#y/k phantom of the opera

[blackghostm2o]

Phantom Ramblings time.

I’ll yap about the Y/K Phantom musical (I saw the Riverside 2004 production). -> random unorganised thoughts.

Generally speaking I did enjoy it, it was a nice and fun watch.

I enjoyed the songs (especially Melodie de Paris), they were really catchy, but I do admit that my foreign ass had a really hard time understanding the choruses (unsure if this is the right term) and there were A LOT of them, compared to ALW’s musical that has them, but to a lesser extent. I also noticed (or maybe I’m wrong) that the pacing of all the songs here was faster compared to the other musical.

I obviously cannot talk about Y/K Phantom without bringing up the 1990 miniseries (my beloved). SO… The miniseries benefits A LOT from the added hour of runtime, the story, especially the ending, are allowed to breathe and don’t feel rushed.

In the miniseries ALL the songs have been cut (it wouldn’t have been bad if they kept some of them), but they added some stuff: showing Erik’s shenanigans towards LaCarlotta (which in the musical are only hinted by showing the aftermath), the plot line of Raoul and Christine knowing each other as kids (I always find it really boring and an unnecessary addition), moments of Christine and Erik bonding (ohh <3333) that in the musical are condensed to just them rehearsing (again: time constraints), the whole final part!!! = Christine escaping then returning and singing in Faust, Erik being a fool and kidnapping her again after their duet.

Here Erik is a bit more aggressive than Cherik, he actually killed Buquet, kills LaCarlotta with electricity (iirc), which took me really by surprise lmao, is shown getting a bit mad at Christine during rehearsals… Alas… He doesn’t have the same charm of Cherik, tho this is not Christopher Carl’s fault, his acting was really good, it has to do with the additions that were made to the series, for example: him choosing his hat, the hug between them, singing her a lullaby <3, THEIR DUET IN FAUST (I’m normal about Cherik, I swear!).

This scene was better delivered by Charles Dance in my humble opinion. I do like how the miniseries maintained almost completely all the spoken parts of the musical.

The Unmasking… Well… I do like how they do a bit of chit chat when they sit down (Erik is so precious here ahhhh), instead of immediately being “Heyyy! Would you mind doing me a favour?” There’s a song before it (by Christine) singing about how she will learn to love him getting past fear and doubt (I was crying ngl… Knowing it’s outcome…Seeing how scared Erik is… God dammit…), BUT I, once again, prefer how the miniseries did it… Christine here is scared and runs away while saying sorry, in 1990 she faints… And… Oh God… Cherik’s reaction… Crying onto himself, then slowly (hardly) getting away while crying… And the the distraught “why” and his distant wailing… Terrific acting… As I already said this is possible, because they had more time to let the scenes breathe and had no songs to fit in (I also prefer this to having a song, sorry musical fans don’t kill me).

LaCarlotta here is an even bigger bitch than 1990.

Philippe (Raoul) is useless as always :)

I like the ballet to show Gerard and Erik’s past.

No Faust duet here :( big sad… (How much I love that scene)

The ending here is really rushed (as I said), he didn’t kidnap Christine and didn’t almost kill Philippe, tho. Not as emotional as 1990 (which broke me into pieces, I was ugly crying).

Christine is not as manipulative as 1990 Christine, sorry but we can’t deny how much she used Cherik’s love to make him do what she wanted…

Nice to see what 1990 was based on. In general I love Erik Carriere <333 (my pookie, I’d hug him)

[nessie665]

Wao Youka as Erik in the Takarazuka production of Yeston and Kopit's Phantom, 2004

My God, this place really is haunted!

[flea-palace]

erik on his regularly scheduled bullshit

[blackghostm2oart]

I was watching the Y/K musical for the first time (Riverside 2004 to be more precise) and couldn’t help but draw this

Everyone: “THE OPERA HAS BEEN INVADED BY A PHANTOM!!!”

Poor Erik: “I… Live here…”

I have not finished watching it tho, when I do I’ll yap about this (ohohoh I’ll compare it with the miniseries and the alw musical A LOT)

[asakuramimimi]

my christine?

[ladymisteria]

Subtitled version of Yeston & Kopit's "Phantom."

