tremulous and tender

WIP of something absolutely nightmarish while I learn (99% struggle) to use clipstudio...

Click on the image to see details better ig

also my laptop’s touchscreen is peacing out so gonna be a while until u see new art again

redbubble has the rhys whitfield piece now if anyone wants it

Hi no rush but you said yesterday to remind you today to say some stuff about Harmony so this is me reminding you lol

HI!

so Harmony! It's a musical about this real life german singing group called the comedian harmonists and were active between 1928 and 1934. They were the most popular performers in europe at one point but unfortunately they were forced to disband by the nazis because three of them were jewish. it's one of those musicals that makes you cry a lot basically. The comedian harmonists consist of Roman Cycowski, referred to as Rabbi in the musical (played by Danny Kornfeld and an older version of him played by my favorite old man Chip Zien), Harry Frommermann (played by Zal Owen) Robert 'Bobby' Biberti (played by Sean Bell), Erwin 'Chopin' Bootz (he's the one Blake Roman plays), Erich Collin (played by Eric Peters) and Ari Leschnikoff 'Lesh' (played by Steven Telsey)

plus there's Rabbi's wife Mary (played by Sierra Boggess) and Chopin's wife Ruth (played by Julie Benko)

i know you're here for Blake Roman so more info on his character: Chopin is the pianist of the group, he originally played at a whorehouse before joining the comedian harmonists (it's where he got his nickname after someone told him he plays like Chopin) he actually hates his real name, the song he leads is In this world, his relationship with Ruth has a lot more conflict than Rabbi and Mary's relationship (the two are often put in contrast in the show) and he has a line about wanting to live in a very fancy bathroom which cracks me up a lot

overall Harmony is currently my favorite musical atm, I saw it on Broadway during previews, I cried when I found out it's closing, it deserved a longer run, I'm kind of mad Hazbin hotel didn't come out earlier because i live in the belief Blake Roman's newfound fame could've at least extended it a little bit, i love this whole cast so incredibly much and I can't wait to see what they do next

I will never stop crying over Phantom of the Opera. My eyes mist up whenever I watch the 25th Anniversary recording with Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess, and I was a wreck when I saw it in person for the first time in my life a few weeks ago. Let me tell you, I am not a person who cries in a theatre, I’ve always kept a distinct difference between fantasy and reality. But as the show played out, I had to blink back tears, that’s how much the show affected me, even after hearing the music and watching the recordings a million times. In the back of my mind, I will always hope that Christine turns back around, runs to the Phantom, even though I know that isn’t the right choice.

hii ash what is the phantom of the opera? ive heard of it and it sounds so fucking badass and i am Curious

okay. gonna write a rambly type essay. SUMMARY: so poto is originally a novel written by gaston leroux in 1909 set in france, centering a mysterious masked man, erik (aka the phantom, the opera ghost, angel of music) and a naive, kind girl who's ridiculously brave and selfless called christine. from now on ill be talking about the musical version as i am yet to read the book ! also, the pair have INCREDIBLE music ability - christine has the voice of an angel, and the phantom is incredibly skilled at many instruments as well as have the kinda voice that probably wouldve awoken smth in me when i was ten. -christine is an orphan, her father died when she was.. eight? ish. and shes just very sad and lonely. -when her dad died, he said he'll send a angrl of music to her -erik is super super obsessed with christine and kinda stalks her. but -shes like kinda chill with it at the beginning and she even follows him into his lair? which like okay you go girl or smth. -but then she finds out oh shit !!! hes kinda freaky man. and she faints <3 -if erik had his way he'd probably just force her to marry him, but problem! -another man, raoul, who is christines childhood bestie, is here. and -hes in love with her! christines also in love with him, but imo its only because he reminds her of her father (woop woop daddy issues) -THINGS HAPPEN and i cried. just trust me on this idk how to do summaries. CHARACTERS: erik - MY BOY !!!!!! hes so traumatised and he was abused a lot because he was born with a facial deformity and nobody ever touched him ever. so he just grew into this really angry, resentful but also strangely hot dude. he gets a MILD mild redemption at the end of the movie/musical, and hes the most pathetic silliest sewer man in the world im so so obsessed with him. hes a really complex character and i could get into it but i wont because its 12am. christine - in the musical/kinda movie, shes portrayed as very meek and mild. however shes really brave and kind of a badass! like "this haunted face holds no horror for me now. its your soul in which the true distortion lies" um okay?? callout i love that. shes not wrong, his soul is fuuuucked. poor boy. her mother died in childbirth, her father died when she was young, shes alone in the world apart from a scarily hot stalker whos teaching her to sing, and shes a ballet rat in the opera populaire. ill delve more into different interpretations of her in different media. raoul - pretty rich boy. also christines childhood best friend and suitor. my boy has no thoughts in his head i was him for world book day.

