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)

Hi Barbie! Kristin and Cara are coming fresh from their screenings of Barbenheimer to bring you Chapter 22 of the Phantom of the Opera, very scarily named, "Concerning the interesting and instructive ordeals undergone by the Persian in the belly of the Opera."

Raoul is desperate to rescue his low commitment long distance girlfriend from Erik's Mojo Dojo Casa House, but the Persian has his own sordid tale to tell about his OWN low commitment long distance boyfriend. (We promise not to talk about Barbie the whole time!)

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⁠Opening: Audiobook narr. by BJ Harrison⁠

Opening: Ken

Horsegirl Rik

Broadway Con - check out this awesome artist!

Lindsay Ellis' video about The Persian!  

Daddy Norm Phantom footage

Lars And The Real Girl Trailer 

Ryan gosling reads hey girl it’s UNTOWARD 

Sublime!

We go down once more to Erik's house, AKA the Home Alone booby-trap house, in this episode of Leroux Less Travelled! We are recapping Chapter 21 of "The Phantom of the Opera" by Gaston Leroux: "In the Belly of the Opera." Cara and Kristin follow Raoul and the Persian down the five levels of the opera house, find out what the 401k situation is for stagehands, and dare to ask the question: what's that squeaking sound? Come along, and you might just get a juice box!

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Opening: Audiobook narr. by BJ Harrison

Opening: Home Alone

BYU Phantom: take flight 

People’s Princess Earl Carpenter

Pod of No Return

Glassprism Cape Flip Hair Slick comparison 

Hugh Panaro Supercut

Ayanga - Phantom China

Paris Commune Info

Hot Air Ballons in the Paris Commune??

Teach your Raoul to Beatbox

Sufjan Song

We are at the halfway point of recapping The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, so let's recap how far we've come and where we are going next! Cara fills us in on her recent trip to Paris, aka Rik's house, Kristin checks in on her younger self from 1997, and we hastily* recap the first half of the novel before we move on with the stunning conclusion next time! Enjoy!

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Opening: Audiobook narr. by BJ Harrison

⁠Opening: Wasabi Scene from Succession

English Patient (1996) Trailer

A Royal Affair (2012) Trailer

Manon Ballet Summary

"Portrait of a Scotsman" Info!

Hey, has anyone seen, uh....Christine? Daae? The managers sure haven't in this week's episode. We are recapping Chapters 19 and 20 of Gaston Leroux's "The Phantom of the Opera," and this week the police are outsourcing their job, the managers are desperately trying to get out of doing theirs, and The Persian is quickly learning that Raoul de Chagny is a terrible Escape Room partner. Enjoy!

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Opening: Audiobook narr. by Christopher Lee⁠⁠

Opening: Young Frankenstein

The Lake under the Opera House

Last episode gave us a million questions, and now we have answers! Cara and Kristin dive into Chapters 17 and 18 of "The Phantom of the Opera" to find out why the managers were walking backward, what's up with Madame Giry's fit, and HOW Erik made 20,000 francs of monopoly money! Check it out!

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⁠⁠⁠⁠Opening: Audiobook narr. by Christopher Lee⁠⁠

Opening: BBHMM

Check out Klaus Scrimshaw's awesome fan art and webtoon, Ghost on the Roof!

Check out Jeremy Stolle and Greg Mills' new pod, "Pod of No Return!"