I don't know about "undeniable". I can certainly deny it. I don't think his score to Titanic is remarkable in the least.

I like that Christine has at least a little more character in Yeston's Phantom than in the ALW version... she's actually an ambitious person in this, not just like "well, they need someone to play the role... so I'll do it, I guess.... it doesn't really matter, whatevs...."

his score to Titanic is genius. not only the lyrics but the music as well.. the undertones of the SOS signal in "Dressed in your Pajamas" the undercurrent of the ocen in "The blame" is so intricate and wonderful, and chilling.

It's certainly better than the OTHER Titanic musical.

do you mean Unsinkable Molly Brown?

No, I was actually referring to the Italian film, "Titanic: The Animated Musical."

Around the internet, it's rather infamous for having blatantly stolen whole character designs and sequences from Disney movies of the past, shoving them together in a cheap knockoff of the James Cameron film, and then including talking animals and a RAPPING DOG as well.

It's considered one of the worst movies available to the public for viewing.

The non-musical TV mini-series based upon the Kopit n' Yeston show was my first introduction to all things "Phantom" - it was what moved me to seek out the original novel, the other movie versions and eventually the various musical adaptations.

Looked at from the standpoint of a literary adaptation, then the Kopit n' Yeston show is a travesty. Kopit took Leroux's gothic thriller and turned it into a sugary fairytale romance, shot through with cheap pop-psychology.

However, judged independantly of the book, I find that there is much to admire about Kopit's script. Erik's relationship with Gerard is particularly affecting and the genuinely witty repartee between the two characters is priceless, as are the comedy antics of Carlotta and her manager husband. Also, Kopit's kinder and gentler conception of The Phantom is an intriguing individual and his romance with a slightly more down to earth Christine has it's powerful moments.

As for Maury Yeston's songs.... I actually find that Yeston is an acomplished composer, but he is a very patchy lyricist. Most of the time his lyrics just "get the job done" rather than being poetically beautiful, but there's the odd howler here and there. Ive found that to be the case with the three musicals he's done that I'm familiar with ("Nine", "Phantom", "Titanic"). Generally speaking, his musicals contain more good moments than bad, and I find his odd duff lyrics aren't so bad that they totally bring down a show for me.

In comparing this to the two other "Phantom" musicals I am familiar with (Hill and Lloyd Webber).....

Yeston's songs seem to gel with the period setting a lot better than Lloyd Webber's anachronistic pop, and for all the liberties he takes with the material, the tone of Kopit's script is more sincere than Hill's version - which is excessively ironic and very smugly self aware.

However.... Yeston's songs aren't as immediately catchy as the songs in the other versions.... and I feel that only Lloyd Webber's version really understands the duality of the Phantom's character that made Leroux's story so intriguing in the first place. Erik in Leroux's book is both a romantic figure and a menacing one.... the Kopit n' Yeston version diminishes the menace of the character almost to the point of non-existence, whereas the Hill version places the strongest emphasis on the violent aspects of the character... although the Lloyd Webber version (both on stage and screen) prettifies the main character somewhat, he retains that element of danger.

PLEASE NEVER EVER MENTION THIS MOVIE ON MY TOPIC EVER AGAIN! SEEING THE NOSTALGIC CRITIC'S REVIEW OF THIS MOVIE WAS ALREADY HARD FOR ME TO GO THOUGH!

It's party time.



PARTY TIME.

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! END THE MADNESS!!!!!(Screams as Yakko rams himself off a window and falls 20,000 to his death)


Yakko Warner

1929-2009

I absolutely love it.

Our school did it recently and I was cast and it was great.
I love the music.

To be honest I have only seen Phantom of the Opera (the movie) once and I have never seen the show but I think its better.

Good show

Judging only by the cast recording, I think it's OK, and don't like how the Gothic horror aspect is taken out and made more campy and lighthearted than usual.