Your BIG list of all the historical, costume and period dramas coming to - and leaving - Netflix US in Spring 2019: February, March, April, May.
Playground and Channel 5 announced the new Victorian Era period drama, The Hardacres, based on the family saga books by C.L. Skelton.
Costume designer Ellen Mirojnick reveals how she reinterpreted Regency-era style for the Netflix series, debuting Dec. 25, which follows the rivalry of two clans: one old money, one nouveau riche.
20 period movies to watch on Halloween night, from spooky to down-right bone-chilling, Georgian era madness, Victorian Gothic to Postwar eeriness.
Looking for your next Netflix binge? Here are 60 addicting period dramas on Netflix to watch. This list is all about shows and miniseries.
Period drama, un genere che sta conquistando milioni di appassionati di cinema e serie tv. Ecco le migliori e dove trovarle.
Because we could all use a break from the modern world.
“PERSUASION” (1995) Review Twenty-four years after the BBC aired its 1971 version of Jane Austen’s 1818 novel, ”Persuasion”; and twelve years before ITV aired its adaptation; Columbia P…
„Bridgerton“ Staffel 2 ist offiziell und neue Bilder aus der Serie zeigen nun auch, dass ein Favorit aus Staffel 1 wieder dabei sein wird. 💖
"But his voice filled my spirit with a strange sweet sound, and that night there was music in my mind. And through music my soul began to soar..." ~Christine Daae I'm really, really going to try to get through this review without going full-on Gushy Fangirl. No, honestly, I am. Because though I love this production with a love great and fervent, it deserves a thoughtful and objective review that clearly outlines-- --oh, forget it, I'm just going to do things my own merry way. YAY PHANTOM! I'm going to do something a bit odd here and start with the venue, instead of the main characters. Because this movie, after all, is a bit different from those I usually review. It's an actual film of the entire play-- in other words, every musical theatre geek's dream-she-dreamed come true, live in living color. If the people who are in charge of such things did something like this for every great musical there's ever been, fangirls everywhere would freak out. And then go broke. Because they'd be spending all their money on DVDs, ya know. The fact that this show was staged and filmed at the Royal Albert Hall was very exciting for me, because the RAH (as it will hereinafter be abbreviated) was also the location for the Les Mis 10th Anniversary Concert, which as you all know is very near and dear to my heart. So it was quite interesting to see it all lit up and beautified for Phantom-- you can almost imagine you're watching the story unfold in the Paris Opera House itself. Well, except when the camera randomly zooms up to the sound-muffling mushrooms. Those parts kind of break the mood. Heehee. The only real downside to the show taking place at the RAH, really, is that some of the technical aspects of the production were not possible in this location. The RAH stage is designed for concerts, not plays, so the "scenery" had to be arranged in quite a creative way-- all of the backdrops are actually projections on a LED screen or whatever it's called. (If someone more knowledgeable about such things would like to comment and elaborate on how this was done, please do so.) And of course there was another big difference between this production and the staging at a traditional theatre, but we'll get to that... when we get to it. Okay! Characters! I was about to start with Christine in my List of Important Characters, but decided to begin with the Phantom himself (whose real name is Erik, in case you didn't know that, and I'll probably use the two interchangeably) because after all the play is called Phantom of the Opera, not Christine of the Opera. Nor is it called Carlotta of the Opera, though I'm sure she would enjoy that... wait, I'm getting ahead of myself again. Ramin Karimloo plays the Phantom, and a very good job he does-- jum-jills. (Um, sorry. Private sister joke.) In all seriousness, this guy is my absolute favorite Phantom. He's the first one I saw/heard all the way through, true, and you know what they say about your first being your favorite, but he really is unbelievably good. He blends just the right mix of gorgeous-voice-and-entrancing-charismatic-what-have-you with creepy-stalker-who's-seriously-disturbed-but-everyone-pities-him-anyway. And the voice, did I mention the voice? THE VOICE. Is this man my favorite singer? He very well may be. (Oh, but wait, there's also Michael Ball... and Alfie Boe... and all the Irish Tenors... and, um, yeah, I'm basically Philippa Gordon when it comes to music.) Am I going to write the rest of this post as if I were Officer Tomilello? Perhaps. Sorry. Another private joke. I'll stop, really I will. (And hey, if you "got" the references in either of these private jokes, you are either one of my sisters, Margaret Hale or Marie--who are almost sisters anyway--, or else you're just exceedingly well-versed in children's literature.) Anyways. Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom. Most excellent. Yes. Good. Sierra Boggess is absolutely gorgeous, people. She's either the most beautiful Christine Daae I've ever seen or else very high on the list (Anna O'Byrne and Gina Beck are some other top contenders) and her voice, though not picture-perfect (or would that be record-perfect...?) is really, really good. She's also a very talented actress, and puts more pathos and emotion into the role than any other portrayal I've seen or heard. (And yes, you can totally tell if an actor's really getting into the role just by hearing it. That is what musical theatre is about.) Christine is sometimes seen as a cowardly, two-dimensional character who spends the whole play whining about how she misses her daddy and vacillating between two suitors when it's perfectly obvious (to both camps-- Team Raoul and Team Erik :D) whom she should have chosen. Whether or not this view of the character is fair to Christine (I maintain that it's both unfair and inaccurate), Sierra Boggess' portrayal can't be accused of any of it. She makes Christine relatable and likable, pitiable and admirable... and also, of course, totally enviable because hello, her CLOTHES. Well, actually, that credit belongs to the costume designer, but still. Sierra Boggess has been called a real-life Disney princess, and I heartily concur. She was pretty much born to play Christine (yes, I know Christine isn't a Disney princess-- shush) and though she occasionally goes off-key just a little bit and her fake transatlantic slash posh-British accent in the spoken lines gets annoying now and then, she's still my absolute favorite. (I like this cast. In case you can't tell.) (click to enlarge) YAY FOR RAOUL. You should all know here and now that I am totally, irrevocably and unashamedly Team Raoul. He and Christine belong together, he's a great guy and he deserves a happy ending just as much as anyone else. The End. (Just kidding. There'll be another whole post on Raoul-and-why-he's-awesome tomorrow.) Hadley Fraser is another of my favorite singer/actors, and his Raoul is even better than his Grantaire (Les Mis 25th concert) or Army Captain (Les Mis 2012 film). The aggressiveness he brought to the role has been criticized by many people, but I really like the depth he gave Raoul. Yes, he comes across as a bit controlling at times, but if your girlfriend was being threatened by some masked weirdo who you weren't sure even existed in the first place, wouldn't you have a few anger management issues too? Plus, the guy's got a fabulous voice (seems to be a running theme in this show... oh, wait, it's a stage musical that cast real theatre performers and not pop stars or movie actors, so I really shouldn't have a surprised feeling) and though his "guyliner" is a bit giggle-worthy now and then, at least he knows it. Heehee. And you need only see the picture above to realize what a good actor he is. Much better than certain wooden or wimpy Raouls who just stood around in their long hair and sang their songs in stellar but limp voices... ...sorry. Get on with the review, Amy. Don't even dare any more to compare, say a prayer for your sorry-- MOVING ON. I'm not going over every character in the show (not that there's THAT many of them, but I do have a finite amount of space here) in this review, but I do want to briefly mention Wendy Ferguson as Carlotta-- she's stinkin' hilarious and her voice is amazing and she has really great stage presence. Most excellent. Again. Okay, done, now we can talk about the story. The opening is spine-chilling, as I'm sure you all know. No, not the auction-- that number isn't exactly boring, but neither does it pull you to the edge of your seat. I'm talking about the