I might not do all the prompts but I liked this one. If this is the only day of Raoulstine week I do, I feel good about it. A Crowd of Thousands gives me serious Raoul/Christine vibes, the whole childhood-sweethearts-to-lovers trope that I adore.
PS: I absolutely know that Raoul grew up with Christine, and no he didn’t just meet her at fourteen when he saved her scarf.
whenever I watch this scene I keep thinking abt that one episode of The Hang With Ramin Karimloo where he and Sierra talked abt the 25th so... here's a cast commentary style edit i guess
Hello! I am a newcomer to POTO, and was introduced 3 days ago by deciding to randomly watch the 25 RAH. I fell so in love with the 25st cast, but especially and everlastingly with Hadley Fraser as Raoul. It was a little disheartening for me to realise that it wasn't a popular opinion, and when I found your tumblr, it was like finding a kindred spirit and even a wise elder spirit that showed me all the nuances I missed before. I must have read and adored each one of your Raoul posts - thank you.
(My apologies for the delayed response, this time of year is always so busy for me, and I've fallen behind!)
Hello, thank you for sending such a kind and thoughtful message! 🥰 I love to hear about new Phans falling in love with POTO RAH and Hadley's Raoul, and I'm glad my posts have resonated with you. I feel I've analyzed pretty much every moment of his on-stage time in that production, both in writing and in gifs, and you've summarized my thoughts very well here.
I really like how there is a distinct shift in Hadley's Raoul from act I to act II, from speculative but ultimately unbothered to fiercely protective and frustrated, almost in parallel with how we the audience are made aware of the steadily increasing threat the Phantom is becoming. His Raoul is charming but genuine and sweet in his first few scenes, and I agree his mannerisms at the end of the show are quite different from the young man we were introduced to in Little Lotte. His lines in the final lair are soaked in desperation and anger, especially his "Let me see her!" and "Why make her lie to you to save me?"
It's important to remember that the staging/blocking for POTO RAH is very different from the original - I'd argue it's much more organically emotional for all three of the characters. While many of the changes were made out of necessity for how the RAH stage was set up, the impact of the altered staging to the scene is undeniable. Some examples being the Phantom holding Christine by the throat, the prolonged doomed trek that Raoul has to make across the stage to ultimately be caught in the lasso, and the visual of Christine climbing down and back up the stairs of the Phantom's "hell" one last time to say goodbye.
Combine that with the fact that Ramin, Sierra, and Hadley all have very high-strung interpretations of their characters to begin with, it doesn't surprise me that Hadley's Raoul culminated in practically lunging at the Phantom at the end of the final lair. I think a lot of it had to do with Ramin and Hadley's chemistry, too, and while it is very different from most productions I ultimately feel that it works.
I think the point I'm trying to make in all of this is that POTO RAH was a very special production, with a remarkable cast in a unique situation that has left a lasting impression on me and many Phans. I really love to hear how special this production and these actors are to you, thanks for reaching out! 💕