I prefer a gestalt Phantom. The Seductive numbers are pure Crawford, but Karimloo does the Phantom's Rage numbers better, I feel. I'd give Crawford the second half of the Mirror, Phantom of the Opera, Music of the Night, the beginning of All I Ask of You (Reprise), Wandering Child, Point of No Return, and the final line of the show "It's over now the Music of the Night". I'd give Karimloo the beginning of the Mirror, Stranger than You'd Dreamt It, the second half of All I Ask of You (Reprise), and Down Once More.
Michael Crawford reigns supreme in my heart always...his voice gives me chills....so powerful, a little tone of threat in there to...also he is a very handsome man but his make-up took a lot of his looks away...The phantom shouldn't be super good looking...he is an outcast. Gerard was to sexy, but he did superb on vocals...a "panty-dropper" phantom just isn't believable..; D
Iron Snowflake Say what you will. But I really love Gerard Butler as The Phantom of The Opera! His face! His voice! His make-up! His slicked back black hair! His very handsome outfit! I just love him to death! Did you know that Universal Studios is going to remake The Phantom of The Opera for their Dark Universe? All I can say is Don Juan Triumphant! I am so excited!
Elizabeth Henshaw I am not taking anything away from Gerard, he sang beautifully and was AWESOME as the phantom...I just think he was to beautiful looking, there wasn't anything there not to love so to speak..come on girl, you know we would be all over him in a heartbeat..lol...that scar on the side wouldn't have turned me off one bit! I wonder if you ever seen the really old black and white movie..now that was a hideous phantom..I can't remember the actor but I saw somewhere that he achieved the look by wrapping piano wire around his face, then covering it with make-up..ouch! I hadn't heard of the Marvel re-boot. Sounds cool...I'm game!! :)
His hands...his eyes.....the way he contorts his mouth....no other phantom/singer can come close to the passion Michael exudes. Breath-taking to witness.
because no other phantom had the instruction he had directly from Gillian Lynne, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s secret weapon for mass hits since Cats. She was the top choreographer of that time.
I love how he uses his expression as if he is still wearing the prosthetics and masks- you can almost forget you are watching him unmasked.... but at the same time it is beautiful to see his actual face and it’s expressions
He came so far from ,mmmmm Betty! truly discovered in his "true role"in life, god bless you Micheal, best phantom so far, always been a fan of your "past and future!"....
Musical Theatre is not just about vocal talent. People like Michael Crawford and Elaine Paige got to the very top because of the emotion, sensitivity, fragility, and energy they capture. Being a flawless singer isn't always suitable for the genre. Showing fragility and flaws helps an actor connect with the audience. When you watch Crawford you know he's living the moment. But he probably isn't in truth. Its probably the 1000th time he's sung it and hes probably sick of it! But you'd never guess that. Why? Because he's got the perfect Musical Theatre vocals. There's a fragility and an innocence that makes every performance different
+CJ Mooney I basically agree with what you're saying, but I think you also have to keep in mind that what is considered a flaw in one genre of music might not be considered a flaw in another. For example, in opera it's not considered acceptable to sustain "n" or "m" sounds; you're supposed to emphasize the vowels, not the consonants. But in jazz/pop this is perfectly acceptable and often done.
C Taylor NO, I heard Michael say in an interview that EACH & EVERY time he sings this song, he is STILL “moved” so much so, that the hair on the back of his neck “stands up” ! He ALSO said (to my hopeful & excited heart) that, if asked, he would be MORE THAN WILLING to play “The Phantom” AGAIN ! If he actually does reprise that particular role before I die, I PROMISE that I will travel almost anywhere on earth - just to be able to hear Michael Crawford sing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s songs written for “The Phantom of the Opera” ! I WILL, YES I REALLY WILL !!!!
