Leroux Less Travelled: A Phantom of the Opera Recap Podcast

Your tent or mine? Special Guest Angie from the podcast Musicalsplainin' joins Cara and Kristin to cover this week's chapter of Susan Kay's Phantom. We cover "Nadir, 1850-1853" aka the Persia chapter! We navigate the troubled waters of 90s era prejudice while also watching two men who are definitely not-in-love traverse the cut-throat world of Qajar-era Persia! Come for the womb-tent, stay for the bone collecting and Leroux references!

Show Notes

Lindsey Ellis Daroga Video

Wishbone Phantom of the Opera

Susan Kay Source - Lady Sheil's Eyewitness Account of Persia

Photography in the Qajar Period

Outro

It's heating up in a respectable PG-13 way here on Leroux Less Travelled! Cara and Kristin finish their recap of Chapter 4: Giovanni from Susan Kay's "Phantom." Rik is still doing masonry in shirt sleeves while Giovanni is trying to find the guy who did this (not parent either of his children). Hopefully Chekov's Crumbling Parapet doesn't come back to bite anyone! Come for the Phantom recap, stay for the end when Kristin recaps the entirety of TRAP (2024) for your listening pleasure.

Intro: Back to the Future and "But Daddy I Love Him" by Taylor Allison Swift (a phan)

Hey there, we noticed you on our scaffolding and dug your vibe! Cara and Kristin dive into Chapter 4 of Susan Kay's "Phantom" - the Giovanni Years! We're finally having fun and enjoying the truly cursed Club Chalamet energy of Giovanni as he takes in a young Rik and teaches him the magic of stone masonry. Teen Rik would not be complete without teen angst, and Luciana is here to serve it in spades. We had so much to say about this chapter we divided it into two - stay subscribed for part 2 coming soon!

Show Notes

Intro: Timothee Chalamet by the Foxies

Robert Rhodes Article

Synchronized Swimmer Hair

Austin Butler as Elvis with his Screaming Fans

Harry Styles Defends Teen Fans

Club Chalamet says Timmy is a Good Boy

The Summer of Susan Kay and our review of "Phantom" by Susan Kay continues with the "Erik 1840-1843" chapter. We make unfounded claims about Rik's ability to win the Hunger Games while we attempt to navigate one of the most controversial chapters in the controversial book! 8 year old genius Rik has left home to join a community of travelers and Susan once again attempts to explain why he is the way he is with her particular version of events.

General content warning from this chapter: Susan Kay discusses Romani culture, sexual abuse, and harmful treatments of other marginalized groups in stereotypical fashion.

Show Notes

Beautiful Fan Art by Muirin

Roma in History

The G-slur isn't for you

Dog Eating Heart in One Tree Hill

A Different Man

How to Fail pod w Adam Pearson

Cara and Kristin dive into "Phantom" by Susan Kay in this week's episode. We cover the "Madeline" chapter, in which we meet fetal rik doing behaviors and deal with the complicated issue of what if we were Erik's mother. Madeline books a trip to Sandals, we call the ASPCA on behalf of Sasha the dog, and hope that none of these formative year traumas have a huge impact on later Rik (spoiler, they will). We welcome a special guest to weigh in on the psyche of Madeline as a mother and woman and discuss the Riks we are seeing in pop culture.

Notes from today's episode:

Connor Eulogy for Mo

Michael Crawford LA show

Rare Interview with Susan Kay

Guest: Shinyfire (her awesome fic here!)

We begin our "Summer of Susan Kay" with a real treat: the proshot of the 1988 Broadway production of "The Phantom of the Opera!" Kristin and Cara are together and in person huddled in a hotel room after viewing the special tape housed in the New York Public Library archives! We talk at length about how sexy Michael Crawford is, Sarah Brightman's blue eyeshadow, and the perfect golden retriever boyfriend that is the late great Steve Barton. We fill you in on how to see this special video if you're in the area, what, in fact, has changed in the 35 years since opening night, and how RIK Michael Crawford is! Enjoy!

Show notes

Brian Stokes Mitchell and Norm Lewis sing Agony at 54 Below

Mr Andrew's Vision from Titanic the Musical

How to access the NYPL Theater Archive

Rare Interview with Susan Kay

Judy Kaye Winning the Tony for Phantom

Prima Donna Rehearsal a POTENTIAL MOTHER

A Lil BTS of Phantom 1988

We're back! In this normal-sized mini-sode we explore a MISSING chapter of Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera: The Magic Envelope. Find out why this chapter ended up on the cutting room floor in 1909 as we plumb the depths of Rik-behavior and check in with our faves one last time. Be sure to listen to find out our grand plans for this summer and season 2!

Notes from this episode:

The Magic Envelope Chapter

Feyd Rautha

The Ghoul

Vice Principals

Follow along the Susan Kay Phantom-verse here

"It's over now, the music of the-" Oh, wait, we're getting word that it's actually going to be over now...in about three months, once Rik pays back the money, does his Oprah interview with the Persian, and sets up his last will and testament with his ex-situationship, Christine Daae. We meet up one last time with Rik, the Persian, and Gaston Leroux to talk about Rik's rich backstory, the serial killer theory, and get emo about the Dark Stories of the North™ in our LAST episode of this thrilling book!

Thank you for listening! If you would like to see what we do next (obviously Phantom related, duhhh) be sure to subscribe to this pod so you get notified when we return! We are hoping to look at some well loved phantom stories as well as other media in the future!

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⁠⁠⁠⁠Opening: Audiobook by Christopher Lee

⁠Opening: Borat My Wife

Alan Ruck being Rik in Ferris Bueller 

Alan Ruck being Rik in Succession 

Alive Girl 

Phantom actor Ethan Freeman reading from Leroux on “Behind the Mirror of Music”

Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

Unsung by Wheel of Fish 

A Stroll On Sunday by Antiquarianne

Lions and tigers and Rik, oh my! Join Cara and Kristin as we venture into the penultimate episode of our hit series recapping the Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux! Raoul and the Persian have the WORST table at the Rainforest Cafe (Rik's Version) and they need to get out without triggering the thunderstorm! Will they get out? What's the deal with all the barrels? What rec center did Rik learn to do all this foley work? Join us!

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⁠⁠⁠Opening: Audiobook narr. by BJ Harrison⁠⁠

Opening: Roar by Katy Perry

Gatsby Musical at Paper Mill Playhouse

Masque of the Red Death

Taylor Swift planning Joe Jonas' demise at dinner

What Erik is doing in that chamber

If you Care About Close Up Magic in the book here it is

The Rainforest Cafe

They're illusions, Michael

Make your own rain stick 

Did...you leave something in the microwave? This week Cara and Kristin dive into Chapters 23 and 24 of "The Phantom of the Opera!" We revisit the torture chamber where Raoul cannot help but call for Christine; we get a read on the railroad style apartment that is Rik's house, and calm down with a peaceful bedtime story about Bluebeard. We're so close to the end!! What will happen to our fair heroes?

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⁠⁠Opening: Audiobook narr. by BJ Harrison⁠⁠

Opening: Stefon

Apollo 13 final speech 

Norm LND footage 

La Madeline, Paris 

Railroad apartment 

“We’ll do that together too” Ultron clip 

Mr Darcy lake moment

Confused Samoyed 

Bluebeard 

Arrested Development stair car 

Ryan gosling learning Barbie dance 

African Forest 

Clip from Focus (2015)