#leila benn harris

[operafantomet]

...did you ever notice that...

They used basically the same concept for the 2004 movie cover, the 2006 Phantom Las Vegas visuals, the 2007 West End ads, and the 2010 West End Love Never Dies artwork?

Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum, 2004 movie

Probably models? Las Vegas 2006

Earl Carpenter and Leila Benn Harris, West End 2007

Ramin Karimloo and what was said to be Sierra Boggess, but if so they have photoshopped her to death... LND 2010

Version 3 was used in bus stops all over London, with the Phantom looking directly into the camera, with the Paris skyline in the background, and the tagline "Surrender to the Music of the Night", but I never found a good one without lot of reflections showing it in use... If anyone has that one, I'd be interested!

#phantom of the opera #poto posters #gerard butler #emmy rossum #earl carpenter #leila benn harris #ramin karimloo #love never dies #2004 movie

[marleneoftheopera]

London’s 36th Anniversary - Audio Gifts!

In honor of the 36th anniversary today, I thought it would be nice to share some previous POTO London anniversary audios! Many if not all of these are fairly common so you may have them already, but nice to have them in one spot!

The link is below and cast info will be beneath the ‘keep reading’ tab (and of course on my site).

Enjoy!!

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/dq3wt4rvqb07h/London_Anniversaries 

Matthew Cammelle (s/b), Rachel Barrel, Oliver Thornton October 4, 2004; London 18th anniversary performance in London.

Earl Carpenter, Rachel Barrell, David Shannon, Wendy Ferguson, James Barron, Sam Hiller, Annette Yeo, Rohan Tickell, Naomi Cobby October 9, 2006; London 20th anniversary performance. Includes speeches by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Ramin Karimloo, Leila Benn Harris, Alex Rathgeber, Wendy Ferguson, James Barron, Sam Hiller, Heather Jackson, Benjamin Lake, Lindsey Wise October 9, 2007; London 21st anniversary performance. Highlights.

Ramin Karimloo, Gina Beck, Simon Bailey, Rebecca Lock, Barry James, Gareth Snook, Nicky Adams, Rohan Tickell, Emma Harris, Stephen John Davis October 9, 2009; London 23rd Anniversary performance, includes speeches.

Ramin Karimloo, Sierra Boggess, Hadley Fraser, Wendy Ferguson, Barry James, Gareth Snook, Liz Robertson, Wynne Evans, Daisy Maywood October 2, 2011; London Audio of the 25th Anniversary Concert. Includes speech and encore performances. Official CD and audience recording.

Ben Forster, Celinde Schoenmaker, Nadim Naaman October 10, 2016; London 30th anniversary performance.

Ben Lewis, Kelly Mathieson, Jeremy Taylor October 9, 2017; London 31st anniversary performance.

Josh Piterman/Adam Robert Lewis (u/s), Kelly Mathieson, Danny Whitehead, Ross Dawes, Richard Woodford, Britt Lenting, Paul Ettore Tabone, Sophie Caton (u/s), Georgia Ware October 9, 2019; London The 33rd anniversary show. Josh had to leave the show after Act 1 due to illness and was replaced by Adam Robert Lewis.

​Killian Donnelly, Holly Anne Hull (alt.), Rhys Whitfield, Saori Oda, Matt Harrop, Adam Linstead, Francesca Ellis, Greg Castiglioni, Ellie Young October 9, 2021; London 35th anniversary show in London. Killian Donnelly (Phantom), Lucy St Louis (Christine), Rhys Whitfield (Raoul), Saori Oda (Carlotta Giudicelli), Matt Harrop (Monsieur Firmin), Adam Linstead (Monsieur André), Francesca Ellis (Madame Giry), Greg Castiglioni (Ubaldo Piangi), Ellie Young (Meg Giry) October 11, 2021; London Audio of the 35th Anniversary gala night, celebrated 2 days after the actual anniversary. Includes speeches and Happy Birthday at the end​

