I can listen to his voice n him singing this song all day long it's that beautiful stupendous his voice omg bravo this is why hes my fav Phantom love Ben Lewis
I think Ben Lewis is the best phantom for Love Never Dies because his voice is so much more mature compared to Ramin whose voice is more suited for the younger phantom in the Phantom of the Opera. Both portray the Phantom amazingly, just at different ages and time periods.
Ben Lewis honestly is the best male singer I have ever heard in my life. He doesn't ever seem to mess up, and his voice is just so fulfilling and satisfying for the soul. In all my years I have never heard any man sing as beautiful and as perfect as him
In hindsight, it is clear how right the Australian casting decision was. Ben embodies a darker, older and sadder Phantom. And his rendition hearkens back to Gaston Leroux' original portrayal of the psychotic genius - he is Dracula, Nesferatu, Frankenstein, the Beast. Ben Lewis' Phantom personifies those dark and haunting literary figures more faithfully than most Phantoms in recent memory.
how could anybody not love voice?!?! It makes my heart start to beat my heart faster when he really gets into it and when he shows such emotions it puts me on the verge of crying
Brian Estanislao He set the bar really high. ALW had to hire Gardar Thor Cortes and Rachel Anne Moore who're both opera trained singers for the LND Hamburg.
TheMsiaddict if you want to know Ben is a west end Phantom he is leaving next month as far as we know but his replacement is only doing it till December Ben also is really good live as the phantom only phantom I have seen live
I agree Ben makes a brilliant older phantom. I havent seen him do younger phantom but from what i have seen Ramin and Sierra are amazing younger versions with ben and anna as older versions.
@@Silent-ChloeMcMillan There are bootleg records of Ben Lewis playing the Phantom in West End's Phantom of the Opera, and I would say he is among my top 3 favourites, I bet watching the performance live would be wayyy better than the bootlegs. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cWZCc7zvi8U.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3kuoc57yBH0.html
There is just something special about his voice within this song, I can't listen to Ramin sing it, I can only listen to Ben. The way he emotes and holds the notes it's beyond amazing it's...it's magical is the only word I can come up with. He was born to play this role, whether in POTO or LND.
I would legitimately travel to another country just to see Ben Lewis perform as Erik in the original Phantom of the Opera. He is exactly what I imagined him to be in those dark years before the internet was widely used. 😂 And his take on him is just so spot on... He definitely brings the maniacal edge to the character that actors like Ramin just really don't. No shade, they're great for different reasons, but Ben brings it to a whole new level.
Ben is Amazing. His voice is like a dark soft lullaby in my ears. He should totally have an award that says "Best Singing Voice For The Phantom". He makes the Phantom more torn for his love of Christine, more malevolent with his desires,more bitter and ashamed, and more vulnerable of the piece of his heart that is empty that only Christine could fill (hence the lines "My broken soul can't be alive or whole" and "I'll always feel no more than half way real" he still waits to hear Christine sing)
Brilliant. Voice, technique, emotion, expression and terrific looking man. What more do you need? I love this man’s voice. I m 74 year old American woman, wow I love this so much. Thank you Ben Lewis!!!!!!!!
+Silver54ful Imposing from every aspect. He's tall, his voice is huge, his expression is perfect. And he's gorgeous dimpled Phantom. Can we get more perfect Phantom than this?
TheMsiaddict All I can say for certain my fellow fan is I know for a fact watching him live in any show would be money and time incredibly well spent. I dream it may happen one day. :)
...I never tire of watching this clip...lost count of how many times now...watched the theatre production in Sydney twice and the movie many more times...It was on Showcase on Foxtel tonight for the first time so watched it even though I have the DVD, crazy I know...
It never fails. Every time I watch this video, I cry. This is coming from someone who grew up listening to Michael Crawford, and recently I’ve started following Ramin Karimloo’s work. Ben has such a GORGEOUS color and timbre to his voice, that embodies the maturity, the longing, the nostalgia this song evokes. I would love to see him perform as the Phantom someday. 💙
It's been edited. The eerie feeling was lost on the DVD. His resonant and sharp edge were gone as well. It was pretty but boring. I like the bootleg more, it's raw, just like his voice here.
