Blu-ray Review: Stunning Production of ‘The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall’

CHICAGO – We’re going to give you a number of HD choices in the next 36 hours for your Valentine’s Day sweetie. Some will be obvious (“Love Story,” “The Lady and the Tramp,” “The Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn — Part 1”) and others will be less so. One that might fall in the latter category but would make for a lovely Hallmark holiday evening is the stunning Blu-ray release of the 25th anniversary show of “The Phantom of the Opera” at Royal Albert Hall. With incredible production values and amazing performances, this Blu-ray is a perfect gift for fans of the longest-running Broadway show of all time.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

According to some measurements, “The Phantom of the Opera” is the most successful entertainment property in history. It has been running for a quarter-century and will soon cross 10,000 shows on old Broadway. 10,000! Nothing else is even close and it seems unlikely that anything will ever break “Phantom“‘s record. Why is the show so popular? It is grand romantic spectacle. I don’t think anyone would argue that the music is the best in the history of Broadway but the story, the spectacle, the experience of “Phantom” holds. And, unlike a lot of Broadway plays, it carries over well to a filmed version of the production, especially one with higher production value and more impressive performances than most musical films. Don’t avoid this because it’s a “filmed play.” It’s more than that. For people who love this show — and there are millions who do — it’s a wonderful Valentine’s Day gift.

The Phantom of the Opera was released on Blu-ray and DVD on February 7, 2012
Photo credit: Universal

Synopsis:
In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, Cameron Mackintosh produced a unique, spectacular staging of the musical on a scale which had never been seen before. Inspired by the original staging by Hal Prince and Gillian Lynne, this lavish, fully-staged production set in the sumptuous Victorian splendor of London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall features a cast and orchestra of over 200, plus some very special guest appearances.

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com [email protected]