I had the great privilege of seeing Micheal Crawford on several occasions in this role. No one comes close. I also took my children in 2004 even. After the performance they stated it was amazing but the preferred my original cast highlights CD.
The original and best. No one since captured the man the ghost the deformity the otherworldly and sex appeal as Crawford...his movement alone let alone his sound is breathtaking. It's heavily over sung usually. This is a masterclass in sensitivity and command of a role.
His performance is so perfectly judged, so powerful, graceful and so utterly controlled. Michael Crawford was, is and always will be the ultimate Phantom. All men who followed him, even the best, failed to fill his shoes.
11yrs later and still watching this Wonderful Performance and hairs stand up on the back of my neck ❤ Absolutely Beautiful Magical Voice ✨ Love 🌹 from UK 🌹 🇬🇧 ❤ 💕 ❤.
Crawford was then and is now the standard and the bar for all who play the Phantom. Crawford set the bar so high few can match him, his voice, the way he acts, the shorten sleeve to make his hands appear longer. He truly is the Phantom.
I have yet to hear a Phantom that sounds and pure and hypnotic as Michael. Most tend to be strongly operatic, or very "pop Broadway" sounding, but still brilliant. Michael had a perfect balance and a voice that really is the essence of who Erik the Phantom is. The one and only.
I remember when I heard the musical came out, the first thing I did was read the novel, and when hearing MC's voice for the first time, I thought his voice sounded just like Gaston Leroux had described it...I certainly had that impression with no other actor I heard in the role, though I've come to appreciate and admire them for other qualities. What I really love about MCs interpretation of the role is that he holds back on the madness of the Phantom until the very end and makes us see the profound humanity of this character instead; also, he makes his fascination and enthusiasm for the character part of his portrayal - when he's singing The Music of the Night, he makes us see a Phantom who is just as enthralled with his song as Christine is meant to be, and we get a glimpse of the kind of person the Phantom might have been had he not been deformed. (The only other one who comes close to him in that respect being norm Lewis, who also has that "smile in his voice" quality.) It's precisely the same quality that also makes Glenn Close such a great Norma - when she sings With one Look or As if We Never Said Goodbye, I don't see Norma the "has been" or the "unhinged old hag", but a glimpse of her former glory.
Colm Wilkimson of the Canadian production (he also originated the Phantom at Sydmontom) is a most wonderful Phantom. A skilled vocal technician with a most beautiful voice. His understanding of the role is genius and his execution is superb. Providing the required emotional texture at the right moment in the song.
Reaffirms my contention that MC is, was and will ever be the best Phantom ever! No matter how many other versions of MOTN I hear, and I've heard just about all of them on YT, I keep coming back to Crawford's. Some may have better voices technically, but no one can match his delivery of this signature song.
Love this performance so very much. How brilliant is Michael Crawford here! The most amazing Phantom ever. His movement, that voice, he is such a legend. Love you Michael❤
Wow my heart did flip flops watching this. Michael has a magnificent voice, but many people have great voices; what differentiates him from them is his magical ability to convey incredible passion and emotion, actually not just in his voice, but in his movements. He's such a beautiful singer. Those hands, though - running right up and down her body - lucky Dale Kristien, lol.
Absolutely Fantastic, I went to this show in London, and I could watch it every night. This is what you call a wonderful night, I could see it every night and still go the next night. BRILLIANT. THANK YOU.
Oh goodness this is just such a beautiful clip. How I wish I were Dale, lucky lady. So sensuous. So emotional. Michael is just perfection. Noone has ever played the Phantom like he did. So haunting. His every move is so amazing. Happy Birthday to the most fantastic Phantom there has ever been. Love you Mr Crawford. Please please come back to London and do another show❤
I saw Michael and Dale perform this in L.A. They were wonderful. I remember this production closed at the Alhmanson because of renovations. I think Miss Saigon came in after this. Thanks for this some great memories.
Swoon, any day any time Michael I'll let you know where to find me. Hes fantastic, I love him! No one will or ever could be him. Hell always be the only phantom to me.