Some time ago, in a post on my blog, I had shared pro-shot links of the first and second acts of the Korean version of Yeston & Kopit's "Phantom" - promising to do my best to find a better and, possibly, subtitled version.

I thought I had succeeded when a YouTube channel had decided to upload it - but unfortunately the same channel later changed its mind and decided to remove (twice) the video.

After several attempts on different platforms (unfortunately all of which failed, for all sorts of reasons, at the time of publication) I decided to upload the video and its subtitles - of which, just in case, I had downloaded a copy - to Mega.

Now all you have to do (I hope!) is to click here:

Phantom - The Musical Live

And you will be redirect to the page where you can find both.

I hope this is a solution that works for everyone, and especially for @stevenstrange, who was kind enough to point out to me the latest video deletion from YT.

[lucygold95]

Yeston & Kopit Christines and Phantoms met ALW Christines and Phantoms❣

1 . 박은태(Y&K Phantom), 임선혜(Y&K Christine), 손지수(ALW Christine) and 이상준(ALW POTO Korea 1st revival's ensemble member(Firmin u/s, Buquet, Don Attilio...) and 2nd revival's Firmin. Y&K Phantom Korea original, 1st revival and 2nd revival's Cholet.)

2. 윤영석: ALW POTO Korea original & 1st revival's Phantom and 2nd revival's André. Y&K " 2nd revival and 3rd revival's Carrière.

3. 조승우: ALW " 2nd revival's Phantom. He also casted as Raoul decades ago. (But the staff accidentally sent him a wrong message, so he didn't join in the POTO Korea original production.)

+ Previous posts: 1(윤영석, 전동석, 김소현, 손준호 and 이상준) / 2(조승우, 김소현, 김아선, 손지수 and 송은혜)

김소현 played both ALW Christine and Y&K Christine. And her husband 손준호 played both ALW Raoul and Y&K Philippe. 전동석, who is now playing ALW Phantom, also played Y&K Phantom. In addition, 정영주 played both ALW Madame Giry(POTO Korea 1st revival) and Y&K Carlotta(Y&K Phantom Korea 1st revival and 2nd revival). +김지유(Ensemble member-Christine u/s)

[spaceoutruden]

i’ve seen virtually no one discuss the fact that in specifically the 1990 Phantom Of The Opera miniseries with Charles Dance, Erik’s whole grasp of love and how to express it could have been gained specifically through different operas that have been put on at the opera house and that could be an explanation of his fairytale like grasp of some sort of date that we see in the picnic scene.

i’m not saying this is 100% true cause i’ve not looked into y&k’s adaptation of the original novel but i feel like it’s a silly concept

[nessie665]

Will you still want me? (when I'm nothing new) — Chapter 1/3

Pairing: Fem!Erik x Christine

Warning: Eventual smut

Summary: Set on the day after the bistro, Christine struggles with the pressure of her newfound success, her insecurities about whether she’s ready for a leading role, the rumors swirling around her relationship with the Count of Chandon, and her maestra's increasingly erratic behavior.

Ultimately, Christine must reconcile her dreams with the realities of the society she lives in, all while discovering the true nature of the bond she shares with her enigmatic teacher, and in the process, discovering a new side of herself that changes everything.

AO3 LINK

A/N: New short story!

I want to give special thanks to @partymeow this story is for you, for all of your amazing support, thank you so much. I know it's not the continuation of the home series you like so much, but I hope you enjoy this fic that has a similar setting and characterizations.

Thank you, also to my dear friend @zukaloving for all your wonderful support and friendship, I hope you had an amazing birthday <3

[flea-palace]

you can't just say perchance erik

[phandompenny]

1990 Phantom Fic Recs

Since the lovely @wheel-of-fish's stream of the 1990 TV production of POTO, I have been unable to stop thinking about Cherik and know there are countless others who likely feel the same.

Perhaps the only thing more tragic than the ending is the fact that there's so few 1990 fics! And among those tagged many of them take some character inspiration but don't really use the unique premise and setup and characters provided in the Y/K miniseries. So I've decided to compile this list of a few of my favourites! Enjoy!

what i would best like to see by queeenciri

A much gentler and happier picnic unmasking, where Christine reacts a little differently! I love the character work in this fic; the thoughts and emotions of the characters feel so real, and it really breaks down their motivations.

