The Stage Musical

The Phantom of the Opera is one of the most famous musicals of all time.

The Broadway production became the longest running show every on Broadway when it overtook Cats with its 7,486th performance on January 6th 2006.

It is estimated that Phantom has been seen by more than 80 million people worldwide, with total ticket sales of more than $3.2 billion.

The Movie Musical

The Phantom of the Opera, released in 2004, was the first film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic musical. Set in Paris in 1870, The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a love triangle between three characters in the Paris Opera House - Christine, the young, upcoming opera star, Raoul, her childhood friend and suitor and The Phantom, who lives in a lair deep beneath the Opera House. Director Joel Schumacher used a cast of young, fairly unknown actors in the movie. Emmy Rossum, who was only 15 years old when the movie was shot, stars as Christine. Gerard Butler plays The Phantom, and Patrick Wilson plays Raoul.

Characters

The Phantom - Gerard Butler

Christine Daae - Emmy Rossum

Raoul - Patrick Wilson

Madame Giry - Miranda Richardson

Andre and Firmin - Ciaran Hinds and Simon Callow

Meg Giry - Jennifer Ellison

Carlotta - Minnie Driver

Musical Conventions in the Film

Song and Dance Numbers

Masquerade is the biggest dance number in the film. It featured hundreds of extras in a choreographed dance number that takes place in the front of the Opera House. For the film, the costume director chose to have the cast wearing only black, white, silver and gold. In the stage version characters are wearing all different colors. The four colors help Christine, in a pink dress, and The Phantom, in a red suit, stand out against the crowd.

Elaborate Settings

The Phantom of the Opera is the most expensive independent film ever made, and that is due in part to the elaborate settings used in the film. An entire Opera House was built on a soundstage to resemble the Paris Opera House, both inside and outside. The Opera House contained the outside front, the inside front with the huge staircase, the theatre, the backstage area, the dormitories, the stables, and the underground lake. The Phantom's lair, which was built and flooded with water, was another setting that could be elaborated much more in the film than in the stage play.

Elaborate Costumes

There was an extensive amount of costumes used in the film. In addition to the costumes for each character and the extras, there were also costumes for three different operas that take place throughout the story. The costumes are all true to the period, the late 1800s.

Tie-Back to Theater

The film and the play take place in an opera, so there are obviously tons of scenes that take place on a stage.

Common Themes

The Phantom of the Opera is a love story. Christine is in love with Raoul, but also has feelings for the Phantom. Raoul and The Phantom are both in love with Christine and fight over her. Other themes are growing up and being accepted. Throughout the movie, the audience sees Christine grow and mature, and watches The Phantom deal with being an outcast and trying for acceptance.

Works Cited

Phantom of the Opera. Retrieved 04/28/06, from About.com Phantom of the Opera Web site: http://movies.about.com/library/weekly/blphantomoftheoperapicst.htm

Phantom of the Opera (2004). Retrieved 4/20/06, from Imdb Phantom of the Opera Web site: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293508/

Phantom of the Opera. Retrieved 04/28/06, from Phantom of the Opera Web site: http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com/poto/home.php

Phantom of the Opera. Joel Schumacher. Emmy Rossum, Gerard Butler, Patrick Wilson. Warner Bros. 2004.

Phantom of the Opera Movie. Retrieved 04/22/06, from Phantom of the Opera Movie Web site: http://phantomthemovie.warnerbros.com/