FIND ME ON: INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.... WEBSITE: marcdanielpatr... In this video Marc Daniel Patrick discusses the MOST requested video on this channel- "Music Of the Night" as performed by Ramin Karimloo, from the Phantom Of The Opera.
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Honestly this is the only version of the musical where I actually understood Christine falling in love with the Phantom. Both of them portray the emotions of this scene insanely well. You can see on Christine's face the way that she is falling in love with his voice.
Yessss! I love the way Ramin and Sierra's portrayal of the characters. For me I can understand why Christine would fall for him or at least is conflicted with her feelings towards the Phantom.
I like Ramin's pleading instead of commanding Christine. He's made the Phantom more human, and I like it. He goes between sadness and anger (see the end of Act I. He does it in 2 lines and you can see his tears ). Awesome.
That “Christine I love you” at the end of the play where he was about to go down on his knees and practically sobbing got to me. Also Christine crying in his hands made me cry so much. This humanity and chemistry between both of the characters added to the story and let’s face makes everyone in the audience bawl.
I think he should command during music of the night. He has her under control until he is unmasked the first time. Then after he is allowed to plead in my opinion
Brandon Benitez but that’s not how the original story was. He was very respectful and never touched her without her consent or her touching him first. To be more commanding isn’t how the original character is.
I totally get what you mean by Ramin falling short on being in command. However, I think Ramin was going for a more human portrayal of the phantom. Yes, he’s in his own lair, but he is also bringing his crush to his place for the first time. I imagine not many people are the picture of confidence when they bring their girlfriend/boyfriend over for the first time. Also, interesting note that might have played into how he chose to portray the phantom: he had just finished playing the phantom in Love Never Dies before doing the 25th anniversary performance. In Love Never Dies, the phantom is much more human, less of a “creature,” and spends most of the show begging Christine to stay with him, which may have carried over into Ramin’s performance in POTO. Of course, they’re two very different versions of the same character so they can be portrayed differently. Nevertheless, this is all a matter of personal preference, so this is just food for thought :)
Exactly, I think it's very connected with Love Never Dies... I mean- I'm not even fan of Love Never Dies, but I definitely can see why Ramin portrayed Phantom this way because of it
Sorry Amanda have to disagree with you Ramin played The Phantom In POTO in 2006 to around 2009 although when he played at the RAH he was as you say playing in Love never dies
Great review Marc. I disagree with your assessment that Ramin doesn't have a commanding enough presence as the phantom. The phantom's dramatic showmanship throughout the performance/show is just a facade to cover the vulnerability and insecurity he struggles with while seeking companionship from Christine. I feel that character study so present in Ramin's performance here.
I love Ramin's version of the Phantom because he comes across as more human. Someone who has fallen in love - but doesn't know anything except pain, loneliness & exile. It gives so much depth to the Phantoms Character & his bond with Christine.
Ramin delivers and evokes the most emotional, sensitive and compassion-grabbing Phantom I can imagine. Unbelievable!!! He makes me weep every dang time I hear it!! I don’t care about anything other than how I feel when I hear him. 😩❤️🌟
Ramin is absolutely fantastic (PHANtastic?), one of my favorites Eriks for sure. I LOVE the way he sings, specially The Music of the Night which is my favorite song of the show. He truly captured Erik's character, he is powerful, passionate, and the same way extremely vulnerable... SPECIALLY when he is near to Christine. The Music of the Night, as a whole, is a PERFECT PERFECT *PERFEEECT* song for Erik, it's literally his whole character there, he is desparate, he is crying for help and affection, he is confessing his intense and undying love and the same way revealing his pain, his loneliness and his tragic situation. He is both The Phantom, the powerful and dangerous mystery, and Erik, the vulnerable and heartbroken man. It's so fascinating, and the best moment for me is when he sings "Can you belong to me?" that is his *most* vulnerable moment in the whole performance. How Ramin portrays his anxiety and happiness when Christine's head falls into his arms... it's so wonderful. He is fascinating. And, Ramin also gave an interview saying he headcanons Erik as autistic, AND *YES.* OMG Erik is 100% autistic coded specially when you go into the original novel. I'm simply fascinated 😂❤
I love how during his ‘only then can you belong to me..” you can see him trying to build up the courage to touch her, up until that moment he barely let himself lay a finger on her…but now he’s going for it and the way Ramin plays it you can see just how nervous he is ‘will Christine run away?’ ‘will she scream?’…all these questions are running through his mind here and you can SEE it. And then…she snuggles into his arm so lovingly and you can hear him gasp…I love it! Ramin played that so beautifully, his nervousness, his fear and then the sheer ecstasy on his face when Christine rests her head gently against him and he realizes he’s holding her for the first time is so sweet. ❤
I saw a very tiny detail when I first saw this, and I wonder if anyone else sees the same as me. But at one point during this song, Sierra has, what I believe to be, a tear running down her cheek. It might be sweat for all I know, but I like to believe that it’s a tear. For Christine, you have to be so present in this song, it wouldn’t surprise me if it was a genuine tear. Just wondering if anyone else saw it...