It's wonderful to see there are indeed fans of Ben's. More often then not. I come across cruel coments. It's beyond sad because this man is a passionate actor and beautiful vocalist. He deserves far more recognition. If I ever had the priviledge to see him live. It would be awe-inspiring. :)
I loooove Ben. I am one of his greatest fans, really. And he is a very nice man in real life. It makes me nervous to see everyone compare him to Ramin, all the time. These two singers have nothing in common - and Ramin is overrated.
Auroshara de Belgrand Well now I'm envious. You are so lucky to have seen him perform live. Let alone meet him! He seems like such a lovely person. Was it Love Never Dies you saw him perform?
Auroshara de Belgrand First off a belated Happy Birthday to you. Second, is Andrew Lloyd Webber aware he must cast him as the Phantom in the orginal production? He'd make the audience stand up in the middle of the show to cheer wildy. And rightfully so with his stunning pipes and wonderful acting chops. :)
Is it just me, or The Phantom in LND should sound like this and not like Ramin's youthful tone?! I mean, Ramin's a great vocalist, no one doubts it. But in this story, the Phantom is already 10 years older. So he's kinda supposed to sound deeper. I love Ben's voice. It's dark, it's mysterious, it portrays Erik really well. We need more baritones like this man.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. This is my number 1 concern about Ramin as 10 years older Phantom. Yes he's wonderful but he's too youthful to play the old Phantom.
Yeah I agree. I like ben better for LND Phantom, but Ramin for the original Phantom all the way. I do like the occasional deeper voice Phantom, not always the Lyric Baritone voices like Ramin.
Bravo, Ben!! Bravissimo! 👍👏👏👏👏👏 Wonderful to revisit this again! I cannot believe it's been 8 years since I watched this magnificent show in Sydney, three times!! Ben and his gorgeous baritone voice is my all time favourite Phantom ❤❤❤
/FAINT! THIS is how the Phantom should sound! Hallelujah! There are no words that could adequately describe how much I love the way his voice sounds and how well he executes the end of the song.
I went to see Ben in POTO on the 6th October. He is incredible! I'm so pleased he has been given the role following his superb performance in Love Never Dies. I am a big fan of John Owen Jones who I saw as Phantom last Jan, and of Ramin from the 25th Anniversary performance. However I really feel Ben is going to make the role of Erik as his own. He had only been doing the show for 4 weeks or so when I saw him and he had already found a fabulous way to play the role. Amazing power, mystery, madness and love. Simply perfect. Bravo Ben, see you again ASAP!
I just love Ben Lewis He's the best Phantom voice mature masculine amazing spectacular voice tall and piercing eyes even through the mask I pray one day I get to see a real play this would be one of the first I would go see!! 👍💕
Just a sensational actor & such a brilliant voice so glad that i had the chance to see him in this wonderful show & glad that i have the DVD which i will watch over & over.no surprise that we will lose him to London. such talent. our loss though here in Australia. how lucky you were to meet Anna & Maria & Gustave. so sad that it is finishing in sydney the Capital is magnificeent. Sandy Perth WA..
I love Ben's baritone in the Australian version of Love Never Dies, such a rich and sexy tone and a nice change from tenor versions. It's been too long since I revisited these clips. I saw the show in Sydney three times and watched their DVD too many times to count but I think it's time to watch it again 🇦🇺 ❤
That's the true meaning of music right there. No auto-tuning, lip-synching, or flash. just a pure beautiful voice delivering a beautiful set of vocals with a beautiful melody in the background
cliffsellers Cast recordings will never be able to capture the raw power and magic of a live performance. Even on the 25th anniversary recording of POTA the audio is edited (most noticeable with Raoul)
Ramin and Ben are my favorites for different reasons. Ramins' voice is powerful and gives me chills and Bens' is seductive and gives me chills. Something about this mans voice just 😫😫❤️❤️❤️❤️
Ben has a beautiful voice. I get the chills every time. I don’t understand why Ramin fan girls come here to diss him in comments. If you don’t like Ben Lewis, don’t listen to him. Simple as that.
