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Some pyrotechnics add periodic excitement with solid stunt work. Costumes and set construction are elaborate and colorful, offering a great sense of time and place. The actual production design is simply marvelous, with the show coming across as a true theatrical spectacle. A large video screen rests behind the performers, bolstering the set design with extra background enhancements. Tracking shots, pans, and dissolves all add some cinematic flair, helping to keep things visually interesting. Frequent close-ups reveal tiny details and facial expressions, giving viewers an intimate look at the show. Wide shots, sweeping overhead angles and audience POVs all add a level of grandeur to the proceedings. Fed up with his demands and shadowy actions, the company bands together to fight off the disfigured menace once and for all, but as Christine's emotions grow more complicated it seems like the Phantom's allure might ultimately prove too strong to escape.įilmed during a special live performance at London's famous Royal Albert Hall, the movie features a variety of angles and set ups that help to pull the audience into the action without ignoring its stage production roots. By threatening violence he forces the managers to cast Christine as the star in their show, and slowly attempts to seduce her. The story focuses on a beautiful young singer, Christine Daae (Sierra Boggess), as she becomes the object of desire for a mysterious, masked stranger (Ramin Karimloo) who haunts the Paris Opera.
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Despite that fairly negative association, watching this version of the musical in its entirety has certainly broadened my appreciation for it, and thanks to some beautiful music, strong performances, and breathtaking production design, this filmed stage show really shines. In fact, my only other experience with the show involves memories of my mother playing the album on an endless loop during long car rides and family vacations, causing the repeated melodies to invade my dreams while I tried to sleep in the backseat. While I've seen pieces of the Joel Schumacher adaptation, this was my first real exposure to the Andrew Lloyd Weber classic. Bathed in dramatic lights, magnificent sets, and sumptuous costumes, 'The Phantom of the Opera: Live at the Royal Albert Hall' is an elaborate production of the famous musical, celebrating its 25th anniversary with style.
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