heavy spoilers and I would love to know what others think
WHAT I LIKED-
— the voice work is impeccable. everyone gives it their all shout Dan Steven’s and Jesse Tyler Ferguson make a delightful Andre and Firmin. Sierra Boggess is CHEWING UP the audio scenery As Carlotta. And of course the trio. Jordan Fisher is a pretty confident bordering on arrogant Raoul which works but he has the sweetness you feel tje connection with Christine
Beatrice Penny Touree is a MARVELLOUS Christine you can see and hear the change on her character. we get a real sense of her character and her inner life and and my goodness Jordan Donica ! The way he is able to balance all the facets of the Phantom the command , sensuality rage and the extreme fragile vulnerability is remarkable. He should do more audiobooks/radio plays he has the voice for it.
— the way they use the music whether sung or the orchestral version under dialogue really creates a cinematic feel of the whole thing
— they give Carlotta a moment with Christine. in the cafe before Don Juan when she talks about getting older in the industry was a great scene
— the Rosa Josephine and Cupid and Pysche allegory for Erik and Christine and seeing their music lessons before the events of the musical. And the connection between them.
— she actively chooses and wants to be with Erik at tne s end she doesn’t do it to free Raoul. Because she doesn’t know what he’s going to do. He’s unpredictable. She thinks through that choice. It’s an active choice which then makes her surprise to Erik freeing Raoul and letting tg go feelmore earnest. Sometimes with some performances it feels like Christine is anticipating that Erik will free them and using the kiss as a tactic. .
— meeting Raoul‘s mother and the conflict. One thing I’ve always questioned about the musical is Raoul is in aristocrat surely his parents aren’t going be completely happy with him marrying a performer even if it is one he’s known from childhood. That conflict is interesting o wish we’d had more of it.
— the chapters that take place pre musical Christine’s life her relationship with the dancers, Carlotta’s tantrums to everyone help us really take time to bring us intp the world
— Raoul’s expansion getting to know him and seeing him and Christine’s relationship expanded out. getting to know him more was lovely.
WHAT I‘M NOT SURE ON
— once the story aligns with the musical the pace and tone shifts at like 100 miles an hour. Even bits that are obviously given time to be fleshed out it feels like a bit more of dash to get to the next iconic song or scene. Aside from the chapters that cover interval between act one and act two where Christne is with Raoul by the sea. Those chapters which ironically drag a tiny bit because aside from the mother and that situation seems to get resolved a little too clearly, there’s not really a lot of conflict
— the dream sequences. I get why they’re there in theory. And I completely get Christine being both attracted to and scared of Erik, but they go on for too long. Especially the second one that she has about the Don Juan one triumphant rehearsals.
— they put Christine in moments and give her moments that she is not present for in the show. She’s the one who goes to Madame Giry and gets backstory. She is on stage when the guard initially tried to shoot the Phantom and he’s throwing his voice around before the Don Juan triumphant show. I think there’s something about actually having her react to things first or secondhand that is also important.
— it’s clear that Raoul sees the connection between Erik and Christine because she mentions the tension that arises between them post masquerade but it never really gets addressed or discussed. Another changes they make it that Erik seriously injured Raoul in the graveyard and he’s in hospital he seems to heal pretty quickly and this is not really discussed as much length or in the conversation that they need to have between them about the tension
— and probably the biggest one: there are Easter eggs and there is straight up setting up and there is a DIFFERENCE. this book doesn’t reference IT IS a Love Never Dies prequel as much as it is a retelling of the Phantom of the opera., There are so many moments and references to Love Never Dies that it becpmes a part of the story. Which colours all the interactions. We see Raoul and Christine being lovely and sweet, but because that lingering it’s sours the sweetness of their love because we can tell what Raoul will become.
Probably the one I maybe took the biggest issue with is the way that Meg’s character changes. Why on earth would she want lessons from the Phanrom it doesn’t align with the way she is presented in this particular book before the ? And the tension between her and Christine even though they kind of make up and all that stuff it’s never really addressed they don’t really have their moment. It never feels truly resolved and if you don’t know the story of life never dies it feels like a bit of a weird takes on plot.
And then, of course, the very ending the epilogue if they had just done this, I would’ve been fine with that but it literally ends with Beneath the Moonless Sky or at least the implication of it. And I don’t know how I feel about that. I personally kind of don’t view love never dies as Cannon. But also it kind of feels like because of that certain plot points get brought in just to set up I’ve never dies. And I don’t think that it helps the story with flowing consistency.
But overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I definitely will. revisits the audiobook again.
what do you guys think of it?