Together We Dream by Anonymous

This one is brand new and I'm in love with the prose and writing style of it! An extra conversation between Erik and Christine, one that could fit into canon or be a turning point. Christine reflects on some similarities between them, and it leads to this emotional conversation with angst and joy entwined gorgeously.

How Deep the Bullet Lies by oprhan__account

This is more of a hurt/comfort and whump fic, where Erik survives the ending of the miniseries. It's mainly him processing the events of the show and musing on what comes next, and does have a ending that is pointing towards things improving! Currently listed as chapter 1/? , but it's still worth reading as a fantastic exploration of an intriguing concept.

Sunflowers by CottagecoreCandlelight

Incredibly fluffy E/C, where Christine gifts Erik some sunflowers. Filled with the adorable shyness and sweetness that this couple has, and I'm in love with the visual image of 1990 Erik and his bouquet of sunflowers. They suit him very well!

Understatement by BrendaDaaeDestler

Erik takes Christine on their first date together! Fluff including a candlelit dinner and slow dancing. This is an AU where Gerard is willing to set up such a date, but the main focus is the budding romance between Erik and Christine.

A Magical World by pippa-writes

This is actually a collection of four ficlets! They're mostly canon compliant, and range from Christmas fluff to Christine regretting the picnic unmasking. The first one is even a Phillipe centric look at Christine's grief post canon (unfortunately with the canon ending), which I find quite unique and fascinating.

Rêver by trace-of-rouge

Somewhat tragic and angsty one shot, this is Erik musing on the nature of dreams and his feelings for Christine. It's a very good short character study, and I really enjoy the insight into Erik's thoughts.

The Strange Case of Monsieur Belladova by NPennyworth

If I constantly reread my own story then I'm allowed to put it on my own phic rec list, and I am seriously quite proud of how this one turned out! I wanted to explore a happier AU where Erik gets to just work at the opera house; this is written from the perspective of the opera company as they debate whether to say anything about the mask, but it seems rude to point it out when nobody else has. Mostly humor and fluff, with background E/C.

[asakuramimimi]

Has anyone ever seen a kopit phantom in America?

I'd like to hear your story！

[pixie-skull]

Challenge, Alphabet of Crushes:

Pretty self explanatory, just list your biggest crushes of past and present to each letter. I tag @impossiblepeggy @little-bloodied-angel @geebs96 @airasora @thenamelessdoll @confettipetticoats @2009jorose @animagix101 @night130

A= Amalthea (The Last Unicorn)

B= Belle (Beauty and the Beast)

C= Christine (The Phantom of the Opera)

D= Dorian Grey (the picture of Dorian Grey)

E= Esmeralda (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

F= Frodo (The Lord of the Rings)

G= Granger, Hermione (Harry Potter) *Emma Waston I actually like for her, the character meh, but more roles lately make me really like Emma Waston more, just Hermione was my first role I really liked her*

H= Hemidall (Thor)

I= Inara (Firefly+Serenity)

J= Jasmine (Aladdin)

K= Kala (Sense8)

L= Loki (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

M= Merlin (BBC Merlin)

N= Nomi+ Amanita (Sense8) *I could not choose one as both are amazing*

O= Original Hex Girls (Scooby-Doo! and the Witch's Ghost) *mainly Thorn (center) and Luna(right side)*

P= Padme (Star Wars)

Q= Queen of Wonderland, White Queen, or Mirana of Marmorea (Alice in Wonderland) *mostly like her for she is played by Anna Hathaway and BONUS looks like a live action Amalthea*

R= Rose (Titanic)

S= She-Hulk (1996’s Incredible Hulk: Animated Series) *Cree Summer too a crush*

T= Tara (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

U= Underworld Persephone (Percy Jackson and the Lighting Thief)

V= Vampire Mina (Bram Stoker Dracula) *mention honestly wanted to find a way to mention Winona Ryder as such a huge crush, plus Winona in red dress so beautiful*

W= Wonder Woman (DC Comics, yet mostly Gal Gadot version)

X= Xavier, Charles (Marvel Comics, yet James McAvoy version, and yes I do not mind if someone needs a wheelchair)

Y= Yum-Yum (The Thief and the Cobbler)

Z= Zoe (Firefly+Serenity) * and Wash, as both have such an adorable relationship*

It is very apparent to me I have a type in both women and men. As well, yes, I still have major crushes on the live action character's thespian. I mean dang I was not expecting such types, but one of my friends did observe I tend to like Jewish, Middle Eastern, French, and Indian women, and men twinks XD (often Untied Kingdom). Dyed hair not picky on gender though, as a good look all around.

