The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall (2011)

My all time favorite musical! It's true I have not watched a lot of musicals but I know this one will always be a favorite. I watched the movie as well and it was fine, but nothing of the grandness of this musical. The singers/actors have the most suitable voices and they fit their roles perfectly. The songs are very iconic, of course. And the entire execution of the musical is incredibly well done, the lights, the costumes, the dancers were spot on, AND THE CHANDELIER. It is a performance I would have risked blood and bone to see live, if time and distance weren't obstacles. All in all, this is the musical that got me into musicals and opera.

Ha ha ha, I just read in one of the reviews about a "spoiler" warning! Don't fret, it is impossible to spoil this film/show, You just have to see it regardless of what you've heard. The bad memories of my trip from Sydney to Melbourne where we were ripped off to see this show after booking "A reserved" ticket and where I was half hidden behind a pillar up there in the pigeon's nest looking at the actors resembling ants on the stage...We've been told it would not come to Sydney, but it did although not in a proper theater... Then the movie came and my wife and I were blown away by its quality! We played it again and again and we shared it with close friends and relatives at any occasion. I'm a little sad to read some feel or think it was not very good but I'm glad it worked very well for us. Then comes March 2015, glancing through the TV prg I spot the 25th anniversary show at the Royal Albert Hall, we need to go out so I set the recorder on... OMG, yes we watch it a couple of day later and what a reward it is! We are fortunate to have a rather large screen with a sounds system that usually we don't use but for the occasion it was perfect! 2011, how did it escape us for four years? It is absolutely magic. And yes with a bonus a the end, this is not a spoiler this is a promise quite a few of these original people will appear at the end so enjoy it. I don't put all the fine details about it that many others have already included in their review and apart my comment regarding the 2004 movie, I do agree with all I have read before my entry.

If you can't go see it live, this DVD is an excellent substitute. Though nothing compares to the live experience, this is a life saver for people like me who live in places where traveling productions of this caliber are few and far between. Little else can be said in it's favor simply because this is the genuine Lloyd Webber Phantom in all it's phantomy goodness, that alone ought to sell the product.The special ending is almost tear-jerking for longtime fans of the show. It was unreal to see the epic guest appearances, albeit mildly somber by the obvious lack of Mr. Barton, may the generous and kind gentleman rest in peace.As for the quality of the performances specifically, the vast majority were as wonderful and memorable as fans have come to expect from this show. Lovely, witty, perfectly pitched. I have only two complaints and bear in mind that these are merely my personal opinion and I hope that you go out and grab this DVD and judge for yourself.I thought the character of Raoul seemed more pushy and abrasive, more like the Love Never Dies version, less like the romantic "hero" of Phantom. And as for the title role, although Ramin is a phenomenal singer who has played this role so successfully for so long, I found this particular performance of his to be more shouting and less singing, unwittingly conjuring up horrible visions of Gerard Butler's teeny bopper Phantom, much to my distaste. With significantly more emotion to his acting, of course.All in all, those little complaints do very little to bring down the quality of this DVD. If you don't already own this, why in the world are you still reading reviews in IMDb? Go buy it!

Having never had the opportunity to see PHANTOM OF THE OPERA live in the West End, I settled on the next best thing; this DVD release of the show's 25th anniversary special, which took place in front of a huge audience at the Royal Albert Hall. It's a vivid, spectacular show full of the requisite sumptuous sets, costumes and damn good singing, and offers pretty much everything you could wish for from a musical.As this is a filmed performance of a live musical, you have to remember it's not quite the same as being there. The cameramen focus on certain parts of the action in close up and miss out other sections; it's as if you're viewing the show through the funnel of somebody else's interest. Sometimes, the bigger picture is lost in favour of a moment of detail. On the plus side, you get to watch the show from the comfort of your own home, so it's all a question of weighing up the positives and the negatives.The singers all give very good performances, particularly Karimloo and Boggess as Phantom and Christine respectively – there's no faulting them. This production includes an encore featuring appearances by Andrew Lloyd Webber and the original Phantom and Christine, Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. Values in terms of costumes, effects and scenery are strong, with the only disappointment the lack of the crashing chandelier set-piece; apparently, the effect couldn't be staged within the constraints of the Royal Albert Hall. Never mind – there's enough excellence elsewhere that it isn't missed too much.