meg giry - christines current best friend! shes so cool in the movie shes a side but shes loyal, brave, and probably a lesbian. also shes cares so sososo much for christine im just. ough. la carlotta - they hate to see a girlboss winning :( shes literally done nothing wrong ever i adore her shes so extra and such a bitch aa <3 there are more but the first three are the most important

DIFFERENT MEDIA: theres a movie (2004) which stars gerard butler as erik and emmy rossum as christine who are both SO OSOSOSOSOOSO PRETTY !!!!!

in the movies, erik is portrayed as quite suave and dramatic, as well as agressive and fiercely obsessive. basically, the same as how he's portrayed in the rest of the media. also ! his name isnt included in both the movies or the musical. its also very aesthetically pleasing speaking of ! theres also a musical which is pretty well known, written by andrew lloyd webber. i would say my favourite actors, but it may be a little doxxy, so i'll refrain. however, i will say that sierra boggess, one of favourite christines is WOW ! she's fiesty and seductive, not as mild as the other portrayals. thats why i love the musical version, one because it is MAGICAL to watch irl and two becuase you can play around witht the characters to fit your eye. theres a book, which gives more insight into erik's past, and also several adaptations of the novel, the most notable being susan kay;s "phantom" CONTROVERSY: i will say that the toxic relationship between christine and erik is heavily romanticised, christine experiences a lot of stockholm syndrome (shes also swedish!) and she just has a Bad Time. however. its fiction and my taste in men is fucked up beyond belief! but many people dont see it that way since erik is a kidnapper/murderer, people are NOT happy that he is shipped and loved by so many people. but like man we know ! if this happened in real life we'd be outta there like a shot, if this was a REAL PERSON we would NOT be doing this! its ridiculous to me that so many people cannot grasp that this is fiction, an escape from the rules of the real world. CONCLUSION: its more than just a romance, its a study of so many different things, like how trauma can affect different people, how growing up in certain types of environments can shape a persons life. its more of a tragedy really, not a romance as much, so if you like media which leaves a hole in you only fanfic can fix this is def for you. if you want to get into it, i recommend starting with the musical or movie, probably the musical. i didnt do it justice with this ramble, honestly its incredible and theres endless interpretations and endings (i havent even mentioned the book!)

also all the songs slap and theyre majority operatic but modern!!!!!!!

I know a lot of actors have played Christine phantom and Raoul in different productions around Europe, but which ones have been in the us and uk/ other Europe productions?

I think you're asking for which actors (that have played Phantom, Christine, and Raoul, because if we include supporting cast and ensemble members I'll be here forever) have been in the US productions AND a production in the UK or elsewhere in Europe (and maybe I'll extend it to any other non-US production)? Well...

Michael Crawford - originated the role of the Phantom on the West End and Broadway

Grant Norman - played the Phantom in the US tour and then on the West End

Marcus Lovett - played the Phantom on Broadway and then, almost 20 years later, on the West End

Brad Little - played Raoul on Broadway, the Phantom in the US tour, and the Phantom in two World Tours

Ian Jon Bourg - understudied as the Phantom in the US tour and later in Las Vegas and was principal Phantom in Hamburg, Stuttgart, and Essen, and then understudied the Phantom again in two World Tours

Cris Groenendaal - played the Phantom on Broadway and Toronto

Laird Mackintosh - played Raoul and understudied the Phantom in Toronto, and then understudied the Phantom on Broadway

David Gaschen - played the Phantom in Basel and Hamburg and then understudied the same role on Broadway and the US tour

Peter Joback - played the Phantom on the West End, Broadway, and the Stockholm revival

Michael Gillis - really reaching but he was Raoul in Phantom's US tour, then understudied the Phantom in the Love Never Dies US tour, and then understudied as both Raoul and the Phantom in the most recent Phantom World Tour