C Taylor If I remember correctly, in an interview, I recall Michael saying that he had “played” the Phantom (& sung EACH & EVERY song in this awesome opera) in over 1,300 performances ! Sometimes he had 2 performances on the very SAME day : a “Matinee” & an evening performance ! Yet, to a lot of people’s surprise, he stated that he enjoyed singing all these songs on EACH & EVERY occasion he sang them, but ESPECIALLY this particular song : “The Music of the Night” ! He said that the first time he actually heard someone else sing it, that the hair on the back of his neck “stood up” ! Even more surprising to some people (BUT it WAS NOT surprising to me !), he said the exact same thing happened EACH & EVERY TIME he sang it, EVEN the final performance on his 1300th (or more) performance “on stage” ! Of course, he has sung it other places, such as various Award Shows & on Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show” ! Probably, he’s performed this particular song over 2,000 times, all told ! And, if I were a “betting person,” I’d wager a GREAT DEAL of money on the “HIGH probability” that the hair on the back of his neck STILL “stands up” even up until today !
The key point about the Phantom of the Opera is that his voice is supposed to be ethereal - angelic, inhumanely beautiful. That is the precise voice that Michael Crawford brought, the precise Phantom that he played. I like a couple of other actors who played the Phantom as well, but the truth is that no one will ever be able to top Michael Crawford. He's a human who brought that inhumanely beautiful quality to life.
Absolutely mesmerizing. It always gets me, too, how a man who seems so gentle and soft-spoken in real life can seem so chilling and dangerous when singing the Phantom.
Who else came from the free live streaming of the Phantom of the Opera, and wanted to hear this guy sing?🙋🏻♂️ PS: I was not disappointed. No mask, but Michael Crawford IS the Phantom.
At age 69 I still swoon over this man's voice. It still has that eerie, ghostly quality it did have in the 80's. Other Phantom actors may be sexier or more powerful, but Michael has all those qualities that will make him #1.
Michael Crawford can sing the phone book to me and I'd love it. To me, he is the most memorable Phantom. Truly talented and no one will ever compare to him.
The way he sings 'turn your face away from the garish light of day' is so moving I don't know why. So different from the movie version but I think the quieter way he sings it here makes it stronger.
I saw a film version & the actor playing Phantom had a different interpretation of the role it seemed. His Phantom was menacing--not romantic at all. My daughter & I were disappointed as we had seen the stage play with Mark Jacoby whose Phantom was romantic & had us feeling sympathetic. Someone made a poor choice casting the movie.
It is because he believes. He is immersed. When he sings this, he ceases to be Michael and becomes the Phantom and because he believes, so do we. It is remarkable. There are not many who can do it or will do it. The vast majority of professionals want to hold onto themselves or must to control the technique. Michael is a risk taker. He is all in.
Michael Crawford's voice, which I never heard in full face before, is multi-layered. In the higher register, it's almost falsetto. In lower register, it is strong and masculine. This is the most sensuous of love songs.
Ninguém canta MOTN como o Michael. Muitos são ótimos, mas o Michael vai além e está acima de todos. Ele é perfeito em todos os sentidos. Ele é o próprio Erik. Meu fantasma favorito, o melhor! 😍😍
I don't know whether he was the best phantom or not, because they all are quite amazing in their own way, but in my opinion he is by far the best phantom when it comes to this song. He really does enchant you with his voice and take you somewhere with the music and it's beautiful. This is the best song.
I agree with you. There have been many tour companies with many different leads(all of whom were worthy of the role) but Michael Crawford was the first Phantom and will always be in my mind the best.
I totally agree, especially with how you worded it. While Michael is my favorite Phantom, I don’t like to say he’s the best, because that statement sort of discredits the many other great actors who’ve played the role. It’s what I love about theatre, you can have 2 actors give completely different portrayals of the same role, but both are amazing for different reasons.
@@tearoses9940 Like food and appearance, a person's talent is subjective so there is no such thing as the best unless everyone had the same brain. Favorite is always the best word to use.
……he’d the most beautiful voice! I’d met him, in my capacity as President of his Fan Club in my State, several times’. Perfect gentleman, & THE best ‘Phantom’ ever………
He may not be the most typical or technically correct Phantom but there is a tenderness to his voice. Where classically trained singers might add strength he is simply human and that is mesmerising. When I hear Michael Crawford sing in Phantom I believe him, every note so sweet and less manufactured than so may singers who have succeeded him. I love this, timelessly charming :-)
+Lindsey Ilsley I agree but would like to point out that Michael Crawford is classically trained. In fact when Andrew Lloyd Weber discovered him, Michael was in a voice lesson singing an aria by Handel.
