Favourite Phantoms

London-Phan wrote:The phantom's that i have seen live are:

Glyn Kerslake
Mike Sterling
Scott Davies
Richard Halton
John Owen Jones
Earl Carpenter
Matt Cammelle

They were all brilliant i wouldn't say there was any of those that i didn't like but my favorite has to be Richard Halton, he was amazing! It would be nice if he returned to the role one day. I have 'heard' and seen(not live if you know what i mean) lots of others and i definitely like Dave Willetts he sounded very good. I'm sure i'll get stick for this but i really don't see how Peter Karrie is such a favorite, i wasn't that impressed. Saying that if he ever did the show again i would go see him in it.

I love your avatar, London Phan. Is that Martin Smith or did I make that up?

A nice list -- looking at it makes me realise how 'dignified' all those Phantoms were in a way that I don't think I can say of these young rockers *cough*Gerard*cough*Ramin. I'm not sure quite why. It gives me hope that casting the latter type won't become de rigueur for London Phantom...at least I hope not.

Of those I would probably say John Owen-Jones was my favourite; I was never ever disappointed, even when he was having 'off' days. Earl Carpenter blew me away at a couple of his performances, but the rest I found a bit blah. I definitely prefer Earl over the two most recent Phantoms in London though.

I saw Sterling and Cammelle's Raouls but never saw them as the Phantom (well, live, anyway). I've heard excellent things about Cammelle's Phantom. I really wish I saw Glyn Kerslake...

As for Richard Halton, I think I preferred his André...but he was very nice at the stage door. His voice was perhaps one of the most operatic there's been for the Phantom, almost like the polar opposite of a Phantom like Karimloo's!

Scorp wrote:

London-Phan wrote:The phantom's that i have seen live are:

Glyn Kerslake
Mike Sterling
Scott Davies
Richard Halton
John Owen Jones
Earl Carpenter
Matt Cammelle

They were all brilliant i wouldn't say there was any of those that i didn't like but my favorite has to be Richard Halton, he was amazing! It would be nice if he returned to the role one day. I have 'heard' and seen(not live if you know what i mean) lots of others and i definitely like Dave Willetts he sounded very good. I'm sure i'll get stick for this but i really don't see how Peter Karrie is such a favorite, i wasn't that impressed. Saying that if he ever did the show again i would go see him in it.

I love your avatar, London Phan. Is that Martin Smith or did I make that up?

A nice list -- looking at it makes me realise how 'dignified' all those Phantoms were in a way that I don't think I can say of these young rockers *cough*Gerard*cough*Ramin. I'm not sure quite why. It gives me hope that casting the latter type won't become de rigueur for London Phantom...at least I hope not.

Of those I would probably say John Owen-Jones was my favourite; I was never ever disappointed, even when he was having 'off' days. Earl Carpenter blew me away at a couple of his performances, but the rest I found a bit blah. I definitely prefer Earl over the two most recent Phantoms in London though.

I saw Sterling and Cammelle's Raouls but never saw them as the Phantom (well, live, anyway). I've heard excellent things about Cammelle's Phantom. I really wish I saw Glyn Kerslake...

As for Richard Halton, I think I preferred his André...but he was very nice at the stage door. His voice was perhaps one of the most operatic there's been for the Phantom, almost like the polar opposite of a Phantom like Karimloo's!

No your right that is Martin Smith in my avatar. I'd say Matt Cammelle would be a close 2nd or possibly joint favorite with Halton, he was very good. Like i said i really liked all the phantoms i've seen i've yet to see a phantom i didn't like(well live anyway)

In no order really other than the first 2
1. Ramin Karimloo
2. John Cudia
3. Brad Little
4. Gary Mauer
5. John Owen Jones
6. Earl Carpenter
7. Howard McGillin
8. Franc D'ambrosio

Will probably update later.

I'm only including the men I have seen live. I love many on the recordings (Alexander Goebel especially), but I feel that for someone to be my favorite, I would have to sit and watch it in the theatre. Just my personal experience...

John Cudia has taken the crown from Brad Little (who owned it for 7 years. Panaro was at a close second). Brad was a terrifically deep, dark, sensuous Phantom. Very alive and playful. He went to the deep, dark places.

But John Cudia now reigns supreme. He fully delves into the torment of this man, and his work shows especially in the Final Lair. He was grotesque, and rather selfish. By being selfish in his obsession, his downfall at the end is all the more tragic because he does a complete turnaround, fully realizing his folly. But like all HUMAN beings, he was filled with contradictions. His opening scenes (Mirror-Music of the Night) were unbelievably touching. I really felt the deep need within him to convince Christine that she needed to serve him further as his muse and love. Another thing I appreciated about his Phantom is that he never attempts to chew the scenery. He is always working with the others onstage, and his focus is about truth, not showing off. He draws you in by working simply. I heard a lot more audible crying at Phantom than I had in some time last summer.

MajesticPhantom wrote:John Cudia has taken the crown from Brad Little (who owned it for 7 years. Panaro was at a close second).

Glad to hear this. I didn't know what to expect, but after seeing stuff online I was so thrilled. Luving what he does with the role.

01. Gary Mauer
02. Kevin Gray
03. Steve Barton
04. Davis Gaines
05. Ted Keegan
06. Mark Jacoby
07. John Owen-Jones (any BY FAR my favorite Jean Valjean...saw him in the Broadway revival the day it closed.)
08. John Cudia
09. Howard McGillin
10. Peter Lockyer

5 least favorite (in no order):
Jason Mills
Peter Karrie
Michael Crawford
Colm Wilkinson
Paul Stanley

mauerite#5 wrote:

5 least favorite (in no order):

Peter Karrie
Michael Crawford
Colm Wilkinson

WOAH! This is the first time I've seen all these three on a least favorite list. Not hatin! Don't worry. Just really surprised!