Hey Daniel, My wife and I caught Ramin at the Birchmere in Alexandria Virginia with his country band of buddies from Toronto a few years back. The Birchmere is kind of an old time roadhouse in an out the way building away from the tourist area. They had a habit of bringing in some amazing touring acts of all kinds. I kind of knew who Ramin was from the televised Phantom but seeing him do all the stuff he does blew us away. I've been fooling with musical theater for more than half a century and writing for Broadway World out of Kansas City for a bunch of years. You are right about Ramin's voice. I have never seen anyone flip from grand opera to musical theater to rock and roll to country and back like this guy. It was an amazing time to sit fifteen feet from this guy and see him kill it. I wasn't a huge Ramin fan until I got to see him up close. He is a great performer and a really nice guy who spent time with folks after the performance and had a good time with the closeup audience during the show. I hope this lockdown ends soon. Sierra Boggess is performing in a little theater with six rows here in KC at our Crown Center. Sierra's show, along with separate performances with Jeremy Jordan, has been already scheduled and cancelled twice... next opportunity is April. I am guessing we will delay again. I know Jeremy has friends here, but I'm not sure what Sierra's connection is. KC is kind of an amazing and surprising theater town with about 55 producing companies with almost 200 shows in an normal year. If everyone survives, we have a great core of performing and musical artists. Good luck with your critiques and teaching.
I love Ramin, saw him as Valjean in NY, amazing. But I really love him singing in Love Never Dies, especially the song Till I hear you Sing. He originated that Phantom perfectly it was really like it was written for him. Too bad that LND got such bad reviews. Okay, maybe the story isn't that great, but the music still stands.
Phantom of the Opera was the musical that got me into musical theatre and it has a very special place in my heart. This song is probably my favorite song in the entire musical and Karimloo delivered it perfectly. I really love his take on it.
Ramins story is a dream and I am glad that he ran into the right folks to nurture his amazing gift. I dont know if some parts of the world are more competitive or just cruel but I have had many doors closed due to not being able to sight read.
So amazing! 🥰😍 I saw Phantom of the Opera for the first time in Toronto for my birthday when I was in 8th grade (I'm 37 now, so a lot of years ago), but this song is so beautiful it still brings tears to my eyes. He sings and plays it so well! I wish I had a fraction of his singing talent!
Although I believe no one is better than the original phantom Michael Crawford, the 25th anniversary is the first production that I’ve seen and I loved it. I thought Ramin was the perfect phantom. He embodied him and the chemistry between him and the rest of the cast was profound. Wow! Just wow!
Thank you so much for this. Ramin is truly remarkable! I have met him and he is just a genuine lovely guy. I would love to hear you react to his “Til I Hear You Sing from LND. Please ....😊
That big orchestra breaks is one of the top most beautiful musical breaks in all of....music. Lol.... EXCEPT...for an even more gorgeous musical part at the very end of the scene where Ramin...or phantom rather finds out he has a son and accepts it, and says he can have all his realm in Love Never Dies. Love Never Dies has some of the most BEAUTIFUL orchestration as well. (As an orchestra “player" I will listen to the musical a second time paying more attention to the orchestrations.