+Lindsey Ilsley But what does he do technically wrong. He has a great breathing system, diction is perfect, legato is perfect, is capable of mezza di voce, has control to use head, mix and chest voice at his will. And his voice sounds really natural, above all. This singing marionettes this days, that learned from bad teachers, are the ones doing wrong. And you just have to listen how easy and effortless the sound is to decide if this is right or the wrong singing.
Well, I get your point, but I don't know how much more typically and technically correct you can get from here. This is sheer perfection. Almost impossible to execute the way he does it.
I was lucky enough to have a Phantom-obsessed friend who convinced me to go to the Ahmanson theatre for Michael Crawford's Phantom of the Opera. We went 6 more times after that! I fell in love with Michael's performance, the way he used his hands just blew me away, his entire being became his character. I could go on, however the 8th time we went, Michael had moved on and someone else had the title role. I'm afraid it was terribly unfair, I don't have a clue who he was because I was so disappointed. Michael Crawford was an impossible act to follow. In my opinion, he WAS the Phantom of the Opera.
Stunning. I wish there were DVDs of all versions but his is the one I'd really love to watch. I'm old enough to remember Frank Spencer and the doubts raised about Mr Crawford's ability to play this role . . How wrong they were, truly beautiful.
Really? I'd have to strongly disagree. How about the coconut club? Or the star catcher rooms? Think about it before you speak sometimes. He is like Jesus and then he was here amazing!
vince dunn --Don't know what you are talking about. What recordings at a coconut club and star catcher rooms? ----Oh, never mind. I read your other comment. You're an idiot trying to be funny.
As a teenager, I watched this broadcast from a hospital bed. For those few minutes, at least, I was able to leave all thoughts of the life i knew before.
I have seen many performances of this and he is THE BEST. No one holds that last note with excellent pitch, control, or as long. So lucky he was the original Phantom.
Micheal Crawford will always be my favorite and the best Phantom. This song makes me feel so warm inside, and it still gives me goosebumps after listening to it 1,000 times. It's just how much emotion Micheal shows as this role. He's playing this hideous creature but is so gentle with his emotions and movements. This is the person I look up to for my dream of being on broadway. One thing I love about his role is just how gentle he places Christine in the boat... showing that he truly cares for her. Also, how you can still hear that touch of Cornelius Hakl after all these years. Micheal, I love you and you will always be my favorite Phantom.
I had the privilege of seeing him perform this during the L.A. run of Phantom-as great as watching this is (it never fails to send a shiver down my spine) it’s a hundred times greater live...he had the ability to evoke fear, curiosity, shame, pity, love (and almost any other emotion you care to name) all while singing with a mask covering his face. There’s nothing really to compare it to...
I wonder if any of his critics said or wrote, "Who knew Frank Spencer could belt out a performance like that". Why couldn't I have appreciated Michael crawford back then...
YES - Listen to the words ! YES - hear the beautiful “musical score” YES - feel thrilled to be able to hear Michael’s FABULOUS voice AND While you enjoy his AWESOME musical ability, PLEASE watch - CAREFULLY & CLOSELY - his body movements, his facial expressions, BUT ESPECIALLY the “sensually expressive” use of his hands ! As a matter of fact, Michael helped design his sleeves, especially the “shorter than usual” length ! His reasoning was that - designing SUCH abnormally “shorter than normal” sleeves - would exposed his hands more FULLY - thus drawing the attention of the viewing audience to the expressive & exaggerated movement of his hands ! Who knew, right ????
I fell in absolute love with this man, and (obviously) his voice, as a child. His role, as the Phantom, is what put me on the path to studying and pursuing theatre and/or voice work. I’m honestly a decent bit heartbroken that I never got to see him in live performance, but I will GLADLY take and cherish everything that’s been recorded of him. For life.
I became a massive fan of Michael Crawford after seeing him in Billy at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London at age 13. I watched his career blossom as he appeared on stage in Barnum, Flowers for Algernon, Same Time Next Year. Culminating in watching his career defining role as the Phantom in 1987. His performance had so much feeling, emotion and depth and was totally mesmerising. He will always be the only Phantom for me!
