The PHANNNNTOM OF THE OPERA IS HERE inside our mics *organ theme*...we know you sang it. Join the Broadway Babies in part two of the MEGA musical that everyone thinks is an opera! In this segment, Alex and Daisha talk about how Phantom of the Opera uses elements of actual opera on the stage and in the music, and we discuss our favorite elements of the musical. We also chat about the lucrativeness of the franchise and wrap it up with our pros and cons.

Podcast cover art: David Taylor

Twitter: @bwaybabies Facebook: Facebook.com/broadwaybabiespodcast

Cast recording: Amazon | iTunes

Video recording: iTunes | Amazon

Songs:

• "The Point of No Return," performed by Sierra Boggess and Ramin Karimloo
• “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again,” by Sierra Boggess 

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe. 

Released by Really Useful Group Ltd.

Show Notes:

• Learn about the Palais Garnier — the real Parisian opera house that inspired “Phantom of the Opera” and that Hal Prince visited
• Lindsey Ellis’ history lesson about the character of the Phantom post-ALW
• Another session of the infernal court in Musical Hell: the movie version of “Phantom of the Opera”
• “Home” from “Phantom” by Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit
• Snippets of opera ALW probably drew inspiration from:

  • Hannibal seems to be based on Aida’s extra-ness. General exoticism and grand staging and costumes in opera.

  • The Il Muto scenes
    • Laughing choruses in opera such as Verdi’s Falstaff and Mein Herr Marquis from Die Fledermaus.
    • A young girl dressed as a cheeky boy or young man is pretty standard. A pretty standard example this scene was taken from is The Marriage of Figaro, and opera by Mozart with a silly and smitten young man named Cherubino and the cunning Countess he is in love with. Phantom sort of combines Susanna and Cherubino and makes it his own.