Christine’s young life he was the “ angel of music”. The phantom wrote music and lyrics pouring his heart out for her to sing them. He brings her to his “lair” his home and should be gentle with her. And here again now he’s face to face with her and wants her to feel his music because he writes it for her. He wants her to feel the passion, the love of the lyrics. Teaching her to let go of her inhibitions. Ramon and Siena have a good working chemistry and it shows time and again in their acting. Watching the newer play, Love Never Dies brought me to tears. You know they have the love for one another despite what other people should want them to be.
I have seen Phantom about 10x, the first time with Michael Crawford and many others throughout the years. I have not seen Ramin live but have certainly watched this performance many times. What I have come to appreciate with each performance was how each actor brought their own take on the Phantom to the role. Some sound more sensual as you said, some have played him more psychotic, and Andrew Lloyd Webber chose Ramin for this performance from what I heard from interviews because he liked his more "rock and roll" style that he brought to the music. He is really amazing. I would love to see him live in this. You should react to them in "Love Never Dies" to continue the performances in the story. :-)
The acting is so beautiful in this. You can see through his gestures that he is building the world he's singing about all around her and you can see from her face that she is there for it. Like the first time she gets close to touching his mask and then pulls her hand away, almost coquettishly, and then the reality seems to hit her and she walks away. Then the song penetrates her senses again and she's again looking around her in wonder, drawn right back in.
It's your own opinion and perspective. Codos to you Mr. Marc Daniel Patrick. Though, in my perspective, it is his way of portrayal of Phatom, which I love. Ramin makes the Phantom more humane though this character is dangling in between good and bad. And, I also love that he is not only singing but also acting, which others focus only on either of two.
Would love to see your take on his : Bring Him Home". And unfortunately there is no recording I can find of him when he was in Chess singing Anthem....he knocked that one out of the park when I saw it
You’re genuinely one of the only “voice teacher reacts” youtubers that i’ve ever agreed with, and that I feel knows what they’re talking about in the slightest. Mad respect man.
but the good thing about that segment , is the unpredictability of his playing. that makes the character vulnerable... foreshadowing the logic of the point of no return part.
I loved how you dissected and broke it down in laymen terms I will be seeing this in a whole different light. Would you consider doing a song from LND, such as BAMS, TIHYS, please and thank you.
He inspires me so much because I cant read music ether. Can you react to more Ramin I love him so much. Ramin is also the youngest Phantom. Thank you for reaching to him not a lot of people react to him
The Phantom was the first musical I've ever seen live. I was way too young and it gave me nightmares, but the music was love on first sight. About 10 years later, when the movie came out, I was like, now finally all my friends like the same music as I do. Am I cool now? No? Ah well... 🙃
I'm just finding this video now... nice comments, agree about the bottom weight and richness of a baritone (though, tenors... ❤) Enjoyed the part about Ramin growing up in Toronto when Colm Wilkinson was playing the Phantom. I'd loved the original album, astonished by Michael Crawford - saw him twice in the role. Then on a business trip to Toronto, saw Wikinson's performance... and you know the part of this song where Christine turns and 'pursues' him upstage to the gate? That was the first time I understood WHY she was so in love with him.... gotta love Colm's vocal quirks, but he's undeniably irresistibly seductive on stage.
Nah I get it. Ramin's one of my favorites but the sensuality of the song is pretty dormant in his version. There's definitely an element of "forbidden fruit" about the phantom that makes his advancements in the layer more enticing during this song, and Ramin's not playing it. That being said, I really love when actors have such a strong pint of view in something as cannon as this, so I can't really ding him for it too much. He really commits to his choices.
Although I usually disagree with interpretation reactions, as it is insanely personal, this is a great review of this masterpiece. The only moment I really don't think it is right to assume is that this song is a Baritone's song, even though it is quite low, since nearly all phantoms casted are tenors... I can only think of Norm Lewis as a true Baritone phantom =P
"To gerard butler" *pauses* That SENT me! Tbh Gerard is my second favourite Phantom (behind Ramin ofc) because of the fact he was the Phantom I grew up with, so i have mostly positive things to say about his performance! But, i will say that (personally) Gerard may not have made the best phantom in the world and he does seem to yell a few of his singing lines, his version of Eric is special in it's own way! All versions of Phantom are! Each actor gives a unique and personalized personality which makes them all amazing!
