My Biggest Problems with This Performance

As far as Karimloo, I think at some points he was screaming, forcing his emotions through. I loved his performance personally but that's just me :).

As far as Raoul, now that you mention it.. there are certain things in there that I would agree with you on. He comes off across as a little arrogant as well. That being said, I still enjoyed it but good call

I've waited too long, lost too much. Requiescat in Pace...

I think they're trying to make his character less sympathetic and more like how he ends up in Love Never Dies to tie in with the (incredibly inferior) sequel a little better.

I have always felt that Raoul was shallow and arrogant. It is with time and age that I have understood his naivete and exuberance. He is a wealthy patron of the arts in turn of century France and if he didn't act the way he did, his character would be sharply different of what would be expected (which would not neccesarily a bad thing). I have always felt much more similarity and empathy for the Phantom, and as I've grown older, I've learned how despite his deformity he is truly the reason that bad things happen to him during the course of the play.

Regarding Raoul as a cruel and/or miserable character, I imagine it would be very hard knowing that the woman you love purposefully chose someone else, then accepted you by default.

The more I see this production, the more I resent how they staged it to fit in with the sequel. At the end, Christine starts singing, "Say you'll share with me," etc, TO the Phantom, where if I recall rightly, she and Raoul sang it together offstage in the original production. Then Raoul coaxes her almost against her will (in this version) to come with him instead. I thought making it fit in with Love Never Dies compromised the integrity of TPOTO somewhat, and it left me without as much sympathy for the characters, to be honest.

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