Sarah Brightman - originated the role of Christine on the West End and Broadway

Patti Cohenour - played Christine on Broadway and Toronto

Luann Aronson - played Christine on Broadway and the Canadian tour (Far East Tour)

Kimilee Bryant - played Christine in Toronto, Basel, and the US tour and then understudied as Christine on Broadway (as well as Carlotta and Madame Giry)

Elizabeth Southard - played Christine in Toronto, on Broadway, and in the US tour

Rebecca Pitcher - played Christine in the US tour, Broadway, and the World Tour

Marni Raab - played Christine in the US tour, Broadway, and the World Tour

Sierra Boggess - played Christine in Las Vegas, then Christine in London's Love Never Dies, then Christine in the RAH concert performed in London, then on Broadway (twice), and would have been in the Paris production

Elizabeth Welch - understudied as Christine in the US tour and Broadway and was principal Christine in Oberhausen

Sarah Bakker - understudied Christine in the World Tour and Broadway

Kaley Ann Voorhees - played Christine on Broadway and the World Tour

Rachel Anne Moore - reaching again, but played Carlotta in Hamburg, Christine in Love Never Dies in Hamburg and the US tour, and understudied Carlotta on Broadway

Meghan Picerno - played Christine in the World Tour and Broadway as well as in the Love Never Dies US tour

Steve Barton - originated the role of Raoul on the West End and Broadway, and played the Phantom as the understudy on the West End and as principal on Broadway

Michael Shawn Lewis - played Raoul in Antwerp, on Broadway, in Stuttgart, and in the US tour

There's probably more and some big names that I'm missing, but you can likely get a sense of the trends here. It's actually quite uncommon for a principal actor to have been in both London and Broadway (probably due to Equity), and even being in a European production is not too common. (I think this is somewhat less the case for ensemble members.) The amount of actors who crossed over from the UK to another European production, or who were in multiple European productions, is much higher I believe. What we do see a lot of are actors who were in the US and who also performed in Toronto, a Canadian tour, or the World tour. But there are definitely exceptions too, and then the really fun ones like Ian Jon Bourg, who has just been all over.

Okay so I saw this gem last night and I'm so impressed (&cried). (I have no spoilers just songs later)

This film is beautiful, Rob Marshall (who also directed Pirates of the Caribbean films) made changes that felt needed and worth it. There are also little hints to Hans Christian Anderson's story too so the main source material isn't completely lost.

Plus I now have the biggest crush on Eric. I love his song but omg hello 😍 Halle is insanely incredible too. Just the cast is great!

Because this is a good place for me to nerd out, I'd like to point out that the "new songs" for the film aren't completely new as the musical did their version of this year's back (see both below) Eric's solos, Ariel's song on land and the quartet from the musical just because.

I'm not criticising the film, it's just wound me up in articles claiming "it's the first time" these characters sing, well in the film capacity yes. I love all of these songs though! Just having a little mermaid vent.

Dropping this in because I love it. (&Triton sings too)

Christine (Sierra Boggess) tearfully returns the ring to Phantom (Ramin Karimloo)

god i love falling in love with the same actresses over and over again

Ramin and Sierra fangirling

Could you write your favorite Disney musicals, and why they are your favorite?

oooooo of course!

this is in order of my most favorite to still my favorite but not as much as others

Beauty and the Beast

it's always going to be my favorite Disney movie/musical, and it's overall one of my favorite Broadway shows! The OBC is one of my favorites, with both Susan Egan and Terrence Mann as Belle and the Beast, and the Broadway Gold Dress is probably one of my all-time favorite pieces of theater costuming. The music is also beautiful, with "If I Can't Love Her" and "Home" being two of my favorite Broadway songs.

also this show was the very first musical i ever saw live in person, and it was so beautiful. it's the reason i love musicals so much!

Tarzan

SUCH an underrated musical, and it breaks my heart that people don't show it more love. Josh Strickland is an incredible Tarzan, and Merle Dandridge makes me sob every time i hear her sing "You'll Be In My Heart". I absolutely love all the practical effects, and Jane and Tarzan's main love song, "For the First Time" is always on my love song playlist.

The Lion King

iconic, beautiful, amazing, there aren't enough words to describe this musical. I was lucky enough to finally be able to see this on Broadway back in October, and I cried pretty much the entirety of "Circle of Life" and "He Lives in You". It's one of the most amazing shows I've ever seen, and it's obvious why it's been on Broadway for so long.