Michael IS THE PHANTOM - even Sarah Brightman and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber says so, so to hear naysayers and criticism to compare him to anyone is laughable..... please see him in Barnum - singing colours of my life when his wife dies and he cries... tell me he can’t sing or act. That so and so is better.... Sorry he is sacrosanct. He deserves it for all he has given to the role. Maybe I’m a purist fan-girl.
Flawless Perfect Beautiful Wonderful Devine ,as the gorgeous Michael always is ,could listen to Michaels voice for ever ,he is everything you could want in a human being , he is perfect in every way ,my ideal man, would love to spend a day with him he would be such joy . l love you Michael in every thing you have done ,such a talented , kind gentle, man ,keep singing your beautiful voice must be heard . God Bless you darling Paula xxx .
❤ completely without question....magnificent 💙
He was born for this role, no one compares.
he was also born to play frank spencer.. fascinating guy.. i reckon he could have played don corleone lol
@Pop Kings karimloo is nowhere near Michael Crawford
I think so too
The first Phantom(in the musical)and the best!!
The first and the best!
He is THE PHANTOM!!
@@עמיחיאלימלך-כ8ל AMEN
He puts his entire body, soul, emotion, and voice into this song. Michael will always be the best Phantom, bar none.
Karen Pinson hands down
Exactly! Hands down.
I prefer a gestalt Phantom. The Seductive numbers are pure Crawford, but Karimloo does the Phantom's Rage numbers better, I feel.
I'd give Crawford the second half of the Mirror, Phantom of the Opera, Music of the Night, the beginning of All I Ask of You (Reprise), Wandering Child, Point of No Return, and the final line of the show "It's over now the Music of the Night".
I'd give Karimloo the beginning of the Mirror, Stranger than You'd Dreamt It, the second half of All I Ask of You (Reprise), and Down Once More.
AMEN...simply the best...the G.O.A.T..
@@dannyweiss9701 yes Danny, this particular performance was humbling to see.
Watching during the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020...
He was born to play this role....
May 2021
After all these years, Michael Crawford is still the reigning King of Phantoms. His voice is eternal.
Gerard Butler has way much more raw emotion in his version. And thus its better.
John Lane Don Juan Triumphant on you, for saying that! Gerard Butler's version is so much handsomer!
Michael Crawford reigns supreme in my heart always...his voice gives me chills....so powerful, a little tone of threat in there to...also he is a very handsome man but his make-up took a lot of his looks away...The phantom shouldn't be super good looking...he is an outcast. Gerard was to sexy, but he did superb on vocals...a "panty-dropper" phantom just isn't believable..; D
Iron Snowflake Say what you will. But I really love Gerard Butler as The Phantom of The Opera! His face! His voice! His make-up! His slicked back black hair! His very handsome outfit! I just love him to death! Did you know that Universal Studios is going to remake The Phantom of The Opera for their Dark Universe? All I can say is Don Juan Triumphant! I am so excited!
Elizabeth Henshaw I am not taking anything away from Gerard, he sang beautifully and was AWESOME as the phantom...I just think he was to beautiful looking, there wasn't anything there not to love so to speak..come on girl, you know we would be all over him in a heartbeat..lol...that scar on the side wouldn't have turned me off one bit! I wonder if you ever seen the really old black and white movie..now that was a hideous phantom..I can't remember the actor but I saw somewhere that he achieved the look by wrapping piano wire around his face, then covering it with make-up..ouch! I hadn't heard of the Marvel re-boot. Sounds cool...I'm game!! :)
His hands...his eyes.....the way he contorts his mouth....no other phantom/singer can come close to the passion Michael exudes. Breath-taking to witness.
His hands. Omg, his hands.
because no other phantom had the instruction he had directly from Gillian Lynne, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s secret weapon for mass hits since Cats. She was the top choreographer of that time.
Pure artistry. Every bit of it!
well, his face was covered so he had to essentially do caricatures with his mouth
I love how he uses his expression as if he is still wearing the prosthetics and masks- you can almost forget you are watching him unmasked.... but at the same time it is beautiful to see his actual face and it’s expressions
Best phantom hands down, gave me cold chills to watch!