chandelier being revealed and the orchestra plunging into that overture. (I'm a sucker for overtures.) Y'all know at least the first six notes even if you know nothing else of the music. It's the big DA! Da-da-da-da-a! and boy, is it ever big. (One of my wee minor complaints about the RAH concert album is that the sound mixing could have been done better-- in some parts it's really quiet and in others eardrum-blastingly loud.) "Hannibal" is kind of boring as well, unfortunately, and I'll admit that when I'm watching the film I tend to skip it. I mean, it's a bunch of people prancing about in grass skirts and embroidered corsets and sometimes not even that, and Carlotta's swinging a skull around and screeching and Piangi's messing up his pronunciation. Well, okay, that part's funny. And that's where it gets good-- because that's where Andre and Firmin, the new managers, come in, and they're hilarious. Barry James and Gareth Snook are indubitably the best managers POTO has ever seen. Sierra Boggess' version of "Think of Me" isn't my favorite, to be honest. I really like the song, and she sang it beautifully as far as tune and everything goes, but she sounded too happy overall to really communicate the wistfulness of the piece. And that outfit is stupid. Sorry, but it just is. She looks like she's wearing a brocade circus tent. (Not to be confused with Carlotta's "Think of Me" outfit, which consists of two brocade circus tents.) Raoul's reaction to Christine's performance is THE BEST, though. Well, almost the best. The best is really Andre's reaction to Raoul's reaction. You can't see it too well in the gif below, but in the next few frames he kind of makes this "what on earth is going on here? Is this a sing-along? NOBODY TOLD ME," face, and it cracks me up every time. Daisy Maywood plays a great Meg in "Angel of Music" (and in the rest of the play, too, of course)-- she seems genuinely concerned for Christine's well-being and isn't just pirouetting around the stage shrieking that she saw a monster under her bed. Or whatever it is that she's always saying. I mean, she does do that, but you get the impression that she actually has a personality underneath her ballet moves and paranoia/anxiety issues. Also, can we pause just a minute and gush over Christine and Meg's hair? Because this is when their hair looks best-- yes, I know those are both wigs, and curly wigs made of human hair tend to kind of melt as they're exposed to hot lights and whatnot. (Christine's hair by the time "Final Lair" rolls around, for instance, is quite straight and stringy.) Anyways, I just want to have either of their hair (hairs?). For my own. Please? I'll admit, "Angel of Music" and its segue into "The Phantom of the Opera" (minus Raoul's interruption, of course, which I love-- it's so cute) is kinda-sorta creepy. I mean, this masked man shows up in a girl's mirror in her DRESSING ROOM after singing to her (supposedly inside her head, at that) for quite a while leading up to this, and she has no qualms whatsoever about following him into the mirror (Magic Attic Club vibes, anyone?) and down into his lair, singing all the way. Yeah, his lair. The dude has a lair. Is this spooky? Yeah, kind of. Would it freak me out if it happened in real life? Totally. Is this a musical and therefore not real? Yep. Does it make for a really awesome pair of musical numbers? Indubitably. Let's say no more. "The Phantom of the Opera" is a really cool song, and it's incredibly fun to sing dramatically with one's sister while doing the dishes, and this rendition of it is almost the best one ever. The only things keeping it from utter and complete awesomeness are a) the absence of Ramin's signature "grows stronger yet" part (see it here and try to ignore the beard-- he was playing Valjean at the time and it's a role requirement) and b) the annoying electric guitar and synthesizers and all the other things that are making that horrid racket in the background. I know this was composed in the 80's and has rock vibes and blah blah blah, but that doesn't mean I have to LIKE it. Then there's "Music of the Night" and while I like the song well enough, I personally feel it's over-hyped, and to be honest, it bores me at times. Ramin's version is great and all, but the song itself doesn't really thrill me. (Sorry, MOTN fans. Put the nice lasso down, Ally.) One thing they left out of this version (and I'm really not