To be fair, that is one thing I will say about him and the movie version, is much like Hamilton on Disney + has done, it introduced a whole new audience to the show.
@@MarcDanielPatrick I absolutely agree! And i think its wonderful because theatre is such a beautiful thing and has a wide range of shows for people to enjoy!
Tbh Gerard may have his flaws but... so does Ramin?! Both have a lot of potential with their good moments, but the lack of training really hits you like a brick to the face at times.
If you enjoy the chills #HardNips2021 please watch/react to Ramin Karimloo and Hadley Fraser sing Empty Chairs and Empty Tables (2016) at the Palladium. It is such a great moment captured on camera. (Recommend having left ear bud in). You’ll laugh at first but just wait for them to get settled in. Ughhhsoooogooooooooood.
He just doesn’t touch John Owen-Jones. I’d love to hear your breakdown of JOJ doing this song. Ramin is up there for me as far as great performers in this role, but Owen-Jones is just in another league
I don't know, I think him pleading with Christine is pretty much what I think a person like that, sheltered in the dark, would be like. And this is like the first time you've ever talked to a girl, and we should be amazed Eric even got this far. On a side note, do you know the musical Elisabeth, or Pia Douwes in general? Ich gehör nur mir is a great song, would love to hear your reaction to it. Or maybe even the Dutch version instead, 'Mijn Leven is van Mij' A full recording (with translation) is on RU-vid: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IGz4qseaxDs.html
I know it’s not strictly speaking musical theater, and I don’t know how familiar you are with opera; but I’d love to see you react to Montserrat Caballe’s performance of “Casta Diva” at the Orange Festival in 1974. I mean, if nothing else, it would silence arguments about the comparative vocal ability of various actors since, well, you just have to hear it once and realize musical theater isn’t really written at the limits of vocal ability. lol Then you realize she’s in high winds and doesn’t have a mic.
I think if you really pay attention to Ramin’s acting here, you can see why the choice was made for more of a pleading than a command. Right before she has a chance to touch the mask he panics, and then really touches her physically for for the first time when he takes her wrist. Watch his face. Ramin is by far the best actor to play the role, IMHO. His approach and nuances really drive home the beauty of that role. For a good rich baritone, take a listen to Norm Lewis. It’s like listening to velvet.
I was multi tasking at that moment, Chrome-casting RU-vid to the TV, (none of the annoying ads, and you can easily queue up a custom playlist) when I heard (or noticed I guess) Marc pause after saying Gerard Butler, I figured an ad or a streaming interruption was occurring. I turned around to look at the TV, and although the pause had ended, something seemed off, so I had to rewind the video, watch the Butler clip, then I paused the video, because I lost it at Marc’s face....which was really subtle. Hilarious. Keep those coming, Marc, and keep those nipple peaking moments on deck.
Don't be cruel. Butler Is not a trained opera singer. He did his best. For the movie they needed a movie actor. Acting on stage Is different then do It in front of a camera.
gloria barberi no one’s really being cruel, but there is an expectation when broadway shows are turned into movie musicals, especially if you’re watching a channel that literally devotes it’s time to musical theater. The POTO film was not developed correctly or to the extent it needed to be to enhance the broadway show. Gerard Butler did literally everything perfect with what time he was given, but wasn’t given: the time to prepare, the correct coaching, or the best sound design. Even Patrick Wilson, who is literally one of the best singers in the world IMO lol was not really given a fair shot. I think you should also know that the POTO film is literally what GOT me into musical theatre when I watched it at like 11 lol and gave me courage to work in local theatre later on! It’s not perfect but holds a dear spot in my heart. So I’m not being biased here, I can just recognize that Gerard Butler did the best he could with the given circumstances, and it just didn’t translate-as did much of the performances. Hope you can understand where different people are coming from! I appreciate your comment too!
