#gosh all of these are stunningly accurate

[direwombat]

tagged by @socially-awkward-skeleton to do this uquiz for the kids!

and tagging: @harmonyowl, @natesofrellis, @thomrainer, @funkypoacher, @confidentandgood, @strafethesesinners, @adelaidedrubman, @jacrispea, @aceghosts, @poeti-kat, @schoute, and anyone else wanting to do this really neat quiz for their ocs!

SYBILLE LA ROUX. (FC5)

ANIMAL INTUITION. loyalty is the saint you pray to. if you ever were stabbed in the back by your beloved, you'd probably apologize. to your enemies, you're fierce. to your allies, even fiercer. you cultivate a thick inner circle built on promises and devotion, fit only for the best of the best. it's impossible for most to even begin to dissect the type of person you are, owing to your unbreakable emotional walls and confusing philosophies. dream careers? body guard, movie star, unwitting pawn. don't let people get the best of that loyalty.

JONAH SEED. (FC5)

BEHIND THE MASK. you aren’t slick about whatever you think you’re hiding. glass shatters in your midst, blood spills, children scream. like some of your friends, your personality of choice is entirely artificial. the difference between you and them is that you can get away with it. you’re unknown, perhaps even to yourself, and your goals are complex and unknown. anyone stupid enough to fall for you is setting themselves up to be frustrated and confused, owing to your being ultimately unknowable. i hope you can find an identity that makes you comfortable.

KATHERINE VOGEL. (RDR2)

FRACTURED GLASS. no amount of orchestrated class is ever going to hide the fact that you’re doomed to be alone. you’re a puppet, you’re a weapon, but most importantly? you’re a fraud. your facade isn’t malicious, but that doesn’t change a thing. everything in your life is in your control now, and you chose to let yourself become stiff and distant. you’re guilty of everything you blame yourself for, and your misfortune is the fault of nobody but yourself. your selfish nature forges you into a man-made monster, so quick to blame and so desperate to escape consequence. i hope that you can become someone you’re proud of soon.

PAOLA ORSINI. (UNCHARTED)

ACERBIC WIT. you're a mentor — an old scarred wolf, an injured soldier, a disgraced paladin. your teachings read as shamelessly pretentious, speaking in rhymes and biting down hard into anyone stupid enough to make the wrong move. this isn't your first life, nor your second, nor your sixth — you'll make the most of your time shackled to this world, no matter how many loops it takes to get it right. with every defeat, you reincarnate; a little smarter, a little quicker, crueler and nastier. will you choose to be brutal, equalizing, that final strike in the face of your enemies? will you go soft, become tender and domesticated? the choice is yours. it's not like i can stop you.

[glassprism]

What are some of your favorite video recordings of Phantom? (Sorry if it's been asked a million times, I'm just too lazy to look it up lol)

I’ve made a list of recommendations, which I thought about linking, but those were more about exposing fans to different versions and was also based on what had already been gifted. But my actual favorite videos are ones that I’ve thought about, opened up time and again just for my enjoyment, or otherwise made an impression on my opinions about the show.

1988, Tokyo, Ichimura/Nomura/Yamaguchi - The most old-school of the productions, retaining many of the quirks that were removed or changed in just about all the other productions (e.g. Christine’s dancing, the last verse in ‘Wishing’), proshot... and also features Ichimura, who is basically a Japanese clone of Michael Crawford (and voice of Mewtwo!), plus a sweet Christine and Raoul in Ryoko Nomura and Yuichiro Yamaguchi.

1995, London, Freeman/Washington/Bowman - Ethan Freeman provides the least campy, most realistic, and most Leroux-accurate interpretation I’ve seen yet. Every time I want to remind myself as to just how creepy the Phantom can get, I open up this video.

2000, Mexico City, Vasconcelos/Terrazas/Joel - Oh gosh, Saulo Vasconcelos’s hands! If I want to see just what happens if you give a talented performer huge creative freedom in the role, I watch this. Also, just a super fun production overall that seems to have really let their performers experiment.