The Little Mermaid

another VERY underrated musical in general! Sierra Boggess is such a sweet Ariel, and I love that they confirmed Triton and Ursula as siblings in the show, it just brings an entirely new level to the relationships in the show! "Her Voice" and the "If Only" quartet are my favorite songs from the show, and all the characters just feel a lot more fleshed out in the musical!

Aladdin

another wonderful show that I was very, very lucky to be able to see for my birthday when it was first on Broadway in 2015! James Monroe Iglehart (the OBC Genie) was absolutely incredible, and brought his own spin and personality to the Genie. The costumes were beautiful, and I was so happy they included "Proud of Your Boy", which is one of my favorite cut Disney songs!

Frozen and Hunchback of Notre Dame are also wonderful shows!

Hiya! So I’m just getting into musicals after my friend sent me two songs that were absolute bangers from Heathers and I’m pretty sure you like musicals so do you have any recommendations? 👀 if not that’s totally fine!

Oh. HOney.

Do i know musicals?!?! (i’m so sorry in advance, but you’ve opened pandora’s box)

Strap in, i’m your humble tour guide!

A Beginner’s Guide to Musicals

Now, its hard to organize these all but i’ll do my best. I orignally had MANY others on the list, but it seemed smarter not to overwhelm you with too many different genres, so i kept it simple. I also will recommend some songs out of order before listening to the show from the beginning, but that’s just

Some are gonna be movie musicals, so just bear in mind, but if you want the broadway version i can oblige! A couple personal favorites i highly suggest are:

Wicked

The backstory of the Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda the Good, before the events of the Wizard of Oz.

 Listen, if i had to choose one show to see on Broadway, its this one. When the u.s. tour came to my city, i was beyond excited. And when my in-laws got orchestra seats for us to see it in, i all but cried. :D I could quite literally write an entire essay about the show deep diving into the costumes, the set and stage design, the tech and lights, the script adaptation, etc...

The music is iconic in its own right, and its just so much fun and full of heart! Start right at the beginning with No One Mourns The Wicked and The Wizard and I are brilliant places, but legit with any of these songs you can’t go wrong. There are even reprises in the show they didn’t put on the soundtrack but 1000% should be there, its just that good!

Full soundtrack available here!

Phantom of the Opera

 Ah yes! An oldie but a goodie. Its almost all singing, but boy is it worth it! I actually recommend watching this, cause it’d end up being the same runtime and you get the added benefit of seeing everything going on. But the whole movie soundtrack is available on YouTube, of course (the prologue is super slow, just fair warning, its a lot more for visuals than musical). The Phantom of the Opera title song is a great starting place. Music of the Night (immediately following POTO) and Think of Me are some of my top favorites, but really this whole soundtrack is just *chefs kiss*. Oh! And All I Ask of You just melts my heart! Also, of you want a great stage production soundtrack, the 25th Anniversary at Albert Hall starring Sierra Boggess and Ramin Karimloo is fantastic as well!

Also also, i know where to watch both movie and stage performances, so just lemme know if you’d like that. :D

Hamilton

 Ok now hear me out! I honestly also didn’t like Hamilton when it first came out. And i didn’t for a long time. I’m a more traditional broadway connoisseur, plus the only rap i really listened to was Eminem. But even there i’m super selective, and i made the mistake of listening to the intro song first.

Don’t be me.

Sometimes you need the familiar first before you get to the place where they branch off (in this case, throwing in some rap verses).  

Hamilton in 7 Minutes is an amazing a cappella compilation of the entire soundtrack, plus the animatic someone drew for it is phenomenal. After that i highly HIGHLY recommend Helpless and then You’ll Be Back, oh and The Schuyler Sisters! This show is just as quirky and sweet as it is emotional. And i get its not for everyone, but i’d be remiss if i didn’t at least mention it.

Newsies

Inspired by the real-life happening of the Newsboys going on strike in 1899 New York.

Oh man, how do profess my love to thee? Mainly an all boys cast (but the ladies who have songs in it are *chefs kiss*), the choreography is as incredible as the music itself, and boy howdy is the music great! Jeremy Jordan is the butter on my bread and as Jack Kelly, just lives rent free in my head on repeat. If he sang to me every night, sleep would never be an issue. xD Carrying the Banner, King of New York, and Watch What Happens are great ways to start off this party. And here i shall grace you with the whole Live soundtrack (i didn’t like the audio quality for the regular recorded one i found, but its still the same cast so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯).  