[fadinglandtragedy]

POTO Korea Review

August 9, 2023 Seoul

Cast : Jeon dong-seok, Sohn ji-soo, Song won-geun

[first review]

This one was my favorite.

JDS is insane. His voice is in the best shape these days, and his performance is very engaging. He seems to be gradually stepping out of the shadow of the Y&K Phantom and steadily building his own phantom. He still can't quite touch Christine and doesn't know how to treat her, but his attitude and mood captures the sassiness of the ALW phantom.

It's been a few days since I saw his previous performance, but I was surprised to see that his movements were more organized. This time I was able to see him more closely from a different angle, he really organized his hair nicely and walked like this :

Now I know why Christine actresses said he was so cool in that moment. Really seductive.

And he kept trying to whisper in Christine's ear at MOTN. It was like... it was the one scene that summed up why Christine couldn't resist the Phantom.

At the Red death scene, I was told it’s an recording, but he broke through the recording and sang it really loudly live. (I think the people in the front row could hear it.) His voice and the recording resonated, which seemed like another Phantom’s trick. and reminded me of the LEROUX Phantom playing with his voice... It was quite fascinating.

PONR… I like that he matches his movements with her in the Christine part.

My favorite scene was the one in Final lair where he was arguing with Raoul behind the bars. The original line, ‘I love her, does that mean nothing?’ was changed to ‘I love her, Why don't you believe in love?’ in the Korean. JDS, who had been bit relaxed, was momentarily unable to hold back his tears. I realized that his Phantom was the one who believed in the miracle of love more than anyone else in this musical…

With that, he started crying a lot... again, and I think it was more than the last performance. He kept showing signs of pulling himself together to hit his lines (especially when he heard ‘I gave my mind blindly’), and I could keep hear him sobbing in the silences. really don't know how he sings steadily in the middle of that… When Christine came to return the ring, he looked like wanted to tell her not to, but all I could hear was a sob.

He's crying like the world is ending, and behind him, Raoul kisses Christine's hand… yes it’s sad but also too beautiful. Can’t deny it.

I know it’s weird, but I like the moment right before he lassoed Raoul the best. His impressive use of elongated limbs reminds me of Leroux's Phantom. Sexy

I'd love to see his phantom on west end stage, if that's possible.. he'd look better in west end makeup

The chemistry between JDS & SJS is really 🤌 They're both settling into their acting, and when JDS shows his charms, SJS responds well to it.

I think Sohn ji-soo is going to be my new favorite Christine… Her dialog is a little awkward, but she's a former opera singer, so she's very good at conveying emotion through song, and also (of course) a good singer.

Overall, she is more passive, serene, and calm than SEH Christine. This time I saw in her a Christine from the 90s and 00s. A very early, almost archetypal Christine. She plays Christine as fragile and vulnerable, but that's what makes her shine in the graveyard scene. While SEH showed us a beautifully radiant prima donna making her debut in TOM, SJS brings a lush sadness to the Wishing.

She seems overwhelmed with how to get through this, but in the end, she moves forward unbroken. So her first step, Wishing, is even more impressive.

Her feelings toward the Phantom are similar to those of a mortal facing the Absolute. In The mirror scene, she fearfully soothes the Phantom, but when his anger is unabated and he tries to reveal himself, she willingly tries to open the dressing room door, despite her fears.(She must have thought he would be at the door. Love this detail!)

She was afraid to face the Phantom in STYDI (on the other hand, SEH didn't avoid his gaze.), but when he turned away in pain, she reached out her hand as if she wanted to hug him.

In the Final lair, she's upset to see herself in a wedding dress, but when the Phantom starts singing (this face, which earned~), she turns toward him as if mesmerized. (This reminds me of Claire Lyon in PONR)

She was clearly afraid of him, but also attracted to him. It's such a natural and obvious Christine’s trait, but it was great to see it again with the chemistry between JDS and SJS. I still remember her reaching for him as he painfully yelled at her to leave…

I saw her respond to being told that she had the biggest role in Don Juan by saying, "me…?". Funnily enough, JDS once interviewed that when phantom said, 'I've written you an opera,' the 'you' was referring to Christine.