sure why) is the life-sized doll in the wedding dress-- and because of this, Christine's swoon seems kind of random and out of place. Doesn't detract from the scene-- it's just funny. So is the Phantom's extremely historically-inaccurate tattoo peeking out from under his sleeve cuff when he reaches for the candles at the end. AAAAHEEEEEEEEEEM. (Also, this screencap is kind of hilarious. Heehee.) "I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt It" kind of reminds me of that little-kid song about the tree-- you know, the one about how the branch was on the tree and the tree was on the roots and the roots were in the ground and the green grass grew all around and around (and the green grass grew all around). "And on the lake there was a boat and in the boat there was a man... and the green grass grew all around and--" Stop it, Amy, or no one is going to take this review seriously. Not that they really did in the first place. Anyways, the part where she rips his mask off is admirably done, though I wouldn't have complained if there was a little less swearing. Phantom honey, there are many other ways to express your feelings than just using the d-word. Consider telling Christine that she is a meanie-head, or announce your desire that she grow like an onion with her head in the ground. Oh, and the way you switched abruptly from cursing at her to pouring out your desire for her to love you is not really the best method of charming a girl. Just thought I'd give you a heads-up. If it weren't for the fact that I already have so many other favorites, "Notes" might very well be my favortie song. It's just so hilarious, and Andre-and-Firmin really get a chance to shine here. "And what is it that we're meant to have wrote? ...Uh. Written." My only complaint is that everyone sings over each other way too much. If you thought "Confrontation" in Les Mis was bad, you should listen to Phantom. Sheesh. Of course most of what Carlotta sings is unintelligible anyway (she's just complaining in Italian with a lot of trills) and all Piangi's doing is repeating whatever Carlotta says (does that man ever do anything other than follow Carlotta around and mispronounce stuff...?) but I wouldn't mind being able to hear Raoul more clearly. Of course, that's what online lyrics are for. :D Oh, and by the way, I really love how Madame Giry's voice kind of meshes in with the Phantom's as they read the notes aloud. Very cool. The notes themselves are great too. "Every note's overblown and the third trombone HAS to go-- the man could not be deafer so please preferably one who plays IN TUNE!" (Hasty insertion here that Liz Robertson makes a great Madame Giry and I apologize for not mentioning her before, and she might want to lay off the black lipstick and all because it kind of makes her look scary, no offense. And there are practically no pictures of her to be found on the Internet, so go watch the film and you'll know how she looks.) And for your random information, PTO does not mean, as I thought it did, "Phantom [of] The Opera." It means "turn the page over." Melody quite kindly pointed this out to me, and though I never would have thought of it myself, it makes perfect sense. Why would he sign the note as the Phantom and then again as the O.G.? O.G.? Who the Halifax is he? ... *loud huff* OPERA GHOST. "Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh" was never very high on my list of favorite songs-- that is, not until I spent a week with Melody and for some inexplicable reason it became Our Song. The tune we hummed while making lemon squares, the snatches we sang while hiking in the woods, the lyrics we whispered to each other while other people were having dinner and making sensible conversation... it seriously never stopped running through our heads. And now I have fond associations associated with it. The song itself actually is kind of hilarious, and Wendy Ferguson's Carlotta really hams it up. The whole opera-within-an-opera is really funny, too-- everything's so exaggerated and silly and some of the lines are just comedy gold. "I shall not leave, but shall hiiiii-iiiiide. Over There." Also Sierra Boggess manages to look gorgeous in a page boy outfit. Which really shouldn't be a surprise. Annnnnnd that brings us to the end of Part One. Because if you thought I was going to squeeze this whole movie into one post, you thought mistakenly. Tune in tomorrow for Part Two!