Ramin is absolutely my favorite musical theatre performer. I love this 25th anniversary Phantom, because Sierra and Hadley are also amazing. I understand what you're saying about Ramin's Phantom not being commanding in this scene, but I think that's why I like his portrayal. Like the moment in "All I Ask of You" when the Phantom sees Christine with Raoul, and covers his ears, and sobs that she has betrayed him. It's powerful. You should also do a video on his performance as Enjolras in the 25th anniversary Les Miserables. Also, have you seen the music video they made of him singing "Til I Hear You Sing" from Love Never Dies? Wow.
And also, he's incredibly commanding in many of the other scenes. The part where the piano plays by itself right before the Phantom's Opera gives me almost as many chills in his recorded versions as it did for me live with different actors.
In my opinion, Ramin is the best Phantom. This was the first full production of Phantom I saw and since then I've listened to others but no one can beat him for me. His voice can be so gentle, but then so strong. It gives me shivers every single time I watch it. I think one of the most powerful parts is at the end of the first act with the reprise of all I ask of you, but its quite short so I'm not sure if it would be worth a full dedicated video, it's just so powerful and I rewind it every time and listen to it over and over again 😂😂😍😍
That little smile Ramin flashes after she faints into his arms gets me EVERY 👏 SINGLE 👏 TIME👏 every second of his acting and facials appear so thought out and meaningful like NOTHING was done on accident! There is so much meaning in every moment and lyric
He was much more aggressive during his original run on the West End opposite Gina Beck. I actually wasn't much of a fan of how violent and angry his Phantom was prior to his stint in Love Never Dies because of that. It was hard to imagine Christine being at all torn about betraying him. Once he did LND, he gained a new understanding of Erik and who he was and why he was the way he was. I absolutely love his 25th anniversary performance and indeed, changes or no changes, I prefer his and Sierra's version of LND to the one which is run on tours today. So porud of him as a fellow Ontarian!
He's absolutely lovely in this role. His acting is outstanding and he really makes you feel his emotion in the 25th anniversary performance. The end scene where he tells Christine he loves her and then finds himself alone is heartbreaking, if I were Christine and I'd seen him in tears playing with the mechanical monkey I think I'd have stayed :)
I know that nobody likes Love Never Dies, but I think one of the reasons that this particular performance of the show is so good is because they played the characters in Love Never Dies. The characters don't know what happens in the future, but knowing what will happen can inform the actor's performance, and I think it really worked here.
I’ve seen several Phantoms live including Crawford. I have never bought the story. When I originally saw a recording of Ramin and Sierra, everything completely changed. Their interpretation completely convinced me, and TPOTO suddenly made complete sense to me... I’m entranced and I get chills. I hope they reprise their roles so I have the chance to see it live. I saw Ramin as Jean Valjean on Broadway in 2015, and it was a stunning performance. Bring Him Home... I can’t even breath.
wow I wish I had your experience of seeing Crawford live!! he is my favourite Phantom.. that is, until I saw Ramin's. and now I feel like I've betrayed Crawford
When Colm Wilkinson played him 25 years ago in Toronto - omg - he was amazing and suckered you in so much with huge emotions. He was amazing ajd I hadn’t realised till this video that that portrayal also influenced Ramin
I don't like the little bit of "whine/cry" in his voice in the first part of the song, and the rushing through the part before "where you long to be". Crawford, especially live, perfectly captures the seduction that the Phantom is doing in this song. His whole voice and body are fully engaged in spinning Christine into his entrancing web of darkness in order to make her surrender to being his. Maybe it's because Michael Crawford played the part for so long by the time I saw him opening the show in LA, but he did so much incredible acting in voice and body that the prosthetics didn't matter.
Crawford doesn't have the tenor qualities that Ramin has, and Crawford "chops" the song up, making his deliverance seem elementary, almost a mockery, to me. And to make his performances worse, Crawford certainly did not romanticize his Christine at all. Ramin, in comparison, bared his soul as he all but made love to Christine. Like you, I am still entranced each time I watch this scene. I have the 25th BluRay but keep coming back to RU-vid so I can play this beautiful song over and over and over again. Each time, I react the same, with chills, smiles, soft gasping, and utter amazement at the spectacular acting between Ramin and Sierra....every second the details are perfect...and Ramin's emotional deliverance is just breathtaking and beautiful.