April 25, 2000, Hamburg, Bourg/Kelly/Gonyea - The video with Olivia Safe is more common, but my favorite of the Christines who have performed opposite Ian Jon Bourg, another favorite Phantom who is just so consistently good, is Alison Kelly, who plays her Christine quite intelligent and rational.

November 19, 2003, US Tour, Little/Vroman/Gleason - When I want to remember how freaky Brad Little can get (”you try my patience”) but also how much chemistry he can have with a Christine, I watch this video.

March 2, 2005, Broadway, Panaro/Hanson/Cudia - Just quoting myself from another post: “This is a video to watch if you want to see a great trio of actors whose interpretations fit together almost perfectly - Panaro providing the slightly nutty Phantom, Hanson a traumatized, child-like Christine, and Cudia her protective guardian.” One of the first videos I really watched and reviewed, and still one I have very fond memories of.

January 2006, London, Carpenter/Barrell/Shannon - Every time I want to cry about the Phantom, or about Earl Carpenter’s Phantom in particular, I watch this video. I almost always find some new detail I missed on a previous viewing.

April 6, 2006, US Tour, Mauer/Southard/Weitzer - As mentioned here, this was one of the first videos I ever watched, and the cast solidified a lot of opinions I still have now regarding the Phantom, Christine, and Raoul. But also it’s such a well-captured video, catching so many details the cast threw in.

July 1, 2006, US Tour, Cudia/Wills/Monley - A video I watch for the astounding pairing of John Cudia and Jennifer Hope Wills, who I think had only worked together a few weeks when this was filmed? It sure doesn’t show, because their interpretations mesh so well. Another video that really made me appreciate the characters, especially Christine, because of all the work the actors put into their roles.

August 18, 2010, London, Shannon/Beck/Bailey - Beautiful video, beautiful production, and features one of my favorite Christines. Like the Carpenter video, I regularly open this up just to bask in Gina Beck’s acting.

March 9, 2013, Broadway, Stolle/Hill/Mills - Completely changed my opinion on Jeremy Stolle’s Phantom, and showed me how an actor can use restraint and subtle changes in his voice to do wonders with a character, and made me love Samantha Hill’s Christine and Greg Mills’s Raoul. But also, very fond memories of watching this video being streamed for the first time and observing the absolute thirst in the viewership.

April 11, 2014, Hamburg, Arnsperger/Brons/Wuchinger - A funky cast and one I kept thinking about long after the video was over, particularly Lauri Brons’s quirky, crazy-eyed, willful Christine. But also a very well-filmed video that really showed off the consistently good Hamburg revival production.

March 7, 2015, Moscow, Ermak/Kotova/Zaycev - To quote myself again (because I’m getting a little tired): “This video is not just one of the best of the production itself, it’s probably one of the best Phantom bootlegs period - great filming with tons of closeups, almost no obstruction, basically the full show, and a terrific cast. It used to be really rare but it’s getting pretty common now.” Also, featuring Tamara Kotova, a stunningly perfect Christine.

March 2019, London, Thaxton/Mathieson/Taylor - And another quote: “Probably the best video to come out of London in almost a decade, so it gives a great look at the London production as it is now. It also has a fantastic cast: David Thaxton is a very solid Phantom while Kelly Mathieson’s Christine is an absolute standout.” Beautiful details all around in this video.

March 2019, Copenhagen, Kofod/Glosted/Lund - Pretty much the perfect bootleg, the perfect production, and the perfect cast. Everyone was pouring their all into their roles, the energy is intense, the performances are fantastic. Watching this may have singlehandedly ruined my first live viewing of the show, because I kept comparing it back to this video. (But whatever, it was the restaged tour.) One of the few, or only, videos on this list that I don’t watch too often, just to preserve the magic.