I thought that Christine would have instinctively sensed the Phantom's obsession and affection and already known that she would be the one to play Aminta, but her Christine seems to think that his anger is simply a hate of her.

She was a relatively innocent and naive Christine, which seemed to work well with JDS's romantic side.

She and SEH Christine both sing along Carlotta's TOM in small voice, which is a detail I love because it's so cute and shows their desire to sing🥹

Oh and Korean fans call her a hamster… i can understand. She’s so lovely Christine!

I’m not sure about SWG Raoul… his presence was barely felt. I'm not sure if it was tiredness or what, but his performance had very little impact, and I felt like I was watching a character from another musical he was in.

But he was definitely milder than HGH, and I love the detail of him hugging Christine in the final lair, even though he's in a lasso.

I really like LJY Carlotta! Her performance was appropriate and impressive as a prideful prima donna. At the same time, her mean and demanding personality was well portrayed, making her an appealing character. Like the scene in Il Muto where she throws Christine into bed (Andre's panicked reaction is hilarious) or in Don Juan rehearsal where she gently teaches Piangi and gets annoyed with Monsieur Reyer in an instant are good examples.

When she says "she’s crazy," it's no longer sarcastic, but more like she's looking at a mentally ill person with disdain, which, coupled with PHR Piangi's reaction afterward, further emphasizes the relationship between the Phantom and Christine. (It shows how strange their relationship is and that it can't be shared with anyone.)

There were a lot of little funny scenes. The most interesting was the conductor's panicked performance with Andre in the Il Muto ballet scene. It was quite funny to see her panicking, searching for the score, and ruffling her hair.

why do the ballet girls' screams seem to get louder and louder...? 😂

The supporting cast is also working well together, and the performance is gradually becoming more complete. I was actually thinking that this production might not be for me, but um now I just wish I could follow this show and witness every moment..

If you sit in the first row, your neck can get sore, and you can barely see the Phantom on the angel. On this day, JDS was very emotional and the angel was swaying SO much that I wondered what was going on overhead.

There are no tickets left for me right now, but I hope this isn't the last time I see his phantom. I'd love to see it again as a JDS/SJS/HGH/LJY pair if I get the chance🙏

[kaekae-x0x0]

Welcome Home - Phantom of the Opera AU

Part: 5/?

Masterlist: HERE

You awoke to Wally sitting in front of you.

“You fell asleep when you tried to leave, and I couldn’t let you sleep on the floor.”

“Thank you Wally, for your kindness…”

“It’s no problem, my angel.”

“…why do you call me that?”

“Because I love you, and I love everything about you, you’re perfect, like an angel.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m dating someone already…”

“Oh Y/n… you’re so naive…”

“W-what do you mean?”

“Just, run along for now, I’ll see you soon, my angel.”

You took off running, simply shaking off whatever that was.

You rushed into the shop, spooking Howdy in the process.

“Darling? What’s wrong?” He said worriedly.

“Oh Howdy, I-I don’t know what to do…”

You took his hands and squeezed them, trying to calm down.

“Y/n, breathe.” He said, slowly sitting down on the ground with you, you tried to slow down your breathing, but couldn’t seem to do so.

“Follow my lead, love, in… out… in… out… see? You’ve got it! Now please keep doing that, very slowly…” he got up and quickly locked up the shop.

He came back and sat with you once more, you calmed down a bit.

You grabbed his hand.

“Howdy, I can tell you anything… right?”

“Yes lovebug, you can”

“Promise you won’t be mad?”

“How could I be mad if you’re just telling the truth?”

You took a deep breath, and spilt out everything to Howdy, who sat and listened to the whole story before butting in.

“You did the right thing, love, but I don’t know who this Wally Darling person is… I’ve never heard anything about him.”

You stayed silent as you thought to yourself… how could you avoid Wally? If he was some sort of higher being, wouldn’t he have the power to drag you right back?

“Y/n. You’re gonna stay with me for a few months. I’m going to protect you from whatever this Wally is.”

“Howdy… you would let me stay with you?”

