Phantom

How can one not mention Phantom of the Opera. One of the best shows in town.
I visit from Ct., a few times a year, and have seen Phantom 3 times so far. Also
second choice is "LOVE", you can't go wrong with either show.

Bill

I saw Phantom in New York and Vegas. Vegas wins out based on the big commitment to stage props and the physical aspects of the production. What a chandelier scene in Vegas! New York's is puny and dated. And so on, and so on.
NedRacine

I agree with you. I love Phantom and hope to see it again soon.

I wanted the 90 minutes of my life back..
So this perverted monster stalks a woman.
Nothing made sense- the boyfriends in a chair, he lets him go- the mirrors, she makes a choice..

and i saw it comped...! bunch of hooey. Have you listened to the words?!?

Stranger than you dreamt it -
can you even dare to look or bear to
think of me:
this loathsome gargoyle, who
burns in hell, but secretly yearns for heaven,
secretly ...
secretly ...
But, Christine ...
Fear can
Turn to love - you'll learn to see,
to find the man behind the monster: this ...
repulsive carcass, who seems a beast, but secretly dreams of beauty,
secretly ... "

Really?!!? Fear can turn to love? Sounds like a Law & Order/NCIS episode

N'cat. If it were a Law and Order or NCIS episode, I would have liked it.
I'm with N'cat. Not a fan. Thought it was all style, no substance.
Big sets, big costumes, big wall of sound. No soul. No thinking.
As for inane, the worst part is when the woman is in trouble, and the boyfriend says something, "I've got to go away now, but I'll come back tomorrow and rescue you."
Ahem! Since you're leaving, why don't you just take her with you?
Second worst, is the woman who starts to explain everything then stops and says, "I can't continue." Really, we don't get a real explanation?

But that's me. That's why entertainment is so individual.

I saw the show on Broadway with Michael Crawford and Sara Brightman and loved it. Also saw it twice in Las Vegas and was not disappointed. There is a difference though. When I saw it in NY and the stage turned into a lake or the Phantom appeared in the mirror, it was magic. In Las Vegas where lions, tigers, motorcycles, helicopters, beautiful assistants etc. appear out of nowhere in just about every show, the effects lose their magic. There is also a big difference between a broadway production and a Vegas production. Broadway theaters are very uncomfortable with little or no leg room, but that is for a reason. Even if you are sitting in the last row of the balcony in a NY theater, you are right above the action and near the stage so emotionally you are drawn into the performance and story. Las Vegas builds Las Vegas theaters (even if it's built specifically for a musical). Even towards the front, you do not get that drawn in sensation that you get in a NYC theater. Of course in Vegas, you also don't have to pay $16 to get across the bridge into the city and another $40-50 for parking!

Larry from Las Vegas, NV

The Broadway version included more scenes with the Phantom and Christine that developed their relationship in a way to make the show more meaningful. The special effects in Vegas were nice.