The story takes us to Coney Island, New York where freaks and stars mingle. The place for the Phantom as you can imagine! Roaming fairly freely without so much as a second glance, he still hurts from losing Christine. He sends for her - after all a bait of money and music is much too much to be refused, especially for Christine and her need for music, and the Phantom. Bien sur. She arrives in New York, with husband Raoul (who has turned out to be a drunk, gambling-mad blaggard - hmmm, surprise surprise) and musically inclined (hint, hint) son, Gustave.
She is "shocked" to find the Phantom there and they reminisce about some moonless night. Madame Giry and her daughter, Meg are also around Coney Island, as the Phantom's business partners for his spectacle, Phantasma. Meg, has developed a little bit of a crush on the Phantom, as do all of us after all. Christine regrets her choice of Raoul and realises, perhaps too late, that she has been in love with the masked genius all along. The Phantom, as always as always, will always always love Christine so he, determined to get her back, makes a bet with Raoul - if she sings the aria he wrote for her, it would be proof that she needs him and the music, and if she doesn't then she can leave with Raoul and a handsome trousseau.
I shall leave it there - after all, any blogposts about the Phantom should have a little mystery, don't you think. As for the ending, there are some happy points, especially with regards to choices but some tragedy as one can expect, judging from the Phantom's track record.The music is, I can say, excellent. There are some hints of the classic but a really good score. Ramin Karimloo as the lead, is in a word - phantastic. Truly, a voice of gold.