Bravo, his entire being ,he puts into that song. His heart,soul, body ,he puts into that song. The best Phantom ever..
Michael and ramin And lon are my three Favourite phantoms
Michael Crawford is the Phantom.
+The Doctor I agree as was said in Highlander "there can be only one" and that one can only be Michael Crawford
PERIODDTTTTT
He is its his role.such emotion,passion expressions. He owns this role.
He came so far from ,mmmmm Betty! truly discovered in his "true role"in life, god bless you Micheal, best phantom so far, always been a fan of your "past and future!"....
Musical Theatre is not just about vocal talent. People like Michael Crawford and Elaine Paige got to the very top because of the emotion, sensitivity, fragility, and energy they capture.
Being a flawless singer isn't always suitable for the genre. Showing fragility and flaws helps an actor connect with the audience.
When you watch Crawford you know he's living the moment. But he probably isn't in truth. Its probably the 1000th time he's sung it and hes probably sick of it! But you'd never guess that. Why? Because he's got the perfect Musical Theatre vocals. There's a fragility and an innocence that makes every performance different
+CJ Mooney I basically agree with what you're saying, but I think you also have to keep in mind that what is considered a flaw in one genre of music might not be considered a flaw in another. For example, in opera it's not considered acceptable to sustain "n" or "m" sounds; you're supposed to emphasize the vowels, not the consonants. But in jazz/pop this is perfectly acceptable and often done.
I highly doubt he's sick of it and he probably is living in the moment. He's MC, after all.
Erin F Webber write music that is genuinely a pleasure to sing. So I doubt he is over it either.
C Taylor NO, I heard Michael say in an interview that EACH & EVERY time he sings this song, he is STILL “moved” so much so, that the hair on the back of his neck “stands up” !
He ALSO said (to my hopeful & excited heart) that, if asked, he would be MORE THAN WILLING to play “The Phantom” AGAIN ! If he actually does reprise that particular role before I die, I PROMISE that I will travel almost anywhere on earth - just to be able to hear Michael Crawford sing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s songs written for “The Phantom of the Opera” ! I WILL, YES I REALLY WILL !!!!
C Taylor If I remember correctly, in an interview, I recall Michael saying that he had “played” the Phantom (& sung EACH & EVERY song in this awesome opera) in over 1,300 performances ! Sometimes he had 2 performances on the very SAME day : a “Matinee” & an evening performance !
Yet, to a lot of people’s surprise, he stated that he enjoyed singing all these songs on EACH & EVERY occasion he sang them, but ESPECIALLY this particular song : “The Music of the Night” ! He said that the first time he actually heard someone else sing it, that the hair on the back of his neck “stood up” ! Even more surprising to some people (BUT it WAS NOT surprising to me !), he said the exact same thing happened EACH & EVERY TIME he sang it, EVEN the final performance on his 1300th (or more) performance “on stage” ! Of course, he has sung it other places, such as various Award Shows & on Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show” ! Probably, he’s performed this particular song over 2,000 times, all told ! And, if I were a “betting person,” I’d wager a GREAT DEAL of money on the “HIGH probability” that the hair on the back of his neck STILL “stands up” even up until today !
The key point about the Phantom of the Opera is that his voice is supposed to be ethereal - angelic, inhumanely beautiful. That is the precise voice that Michael Crawford brought, the precise Phantom that he played. I like a couple of other actors who played the Phantom as well, but the truth is that no one will ever be able to top Michael Crawford. He's a human who brought that inhumanely beautiful quality to life.
………try ‘inhumanly’, as the word you used has an extremely different meaning, & not a very nice one………
maybe the greatest song ever to come from the musical stage....Crawford sings it the best
Absolutely mesmerizing. It always gets me, too, how a man who seems so gentle and soft-spoken in real life can seem so chilling and dangerous when singing the Phantom.
YES!
Whenever I hear Michael Crawford sing as the Phantom, I forget to breathe. None can compare to him magnificent and majestic Phantom of the Opera.
Who else came from the free live streaming of the Phantom of the Opera, and wanted to hear this guy sing?🙋🏻♂️
PS: I was not disappointed. No mask, but Michael Crawford IS the Phantom.