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Okay, so, POTO Part Two. Picking up where we left off... So Carlotta's singing along happy as you please (don't you dare start, Melody) and all of a sudden the Phantom's voice cuts the fun short. Naturally, Christine gets upset. Naturally, Carlotta takes offense at this chorus girl ruining her scene. "Your part is silent, leetle TOAD." The Phantom responds with one of the biggest burns in musical theatre history-- not only does he call Carlotta a toad from his apparent perch in the chandelier (the way they film this is really cool) but he actually does something Mysterious and Opera-Ghost-Ish to make Carlotta actually SOUND like a toad (a mystery never fully explained). I think I said before that Wendy Ferguson is hands-down my favorite Carlotta-- she plays this scene so hilariously and yet you almost feel sorry for Carlotta by the end. Though of course any sympathetic feelings you may have had for Carlotta are quickly erased by the amusement that ensues when Andre comes thundering down onstage to apologize to the laaaaaaaaaadieeeeeez and GENTLEMEN. "In the meantime, ladies and gentlemen, we will be giving you the ballet from Act... uh, uh.... *flips a million pages* THREE of tonight's opera. Maestro, bring the ballet FORWARD." Blah, blah, blah, ballet (no offense to ballet fans but this part kind of bores me) and then boom, Bouquet's body comes plunging down from the rafters and the ballerinas all scream and Christine goes running off. I intend to elaborate tomorrow (what does "elaborate" mean, Melody?) on my thoughts regarding the Phantom's motives for Doing What He Did and all that, but for now I'd just like to say that murder is never okay, no matter what kind of stories the deceased may have spread about you. All right? All right. Moving on. I really, really like "Why Have You Brought Us Here/Raoul, I've Been There." I'm not quite sure why-- I think it may be because it showcases Christine and Raoul's developing relationship. He's finally confronting her about this whole phantom nonsense, trying to understand why she's so obsessed with believing what he thinks is mere legend. She, on the other hand, is showing a bit of spine and confirming once and for all that this guy is real-- she's seen him, sung with him, and fallen under his spell, so to speak. This song also contains one of the saddest lines, IMHO (the saddest of all appears in the last song and we'll get to it in a little bit)-- "Yet in his eyes all the sadness of the world: those pleading eyes that both threaten and adore." Next we have what may be my very favorite love song of all time. "All I Ask of You" has become almost ubiquitous at weddings in recent years, but I don't care-- I'm going to have it played at my reception someday. I honestly can't understand how anyone could listen to this song and still maintain that Christine and Raoul don't belong together. He represents everything she needs-- stability, protection, a guiding hand and affirmed affection. She represents everything he needs, in turn-- someone to depend on him and need him, the friend he had when he was little and the woman he loves now. (If you think I'm being cheesy, go read some other blog.) And the way Hadley Fraser and Sierra Boggess play this scene... well, it's just the absolute cutest thing in the show. Best. Rendition. Ever. I realize that I've used this picture or some version thereof several times already on my blog, but I have no problem with that-- it's my absolute favorite screenshot from this number. (It also happens to be one in a series of pictures that rotate as my desktop background. Cough, cough.) I'm a total sucker for couples-who-hug-and-spin, and the sheer joy on both of their faces always leaves me with a warm and happy feeling inside. And then, of course, the Phantom pops up to sing his own heartbreaking version of AIAOY, and though I'm not condoning the action he takes, I gotta say I feel awfully sorry for him right here. Except that I don't do a very good job of feeling awfully sorry, because I'm too busy being squealy over Ramin's voice. "You will CURRRRRSE the day you did not dooooooo... all that the PhanTOM ASKED OF YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU! ....GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!" You would think with all the excitement and hype leading up to this moment that the chandelier-crash would be the most epic in the history of the show. You'd think that, wouldn't you? But you'd be wrong, because sadly the chandelier doesn't crash at all. The logistics of getting this to happen in the Royal Albert Hall