MovieChat Forums > The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall (2011) Discussion > Performances revised to fit in with Love...

Performances revised to fit in with Love Never Dies?

posted 13 years ago by BillyFisher
6 replies | jump to latest

So, Raoul comes across as a bit obnoxious and arrogant in this production, in a way he never did (to me, anyway) previously. In the roof scene, before the couple declare their love, he even seems to be sneering at Christine.

Christine blubbers at the end, and when she comes back to the Phantom's lair briefly, she seems torn between staying with the Phantom and going with Raoul -- another aspect I don't recall seeing in any previous productions. In fact, Raoul almost seems to lead her away against her will.

I think they did all this deliberately to make the show more consistent with the (rather far-fetched) plot of the sequel, Love Never Dies.

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[–] tbarry23 13 years ago

Nope. It's all up to the interpretations you see on stage. I've seen Raouls who seem more like Dudley-Do-Right. It was nice to see someone ACT in that role, for a change.

[–] Urquharts 13 years ago

I thought Hadley Fraser (Raoul) was wonderful.

In previous (live) productions I have seen, Raoul is generally played as a lightweight rich boy who is instantly (and unbelieveably) smitten with Christine.

Mr. Fraser plays him as a man (not a boy) who doesn't believe Christine at first - and one almost gets the sense that he is not so much in love with her as trying to get her back onstage before the audience bails (he is the real owner of the opera house, after all).

Even later on, when he is pressuring her to do "Don Juan", he comes across more as a manipulator than a lover. Which, to me, in the context of the story, makes more sense.

I agree: it was really nice to see a gifted singer ALSO do a great job of acting the role. I really liked his interpretation.

Urquharts

[–] forvanityssake 12 years ago

In the novel that all of this is based on, Raoul is an effeminate, whiny, besotted fop of a boy-- and I love him for it. I understand that, obviously, there will be changes between the original and a stage adaptation, but still. It would be nice if they stuck more to the characters' integrity.

[–] Mentrilo 13 years ago

I seem to remember seeing an interview (possibly sierra and ramin on youtube) where they discuss making changes to make it fit better with love never dies.

Look, I'm sorry I called you an inanimate object earlier. I was angry.

[–] PhantomPhan101888 13 years ago

In 2010 Sierra said something to the effect of " I wish l could go back, [to the role of Christine in Phantom] just one more time and do a few things just a little bit differently now that I know what happens in LND"

[–] highlander1592uk 12 years ago

I had exactly the same thought. This Raoul could, to me, very easily turn into the drunken gambler from "Love Never Dies". I got the impression throughout that he was more interested in Christine as a "Trophy wife" and thought she was delusional at first but, once he realised the Phantom was real, it became a matter of honour for him not to let some other man take the girl he had already claimed for himself. This plays very nicely into their back-and-forth during "Devil Take the Hindmost" , casuten years later. Christine also seemed far less sure of her final descision - it was very easy to believe that she would go back to the Phantom days before her wedding, as described in LND. As well as all this, the Phantom himself came accross as much younger. I'd always assumed he was meant to be in his 50s, resulting in Christine's confusion as to whether he is a potential lover or father-figure but in LND he seems only to be 40-50, meaning he was at most 30 during this story, probably younger, although it's possible that his isolation and lack of previous social interaction made him seem younger.All in all, a definate yes! Very much re-worked as "Part 1 of 2"