“Well, yes, for your sake, but I won’t force you if it isn’t what you want.”

“I want to stay with you until Wally forgets about me.”

Howdy nodded in understanding. He picked you up off the ground and plopped you on the counter. He made the executive decision to close the shop down to k help you move out.

Moving in with Howdy was one of the greatest choices you ever made. You got to always be with one another, and you both got even closer and closer together.

A few months pass without hearing anything from Wally, but it was to the point you and Howdy were inseparable.

He finally proposed to you by the time summer ended, and you and the neighborhood kicked off the fall planning a massive celebration to celebrate you two with… a masquerade! You and the others all decided to even go as far as to invite the neighboring towns and even some family of the neighbors.

The engagement was mainly kept only within the circle of the neighbors, and Howdy. You were even careful as to not flaunt it around near the house that Wally lived.

You still couldn’t shake that strange feeling though…

The feeling you were being…

W̵͓̗̙͈̞͙͉̣̒̈́͐͑͘͜ą̴̢̺͖̱̀̑͛̈́t̷̟̩̘̉̾̍̚c̶̽͌̀̀̉͗̕͜͝h̸̢̼͇̩̱͎̔͊̓̂̌̕͝e̸̻͍͇͔̞̠̊̊̀d̷̤̩͍̝͇̥͂̅̂͝ ̴̞̹̯̙̀̄͐̍̔͗͆̕͜

[glindaupland]

The Phantom of the Opera | Seoul, South Korea | 동팬텀 x 송크리 Review 3/6

October 12, 2023

The Phantom of the Opera | 전동석 Jeon Dong-seok

Christine Daaé | 송은혜 Song Eun-hye

Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny | 황건하 Hwang Gun-ha

Carlotta Giudicelli | 이지영 Lee Ji-young

Round 2 of Jeon Dong-seok! Ah let's see what my excuse was this time... "How could I possibly let go of a center 5th row seat that I snatched? And a different Christine, Raoul, and Carlotta means it's a different experience!" Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night, Elisa. But hey it was very different!!!

Here's my second silly little Dong-seok ticket holder because I booked both of his seats on Yes24. I was 5th row center this time, which was almost out of the chandelier's range and just ever so slightly more to the left than my previous seat. But this is still an incredibly close view …and I still brought my binoculars to stare everyone down despite that.

Hannibal Rehearsal / Think of Me

I'm really in love with Lee Ji-young Carlotta. She definitely acts like a very classy and elegant normally, but she's really cute and dramatic when she gets angry. She leans more into the Italian accent and the stubborn demanding diva attitude. I thought she fit very well with Park Hoe-rim's Piangi because of her personality and voice.

I like the detail right before 'Think of Me' starts when Song Eun-hye's Christine does this little throat clearing and nervous swallow. Her eyes were wide like a deer in headlights. Ji-soo acted more timid like she was about to melt on the spot, but she was about to bolt I think this is one of her best moments in the show. She's radiant and truly looks like a new soprano making her debut. Despite her voice still being a little strained from illness (you may or may not recall she was out a few days which resulted in the understudy Kwon Ga-min's very eventful debut), I still enjoyed her vibrant enthusiasm that shined through. Her cadenza is beautiful and she holds her last notes for such a long time before she gives the cutest proudest bow to complete the song. Hwang Gun-ha's Raoul is so funny when he gets up to cheer for Christine because he's really loud and boisterous. He's probably especially embarrassing for the managers to sit with bless his heart Unfortunately, you can't appreciate the full acting and extension of her notes with this video but you can still at least appreciate her voice:

Angel of Music/Little Lotte/The Mirror

She has lots of little girlish mannerisms in addition to the cute awkwardness before 'Think of Me'. When Meg wanted to know who taught her, Christine opened her mouth excited like she was about to speak, but then paused looking like she was very stumped about how to even begin explaining. After hugging Raoul, she was particularly flustered by the closeness and looked around nervously. She also looks at her hand and touches it in surprise when he kisses it on the way out of the dressing room. Gun-ha's voice is very unique and quite deep for a Raoul. His Raoul definitely has that charismatic aristocratic feeling. Some people find it strange, but it doesn't bother me honestly. My grievances to air are about other things that I'll explain later. I had a much closer view and better angle of 'The Mirror' this time both with and without binoculars (yes even that close I was pulling those out okay) so I was able to see the Phantom's face a lot clearer in the mirror. At one point he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply with his hand to his chest like he was really satisfied hearing her plea to him. I think SEH Christine's reacted to the Phantom like she finally needed to understand who her Angel of Music was. She was nervous, but looked slightly excited as well.