I love Ramin and Sierra singing together in Phantom. Ramin is, in my opinion, the best Phantom ever. I have the cd of the original cast in my car and love singing all the parts lol. Love your videos Marc. Thanks for doing this one.
Great video! I love Ramin, he's one of my favorite Phantoms, but I know nothing about music (except what I like and dislike), so it was cool to see someone who does know these things break it down for a layman! Note about the lyrics: I believe those are the original lyrics, and they later changed it to "music shall caress you," rather than the other way around. I have the original cast recording with Michael and Sarah, which I listen to religiously, and he uses the "musical shall surround you" lyrics on that. So I think ALW changed it later, and those became the more famous lyrics, then some productions went back to the original and people were like "huh?" Also, that's a valid point about Ramin's acting choice in this scene, even if I disagree. I think what he was trying to convey was the Phantom's vulnerability and humanity here, then as the show goes on and Christine rejects, he starts losing his cool and becoming more angry and aggressive. But like I said, it's a fair criticism, and I hope people aren't giving you grief for it!
There are a number of weird lyric changes (possibly between the Broadway vs West End productions) that are very strange to me. That said, I grew up listening to the original cast recording and, you're right, 'closing in around you' IS the original lyric.
You should see Eryn LeCroy and Ben Crawford do it on Broadway. Anyone who watches that and doesn't immediately need a cold shower doesn't have a pulse.
The reason that the lyrics were changed is because Andrew Loyd Webber wanted to make the song less demanding and more romantic. (And because he’s a perfectionist.) I also love this version of TPOTO. The chemistry that Ramin and Sierra have on stage is amazing and makes you more immersed in the story. Best Phantom and Christine in my opinion.
I actually liked the way he played it. Like 'I've been dreaming of this but didn't expect it to ever happen. Now what do I do? ' you see his nervousness. You see him uncomfortable when she goes near his mask. He's pleading, yes. But a demanding phantom isn't as engaging in my opinion. The phantom needs Christine in a way. If he's demanding, he's no longer likable.
Ramin has the best balance between unbelievably great vocals and purposeful flaws to play the character (the finale shows this so perfectly when hes screaming out the notes and wavering like hes about to cry instead of just making it sound good for the cd)
Sp true, that's the one unfortunate thing about this performance. It just doesn't work as well on CD as on video. He has a cover of this song on his album Human Heart where he sings more of the parts that he speaks here. Not a full orchestra, unfortunately.
This. Norm Lewis' rendition is a totally different beast (emphasis on the beast, his presence is both masculine and majestic), in the best way possible.
Norm Lewis is my favorite Phantom. He has such a hauntingly beautiful baritone resonance, but doesn't shy away from the upper register this song requires.
It occurred to me the other day that someone should make a Broadway musical of Candyman starring Norm Lewis and now I can't think of anything else. That character has a very Phantom-ish vibe, and Norm's singing voice has that same deep, velvety quality as Tony Todd's speaking voice. "The Writing on the Wall" would be a showstopper.
I agree! Please review this version! He isn't my favorite overall Phantom but I personally think his rendition of Music of the Night is better than the rest.
Nice video, can definitely see where you're coming from but I feel that Ramin playing the role as if he isnt in full control makes the interaction between him and Christine more special, like how he kind of gasps as she relaxes in his arms showing that all his planning and manipulation is working which surprises him. IDK just my interpretation. Would love you to compare some top singers of Gethsemane, like Ted Neeley and Steve Balsamo, or even newer interpretations like Ben Forster who absolutely smashed it!!!
Brian Pils til I hear you sing was how I discovered Ramin, and then Sierra! I have been obsessed with them both ever since! Even if LND wasn’t the best, I’m sad I couldn’t see them originate their old roles!
I love watching your videos because, despite being a musical theater fan for many years, watching your commentary has made the experience of watching videos so much richer. Now I can’t wait until I can see live shows again, with a renewed appreciation for the performances I’m seeing.
