The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall [Blu-ray]

What an absolute thrill to now own a copy of the stage production of the Phantom of the Opera. I have attended several live performances over the years in Toronto and keep going back if and when a tour passes through my city. I had always said why don`t they make a video of the Phantom of the Opera. Frankly, the movie version did not cut it for me due to casting Gerard Butler as the Phantom. He cannot sing, but it simply had to do until this one came out. I have all the CD recordings (Broadway, London, Canadian) and hesitate to compare the cast with the 25th Royal Albert Hall production, but they are all simply outstanding including the ones appearing in this DVD. I have already pre-ordered Love Never Dies waiting for the May 2012 release so I will have the entire story. The close ups in the DVD make you feel you are right there with them on stage. What also makes it so special is the emotions you not only see. but can feel in the faces of the cast. If you are truly a Phantom of the Opera fan, this recording is a must for your collection. I hope we see more video recordings of the great musicals. There are a few out there, but I want them all.

Re. B. Szabo's comments on audio quality, see below from the Blu-Ray.Com review of this DVD at [...]

Universal regularly does some frankly screwy things with their audio options on their music or concert titles, regularly having their Blu-ray discs default to Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks, and then having what most home theater aficionados are probably going to want, a lossless 5.1 option (usually DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), as the third choice. Phantom of the Opera at The Royal Albert Hall 25th Anniversary ups that oddness on two levels: first, the disc defaults to a standard Dolby Digital 2.0 mix, and then, even more peculiarly, the disc does not allow easy toggling to the lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that is included. Instead you need to either go back to the Main Menu or the Pop-Up Menu and access Setup and make the appropriate audio choice there. That slight difficulty aside, for the most part the 5.1 track is incredibly well rendered, at least after the main singing gets underway. For some reason the Prologue is mixed rather low (or was inadequately miked), and the Auctioneer is a bit hard to hear. Once the main thrust of the show gets underway, the DTS- HD Master Audio 5.1 track easily supports everything from the coloratura warbling to the synth-laden moments of the score. Balance is excellent between the orchestra and the singers and The Royal Albert Hall's natural ambience is caught magnificently on this track.

We bought this DVD after having seen the same version aired on TV. Well worth it, nice sound, great production, and wonderful surprises at the end of the performance! Had me spellbound. If you've ever liked the Phantom, this version is a must-see.