#poto audio #audio gift #The Phantom of the Opera #poto london #poto anniversary #matthew cammelle #rachel barrell #oliver thornton #earl carpenter #david shannon #ramin karimloo #gina beck #leila benn harris #simon bailey #sierra boggess #hadley fraser #killian donnelly #Holly-Anne Hull #rhys whitfield #lucy st. louis #josh piterman #adam robert lewis #kelly mathieson #danny whitehead #ben lewis #jeremy taylor #ben forster #nadim naaman #celinde schoenmaker

[lucygold95]

Same pose

#the phantom of the opera #leila benn harris #poto london #poto west end

[filthybonnet]

Raminhooding Discord Streams

People are still very much interested in me streaming Phantom Italy Trieste, and I will again, but for I want to go back. Those of us who went to Trieste, and those who have watched my master, have now seen PEAK RAMIN PHANTOM. SAD BOI RAMIN PHANTOM. CRESTFALLEN MATURE RAMIN PHANTOM.

Let's go back and watch Ramin in his first run ever as Phantom.

Streaming: YOUNG ANGRY VIOLENT RAMIN PHANTOM

West End Sept 2008: Ramin and Gina Beck

Wednesday August 16th at 9PM US Eastern Standard Time

Thursday August 17th at 2PM US Eastern Standard Time WITH SPECIAL ADD ON Act Two Only: West End Sept 6, 2008: Ramin with Leila Benn Harris, Alex Rathgeber (Sadly the boot is only of Act Two, apparently Leila had to step in for the 2nd act)

If you're already a member of the Raminhooding Discord just show up. If you're not, I'll post a new invite link the closer we get to showtime.

#the phantom of the opera #ramin karimloo #phantom streams #the phantom of the opera west end #the phantom of the opera london #gina beck

[glassprism]

Who are your favorite feisty, strong, independent Christines? I really liked Kelly last night physically holding the Phantom off of Raoul. That was such an excellent moment, and I usually don’t pay attention to Christines.

Oh yes, that was a great moment of Kelly Mathieson's, though to be fair, that's also quite common for London Christines - I've seen Leila Benn Harris and Gina Beck shove the Phantoms away, I've seen Rachel Barrell push herself between the Phantom and Raoul, I've seen Harriet Jones just insert herself in and drive the Phantom off, and so on; it was basically the blocking in London before the shut-down.

But anyway, as for other strong Christines, here are a few more! Links provided when available:

Rebecca Caine (far more so in Toronto)

Dale Kristien (in a stiff sort of way)

Irasema Terrazas

Meredith Braun (in Act II, in an "I will murder you" sort of way)

Julia Moller

Rachel Barrell (more so with John Owen-Jones)

Elizabeth Loyacano

Jennifer Hope Wills

Leila Benn Harris

Ana Marina

Julia Udine (more so in the restaged tour)

Kaley Ann Voorhees (particularly in the 'Final Lair')

Maria Coyne (in a shouty sort of way)

Ali Ewoldt (especially later in her run)

Meghan Picerno

#GP gets asks #anonymous

[horsegirlneigh]

Don’t mind me I’m just reliving my preteen obsession with how much Oliver Thornton’s Raoul loves his Christine

#catch me on deviantart drawing horrible pictures on printer paper #I'm regressing #oliver thornton #leila benn harris

[phantomchristinesuk]

Star Princess with detached sleeves.

Pictures: Silvia Luchetti & Brinkhoff/Mögenburg (rbbm) websites. Тамара Котова/Tamara Kotova & Мария Геворгян (ивлева)/Maria Gevorgyan (Ivleva) vk groups. Daniela Braun, Daruã Góes & Sandra Kassman social medias.

#phantom of the opera #poto london #poto Spain #poto Germany #poto Denmark revival #poto Russia #poto brazil revival #Silvia Luchetti #leila Benn Harris #Valerie link #Daniela Braun #Tamara kotova #Maria ivleva #Maria Gevorgyan #Daruã Góes #darua goes #Sandra Kassman #poto west end

[christinealtomare]

Ramin Karimloo and Leila Benn Harris (London 2007)

#this is super out of character for my blog lmao but i kinda like how he sounds here better than later in his run + the 25th #less shouting... #ramin karimloo #leila benn harris #audio gift #poto #broadway bootlegs #bootlegs: audio

[kimwexlers-brownhair]

Whenever I see this picture of Robyn North and Leila Benn Harris in costume as Christine, I think of a Victorian au Sansa and Jeyne.