I'm with you. I saw Michael first, then Davis a couple times afterward. Both were very good, but Michael had a charisma that just reached out and grabbed you in a way that you could not resist. His portrayal of the phantom was just the best there has or will be, in my opinion.
man, when Michael comes out in the beginning singing, "I am your Angel of Music,.. Come to me Angel of Music.." does anyone else find it very scary and creepy? (in a good Phantom way) XD
It’s awesome. Funnily enough it’s this moment that cemented him as a “horror presence” for me in a way that made sense for them to use the Phantom mask in Backstreet Boy’s “Everybody.” When I first saw that I wasn’t introduced to Phantom yet. I was aware of it, but only vaguely so. Years later I fell completely into all things Phantom. Getting used to the whole lore over time. And then coming across this one I was like whoa. That’s the haunting Phantom that you’d see in a haunted mansion, or what Christine and the Opera house staff would feel if he ever seeped into their presence. THAT - him marching out so hauntingly and inevitably through the mist - is the “phantom” of the opera that they’d all feared.
MC is sensational in this, OMG. Slightly annoyed they had to cut out a verse from the song. You know his Phantom is all about her pleasure from the way he moves :-). Can't believe this is the same guy who played Frank Spencer !!! Well actually I can believe it because *talent*.
Michael created some new blocking for this, which isn't performed by anyone in the musical. It makes if even more sensual, if possible. No wonder he is the consummate Phantom.
Dale Kristien played Christine with Crawford for 2 years, and with several other phantoms. She said her favorite Phantom was Crawford by far. She was left in real tears every performance with him. Now that's saying something! She appeared in his concerts, too.
Really? I'm not at all surprised. This video actually had me me convinced after I saw it that there was something going on with them. Ha That is how convincing this man is with his passion and seductiveness! 3:22-3:30 HAD to have an effect on her....oh my. :) There is also his concert where she is in a red dress, and they sing the title song, and the passion he exudes towards her in that performance makes MY knees weak. :) They def shared some chemistry. Like I said-I don't know how all the actresses he performed with trained themselves not to swoon with that golden voice in their ears...and those hands...and that intense stare...and that elegant posture....
THERE IS NO OTHER PHANTOM! All the rest are merely “copies”. Some are excellent ie; John Owen Jones, Ramin Karimloo, but MC IS the Phantom. Created and gave birth to the tormented, tragic soul. Not rough and harsh. Not pathetic and whiney, but a genius tortured by a life of disgust and rejection longing for love, a gentle touch, or merely a kind word or glance. Michael breathed life into him, the Phantom. There’s only ONE original!
Amazing. Michael is simply brilliant. That "Come to me" arm movement at 3:13 is SO Bela Lugosi. :) (I just saw the classic movie of "Dracula" for the fist time the other day, so now I can tell that Michael borrowed a lot of the Phantom's movements from Bela's portrayal of Dracula--a wise choice, I might add. Good to see the great artists of long ago aren't being forgotten.)
Thanks for posting this. Michael and those fabulous hands of his, wooo boy, makes me happy! I saw Michael and Davis and both were astounding, but after you see Michael, well no other can hold a candle to his Phantom. He's just soooooo passionate!
Fabulous! What a treat! thank you for uploading this Such depth of feeling!!...Saw Michael in London stage production and oh this brings back the whole brilliant emotive show! He has amazing stage presence. (Saw him in Billy and Barnum.)
What year was this? I know the clip was uploaded in 2010, but is that the same year he performed this, or was that years before? Either way: MICHAEL I LOVE YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i love Michael, saw him do it twice ,,but his voice is no where near as good as Ramins, or others tbf. Michael's acting creation is the blue print,, but its a singer actor that's used now , not an actor singer,. oh and in the 25th , he was in his mid 60's and the voice has gone, to be able to sing the phantom, he admits that. for this generation JOJ and Ramin and others are the blueprint, time moves on, and the Phantom is now played by younger men. so dont be silly and say stupid things like that. everyone has an opinion, but to say that, is just daft. have you seen others do the role, they are brilliant, and ALW and CM's choice is Ramin Karimloo, so he must be good, i saw the understudy last week at HM , and he sung it better than Crawford ever did, just the way life works.