The Phantom of the Opera

I got to experience Dong-seok's third boat failure. That's four if you wanna include him crashing his Y&K Phantom boat (yes I'll always bring it up and make fun of that it's funny) I was wondering why the boat hadn't come out yet and I thought maybe it'd be okay when I saw the front peeking out a bit even though it was oddly coming out from the side rather than the back...and then I saw him uselessly rowing without moving until he just gave up. Anyway, Jesus miracles were performed once again! He very sweetly guided Christine, lighting the way for her and showing off the view. They looked at each other when they sang the "fantasies/secrets" line and he lifted her chin up to meet her eyes. He smiled when he nodded once with SJS, but because of the unique situation here, it seemed even sweeter. :') Also, since I was so close, I could see the doubles they used for the walkway above with my binoculars

The Music of the Night

SEH Christine takes a bit longer to warm up to the Phantom. She started off more hesitant and wary yet still curious. I wouldn't say she's afraid, just uncertain. JDS Phantom was especially awkward and inexperienced, even more than the last time. He felt like a younger man experiencing his first love. I just think he feels and tries to be seductive, suave, romantic, etc, but he gets so overstimulated easily that he ends up fumbling. It was like she was an alluring fire that he was drawn to, but he kept foolishly burning himself getting too close. Like before, he touched her shoulder lightly and briefly, but pulled back nervously with a wavering voice before using his other arm to wrap around her. But you could see a bit of subtle relief when she relaxed in his arms. I remember Christine sort of nuzzling in closer to him which gave him more confidence to lean in as well. He was still a little shaky though trying to hold in his emotions By the end of the song SEH Christine a lot more at ease with the Phantom and actually captivated by him. She was finally starting to understand the beauty of this music of the night that he was trying to show her. Both Christines would get very moved at the end with watery ears, but I think this is the show I actually saw the tears falling from one of them. I could see him wiping the tears from her face gently when he had put his cloak over her at the end

Stranger Than You Dream it

I'm trying not to laugh typing this, but I think the pose he had here when he turned to face her looked so...here I'll leave this:

It was this, but he was angry and covering his face with the hand that's not holding him up and leaning forward more. Everyone else was on their knees, but he had to stick his long leg all the way out for some reason which is really not important or notable I guess, but I found it amusing okay SEH Christine always watches the Phantoms while SJS looks down until the end when she starts to feel bad for him. He and Christine had a moment where they reached out to each other at the end of the crawl almost touching before he turned away quickly. I don't think she was really fully afraid of his appearance. It seemed more like his reaction was what upset her. She looked disappointed that she couldn't reach him

Notes I/Prima Donna

LJY Carlotta is so perfectly expressive and she matches so so well with Piangi. I love how she started off Prima Donna so pouty-faced. It seems like she's slowly warming up, trying to hold back from showing that their words are sort of pleasing her because she's still mad and stubborn (and maybe it's also so they can continue showering her with praise)

Il Muto

SEH Serafimo is so sassy. She just makes the silliest most exaggerated looks like pure disgust at the kiss or huge goo-goo eyes at the Countess. She puffs out her chest with her hands on her hips making a pouty face like she's this little charming tough guy. Words don't do it justice honestly. This is my favorite version of this scene

LJY Carlotta also kills me. The way she still tries to act put together, but clearly cannot keep her shit together. She lets out "말하지말고 / Don't speak" as a loud growl like she's emphasizing what she just said to her out of character before. It was hilarious watching Monsieur André's interaction with the conductor below when he was pushing for the ballet to start from this close. He was seriously about to lose his mind.

Masquerade / Why So Silent?

