I have seen it on stage a couple times. I know that critics don't like Andrew Lloyd Weber. There is this automatic response to anything he does. I know that there are some better musicals. I know there is better music. But I feel that you can fool some of the people, but not for as long as people say he has. He has presented wonderful stories, created very memorable music. The first time I heard the music from "The Phantom of the Opera" was when the Cadets of Bergen Country, a nationally known drum corps, used it for their field show. I thought, "What is that music?" Since then, I've been in love with this show. Granted, both stage shows work better than this movie (although the opening credits deserve their own place--they are awesome), it still captures much of the romance of the play. Some of the scenes away from the opera house and away from the sewers take a bit of the original punch out of the movie. The singers are not as strong. This always amazes me. I would think that singing would take precedence over acting. There must be some wonderful people out there. But they are not terrible. And the music wins out in the end.
Review of The Phantom of the Opera
