Customer Reviews

Phantom: The American Musical Sensation (1992 Studio Cast)

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I deeply love this musical because it focuses on the emotion of the story and the characters, rather than spectacle like the ALW version does. I love Maury Yeston's music and lyrics.

Richard White and Glory Crampton are phenomenal in voice. Their duets in "Home" and "You Are Music" are particular favorites. "Dressing For the Night" and "Phantom Fugue" are paced faster than what is usually performed live on stage. While they both are fun, I prefer the slightly slower versions.

I highly recommend this CD as a good example of Yeston music and also because this is one of my favorite musicals.

I have seen both of the Phantom musicals on stage (the Lloyd Webber version on Broadway, and this version by a professional troup in Wisconsin). The music in both is wonderful, but this Phantom has more "meat" to the story and the characters are more believable. I wept and wept when I saw it performed, and I still weep when I listen to the CD. I highly recommend this recording.

Being a huge fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Phantom," I listened to the Kopit and Yeston version with more than trepidation. I figured I'd breeze through the songs with indifference, hoping to catch one or two good pieces that might stand out. Well, to my great surprise, the entire CD completely captivated me! From the upbeat "Melodie de Paris" to the heartbreaking "You are my Own," I was MESMERISED. This version, while definately a variation of Gaston Leroux's novel "The Phantom of the Opera," is also wonderfully unique. It allows us to see and experience what drives the characters of this story forward. This is truly a credit to the "fathers" of this work (Kopit and Yeston) and to the wonderful singers. This is definately a "Phantom" to look for, listen to, and cherish!

Admirers of Gaston Leroux, beware. The story of Erik the Phantom as told by Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit has more or less been invented by the authors and bears little resemblance to the original. Or, for that matter, to the Andrew Lloyd Webber version, which itself takes a few liberties with the novel's plot but basically sticks to its general idea. This one is in a much lighter mood. Also, by focusing on the Phantom's motivation, it completely ignores Christine's, in the process eliminating both the character of her father and the concept of the Angel of Music, which to me are two of the central aspects of the story. It also adds a couple of rather absurd touches, like the opera manager being Erik's father who shoots his son in the final scene to save him from being caught, or Carlotta holding a singing contest against Christine in a Paris bistro. And there's one piece of lyric that's downright silly. ("Where every English horn makes me feel glad I'm born" in "Home". Thankfully though, there's no "Where every clarinet makes me feel cold and dead."). The plot of the musical, by the way, is identical to the 1990 NBC mini series starring Burt Lancaster and Charles Dance, which has a script by Kopit.

That said, it should be noted that this is a wonderful piece of music! Yeston has written lyrical, classical melodies and transformed them into very athmospheric songs. The opening, "Mélodie de Paris", is a pretty waltz with the slightest of French flavors, whereas "You Are My Own", "Where in the World", or "My Mother Bore Me" are ballads as beautiful and emotional as any on Broadway or in the West End (even if they lack the sophistication of Yeston's masterpiece, "NINE"). Add Jonathan Tunick's glorious orchestral sounds and a very good cast, and what you'll get is a great musical that stands on its own - neither above nor below ALW's, but right next to it. The two simply don't have anthing to do with each other.

It has always been my philosophy that if one is gonig to create a new work based on a story that has been told many times...then they best have something new to say about the story or the result will be trite and banal. Kopit and Yeston deliver some rich and wonderful variations on the classic tale...and being a true Phantom Buff...I have heard and seen them all. The music is delightful and stirring...with truly penetrating lyrics that make you think...not just hum. The well-thought out book allows for deeper character development than any other version to date. While I am a fan of the Webber version...I do belive that Kopit and Yeston have artistically achieved just as much if not more with their beautifully concieved variation

I got the CD last month, and I love it. I can't get "Where in the World," "My Mother Bore Me," "I Will Find You Out," and "You Are My Son" out of my head. I'm hoping they take it to Broadway.

While the ALW version beat this one to the Broadway stage, this version possesses superior characters and the music is every bit as wonderful and the Broadway version. I have seen this 3 times in the local dinner theaters and it out performs the ALW version in many categories. Even if you are sold on ALW, try this and you will not be at all dissappointed. Hopefully, this Maury Yeston version will get to the Broadway stages too.

I can't imagine how many people actually entered the theatre thinking they were about to see "THE" PHANTOM of the opera (this version slightly predates it) - - well, although NO, this was not "THE" Phantom, the audience for sure was not disappointed. In fact they were in for a real treat. In my opinion, the unfolding of the story was a bit corny at times, but the music was memorable... I left the theatre hearing the tunes in my head for days and still do at times... especially songs like MELODIE D' PARIS, YOU ARE MUSIC, WHO COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED. Though the story is sort of a combination of several other well known plays and musicals (I won't give it away), the music well reflects the schism of THE PHANTOM, being both bright, waltzy and bubbly at times (this is gay Pari' afterall) and at other times dark and bleak. I imagine the musical will eventually fade into obscurity, but I hope the tunes will find long lives and you'll enjoy them as much as me.

It is a shame to learn that Kopit and Yeston purchased the rights to the Pantom of the Opera but were usurped by Andrew Lloyd Webber as it was in the public domain in Enland. Otherwise, we would have this marvelous music to listen to as much as we now listen to Webber's work. In a way we are fortunate that Webber's work can be heard as well as Yeston's work as the latter was allowed to publish in the US. Still, it is sad to realize that the public mainly ignores this work as they think first, that it even exists and second, that it is inferior to the Webber's work. The fact is that Phantom is excellent in its own right and has great songs such as "Home", "Melodie de Paris" and "Who Could Have Dreamed Up You". I highly recommend it to anyone.

Yeston's "Phantom" has, by far, some of the best music that I have heard in a long time! With excellent performances by Glory Crampton and Richard White, as well as the supporting cast, this CD is one that you'll listen to again and again! Each song is fresh and original, while still containing elements of a musical era gone by. "My True Love", "You Are Music", and "You Are My Own" are some of the especially poignant songs, and they stay with you long after the music stops. I highly recommend this CD, and I encourage all ALW "Phantom" fans to give it a try!