Dan and Nancy: Now Playing
Broomfield Enterprise

In “Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera,” a theater is haunted by a man who lives in the shadows. This phantom teaches a young girl to sing, falls in love with her in the process and then gets mad when he can’t have her. “Phantom” stars Emmy Rossum (“The Day After Tomorrow”) and Minnie Driver (“Good Will Hunting”) and is rated PG-13 for some sensuality. Time wondering what it’d be like going through life singing everything: 143 minutes.

Nancy’s Take: Happy New Year! I’m happy to say that watching “Phantom of the Opera” on the big screen wasn’t a disappointment at all for my first movie of the year.
The acting was incredible. Every single person was amazing. From the singing to the costumes, you couldn’t help but feel you were watching the play live. Even though I have never watched the play I wasn’t let down. My expectations were always high since the soundtrack is one of my favorites, and this movie just made it feel more real.
It would have been nice to have an intermission since there always is one at a real play and this movie was so long, but I managed not to get too antsy. We did see some people were dressed up like they were going to the Buell Theater or the prom, which was fun to see.
Was this movie worth the price of admission? Oh yes, it was such a rush hearing the soundtrack on the big screen. Take your family to the theater and enjoy this love story without paying too much. Would I see it again? Yes, it’s a classic that you can’t get tired of.

Dan’s take: While this movie wasn’t as good as the full Broadway-style show, it did have some advantages. For one, I didn’t have to dress up to see it. Birks and a Bronco shirt worked just fine. And yes, I wore pants too. Second, I could see it all because I wasn’t 800 rows up in the nose-bleed section of the balcony. Finally, the best part was that it didn’t cost $8,000 for a couple hours of entertainment.
This “Phantom of the Opera” was good but I think something was lost in the translation from the stage. I missed the live orchestra the most but small things like the set changes were missing too. In movies it’s easy to change the scenery but on stage it can be a massive undertaking that adds a sense of awe to the whole production.
Was the movie version of “Phantom” worth the price of admission? Yes. It was very well done and stayed very true to the original production. The biggest reason for this, I’m sure, is that Andrew Lloyd Webber was one the producers. Would I see it again? Not the movie, but the show definitely. I may also have to try singing some of the songs. Apparently chicks are suckers for them. If you hear singing at Safeway, it’s just me.

Dan Marcucci and Nancy Serougi
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