The Phantom of the Opera

My husband and I went to see The Phantom of the Opera and we both had a lovely time. We arrived about ten minutes before the play started and were able to buy a program as well as find our seats fairly quickly with the help of ushers. The costumes and props were beautiful. Obviously the dramatic drop of the chandelier was a highlight. When it comes to intermission my husband ordered a Ben & Jerry’s which was horrendously overpriced for such a tiny serving (enough for one person, we shared– as I don’t like sweets very much). The drinks were slightly overpriced as well (to be expected) but not nearly as outrageously overpriced as the ice cream. After the production starts no photos are allowed of the stage or set (which is entirely understandable in my opinion) however the ushers were extremely loud (essentially yelling) at people who were unaware and had pulled their cameras/​phones out to take photos. (Photos of the stage are allowed before the play begins so grab them then– I’m glad we did!). During the intermission one of the ushers near the bar (notice– near the bar– again, no photos of or around the stage area after the show has started) offered to take our photo which was very sweet of him. The play itself was spectacular– voices beautiful. My husband was nearly moved to tears (which does not happen often). Overall I absolutely recommend The Phantom of the Opera (just don’t buy the ice cream).

The main reason for my London visit. I had been to London a few times before but I came specifically this time around just to see «Phantom of the Opera».
I was so thrilled to see the original production of «The Phantom of the Opera»! I’ve been a fan for as long as I can remember. I remember when I still had a voice coach I would always beg to sing repertoire from this musical.
I’ve seen POTO at three different venues now: London, Las Vegas, San Diego. The cast did a wonderful job. Although I hate to say it… I’m not going to say it but I will… I think the Las Vegas production was my favorite!!! EEEEEK! I know I know! I love the original London production too but the first time I saw it in Las Vegas I was amazed by the venue and stage at the Venetian Hotel as well as the ginormous chandelier on stage. Also, they had fireworks for the rooftop scene. Okay okay, I’ll stop talking about LV.
Yes, come to see «Phantom of the Opera» in London and get your self assimilated into the art of musicals!!! It will be a memorable experience!

This is by far one of the best West End musicals I’ve seen — and I’ve seen A LOT! I literally can’t fault the performance I saw, from the set, to the special effects, to the cast… everything was fantastic, so much so, that I got goosebumps. Epic, must-​see show.

Nope. Not even close to entertaining. The songs were pretty horrendous (and repetitive). The only amusing bit was some 80s throw back. Couldn’t understand a word anyone said but when i did the lyrics were just silly. And so many people sang on top of each other at such high falsettos it was just a jumbled mess. It seemed like they all had talent but I was just waiting it to come to an end I couldn’t appreciate it.
I could have cared less for the characters. Christine was odd and you didn’t feel her passion for either man. The phantom was a down right creep. Raoul was a tool and I was hoping for the moment for Carlotta to die. The two managers were the only redeeming characters.
And the story? What story?! Pretty awful.
I know this is a classic so what went wrong? Bad acting? Poor execution on the score? Too much all the time? Or just the overall melodrama of the original script perhaps?
The costumes and set design were superb. And with such an intimate theater that helped with not just taking a nap.
If you’re a diehard fan you’ll probably enjoy it more than me. If not stay clear from this show.

The Phantom of the Opera is how musical theatre should be known. Everyone should make sure seeing this show is top of their priority list when they visit London. The voices of the cast are phenomenal, the score is breathtaking, the sets and costumes are exactly how they should be. Andrew Lloyd Webber is a true genius. And the chandelier, there’s so much I could say about that. It’s stunning and the end of the first half, just wow, what a way to close act one! I was tempted to singalong with the cast (not recommended in a West End Theatre!) Overall though, the show is brilliant and everyone should get along to see it.

Loved it. Knew the storyline before but it still made me cry.(and I’m not even a fan of the phantom but still) Very emotional, beautiful music. I would call it a Master piece.

This was my first time in London’s Broadway. I regret not reading what the production was all about as I was confused while watching it. That resulted in me not caring much for the show. I found it a bit dreary and didn’t really care for the music. But, the cast did a great job and set décor was very good. I think a second viewing is in order. What a great excuse to visit London again!

What can I say! I love the phantom! Watched it many times now and enjoy it each and every time. I might be biased though, as I did grow up listening to the sound track in the car and know all the songs by hard. No other musical that comes close to this for me.