Laney Mitts I think MC is the best vocally;his version of music of the night is outstanding makes me fly xD @, the final liar his voice is full of pain and hurt my heart aches every time he says "Christine I love you " he is a better actor than Ramin too .. However MC vocals r unique and difficult for any christine to match if u listen to MC and Sarah (Sarah vocals r the best too ) something was wrong there was no any chemistry between their voices . Ramin vocals are somehow familiar and it isn't difficult to sing with him the chemistry will happen his duets with Sierra and others were fantastic and he is one of the best actors too. I believe phantom of the Opera duet with Sierra is the best version ever of this song it is perfect it fills my heart with all kinds of emotions XD I assume it my safest place in the world .
I used to think the same, but I've come to the conclusion that it's basically split between people who prefer tenors or baritones. I prefer Crawford and Panaro, who are both tenors, and who read the books to gain insight into their characters so that they could play them properly while also sticking to what Webber envisioned. Ramin has a more operatic voice. Very deep and strong, which some women respond better to than higher pitched ones. I've listened to a lot of clips of Ramin as the Phantom and, while he is very good, I just don't dig him like others do. Then again, I also recognize that people tend to latch on to the first Phantom they were ever exposed to. For many young girls, that's Ramin. I was raised on the original London cast. So perhaps that's why I favor tenors. Panaro is, sadly, the only other Phantom that has moved me as deeply as Crawford did. Many other Phantoms are wonderful and in comparison vids, I like when they come on. But I can always relax and swoon whenever Crawford and Panaro appear. It's all personal preference. :)
I cant get into Ramin...too pop broadway tune-ish. Plus he was waaaaay too young when he played The Phantom. He's talented and good looking but I just dont see the Phantom in him.
He once said in an interview that he learned his "cat-like" movements from the late Gillian Lynne. You can see that training in his every powerful gesture and movement. His was (and still is) one of the most erotic performances in the role. It is no wonder he was considered a "sex symbol" of the time...
I had to start backing away from the screen a bit cuz Christine's look was getting scary at 1:45 ....i know it's purposefully acting, but it still gave me the chills yikes. a tad zombi-ish i must say. still, very well done :)
I agree with most people here. Dale Kristen (Christine) looks pretty scary perhaps scarier than the Phantom. Crawford is indeed a very seductive Phantom. But to me, the best is Davis Gaines! His voice is just amazing! Coincidentally, I saw Dale Kristen and Davis Gaines together at one of the last LA performance over a decade ago. Gaines blew everyone away when he sang his come out song "Look at your face int he mirrow... I am there inside..." Never has the audience clapped before on this.
musicalphantom2010 Yes Dale does look a bit more than scary. The other thing about Crawford is his impressive physicality - no other phantom is Erik from HEAD to toe, with every step and breath, nobody else.
Ich habe mal eine Frage jetzt läuft er in music of the night könnte ich auch den Auftritt bekommen Engel der Musik Engel der Mose wo das Phantom mit der Frau singt freue mich dann immer noch ganz nah ist das Atom der Oper da sorry Druckfehler ganz nass das Phantom der Opa da das Lied wünsche ich mir das ist mein Lieblingslied Engel der Musik Engel der Mose Gruß Kerstin Werner die wünsche ich mir von Herzen ganz nah ist das Phantom der Oper da es lebt in mir
The Phantom is supposed to be the ugly one (w/o his mask), but this Christine is no beauty with all that garish '80's makeup and masculine face. She looks like Christine in drag. Sorry, but the Phantom couldn't possibly fall for this Christine. Of all the many Christine's I've see on YT, only Sarah Brightman portrays Christine brilliantly in her fearful hypnotic trance by the seductive Phantom.
devydu I think Sierra Boggess is the best Christine I’ve ever seen. She’s absolutely gorgeous and her voice is perfection! Check out her interview on RU-vid about meeting Michael for the first time. ADORABLE!