Davi Lantin Music me, too
I did! I loved the streamed show but the original cast is just otherworldly.
Is the live stream on YT? I missed it. 😢Thank you.
I’m glad someone said it. I was really wanted to hear him sing with the rest of them.
Ron Wade Who do you prefer, the Phantom on the 25th Anniversary or Michael Crawford?
At age 69 I still swoon over this man's voice. It still has that eerie, ghostly quality it did have in the 80's. Other Phantom actors may be sexier or more powerful, but Michael has all those qualities that will make him #1.
He was born for this roll. I’m very grateful I saw him play the part twice
……you mean ‘role’………
"Touch me....trust me." The lilt on his voice, dear god.
Fabulous! The Phantom is there, in my mind! Michael Crawford IS that Phantom!
This was the first version I ever heard and fell in love
He is correct; Michael does sound better now than in the cast album in 1986. He makes love to you with his voice. The very best Phantom ever.
Forever my favorite Phantom - Michael Crawford!!!
The singing combined with the acting is superb. That's why he won the Tony.
Michael Crawford can sing the phone book to me and I'd love it. To me, he is the most memorable Phantom. Truly talented and no one will ever compare to him.
No-one sings this song like Michael. Absolute perfection.
The way he sings 'turn your face away from the garish light of day' is so moving I don't know why. So different from the movie version but I think the quieter way he sings it here makes it stronger.
I saw a film version & the actor playing Phantom had a different interpretation of the role it seemed. His Phantom was menacing--not romantic at all. My daughter & I were disappointed as we had seen the stage play with Mark Jacoby whose Phantom was romantic & had us feeling sympathetic. Someone made a poor choice casting the movie.
Mae Farrow s
Fuck the movie version
It is because he believes. He is immersed. When he sings this, he ceases to be Michael and becomes the Phantom and because he believes, so do we. It is remarkable. There are not many who can do it or will do it. The vast majority of professionals want to hold onto themselves or must to control the technique. Michael is a risk taker. He is all in.
Linda Warren oh Michael is menacing as Phantom. The cast said they gave him a wide berth when he was in costume....
When he sings, "Where you long to be, " I get chills every single time. WOW
+jonitchr yep so true
Chills all over me. Then i cried
Sameee
No English tenor sings better than Michael Crawford on this song, simply fabulous. Thank you Michael.
I’m like half Scottish and half English and I tried singing this song once but I’ll never be as good as Micheal
*michael* sorry that was autocorrect
Love it! I'm watching this on June 29, 2021.
Michael Crawford is a legend.
Michael Crawford has a voice that you can totally lose yourself in, and I do. A lot!
He IS the Phantom. Absolutely Sublime! No one compares. xxx
This song makes me cry
the best Phantom I love !
he's absolutely born for this role !
That voice, just magical
Just sublime
Couldn't agree more
Nobody can sing Phantom like you Michael. You are a very special man. :)
Absolutely brilliant the best 👍💯
His voice is so beautiful
I am a 67 year old Metal Head who loves Rammstein; but when I hear this song I get chills.
his voice is so angelic 🥹
absolutely how i envision the novel erik’s voice to be
Michael Crawford's voice, which I never heard in full face before, is multi-layered. In the higher register, it's almost falsetto. In lower register, it is strong and masculine. This is the most sensuous of love songs.
Michael Crawford is the One and Only Phantom. The King of Phantoms
Ninguém canta MOTN como o Michael. Muitos são ótimos, mas o Michael vai além e está acima de todos. Ele é perfeito em todos os sentidos. Ele é o próprio Erik. Meu fantasma favorito, o melhor! 😍😍
He owns this, it owns him
THE ONE AND ONLY PHANTOM! THE BEST AND THE GREATEST PHANTOM!!!
I don't know whether he was the best phantom or not, because they all are quite amazing in their own way, but in my opinion he is by far the best phantom when it comes to this song. He really does enchant you with his voice and take you somewhere with the music and it's beautiful. This is the best song.
I agree with you. There have been many tour companies with many different leads(all of whom were worthy of the role) but Michael Crawford was the first Phantom and will always be in my mind the best.