proved to be too dangerous, so they just shoot off sparklers and fireworks from it and the ballerinas all get to scream again. And yes, it's still epic. The entr'acte is one of my favorite pieces, because I'm a sucker for instrumental medleys in musicals, overtures air otherwise, and I never, ever fast-forward it. By then, too, I'm sitting forward in my seat, eagerly anticipating... MASQUERADE! PAPER FACES ON PARADE! I really adore this song. It's not in my top three favorites list simply because I have three favorites that trump it, but it's still really high on the Amy Likes This list. I really can't get tired of it-- certain people who shall remain nameless because I've been mentioning them too much in this review seem to think it gets old after a while ("yes, we get it, you're at a masquerade") but I happen to love every second of it. "Fool and king, ghoul and goose, green and black, queen and priest, trace of rouge, face of beast... FACES! Take your turn, take a ride on the merry-go-round in an inhuman race!" Someday I want to host a masquerade ball of my own, and write "Come as you aren't" on the invitations. My sister says this is lame. I do not agree. Christine: I'M A PRINCESS! Raoul: There's a feather in my mouth. One thing I'm really not crazy about in this number is the costumes, however. I would so have preferred to see a more traditional 1880's masked ball, with, y'know, real ball gowns and coats with tails. Raoul's soldier outfit is great and all, but Christine's fairy-princess-whatever-thing with its sparkles and glitz is really not to my taste. The whole thing ends up looking like a Mardi Gras-- so much color that you can't even keep track of what the leads are doing. The Phantom's Red Death costume, however, leaves nothing to be desired. It's creepily awesome. And the way he stalks onto the stage and scares everyone senseless is also creepily awesome. I sure wouldn't want to be Christine during that part, but as an uninvolved viewer drinking tea in front of my laptop, I enjoy myself thoroughly. "Scary. Frightening. Amazing singing here. Yes, good. Don't chuck the manuscript on the floor, dude, you spent years writing that. Ah, yes, poor Christine. Terribly traumatizing, this. Yes, yes, Angry Raoul. This pleases Cute Owl. Go get 'em, Raoul. Poor Christine... Drat, my tea's all gone." "Notes II," while not QUITE as hilariously delightful as the original "Notes," is still really great. (I'm running out of Praising Adjectives here.) Carlotta and Christine are both excellent-- Sierra's "how dare you? You evil woman, how dare you!?!?" is the most impassioned I've heard, and Wendy's "she's maaaaaaad" gives Carlotta a little depth in this scene at least. Sure, she's an egotistical diva, but all this mysterious business surrounding the job she's held for fifteen years is beginning to wear on her, and if I were in her place I'd be frightened too. And "Twisted Every Way"? One of my favorite Christine bits EVAH. It's just so Dramatic and Tortured and Fun to Sing Loudly In the Shower. (Not TOO loudly, of course. Otherwise your family will think you're Weird. Trust me on this.) Hadley Fraser does this scene to perfection as well-- though I'm torn as to whether his idea in persuading Christine to go through this ordeal by fire was actually viable or not, his intentions at least are good. And yes, he does seem a bit controlling at the moment, but the guy has a point. "You said yourself he was nothing but a man-- yet while he lives he will haunt us till we're dead." We then interrupt this Highly Dramatic and Tense moment for the "Don Juan Rehearsal," which is kinda sorta uproariously funny. "Those who entan-tan-tan-tan-tan..." "Eh, hees way ees better. At least HE makes it sound like MUSIC..." "Those who have been TANGLING with Don JUAAAAAAAN!" Until the piano starts playing all by itself, of course (another mystery never even partially explained) and we float into "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again," the second most Fun Song to Sing Loudly in the Shower. I think this is Sierra Boggess' second-best performance in the entire show (her first and foremost being "Final Lair," of course). It cannot be denied that she goes off-key at certain moments, a fact that bugs me just a weeny teeny bit, but the amount of feeling and emotion she puts into the song more than makes up for any technical descrepancies. So gorgeous. So, so gorgeous. And that dress... well, I drool over it every time. As I said in the tag, I want it for my owwwwwwwn. I am so in love with "Wandering Child." The singing-over-each-other done in "Notes" can be a bit overwhelming, but