I just finished reading Leroux's Phantom of the Opera. For only the second time in my life, I much prefer the cinematic version to the original story. Perhaps after multiple viewings I have become too enthralled with the movies to appreciate the books (the other was P.L. Travers' Mary Poppins).
The Phantom musical is true to Leroux's basic storyline, yet varies widely in detail and effect. The variation is infinitely more compelling. This may be due, in large part, to Leroux's writing style. I found it disjointed in many places, which detracted from the power his story could otherwise have had over me. It almost seemed as though he had written an initial draft and never fine-tuned it...as though events and chapters should have been arranged differently so as to maximize the impact and feel less like "tying-up-the-loose-ends" afterthoughts.
The musical gets it right, though. I've only seen it live one time (here in STL), but after a couple of viewings, I became nearly obsessed with the most recent movie version. 2 of the 3 primary actors' voices seemed flawed to me at first watch (not Wilson's...he's magnificent!), but I finally realized that these "flaws" served to create more realistic and effective characters.
Here are 4 intense and favorite scenes. If you haven't seen the movie, I encourage you to do so! If you haven't read the book, I suggest you spend your energy elsewhere.
Here Raoul and Christine first openly express their love:
Christine mourns the loss of her father in this stunning scene:
The phantom casts his spell over Christine, persuading her to succumb to him:
Raoul attempts to rescue Christine from the phantom:
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