Phantom Of The Opera [Cast Recording, Soundtrack]

"Perhaps we may frighten away the ghost of so many years ago with a little illumination, GENTLEMEN!" These are the words that trigger the beginning of a musical experience unlike any other. This recording, I have found, is the definitive version of Phantom. I know people are entitled to their own opinions, but Michael Crawford IS the Phantom. I know there is a lot of hype about Gerard Butler, but I guess anything can be done in a recording studio. Not to say he didn't do a good job, he did, and I applaud his effort. But, every single performance of Phantom has always been built upon Michael's first performance some 19 years ago. He (Crawford) captures the heart and soul of the Phantom in a way that is often imitated, but never equalled. His voice... what can one say about that voice? He even sounds ghostly at times. His version of Music of the Night is my personal favourite, and Past The Point Of No Return was extremely powerful. This recording is essential for every Phantom phan out there. Even if you may not like Michael Crawford, or Sarah Brightman, it's still worth having the recording that started it all.

This is truly a great recording. Overall, I am totally in love with it, but I am here to give a review, not to push my personal biases on others. So, from the standpoint of a musician, actress, and singer, here goes. First of all the actors...
MICHAEL CRAWFORD: Overall, Awesome. Truly the best cast member. His voice is easy to listen to, and very expressive. He IS the Phantom. No questions asked. Technically, not perfect, but this is theatre, not technical type singing. Sometimes, he sounds like he has a bad cold, and tends to slide into the correct note on the higher notes, but overall, this detracts very little from his outrageous awsomeness.
SARAH BRIGHTMAN: Not a huge fan of Sarah's, I'm afraid. Vibrato is one thing, but when you sound like a chipmunk singing while sitting in one of those massage chair things, you're using a little too much. She hits all of the notes beautifully, but you would too if your husband wrote the part for you. Her acting skills and expression are below par, and her inunciation is like she's singing with dental equipment in her mouth. She should definately practice singing more forward, as she gets caught in the back of her throat frequently. Her solos can wear on the nerves, but overall, you could do worse, she's not completely devoid of vocal talent, and she sounds fine when she's singing with someone else.
STEVE BARTON: Not much to say about him. No surprises here, but easy to listen too, expression is on par, and he is technically the best out of the three leads. No complaints, but I've heard this voice a million times before.
OTHERS WHO STOOD OUT: Carlotta is excellant, and beautifully annoying, all though she does have one moment in NOTES where she slips out of character for a phrase. Meg sounds like she's singing while trying to breath through an oxygen tube, in other words, barely audible. I would have liked to hear her more in the harmony on Angel of Music. Everyone else: Fine. Cooly. No complaints.
AS FOR THE MUSIC: There is a lot of it, and it rocks. The orchestrations are fabulous for Broadway, and the melodies are beautiful, if frequently repetitive. Don't buy this if you don't like the tune of Angel of Music, it shows up in practically every song. The chorus numbers are ass-kicking and funky harmony-full.
THE FINAL VERDICT: You can't go wrong here. Even if you despise Sarah Brightman, everyone else more than compensates for her, erm , lack of pronunciation. Crawford is at his best, and the melodies are some of the most memorable in musical history. Even newbies to the Phantom world will rejoice. Go ahead, throw away your money here. You won't be dissapointed.

Yes, this is a great recording. There's no doubt about it. Sarah Brightman has a lovely soprano voice and Crawford has a nice voice. The music is wonderful. However, a couple years ago, I bought the Canadian Cast CD having seen that Colm Wilkinson played the role of Phantom. I was shocked. I thought no one would be better as the Phantom than Crawford, but Colm simply blows him out of the water. Colm sings with so much more emotion and power.(Not the Crawford doesn't) Rebecca Caine seems to sing the high parts of Christine with much more facility than Sarah and has just as equally a beautiful voice. If you have this set and want more, buy the Canadian Cast. If you're trying to decide which to buy, go with the Canadian Cast.