#Songbird feels #sansa stark #jeyne poole #Robyn North #Leila Benn Harris #phantom of the opera #christine daae #asoiaf

[nichtswieeswar]

[4/?] Favourite potrayals in musical theatre Leila Benn Harris as Christine Daae

#leila benn harris #phantom #phantom of the opera #she had a damn wishing #and ponr #and final lair

[love-little-lotte]

W i s h i n g   y o u   w e r e   s o m e h o w   h e r e   a g a i n

                         k n o w i n g   w e   m u s t   s a y   g o o d b y e

#the phantom of the opera #wishing you were somehow here again #christine daae #marni raab #sara jean ford #sandra joseph #rachel barrell #leila benn harris #gina beck

[marleneoftheopera]

Ten (of many) special moments at POTO London:

Michael Crawford's final performance where he was presented with his own chandelier; this was one day after the first anniversary.

The 20th anniversary featuring  Charles Hart, Earl Carpenter, Gillian Lynne, ALW, Sarah Brightman, Rachel Barrell, and Andrew Bridge.

The 21st anniversary featuring Ramin Karimloo and Leila Benn Harris. This also marked the first anniversary where both leads were played by POC.

The 10,000th performance featuring Will Barratt, Sofia Escobar, ALW, Michael Crawford, and Stephen John Davis.

The 25th anniversary performances at the Royal Albert Hall.

The 12,000th performance with Geronimo Rauch, Harriet Jones, and Liam Tamne in the leads.

The 30th anniversary (with a 4 Phantom/2 Christine performance instead of the usual 4/1)

The 33rd anniversary; understudy Adam Robert Lewis had to take over mid-show for Josh Piterman.

The 35th anniversary-- the first one celebrated in person since Covid.

The 36th anniversary, celebrated yesterday!

Happy 36th to the London production, long may you run!

#poto london #The Phantom of the Opera #Michael Crawford #Sarah Brightman #earl carpenter #rachel barrell #sofia escobar #harriet jones #geronimo rauch #Sierra Boggess #ramin karimloo #adam robert lewis #Killian Donnelly #lucy st louis #andrew lloyd webber #charles hart #leila benn harris #will barratt #stephen john davis #john owen jones #scott davies #gardar thor cortes #ben forster #celinde schoenmaker

[theres-music-in-you]

Big eye-roll at this review of the new London production. I don’t know how anyone could watch this show and have this be their one takeaway of Christine. Also... Lucy isn’t the first woman of color to play the role in London, right? Leila Benn Harris? Fact-checking might also be something for Serena to work on.

#christine does take initiative? #did you even watch final lair? #phantom of the opera

[glassprism]

I completely agree with what you said that acting is important to Christine's character. Stiff acting is boring to watch, but it's also difficult to overlook very shrill voices. Shrill, screeching voices are distracting. I've actually skipped ahead on some boots if the voice is too much. I'm noticing a lot of the girls do go the route of over-the-top type singing. Is this expected of them? Is a more sweeter sound frowned upon these days?

Without knowing exactly what "over-the-top type singing" is, it's hard for me to say. What I can say, at least, is that I do feel like singers in the flagship productions (London and Broadway, also the US tours to an extent as they often share actors with Broadway) basically sound the same to me, with a few exceptions.

A lot of this, it seems, is due to a certain technique that's being taught nowadays, discussed here on @operafantomet's blog from an interview with Rebecca Caine, where singers are taught to belt and sing soprano but with much less attention being paid to finding that unique "color" in a singer's voice. And part of that, I think, is that we're seeing less and less roles for those "legit sopranos", for singers with that classical sound. Most musicals, especially newer ones, are looking for something more belt-y, more modern-sounding.