The whole stage show was professionally filmed and lives on Disney+ currently btw! (so go watch it! The tap numbers and spoon playing in it give me LIFE)

Heathers the Musical

The darkly delicious story of Veronica Sawyer, a brainy, beautiful teenage misfit who hustles her way into the most powerful and ruthless clique at Westerburg High: the Heathers. But before she can get comfortable atop the high school food chain, Veronica falls in love with the dangerously sexy new kid J.D. When Heather Chandler, the Almighty, kicks her out of the group, Veronica decides to bite the bullet and kiss Heather’s aerobicized ass…but J.D. has another plan for that bullet.

 I’m so glad you already like this! The music really is a great banger and the story surprisingly manages to be both edgy humor-wise and serious when the moments call for it. Its a lot of fun and i’m surprised by how much i like it. If you haven’t already listened to them, Beautiful is the intro and is really good, and also Candy Store & Big Fun!

The Little Mermaid Musical

 The movie and musical that need no introduction! I was really surprised by how much i liked Broadways soundtrack for the show, and how short-lived its time on stage was. It really doesn’t get enough credit for how much creativity went into everything. And what an all-star cast too! All the original songs from the movie are there, and i think they did a really good job expanding them even more, especially Under the Sea. Her Voice (10/10 just melts my heart) i’ll also recommend beforehand but honestly you don’t need too much. Just go straight from the start and head onward, you’ll really enjoy it!

The Sound of Music

 Man i’m getting nostalgic. Another oldie but goodie! My mom, sisters and I loved watching this movie growing up (along with Oklahoma, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, Singin’ In the Rain, My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof, and just...every musical in our collection ;P). Funny, sweet, romantic, heartwarming, its got it all! The Sound of Music kicks everything off, and from there you can’t go wrong, but this is another movie musical i highly encourage watching! Also i just wanna throw in The Lonely Goatherd now cause its so much fun, so why wait?! ~~

Ok whew! I think that’s it (for now). It took a while to find links for everything, but we did it! Please holla at me if you have any questions or concerns. :)

Oh yes, and if you would like to see any of these masterpieces via recording, i may or may not have such knowledge for your viewing and/or audio entertainment.

42nd Street and Turn Off the Dark!

Hi, anon! 

42nd Street: what’s the first musical you saw?

The first musical I ever saw would be a boot of the original cast of Wicked! It really ignited my love of theatre. That same year (2010), I got to see a production of the Anne of Green Gables musical at a local theatre on a school trip and it just ignited that love even more. I’ve only seen two Broadway musical in person, and that was in 2015 -- Phantom of the Opera and the revival of On The Town! I cried during both because I was just so happy to be there. 

Turn Off the Dark: Favorite obscure musical?

I have a very deep, intense love for It Shoulda Been You. It was tragically robbed it’s year of the Tonys, and it deserved far more than it got. Speaking of Sierra Boggess, I REALLY hope the Ever After musical gets off the ground eventually with a proper turn on Broadway and a cast recording. I’m also starting to have a bit of a Head Over Heels moment... but you didn’t hear that from me. 

Thanks for the ask!

“Epilogue,” London, 2012. Gerónimo Rauch as Jean Valjean, Sierra Boggess as Fantine, Samantha Dorsey as Cosette, Johnny Purchase as Marius, Danielle Hope as Éponine.

This is a beautiful performance.

Gerónimo’s Valjean is very touching: so feeble, pained and full of yearning for heaven at the beginning, then so sweetly overjoyed to see Cosette again. The way he laughs and cries at the same time on “Now you are here... again beside me...” is beautifully poignant. I also love the way he stands so tall and robust after he rises as a spirit and sings “Forgive me all my trespasses...” in a strong, full voice that sharply contrasts with the feeble voice he’s been using throughout the scene.

Samantha’s Cosette is also touching in her tenderness and grief.

Sierra’s Fantine is appropriately angelic. Being a soprano, not a mezzo, she does have to whisper through the low notes on “And you will be with God” (she really should have sung it transposed up, as in the School Edition), but the sweetness of her voice and her lovely demeanor make up for that one weakness.