Lyka Bear fantastic xx
I totally agree, especially with how you worded it. While Michael is my favorite Phantom, I don’t like to say he’s the best, because that statement sort of discredits the many other great actors who’ve played the role. It’s what I love about theatre, you can have 2 actors give completely different portrayals of the same role, but both are amazing for different reasons.
@@tearoses9940 Like food and appearance, a person's talent is subjective so there is no such thing as the best unless everyone had the same brain. Favorite is always the best word to use.
Incomparable and Amazing !!!!👏
Perfection!
That's how to bring the house down... Michael Crawford has set the bar so high that it's unreachable. He is the Phantom... full stop!
……he’d the most beautiful voice! I’d met him, in my capacity as President of his Fan Club in my State, several times’. Perfect gentleman, & THE best ‘Phantom’ ever………
He may not be the most typical or technically correct Phantom but there is a tenderness to his voice. Where classically trained singers might add strength he is simply human and that is mesmerising. When I hear Michael Crawford sing in Phantom I believe him, every note so sweet and less manufactured than so may singers who have succeeded him. I love this, timelessly charming :-)
Aww. This is such a lovely comment. So perfectly said.
+Lindsey Ilsley I agree but would like to point out that Michael Crawford is classically trained. In fact when Andrew Lloyd Weber discovered him, Michael was in a voice lesson singing an aria by Handel.
+Lindsey Ilsley But what does he do technically wrong. He has a great breathing system, diction is perfect, legato is perfect, is capable of mezza di voce, has control to use head, mix and chest voice at his will. And his voice sounds really natural, above all.
This singing marionettes this days, that learned from bad teachers, are the ones doing wrong. And you just have to listen how easy and effortless the sound is to decide if this is right or the wrong singing.
Lindsey Ilsley Brilliantly stated.
Well, I get your point, but I don't know how much more typically and technically correct you can get from here. This is sheer perfection. Almost impossible to execute the way he does it.
A great performer, and amazing voice.
Simply a WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I like to consider myself a conniseur, but I haven't heard this gentleman before. He absolutely kills it. Serious respect for a master of his craft.
He is a wonderful actor and singer
Michael my friend you are amazing
I know he’s not my friend but he is still amazing
1:30 the way he hits “thoughts” has stuck with me since the first time hearing it as a kid. It’s so strange/haunting in the coolest way.
Perfection.
No one will be better! Wow!
Chilling. I love how he can make his voice sound ghostly. He's haunting.
Breathtaking
God, his voice live sounds just like on the original cast recording. Amazing.
I might even say he sounds better here than on the OCR.
It is dubbed lads...he's mining.
@@windogmassey1 yes sadly it’s dubbed here but nevertheless he is wonderful as the phantom! Incredible!
There is no other Phantom. He was born to the role.
Complete legend
His voice record the soundtrack , He is the first and better phantom ever
greatest performance by a man in a broadway musical in history. You hear him you have to love him.
Michael Crawford....Best phantom!!
I was lucky enough to have a Phantom-obsessed friend who convinced me to go to the Ahmanson theatre for Michael Crawford's Phantom of the Opera. We went 6 more times after that! I fell in love with Michael's performance, the way he used his hands just blew me away, his entire being became his character. I could go on, however the 8th time we went, Michael had moved on and someone else had the title role. I'm afraid it was terribly unfair, I don't have a clue who he was because I was so disappointed. Michael Crawford was an impossible act to follow. In my opinion, he WAS the Phantom of the Opera.
Just awesome.
His voice draws you in. Love it!
Yes, I agree. He is also very charismatic.
Stunning. I wish there were DVDs of all versions but his is the one I'd really love to watch. I'm old enough to remember Frank Spencer and the doubts raised about Mr Crawford's ability to play this role . . How wrong they were, truly beautiful.
Mr. Crawford was not singing a song at the Tony Awards, he was performing it. Such class. Swooning here lol
amazing voice and comedy legend
One of his BEST recordings of the song!
Really? I'd have to strongly disagree. How about the coconut club? Or the star catcher rooms? Think about it before you speak sometimes. He is like Jesus and then he was here amazing!
vince dunn --Don't know what you are talking about. What recordings at a coconut club and star catcher rooms?