And so I get why that technique is being taught - it's almost a matter of career survival at this point, you have to know how to sing that way - but like Caine, it is sad to hear so many singers who sound the same. Like, look back at when Phantom first started: if I listened to Sarah Brightman, Claire Moore, and Maria Kesselman, I could immediately tell who is who, even though it's the same role, the same notes; or similarly if you have Sarah Brightman, Patti Cohenour, and Rebecca Luker sing, I think even people who don't know the singers very well, would know they were different people.

But that's not really the case anymore. Like, if you put, I dunno, Leila Benn Harris, Robyn North, and Tabitha Webb together, I... well, I'll probably be able to tell them apart, but only because I know their voices well. Or you stick Julia Udine, Rachel Zatcoff, and Rachel Eskenazi-Gold together, same thing. Some of this could also be put down to direction - I've talked a bit about how I felt Meghan Picerno was told to downplay her operatic voice on Broadway, for example. Also, none of this is meant to say they are bad singers - most are great! And certainly they bring more than just vocals to the role - acting, interpretation, chemistry with their fellow actors. But again, those unique voices seem to be gone, and even the exceptions - Celinde Schoenmaker or Amy Manford in London, Meghan Picerno or Elizabeth Welch on Broadway - are more exceptions to an increasingly common trend.

That being said, if you go outside those productions, you'll still find all sorts of singers. The Helsinki non-replica, for example, loves to cast actual opera singers in the roles. The Copenhagen productions have always been good at casting a more operatic or classical singer (Susanne Elmark, Agnete Munk Rasmussen, Teresia Bokor, Sibylle Glosted) with a singer with more musical theatre background for contrast (Viktoria Krantz, Mia Karlsson, Isabel Schwartzbach). Japan has always done its own thing; culturally they tend to prefer singers with less vibrato. And the (now closed) World Tour is just full of variety, including the operatic singers (Meghan Picerno), the very light, sweet voices (Clara Verdier, Caitlin Finnie), your typical Broadway-type singer (Kaley Ann Voorhees), the classical voice (Claire Lyon), and of course, the God-only-knows (Megan Ort).

So as an overall answer to your question: yes, some voices are definitely more favored in some productions, for a number of reasons, but also no, you'll find some fantastic voices outside of them.

#GP gets asks #anonymous

[hollyannehulls]

Gorgeous Christines

Well, I should be saving this for June 4th (Mark your calendars, y’all, it’s national Stan Christine Daaé Day!) but alas, I cannot wait. Literally every Christine who has ever existed is flawless, and this is by no means a comprehensive list, but here’s some of the most gorgeous Christines! Many photos come courtesy of @operafantomet​ <3

Lina Mendes

Sierra Boggess

Ali Ewoldt

Kaley Ann Voorhees

Holly-Anne Hull

Marni Raab

Rebecca Caine

Elena Bhatiyarova

Samantha Hill

Leila Benn Harris

Anna O’Byrne

Kaitlyn Davis

Gina Beck

#phantom of the opera #huge images / #large images #christine daae #stan christine daae day #me softly w emotion: oh im gay

[filthybonnet]

This Week: Act 2 Festival!

There are files out there that are only Act 2 for whatever reason. And with all the talk and worry about the possible changes to The West End Production, I thought this would be a good chance to highlight the drastic differences between The Restaged US Tour and The Brilliant Original.

Act 2 US Restaged Tour Dallas 2018: Quentin Oliver Lee, Eva Tavares, Jordan Craig

Then: Act 2 West End Sept 2008: Ramin Karimloo, Leila Benn Harris, Alex Rathgeber

This Week’s Unofficial Theme: Smack Raoul Up.

Thursday July 2nd @ 8:30PM US EST Room will open 15 minutes before show.

Get your Kast account set up ahead of time: https://www.kastapp.co/

#The Phantom of the Opera #poto streams #restaged us tour #ramin karimloo #quentin oliver lee #eva tavaras #act 2 only