[rock_show_host]

Originally Posted by beanbag

I actually rather liked him, even though he didn't fit the role of a music maestro. (I mean, if someone is going to teach you to sing, they should sound like a professional.) however, I thought he brought something really great to the role, even though it wasn't what I was expecting.

He definitely acted it decently enough, but the singing totally ruined it for me. Phantom of the Opera is an enormously popular show, and the Phantom is one of the most famous singing roles of any Broadway show -- I don't understand why none of the producers thought it was important that he actually be able to sing. The Phantom actually sounded unintentionally funny in a couple spots.

Originally Posted by beanbag

it was emmy rossum that drove me crazy. I think she's a good actress and I like her, but someone should have taught her to lipsync better than she did! I read somewhere that she recorded her own vocals and they were pretty good, but I could not take her seriously when she sang in the movie. her mouth was barely open and her vowel shapes were all wrong. =\

I youtube'd a clip and can definitely see what you mean. At least she can sing, though.

[Pauler]

i really like Les Miserables and My Fair Lady. both are really good.

[conceived in fire]

I love Across the Universe, The Prince of Egypt and several of the older Disney animated films (particularly Aladdin and Mulan). Other than, I don't really enjoy and often hate musicals. (sorry)

[RedSkittle]

I love Oliver Twist...the older version. How bout Pete's Dragon? Moulin Rouge is my most favorite of all of them and Phantom of The Opera comes in second. My most recent musical was The Blues Brothers...love that one too.

[tmlfan123]

Originally Posted by rock_show_host

He definitely acted it decently enough, but the singing totally ruined it for me. Phantom of the Opera is an enormously popular show, and the Phantom is one of the most famous singing roles of any Broadway show -- I don't understand why none of the producers thought it was important that he actually be able to sing. The Phantom actually sounded unintentionally funny in a couple spots.

Cut him a break, the guy can still sing. He may not sound like Michael Crawford or Colm Wilkinson, and he isn't a tenor, but he can still sing. If the movie had been your first introduction to Phantom, you'd still like it. It's not perfect singing, but I like the baritone inflection he brings into some of the songs.

[rock_show_host]

Originally Posted by tmlfan123

Cut him a break, the guy can still sing. He may not sound like Michael Crawford or Colm Wilkinson, and he isn't a tenor, but he can still sing. If the movie had been your first introduction to Phantom, you'd still like it. It's not perfect singing, but I like the baritone inflection he brings into some of the songs.

He hits all the notes, likely with the help of pitch altering in the studio. That's all. With a musical like this, one of the most important things is how the singer shapes the musical phrases, and Gerard Butler doesn't do that at all -- he just belts the notes in order with no attention to the arc of the melody. I suppose we'll agree to disagree, but he honestly ruined much of the movie for me.

To be fair, though, I don't much care for Phantom as a musical in general. I love a lot of the songs as stand-alone pieces, but I think the story is pretty weak and uneven. I saw the movie after seeing the show onstage, and had the same complaint about both. So...meh.

[Bryan]

Some of my favorites that I have seen:
Phantom*
Wicked*
Les Miserables* (also one of my favorite operas)
Miss Saigon*
The Producers
Chicago
Hairspray
My Fair Lady
Rent
Movin' Out*
Mamma Mia
Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Others I've Seen:
Blood Brothers
High School Musical 1,2,3
Moulin Rouge
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
South Pacific
Oklahoma!
The King and I
Beauty & The Beast
Music Man
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Grease
Grease 2
Little Shop of Horrors


Some that I have been told are good but haven't seen:
Avenue Q
La Cage Aux Folles
Guys & Dolls
Chorus Line
Hair
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Starlight Express
Jekyll & Hyde




*shows that I go see every time they are in town.

[tmlfan123]

Originally Posted by rock_show_host

He hits all the notes, likely with the help of pitch altering in the studio. That's all. With a musical like this, one of the most important things is how the singer shapes the musical phrases, and Gerard Butler doesn't do that at all -- he just belts the notes in order with no attention to the arc of the melody. I suppose we'll agree to disagree, but he honestly ruined much of the movie for me.

To be fair, though, I don't much care for Phantom as a musical in general. I love a lot of the songs as stand-alone pieces, but I think the story is pretty weak and uneven. I saw the movie after seeing the show onstage, and had the same complaint about both. So...meh.

His inflections are often more subtle vocally, made less necessary by the very fact that it is a movie and he can portray more emotion with his face and body. I actually like the direction he took with the melody lines in most of the cases - so yes, I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree.

[Art]

I've been lucky enough to see Phantom twice on stage, and Wicked once. Man, those shows are both pretty incredible. Incredible enough to that I am hoping to get a chance to drag my mom down to San Francisco to see Wicked before it leaves town.

I thought Gerard Butler was alright... It certainly didn't ruin the entire film for me.