----Oh, never mind. I read your other comment. You're an idiot trying to be funny.
As a teenager, I watched this broadcast from a hospital bed. For those few minutes, at least, I was able to leave all thoughts of the life i knew before.
I have seen many performances of this and he is THE BEST. No one holds that last note with excellent pitch, control, or as long. So lucky he was the original Phantom.
Nobody else can sing a song the way he does. Such emotion! Such range! Such sustained notes!
Micheal Crawford will always be my favorite and the best Phantom. This song makes me feel so warm inside, and it still gives me goosebumps after listening to it 1,000 times. It's just how much emotion Micheal shows as this role. He's playing this hideous creature but is so gentle with his emotions and movements. This is the person I look up to for my dream of being on broadway. One thing I love about his role is just how gentle he places Christine in the boat... showing that he truly cares for her. Also, how you can still hear that touch of Cornelius Hakl after all these years. Micheal, I love you and you will always be my favorite Phantom.
Just wonderful
The absolute best for the role!
I had the privilege of seeing him perform this during the L.A. run of Phantom-as great as watching this is (it never fails to send a shiver down my spine) it’s a hundred times greater live...he had the ability to evoke fear, curiosity, shame, pity, love (and almost any other emotion you care to name) all while singing with a mask covering his face. There’s nothing really to compare it to...
The real phantom forever....
+studio Holanys YESSS!
like how could anyone live up to that performance haahahaha he just IS the phantom
Michael is a legend in his own right.. an absolutely stunning and captivating performance, can not fault this amazing man.
I wonder if any of his critics said or wrote, "Who knew Frank Spencer could belt out a performance like that". Why couldn't I have appreciated Michael crawford back then...
Beautiful, stunning voice but still in my little child's head from all those years ago I hear ....Betty, Betty...
I love this so much - the emotion in his voice is so beautiful.
YES - Listen to the words !
YES - hear the beautiful “musical score”
YES - feel thrilled to be able to hear Michael’s FABULOUS voice
AND
While you enjoy his AWESOME musical ability,
PLEASE watch - CAREFULLY & CLOSELY - his body movements, his facial expressions,
BUT ESPECIALLY
the “sensually expressive” use of his hands !
As a matter of fact, Michael helped design his sleeves, especially the “shorter than usual” length ! His reasoning was that - designing SUCH abnormally “shorter than normal” sleeves - would exposed his hands more FULLY - thus drawing the attention of the viewing audience to the expressive & exaggerated movement of his hands !
Who knew, right ????
Outstanding.
I am holding the tears. Beautiful
His voice brings me chills.
I fell in absolute love with this man, and (obviously) his voice, as a child. His role, as the Phantom, is what put me on the path to studying and pursuing theatre and/or voice work. I’m honestly a decent bit heartbroken that I never got to see him in live performance, but I will GLADLY take and cherish everything that’s been recorded of him. For life.
I still get goosebumps every time.. no one will ever Out Phantom Michael.
I became a massive fan of Michael Crawford after seeing him in Billy at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London at age 13. I watched his career blossom as he appeared on stage in Barnum, Flowers for Algernon, Same Time Next Year. Culminating in watching his career defining role as the Phantom in 1987. His performance had so much feeling, emotion and depth and was totally mesmerising. He will always be the only Phantom for me!
I've never heard anyone sing this & come close to the Michael Crawford. Live or recorded his version of "Music of the Night" makes me tingle all over!
Michael is the best! There will never be another.
Michael IS THE PHANTOM - even Sarah Brightman and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber says so, so to hear naysayers and criticism to compare him to anyone is laughable..... please see him in Barnum - singing colours of my life when his wife dies and he cries... tell me he can’t sing or act. That so and so is better....
Sorry he is sacrosanct. He deserves it for all he has given to the role. Maybe I’m a purist fan-girl.
Flawless Perfect Beautiful Wonderful Devine ,as the gorgeous Michael always is ,could listen to Michaels voice for ever ,he is everything you could want in a human being , he is perfect in every way ,my ideal man, would love to spend a day with him he would be such joy . l love you Michael in every thing you have done ,such a talented , kind gentle, man ,keep singing your beautiful voice must be heard . God Bless you darling Paula xxx .