The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall

I just this version of Phantom of the Opera last night with one of my dearest friends and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it! Pretty much this is the best version I have seen so far! Everyone did a fabulous job at portraying their characters especially Ramin and Sierra. Towards the end of the show, my friend and I completely lost it because of the intense emotions that the two literally put into their characters so well that their performance will tug on your heartstrings. Ramin is by far the best Phantom in my opinion. He blew me away by not just his voice but the emotions he put into his character, showing his character's sensitive side and vulnerability with just a dose of sexuality. I do put him as my favorite above Gerard Butler's Phantom (Gerard was very good in the 2004 movie version, but he didn't have that intense emotion that Ramin has). Sierra was excellent and the best Christine I have seen so far (Emmy Rossum was also very good in the 2004 version, but sounded more classical than operatic to me). Towards the end, Sierra's emotions got the best of me and I did see she fought really hard to stay in character when she sang one last time to the Phantom. I have always been not a fan of Raoul and I still am not,but the guy who played him in this version has an amazing voice and played his character well! I think he exaggerated his performance just a tiny bit, but at least he didn't have an emotional breakdown on stage. For the lady who played Carlotta was hilarious and she is right up there next to Minnie Driver's 2004 version. It was great having Carlotta as the snobbish but sort of comedy reliever that makes the story less intense. All in all, like I said everyone on the stage performed well into their characters and I truly want to see them perform in other Broadway roles as well. Well worth watching on Netflix and be sure to have a box of tissues near you...just in case.

A fantastic show very much diminished by the amateurish and highly distracting video direction. This video production suffers from the impulse of "we paid to have all these cameras and operators on site so we better damn well use them, even if it means ruining the home viewing experience".

Director Nick Morris' shot selection was weak, the frenetic tempo of his camera-to-camera takes overshadows the stage direction. He manages to miss key actor entrances because he has a close-up on another actor. Other times he goes immediately to a close-up for what should be a subtle entrance. This is most obvious with the Phantom's entrance after Wishing You Were Here Again. Morris commits other unforgivable shot selections like fast cutting close-ups of the destruction of the chandelier rather than giving us the more awe-inspiring audience perspective.

And don't get me started on his coverage of "Masquerade". One of my favorite scenes on the show is completely ruined by Morris' quick cutting between medium and close-ups of actors, rarely showing us the stage-wide view of the choreography, which is so essential to the power of the scene.

The action on Angel of Music is almost impossible to follow, and so on. As I said, abysmal. I've seen better directing of local cable channel dramatic productions.

This is a stage play that is meant to be seen from farther away than the 6" from the Phantom's face this director felt we needed. Most certainly someone should have realized that close-ups of actors that included the LED scenic backdrop was just a bad idea. It looks terrible.

I've seen this show live 3 times but never from the most expensive seats. This video production could have given us the best seats in the house but instead chose to cut quickly between various odd angles that the audience would and should never see.

10 stars for the stage production and 3 for the video production.

Assuming one likes this musical (and few don't), I believe this is the finest film presentation of all, far surpassing the big budget movie of a few years ago (which I thought was pretty good). As others have said, the staging is magnificent with backlighting and projection enhancing the performances. The singing and acting are superb. Costuming goes beyond the pale. Also, we get the closeups one cannot have in a live performance. We get to see the emotional expression of the actors. There is little time wasted on minutiae as the play goes forward. Some of the highlights are the duet "All I Ask of You" and the magnificent "Masquerade." The three principles are all at the top of their game in this 25th anniversary performance at the Royal Albert Hall. It is a visual and auditory delight and I am excited that the play I have seen numerous times is there for the viewing.

I got this DVD as a gift a couple of years ago. I mistakenly thought I had already seen it and didn't have a strong desire to watch it again. I was content with watching the 2004 film whenever I felt the need to watch POTO. It had it's problems, but I was content. Well one night I got bored and decided for kicks and giggles I would watch it. I quickly realized I had never seen this performance before. I got excited and curious to see how this version would play out. And I was not disappointed.

Just a heads up to anyone curious - this is not a film version of POTO. This is a recording of a play performance. It's not shot like a film so if you hate seeing plays in film format, then skip this and go to the 2004 film. However, if you are curious to see what the heart of Phantom of the Opera is, I strongly encourage you to watch this production. It is stellar. The music is top notch - the live orchestra brings so much passion and warmth to the sound. The costumes are glorious and the excellent use of technology is well placed. The support cast is fantastic and made me all the more invested - fearing for them and laughing with them (though I am disappointed by the lack of an audience response at the humorous bits but that's nitpicking). But the real stars are Raoul, Christine, and the Phantom.

First Raoul - Hadley Fraser has a different take on the childhood sweetheart of Christine. Fraser brings an energy and eagerness to the character. I always found Raoul in every performance to be fairly bland - he promises to protect Christine and shelter her. But aside from the dialogue, there is not much else to draw me to him. I loved Fraser because he brings a new energy and charisma to the character. He is a great contrast to the dark and passionate Phantom. Sierra Boggess portrays the innocent and charming Christine Daaé and Boggess is my favorite Christine by far. Her voice has such a sweet and warm sound to it. She captures perfectly both the innocence and sexuality of the young chorus girl as her world is turned upside down. But what makes her stand out is her chemistry with both Fraser and Karimloo (the Phantom).

And finally, the Phantom himself, played by Ramin Karimloo. I am convinced that if Morgan Freeman is the voice of God, then Ramin Karimloo is the singing voice of God. Good Lord is his voice gorgeous. The way he goes from a growling baritone to a delicate tenor blows my mind. He is both very threatening and very vulnerable. He is both aggressor and victim. He captures the fragility of the Phantom's mind and the strength of the Phantom's will. His rage, his passion, his trepidation... it's breathtaking. His chemistry with Sierra Boggess is unbelievable. I could watch the two interact all day it's that good. By far, my favorite couple performance.

This movie is wonderful. I can't express enough how much I enjoyed it. It actually made me cry. The only movies I have ever cried in where Schindler's List, The Pianist, and Les Miserables. The emotions are so raw and beautifully executed that it was impossible for me not to be moved. If you are a phan, then this film is a definite watch. Enjoy the magic and prepare to be amazed.

I have loved "The Phantom of the Opera" for many years and listen to the soundtrack album with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman almost religiously. I began watching this with great worry, remembering how underwhelmed and disappointed I felt with the 2004 film adaptation. Imagine my delight when I discovered this even better than the original cast!

Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Bogges are both incredible actors and singers and are absolute magic together, as well as individually. Ramin has the passion and soul the Phantom needs and Sierra has the voice of an angel and makes feel every note she sings.

For years, I have had to put up with people telling me that Joel Schumacher's utterly redundant 2004 adaptation was actually brilliant; or that they cannot afford to see the real show. Well, the 25th anniversary concert exposes the 2004 adaptation for the diabolical mess that it is, with it's far superior singing, acting and set. And the fact that it is available on DVD means the 2004 film can shoved into the deep hole it belongs in.

Simply perfect, there is no excuse to miss this. Watch it and let it's music caress your soul.