God this man is so talented. His movement through the layers are stunning. He’s so much more delicate than others. Which I honestly Find endearing. Stunning.
I am totally in love with Ramin. He is, in my opinion, the best Phantom there ever was. I have the 25th anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall on DVD. I am so glad I bought it. I saw The phantom Of The Opera in Hawaii. I can't even tell you who The Phantom was or Christine for that matter.. I guess they made no impression on me. Lol. Ramin however, always has me enthralled and Sierra is just beautiful.
I get what you are saying about being in command. I think the fact that there was no “Christine Doll” like in many of the productions. In most productions the phantom pulls the cover off the doll with some confidence and certainty that Christina is his. I think Ramin try’s to covey that when he grabs her arm and turns her before she faints. It seems to me like his intent in the grab and turn was to kiss her to seal the deal that she is his but then she faints. Growing up near the Canadian boarder my experience with Phantom was hearing Colm Wilkinson and I think Ramin’s performance echos his quite a bit. You can tell that Colm’s performance was a huge influence on him and Ramin is such a joy to listen to as the Phantom!
I cant stop watching it... the singing the acting is just overwhelming to me, If I could sing like him I would never stop.... brilliant, just brilliant... If you cant feel it, you have no soul...
Marc, I have this DVD and visually, dramatically and vocally Ramin is my favorite phantom. There is one baritone who, for me, vocally surpasses Ramin and that is Australian Anthony Warlow. And as far as your critique of Ramin, I see your point yet I love that moment of vulnerability. Love watching you react! Thank you!
Thank you for posting Ramin, specially on his birthday! I particularly love Ramin’s lower register, it’s deep and rich and it’s getting better as he ages (please look for You are still here from the new musical The Clockmaker’s Daughter.) I don’t miss him “being in command”. I do think he is at some points of the song, but MOTN is the moment he can be vulnerable and share his world and maybe get Christine to fall for him. I think Ramin plays the Phantom in a way that makes him very believable as a human, something that some actors usually miss. He is the best!
When I heard you apologize for stopping so much, I just had to say I love all the commentary you give! Especially when you point something out, and then rewind so we get another chance to hear it! It's one of the things that draws me to your channel over others. Also glad to hear that my ears don't deceive me when I think that Ramin is one of the brightest musical theatre stars of the present. :)
Shivers watching this after all this time. Was lucky (and old) enough to see Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman in the original production, like wise Love Never Dies with Ramin and Sierra...unfortunately the UK LND tour was was cancelled due to Covid19. I hope you do Til I Hear You Sing or Beneath A Moonlit Sky at some point. Love watching your vids, so much appreciated and as others have said, equipping me with more understanding of these performers skills. You've be thrilled to know (not lol) that you just bumped Elton John off my fantasy dinner party list and taken his place!
Marc Daniel Patrick noooooo I want you all to myself lol. Btw it’s a dinner party a bit like Norma Desmond's NYE party - there’s only the two of us! Lol Actually while I'm on - I'd love you to do a vid of the amazing Glen Close singing With One Look, or Never Say Goodbye - not the greatest singer but utterly mesmerising.
Finally going back and catching up on all your vlogs. Ramin is my favourite Phantom. I love his portrayal as being almost insecure because it makes me feel for him, to root for him. Other aggressive phantoms kind of come off as rapey and well, that doesn't sit well for a love story. Thank you for another wonderful vlog.
In response to 12:00 - I think it’s more true to the character for him to be almost pleading. If you read the book, he is regularly pleading and weeping to Christine. But then again he certainly goes in and out of being a broken man desperate for love to a violent strong lead, which is why Ramin plays it so well. Also in the music of the night, he’s taken her to his lair and he’s trying to convince her to stay and he wants her to fall in love with him, music of the night is basically a song where he’s trying to win over her affection with his music, that’s why he appears gentle.
Nice review, Ramin is one of my favourite Phantoms... These are the original lyrics of the Music of the Night, as they were sung by Michael Crawford on the original cast recording and they changed them later to the "music shall caress you(....) secretly possess you" version... But because this is the 25th anniversary of the original they shifted back to the original lyrics for that specific performance... So these ARE the actual original lyrics.