in this song it's perfection. I tend to make fun of English lit courses that go too deep into Symbolism and All That (peeps, it's a tree. It represents trees. That's it. The End.) but I think the singing in counterpoint here is indicative of how Christine's literally being torn between the two forces pulling her from either side. And the lyrics are just... wow. "Wildly my mind beats against you, yet the soul obeys! Angel of music, I denied you! Turning from true beauty..." I tend to go all emo princess during this song. It's a fact. "POOR CHRISTIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE! RAOUL, DO SOMETHING! PHANTOM, FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO LOOOOOOOOOOOVE!" Ahem. Then Raoul goes all Dominant Male Presence and starts bossing everyone around in preparation for the Don Juan performance, and if you look closely you can see a familiar face in the policemen hired to shoot-only-if-they-must-but-shoot-to-kill. See him? Far left? Yep, it's Killian Donnelly. HI, COMBEFERRE! I mentioned in a previous post that I don't care for what I've heard of "Point of No Return"-- it's too overtly sensual and suggestive for my taste. (I've included this picture because I like Christine's dress, though. Heehee.) I realize that it's an important part of the story, but hey, I know the story and never have a problem understanding what's going on without it, so I just skip it when I'm watching the film (and don't have the song on my iPod). However, I do make sure to stop skipping when the part where Christine rips the mask off approaches. That part definitely IS important. :D Can we take a minute to appreciate the excellent job done by the makeup artists in the production, in making the Phantom's disfigurement genuinely gross and horrible to look at? I mean, when you get up really close it looks fake, obviously, but from where the audience sat I'm sure it was very convincing. Then Piangi dies and I feel bad for Carlotta again and the Phantom and Christine disappear and Madame Giry and Meg teach the audience how to say the word "monsieur." Fun fact: I used to think that the whole "hand at the level of your eyes" thing was to keep people from having to look at the Phantom's deformity. It was only on my third viewing of the musical (I think) that it dawned on me that it was to keep Raoul from being strangled by the Punjab lasso. I believe what clued me in was hearing Madame Giry say, "Punjab lasso, monsieur." Sigh... that sound mixing... Anyways. Now I am enlightened. And now! The best part! The part we've all been waiting for! FINAL LAAAAAAAAAAAAIR! (On my 25th anniversary soundtrack album, this track is listed as "Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer" but I prefer "Final Lair.") "The tears I might have shed for your dark fate grow cold and turn to tears of haaaaaaaate..." I'm afraid I may just spend the rest of this post fangirling over this song. Because it is just that good. I highly recommend you read the lyrics while listening to it, because there's so much singing-over-each-other (again!) that it's hard to get everything the first six or seven times. I tend to bawl uncontrollably during this scene. (Or at least tear up a little, now that I've seen it so many times.) Gahhhhhh. Yes, she made the right choice, yes, she and Raoul belong together (THEY DO), but I can't help but cry over the Phantom anyways. And some of the lines just break me. "I love her! Does that mean nothing? I LOVE HER! Show some compassion!" "THE WORLD SHOWED NO COMPASSION TO ME!" Anyone who ever said Raoul is a wimp or a jerk is invited to come see this part of the show, 'kay? I always get chills when he says the line in the picture above. "I fought so hard to free you..." He literally did everything he could to save Christine, and all for nothing. I seriously don't understand the whole disliking-Raoul bandwagon. THE GUY IS WONDERFUL. I mean, I'm totally open to hearing your opinion on this, whether it concurs or differs, of course. My comment box is open and my caps lock is on. A lot of Christine's lines give me chills, but one of the greatest is the one in this picture. The scales have finally fallen from her eyes and she's seeing the Phantom for what he truly is. His problem isn't in his face-- it's in his heart, where bitterness has settled and twisted everything that was once capable of genuine love. And yet... she still pities him. "Angel of music! Who deserves this? Why do you curse mercy? Angel of music, you deceived me. I gave my mind blindly..." And then, and then, and then, Christine sings the line that gives me more chills than any