ErikandChristinePassion LoveNeverDies Lol, Ramin fangirls like to comment under Ben's videos. When we reply their comment, they usually say we're rude.
ErikandChristinePassion LoveNeverDies I love Ramin, but I don’t see the point in dissing Ben. His voice is beautiful, and his acting is great. Not to mention some of the goofy faces he makes that just make me like him a little bit more.
I've been listening these phantoms now for a few times (!!!) and I have come to conclusion that Ben is the best older phantom and this sitzprobe performance is much better than the one in the DVD. He's so damn handsome phantom. Ramin's mask spoils his look and feel... ;-)
He could play the original Phantom too. Those expressive eyes are to die for. Scheming and manipulating. I think that's the phantom should be, not the violent and screaming or growling ones. Of course with the great vocals because he's the Angel of Music.
I attended the LND production with my girlfriend, and managed the perfect seats in the house: front row, centred. I don't say this sparingly, but Ben's projection was phenomenal live just as his colleague Anna. But the real reason I love it is because his performance catalysed so many memories of despair and anguish due to separation in my own past. Thank Mr Lewis, you are truly an amazing performer.
He is definitely my favourite Phantom impersonator. His voice is deep, dark and, as many already said, much more mature than Ramin's voice. I'd love to see him one day in original 'Phantom', not the sequel. Mr Lewis has charm, power and 'this something' what I still can't find listening to Ramin which is surely great singer yet... Ben Lewis is my all-time no. 1.
Ben Lewis is a handsome Phantom and he has a very good voice. I have become a fan. He did a great job in acting singing and presentation. I will be watching Love Never Dies many many times.
I feel like I do this waaay too much on youtube but anything related to musical theater, theater people, or Phantom stuff, if there's something I wanna say I say it. (it's such a great way to waste time on a lazy day.) So with that in mind, I'm gonna rant here a minute. The first thing that came out of mouth after watching this, truthfully, was a full heartfelt 'holy shit.' Like I'm not even kidding, and it takes a lot for me to say that about a performer but yea, that just happened. Now Ben Lewis, what good things are there not to say about this man? First of all, can we just talk about his voice? Seriously I am just sitting all alone at home in my room just crying and heavily breathing after listening to him sing this song. He has such a deep raw tone and then as the song builds his voice builds and explodes into this strong hearty belt that just brought me to goosebumps and tears. I have never heard a voice so haunting and hollow but it brings so much. You can feel the pain of the Phantom like I didn't even need to have my eyes open listening to this because you can just feel it in his voice, he's acting through the song and it's so natural. Second, for the moments that I did open my eyes I love how he was moving with the music and just going along with it, like it was taking him over and just really letting all the emotion seep through his veins. And he wasn't even on the stage doing the show this was just him singing, who knows where. I did see him in LND on the DVD and in that and this video his presence and authority and just himself, all of him just shines. Thirdly, God is he handsome or what?? Such an attractive man with an attractice voice, and he seems like such a sweet down to earth guy. I love people like that and when they are performers like he is it especially is waaaay more appealing to me. (all the guy's I obsess over are stage performers, not gonna lie.) But Ben, he is like my little light. ♥_♥ Honestly, Ben just deserves so much more attention than he gets. The London cast of LND gets so much attention (and believe me, I can see why. And Dear Lord Ramin I have been in love with him since like 7th grade), but seriously, the Aussie's really dominated this show, and Ben was the best sequel Phantom. In general he's just one the greatest peformers to have the pleasure to watch and to listen to. He's one of the most underrated, handsome, taleneted, performers in like the whole wide world and I just love him to death. He inspires me so much. One day he (and really also Anna O'Brian since I moved to the whole topic of LND) well, the two of them better get to be in new stuff and get really popular and both win Tonys. Okay... rant over.
Maybe you'll love Matt Cammelle as well. His voice is darker than Ben, but with the same intensity, deep and booming. There's full show of him as the Phantom here.