The whole cast sings beautifully and ends the performance on appropriately moving, stirring note.

love me—that’s all i ask of you

Written for @mysmeweek2020​‘s Day 4 prompts: AUs & Lost!

Read it on AO3!

Summary: Lost and terrified, Areum finds shelter in Jihyun’s arms. Or the All I Ask Of You scene with Christine!Areum and Raoul!Jihyun in this Mystic Messenger Phantom of the Opera AU I’m working on.

Warnings: Trigger warning for mentions of murder, violence, and blood.

A/N: I have a different OC for each route. Areum Song is the OC I use for Jihyun/V’s route. Other OCs may appear, but for this work, Areum takes on the MC’s role. This work is a concept scene from a WIP I have: Phantom of the Opera!Mystic Messenger AU. As this is just a concept to a work that hasn’t been published yet, it may not appear the same or at all in the final draft when the WIP has been finished and posted.

Songs While Writing: All I Ask Of You (2004 Movie Ver.) - Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson, Andrew Lloyd Weber; (25th Anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall ver.)  - Sierra Boggess, Ramin Karimloo, Andrew Lloyd Weber

The opera house’s rooftop was bare of any signs of life. The night sky shone with an array of stars, with little to no clouds to hide the moonlight. The gentle snowfall covering their surroundings in blankets of white. Had it been any other time, Areum might have found it calming. Instead, she scans the place madly, ensuring that they were safe.

“Areum.”

She flinches at the soft whisper. She turns to Jihyun, her eyes wide with fear.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asks, taking her hand in his and caressing it with his thumb. “Why are we here?”

“I...I can’t go back there,” Areum whispers frantically. She glances around their surroundings again. “Please, Jihyun, don’t make me! He’ll kill me!”

“The phantom?” Jihyun’s bright, mint eyes cloud with concern. He pulls her closer to him as gently as possible. He takes Areum’s face in his hands and looks her in the eyes. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, Areum. The phantom is nothing but a story—a fable.”

Areum shakes her head. Her eyes begin to fill with tears and she squeezes them shut, trying to calm herself down. But none of it helped.

“Then how do you explain all that?” she cries, referring to the chaos in the opera below them.

Jihyun falters for a moment, trying to find the right words to calm his beloved. Areum sees this and turns away, wrapping her arms around herself.

“Areum, please,” Jihyun tries. “Please, think about this. He can’t be real. No one has even seen him. He’s just a figment of your imagination, a made up entity to explain accidents in the opera house.”

“You don’t understand,” she says. Areum takes in a shaky breath.

“I’ve seen him, Jihyun. I’ve met him, spoken to him, and sang with him” She tightens the grip of her arms. She could still see the vastness of the glassy lake, the darkness of the cavern only kept at bay by the many candles inside. She could still hear the sound of the piano, playing as she drifted in and out of her sleep. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget the way he latched onto my arm, or the way he tried to keep me from leaving.”

She recalls the angelic voice that would sing with her each night. The gentle flow of his words as he taught her how to polish her raw talent, the way he praised her with such sincerity. She never imagined that her angel of music could bring harm to anyone, much less murder someone in cold blood.

Then the face of the phantom flashes in her mind.

“You should’ve seen him. The pleading, child-like eyes he faced me with. He looked so lonely and vulnerable, so lost and alone...I know what that feels like, Jihyun.”

“Areum…”

Areum.

The blood freezes in her veins. Impossible. He couldn’t have found her here. She tries to reason with herself, perhaps she was hearing things. Except, she’s heard that very voice so many times before. She would know it anywhere.

Areum searches around wildly, her whole body shaking with fear. She forgets the pitiful face and instead sees the evidence of violence and death she witnessed just moments ago. Her eyes scan the rooftop desperately. She can hear Jihyun still trying to call her name, but her knees buckle and she falls to the floor, unable to erase her fear.

“Areum, listen to me,” she hears Jihyun say. His arms wrap around her body, lifting her up from the ground. He holds her close, face only a few inches from his so that she would see nothing else. “That’s enough. Let’s not talk about darkness or fears. I’m here with you, and I promise, nothing will harm you.

“I’ll guard and guide you, if you let me.” He says, pressing his forehead against hers. “Let my words warm and calm you. Let me know your fears so I can shelter you, hold you, and keep you safe in my arms. Just...let me be with you. That’s all I ask.”