other. "Pitiful creature of darkness, what kind of life have you known? God give me courage to show you, you are not alone!" And the music soars up to the most amazing part EVERRRRRRR as the hearts of fangirls everywhere melt into a million puddly pieces. Because she doesn't just kiss him once. She pulls back after the first one and then does it again. And the look on his face would have pretty much single-handedly shot Ramin Karimloo up into Amy's List of Awesomest Actors Ever, if he weren't already there by merit of his amazing performance in the rest of the play. SQUEEEEEEEP/SOB. Told ya this review wasn't going to be calm and objective. There's a debate raging in my mind about Christine's motives in The Kiss. On the one hand, it's possible that she thought showing Erik he wasn't alone and that someone COULD love him (even though she left him about two minutes later... nice move, Christine) would persuade him to let Raoul go. It's reasonable. But what I like to think is that she honestly chose him, chose to stay with him no matter what the cost, so that Raoul could live. And The Kiss was her way of demonstrating that. I think Raoul's expression at this part is what proves it, really-- his whole face just sinks into misery, and I hardly think it's because his girlfriend is smooching some other dude. Nope, it's because he realizes that she's throwing her life away for his sake. And, as we know, the rest is history. Erik breaks the lasso, Christine physically restrains Raoul from jumping on him and killing him (come on, now, you can't really blame him for wanting to), the Phantom screams one of Melody's favorite lines (heh, heh-- it's GO NOW AND LEAVE MEEEEEEEEEEE, you know) and they flee as the angry mob comes closer and closer... ...but wait, Christine comes back. And she gives him back the ring. And I bawl. And then the Phantom sings the saddest line in the whole entire stinkin' show. "Christine, I love you." And I bawl some more. Because he's left all alone in his sad, dark lair, left to live with the terrible mistakes he made in trying to force someone to love him. "You alone can make my song take flight-- it's over now, the music of the night!" Wait, except it's not. Over, I mean. Because we have a ridiculously adorable curtain call to enjoy, in which Ramin and Sierra and Hadley are all unbelievably cute together and the audience has a moment to catch its breath before four of the original Phantoms come out to perform an encore of "Music of the Night," giving me a great opportunity to shriek over Colm Wilkinson. (Seeing Valjean sing as the Phantom is kind of mind-blowingly amazing. Even if it's hard to wrap my head around.) And Ramin comes out to join them, which is just the icing on the cake as far as I'm concerned. SQUEEEEEP AGAIN. His Majesty Andrew Lloyd Webber, Whom All Must Bow Down and Worship When He Comes On Stage, makes a speech, but it's long and boring and pompous and I usually skip it. Feel free to do so, but don't turn the movie off just yet because it's still not over. Sarah Brightman sings, too, but to be honest I'm really not a fan of Sarah Brightman, and I think her voice got worse as her fame increased. Plus her fashion sense is kind of... strange... in this appearance. Are those dreadlocks? o.O And why is ALW referring to her as his own personal angel of music if, um, they've been divorced for years and years? Another mystery never fully explained, I suppose. Anyways, the reason you ought to watch to the end is shown in the gif below. Ramin and Sierra being so CUTE again. (I'll confess that I shipped the two of them quite industriously until I found out he was married with two kids. A tragic day. :P) Sadly, the gif doesn't actually show the whole Cuteness, because he actually picks her up and carries her offstage after the animation ends, but it's still good. In conclusion... get thee to thy library (or YouTube) and watch Phantom 25th. In case you need convincing, you can watch this ad. If Ramin and Sierra can't persuade you to see this piece of wonder, then I don't know who can. P.S. Poooooor fool, he makes me laugh... ha-ha-ha-ha-ha...
Pride and Prejudice was first published in 1813 but is still enjoyed by audiences today. Indeed historic editions are much prized by collectors and it has been adapted several times for the small and big screen.
Lidia (Matilda De Angelis) ouvre la porte à sa logeuse au début du premier épisode de Lidia fait sa loi (la legge di Lidia Poët) sur Netflix. Elle porte un magnifique kimono bleu, à motif floral. Il s’agit d’une très belle pièce de la fin du 18e siècle, que le chef costumier Stefano Ciammitti a […]