Sitting in a much closer seat, I think I can understand what people mean about hearing Dong-seok sing during Why So Silent. It's not so loud, but it was definitely there under the pre-recording. Under the skull his mouth moved in a much more natural way rather than the exaggerated way needed for the skull to move (which meant the mask didn't move much)

Twisted Every Way

SJS Christine looks so tired of everything during this scene, but SEH Christine is a lot more shaken up whenever she's in distress. I think it's another way her Christine feels a bit younger? But by 'Wishing' you can clearly see the growth she's gone through (although it was stronger in the second two performances I saw because she still seemed a bit ill this one) LJY Carlotta develops some more sympathy towards Christine at this point so when she says 미쳤네/she's mad, it sounds more like she's genuinely concerned for her mental state HGH Raoul. is so loud at the end I thought my ear drums would explode in the 5th row. You can accumulate severe ear damage between him and the ballerina screams. (Although I also just think the sound in the theaters I went to was incredibly loud because Rebecca Act 2 almost burst my eardrums as well in 2nd row)

The Point of No Return

And again, the more he's around Christine, the more destructive it is for him. You're just hurting yourself, king! He was extremely anxious around her, back to his usual route. Rather than the frustration he had before, he had quickly rising anxiety. He clutched his chest during the same line that KJT Phantom had mimicked Christine's movements at his performances. As he reached back for her on the bench, he was shaking and not brave enough to lean closer to her. This proposal he was a spineless disaster. He could barely get near her to put on the ring when he had been so forceful about it the previous performance. It didn't feel inconsistent though. It just seemed like a different branch for his Phantom, an alternate outcome for the same characterization.

Final Lair

SJS Christine was so afraid looking around and clinging to the edge of the boat when she would get taken down to the lair in 'Down Once More'. SEH looked frightened as well, but then in response to the Phantom's words she turned cold. Every performance SEH Christine would plead "잠깐���! 잠깐만! 잠깐만!" (- Hold on, hold on! or Wait, wait!) til he let her go. JDS Phantom was especially childish this performance. Or I guess in a different way? The previous show he had his angry tantrum, this one he was a complete wet mop of a man. When he said his face is what poisoned his love reaching out to her, she rejected him, turning away bitterly. But when she told him she wasn't afraid of his face, she tried to touch him and he gasped and started hyperventilating a little The energy JDS Phantom and HGH Raoul had when arguing though like oooo the girls are fiiiiightiiiing~ It was a little funny Most of his reactions to Christine's rejections like the veil throwing were actually chipping away at him this time instead of building an icy wall. I also think since SEH is the "stronger" more independent Christine these responses were maybe rougher to this more sensitive version of his Phantom When he was on the throne at the end, he reached to touch her face, but stopped and began to stutter out "날...날..시ㅣ험...하지마..." ('Don't test me") trying to stop himself from crying. This performance he opted for one of his occasional line changes - "선택해 - Choose" to "날 선택해 - Choose me!" Tears were pouring from his face and he was pulling at his collar again like he was struggling to breathe while sobbing. The kiss was similar to the one before, but I think he looked sadder When he sang "사랑해 / I love you" the first show, it was so soft you could barely hear it and the end was barely audible. This time he was choking on the word while SEH also struggled not to cry. She tried to reach out to him from the start, but because he was so stuck in his self-hatred and insecurity, they were never given a chance. So this is where they ended up. After Christine and Raoul got into the boat, he picked up the veil smiling before he slowly began to sob intensely into it. He looked like he had completely fallen apart

I think I preferred the October 8th show just because it felt so unique, but I felt so happy I could see Jeon Dong-seok twice (well three times on the trip, but twice as the Phantom) and get such different experiences out of it each time. I'm also really glad he was able to achieve his longtime dream role ❤️ I'd like to hope that in another decade-ish whenever POTO comes back he can return to the role and give us an new version with even more skills he's learned overtime (also because I think he'd be the perfect age then)

I feel like I should now mention they already had the Dracula video ads up in the theater since he made a u-turn back to the Charlotte for the show. He'll be on one of the 3 CDs for the new Dracula cast recording (why couldn't they do this for POTO) So there was double Dong-seok all over the theater. What a nice sight for me 😌

I will drop promo just because I can! He is now unmasking himself to reveal a pretty face instead of unmasking to reveal uh...well what the Phantom has going on?

Since there's not really official content of his ALW POTO, you can also have a taste of his Y&K Erik (there is also a version of the live cast recording with him as Erik with Kim So-hyun as Christine) Come join me as I pray for him to return to the show for the 10th anniversary in 2025 so I can go see him.