Areum feels the strength return to her with each word he utters. She releases the grip on her arms and instead chooses to cup Jihyun’s face in her hands.

“Do you mean it?” she asks.

“Of course,” is his immediate response.

“Then, can I ask you of something, too?”

“Anything, my love.”

“Stay with me,” she breathes. “Say you need me with you beside you, that you’ll let me follow you anywhere. That you’ll share each day, each night, each morning with me. That you’ll love me every waking moment, as I do you—”

“You already know that I do,” Jihyun says, cutting her off with a gentle smile.

A tear slips down Areum’s cheek as a smile breaks on her face.

“Anywhere you go,” she whispers.

“I’ll go, too,” he whispers back.

A small laugh escapes Areum’s lips as she pulls him in for a kiss. It was slow and gentle, sweet and assuring. The fears remain in her head, but they’ve shrunk to almost nothing. Yes, the phantom can try and find her, he may even attempt to drag her back into his darkness. But she had Jihyun to stand with her, and that alone was enough.

POTO UK Tour - Initial Thoughts on the Christines!

I’ve had a tonne of asks about my opinions on the UK Tour Christines so I’m going to post them in 1 go so that I am not repeating myself. Obviously the tour has only been open for a week so these are very early opinions and I’m sure both performers will continue to become even better in the role. That being said I think Holly-Anne Hull and Anouk van Laake are excellent Christines already (I feel qualified to say that having seen 15 different actresses play the role!).

Holly-Anne Hull

Vocals - I would class Holly-Anne Hull as more of your ‘musical theatre’ type Christines (see Katie Hall, Olivia Brereton, Lisa-Anne Wood). This is by no means a bad thing! Her upper register is strong throughout and I never got the impression that she was struggling with the score. I’d say she was perhaps a little more conventiontional than Anouk. I got major Sierra Boggess vibes from her vocally a few times throughout the show, particularly during her Think of Me. 

Acting - Holly-Anne plays a very innocent Christine. She begins as coming across very passive, but by the Final Lair becomes stronger, although I still got a sense of helplessness from her during this scene. Her and Rhys have a really cute relationship; I think it’s difficult to sell the Roaul/Chrstine ship but these two have nailed it already! Some of my favourite moments of HAH Christine: following Carlotta’s every move during Think of Me, her giggling during AIAOY and telling Roaul to shush when we was confessing his love for her because she was embarrassed and her very seductive and saucy Aminta in PONR. 

Overall, I think she is a solid Christine and I am excited to see where she takes the role. 

Anouk van Laake

Ok - confession time. I was initially on the fence about Anouk’s Christine. Immediately after the show I was sure I’d preferred HAH as Christine but I really can’t stop thinking about Anouk’s interpretation! Please be aware that my thoughts are from her first ever performance in the role!

Vocals - Your more classical sounding Christine. Very different vocally to what I’ve heard before. Her upper register is outstanding. I can’t put my finger on it, she sounded unique, different. My problem initially was that she lacked volume in a number of scenes - I was sat Row G Stalls and couldn’t hear what she was saying/singing on a few occasions. This did get better in Act 2 so perhaps it was down to first performance nerves. Her Wishing has outstanding and her ToM cadenza was one of the best versions of the Brightman/Broadway cadenza I’ve heard to this date:  it was just different. 

Acting - Again, on reflection, I think Anouk’s take on the role was highly interesting. I’ve woken up thinking about things she had done during the show. However, again, this was inconsistent, hence my reservations to begin with. The growth with her Christine was much more noticeable. She had a very child-like maturity: her giggling at Carlotta and Andre during ToM, her ‘Things have changes, Roaul” lacked any sense of panic and showed her naivety. By Act 2 her Christine became much stronger which led to one of the feistiest final lairs I’ve seen: loved her cries of “No” when Roaul was caught in the lasso, her anger during tears of hate and “You deceived me!!” and her not being afraid of stepping up to the Phantom. Anouk has a very expressive face. She uses this well during MOTN, but in some scenes this was lacking and she came across as emotionless.  

Overall, my initial conclusions were wrong about Anouk. Upon reflection there were a lot more nuances in her performance which made her feel really different from other Christines I’ve seen. I think she will end up being a highly interesting Christine once those inconsistencies have been ironed out.

If you see either Holly-Anne Hull or Anouk van Laake you’re in for a great show. Very different interpretations but both valid and interesting.