in my life.  I expect the day’s supposed to be all about her, after all. So I’m feeling sort of shafted that I don’t know the star of the show.  But it’s okay- I’m there by relation to Josh, after all.

       I just realized I spilled jelly on my shorts. More than a couple minutes ago, from the looks of things.

       Last night was Quinn’s 21^st birthday. I hadn’t seen him since before the summer and 21’s a big deal so that was obviously the primary incentive, but it turned out there were also a bunch of other Middle Creek kids there.  So for me at least, it was also a little mini-reunion.  Adele was wearing a v. pretty black top, and Andrew Schmidt and I had our first real conversation since….ummm…. Haha.  It was good.

       Q had three tables’ worth of people to talk to, and made the rounds with folks demanding he drink more, and more quickly.  I usually try to make these funny, but I think the Quote of the Day probably went to one of the bash attendees, who referred to Quinn as “a good guy to celebrate.”  I was a little embittered that I hadn’t thought to put it that way, but I did get over it.

       Earlier I saw Matthew- again, for the first time since before Boston.  We watched the first season of “The Office.”  We also went to 35 Chinese, and were abused by that waitress, who this time wanted to know if I’d dyed my hair a new color.  I wanted to drizzle my duck sauce over her head.

       Wednesday/Friday classes.  History of War and Revolution in Europe and the U.S.  Or something.  Byron’s in that class, purely because I’m in it as far as I can tell.  Guy’s nuts, but I’ll be lonely if he leaves and will probably rag on him for a while.  Megan’s in my Environmental Ethics course, I was delighted to see.  Her hair’s short these days- ‘s cute.   Our teacher does NOT pretend to be objective about the things he’s teaching, which wouldn’t be so bad except that he tends to put words in people’s mouths.  I probably won’t participate too much, vocally.

       I got my Work Study job with D. Anderson. I got all dressed up and touched up my resume and everything… went in, sat down, and he said, verbatim, “so, do you want the job?” Haha.  I work three days a week. All during the gaps between my classes, blessedly.

       One thing I’m a little unsure about, though… before I knocked on his office door I saw he had a wrist thing on his arm- a cross between a cast and what you’d wear if you had some sort of chronic issue.  And after I knocked he tried to sort of discreetly slip it off and push it into his desk somewhere.  He also looked like he’d lost weight, and was tired.  And he was really…. more subdued that I recall.  I was so relieved half-way through our talk when I finally got him to laugh in earnest, and he seemed a little more like I remembered after that.  Anyway, maybe I’m over-reacting to something, or to nothing.  But I hope he’s alright.

       Thursday morning I went in and sat by Byron in American Lit., and he complained after a few minutes of pointless conversation that I seemed a little “out of it,” that I wasn’t talking as much as usual or seemed tired.  He said “I’m just sitting over here wondering ‘when’s Jill going to say something funny?’” Haha.  In a way that’s a compliment, but I feigned indignation and told him next week I’d bring in my joke book or magic cards so’s to keep him thoroughly entertained.
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Later days ~