What Phantom of the Opera succeeds in doing most is creating an unnerving and haunting atmosphere around the theatre with it’s fantastical music and the uncomfortable presence of the Phantom accentuated by lighting and other effects like fog. The singing is interspersed with the acting but one does not appear to flow smoothly into another. The quality of singing however is world-​class and faultless in its own right. (Spoiler alert, look away if haven’t seen) Apart from the boat moving surreptitiously across the stage, the production does not use much creativity in its staging and setting of the scenes. However the Phantom of the Opera’s greatest shortfall, at least at the time I saw it last year was it’s inability to explain the story clearly and to carry the weight of the story throughout the running time. My friend who saw the musical with me did not quite understand what was going on at times and I don’t blame her as I found some scenes seemed rushed with sentences failing to impact and other scenes dragged on. In short, this production’s highlights are that it showcases exemplary singing and music but the reason that those are highlights is that the other aspects of the show do not live up to those high standards.

It’s probably my favourite theatre production of all time. I’ve been to the majority of the west end productions in London and having said that it really was fantastic. I had H17 in the Grande circle and the view was fab. Really recommend it!

Call me an incurable romantic but there is a reason this is the most successful musical of all times — in financial, i.e. pure hard cash, terms.
The tunes are to die for, the gothic set is stunning, the story of a love/​hate relationship combines horror and romance, and the twists and turns mean that you are always raw with emotion in this particular stage classic.
Yes, Andrew Lloyd Webber (Lord Webber, if you prefer) is a unashamedly successful writer of many musical hits, not all of them to my taste, but this has got the most haunting romantic duet of all times (All I Ask) and also has some seriously clever words (e.g. the Quintet Notes, leading to Primadonna, and also Music of the Night).
It’s such a shame that the title number has such a naff tune (i.e. the strap line, where they sing «The Phantom of the Opera is here…»). It’s one of the worst numbers in the whole thing, but everything else is wonderful.
Don’t get the cheap seats, dress up a bit, and get yourself (and your date) a glass of Champagne for the interval, and you’ll be leaving (and maybe singing) while «Wishing you were somehow here again».

Who knew musicals/​plays were on Unilocal?Something new to review…
Every time we’ve tried to get cheap tickets (YAY TKTS!) to a show, whether in New York or London, the other half always says, «Oh, we should get Phantom tickets. I’ve played the music so many times, but I’ve never seen the show.» And every time there were never any tickets available. It was always frustrating.
So two years ago for Christmas, I decided to splurge and buy him tickets to see Phantom. I knew he’d be excited, and he was! So finally the day came, and after a surprise (although it did get ruined) birthday cooking course for me, we went to see Phantom.
We watched it. The music as always was great. After it was over, he looks at me and says, «What just happened?»
Now I’m only familiar with three of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals: Phantom, Cats, and Evita. Each of them have amazing music. Who can’t stop singing «Masquerade» in their had after stepping out of the musical? I always get Evita songs stuck in my head. However, the plot of every one of these is lacking. It’s frustrating to listen to fantastic music and then get bored with the terrible storylines connecting the songs.
It was unfortunately a miss. He was very disappointed, and so was I as my Christmas gift kind of paled in comparison to his birthday present to me. There are far, far better and more interesting musicals out there to see, but if you want to go see Phantom solely for the music, by all means, feel free.

We have been to about 11 different Phantom of the Operas. 10 in the states and 1 in London. By far, the london production is the worst. By the way, the best was in Tampa, FL (a close second is in Las Vegas).
The auditorium in her majesty theatre is a bit old and cramped. NO leg room at all! Really sucks. And, totally uncomfortable.
Compared to the shows in the US, the quality of the singers and actors are way better in the states. Honestly, I could not stand Christine in London. When she sings, it sounded like she had a major sinus problem. It was that bad.
If it was not for a client/​guest that attended the event with me, I would have walked out and demanded a refund.
It was bad!

I purchased my tickets to «The Phantom of the Opera» about 6 hours before the show. Pair that with the fact that it was (probably still is, too) one of the most popular theatrical productions in London at the time, I basically scored seats in one of the worst sections of the theatre — the nosebleed section. (Good thing they make opera glasses available to those on the Balcony!) That was the first and only time I’ve ever been willing to settle for seats when attending the theatre.
I will say, though, that I still thoroughly enjoyed myself that night.
Andrew Lloyd Webber is a genius. I won’t go on and on about the incredible music, because I’m sure we’re all familiar with it. Trust me, it’s even more so when you watch it performed by brilliant and passionate actors on a stage not too far (eh.) in front you. The set, as well, is awesome. Although I don’t recommend that anyone else settle for the same seats I got, it did allow you to see a lot more of that one incredible scene with the chandelier…