ML6 wrote:

mauerite#5 wrote:

5 least favorite (in no order):

Peter Karrie
Michael Crawford
Colm Wilkinson

WOAH! This is the first time I've seen all these three on a least favorite list. Not hatin! Don't worry. Just really surprised!

They just don't do "it" for me.

I kind of understand.

First time i heard the Canadian recording i was like what was that?
and since then for a long time I used to group Phantoms I saw into groups:
Like Crawfoed or Like Wilkinson (smooth vs harsh) Then I realised that the vast majority would fall into the Wilkinson category so I stopped doing that

And with Karrie, I've tried to like him because of all the Hype, and asside from his ability to sustain a note for a long time (sometimes too long for my tastes) his voice just has too many flaws for me and he likes to go up or down when he shouldnt (you alone CAN MAKE my song take flight) and it sounds as though he hit a bum note or something.

justin-from-barbados wrote:

And with Karrie, I've tried to like him because of all the Hype, and asside from his ability to sustain a note for a long time (sometimes too long for my tastes) his voice just has too many flaws for me and he likes to go up or down when he shouldnt (you alone CAN MAKE my song take flight) and it sounds as though he hit a bum note or something.

It's odd, Karrie's Phantom makes me ... I don't know, I get this weird vibe from him. I can't place it. I know I used to dislike him, totally, and now I'm completely indifferent to his phantom.

Top ten Phantoms:
1)Davis Gaines
2)John-Owen Jones
3)Ernst D. Suttenheimer
4)John Cudia
5)Kevin Gray
6)Gary Mauer
7)Mike Sterling
8)Peter Jorde
9)Franc D' Ambrosio
10)Ron Bohmer

Honourable Mentions:
Peter Karrie, Ted Keegan, Brad Little, Anthony Warlow.

Oh my turn my turn.

Just a note, I don't ever put a performer on a list such as this based off of an audio, because so much of the role is the physical performance too, someone can be singing beautifully but moving very stiffly, or maybe someone could be singing weakly but giving an amazing physical performance. So all these are based upon...."sources" I've watched of their performances.

10. Thomas Schulze
9. Hans Peter Janssens
8. Kevin Gray
7. Brad Little
6. Dave Willetts
5. Michael Crawford
4. Peter Karrie
3. Scott Davies
2. Ian Jon Bourg <---- also my current favorite singer
1. Ethan Freeman <---- the MOST Leroux-accurate Phantom since Lon Chaney, or at least he was during his time in London.

I saw some posts earlier about Scott and Peter Karrie being very similar in the role. I do agree, Scott and Peter took very similar approaches to the character, a very insane one at that, but it doesn't, to me at least, seem like Scott is completely copying him at all.
Scott's higher on my list because I prefer the more operatic tone he has to his voice, and I feel he took the character even more insane and over-the-top than Peter did, while remaining very accurate to the book.

*one thing that I'm very proud of is that every one of these Phantoms started playing the role pre-2000*

Scott definitely aped a lot of Karrie's acting. No coincidence there. Mike Sterling took a little from him as well.

Not sure what I'd listed earlier, but this is probably my latest list. The top three or four are a little nebulous, so sometimes I prefer one over the other, depending on my mood.

Colm Wilkinson
Michael Crawford
Steve Barton
Davis Gaines
Peter Karrie
Mark McKerracher
Kevin Gray
Mike Sterling
Ethan Freeman

I want to love both Anthony Warlow and Rob Guest because of their ethereal voices, but I'm iffy on their acting in the Final Lair. Too over-the-top growly.

My favourite Phantom is a tie between Richard Halton and Peter Jöback. Both very different vocally but both amazing acting wise. Richard's voice is definitely the kind of voice I usually prefer for the Phantom but there was just something about Peter's voice that I really enjoyed. One Phantom I'm really keen to see is Simon Shorten, I do think he sounds great in the role and I've heard people say he's a very good Phantom.

SenorSwanky wrote:Scott definitely aped a lot of Karrie's acting. No coincidence there.

Scott Davies started understudying the role around the time Peter Karrie was principal Phantom - 1992-93-ish. It might have more to do with how they both were directed back then than Davies copycat-ing Karrie (though of course understudies always picks up stuff from the principal).

What's special about Scott Davies is that he's stuck to the "old school version" despite various new in-house directors effort to spice things up...

operafantomet wrote:

SenorSwanky wrote:Scott definitely aped a lot of Karrie's acting. No coincidence there.

Scott Davies started understudying the role around the time Peter Karrie was principal Phantom - 1992-93-ish. It might have more to do with how they both were directed back then than Davies copycat-ing Karrie (though of course understudies always picks up stuff from the principal).

What's special about Scott Davies is that he's stuck to the "old school version" despite various new in-house directors effort to spice things up...

I do like that. Of any of the recent London Phantoms, I'd much rather see him than any of the principals. That includes JOJ and probably even Earl. I was intrigued by Nigel Richards, but he lasted such a short time.

I've found a lot of understudies pick up their cues from the first principal they covered in a role. They're their role models, literally. I found Stephen Buntrock to be a lot like Hugh, even though when I saw Buntrock he was covering for Howard. Brad Little picked up stuff, though more subtly, from Davis Gaines, who had picked up stuff from Steve Barton. Jeff Keller, early on, was a lot like MC. So was Norman Large, to an extent. And, of course, Dave Willetts (though not later on as much).

In no particular order:

John Owen-Jones
Earl Carpenter
Matt Cammelle
Stephen John Davis
Scott Davies
Richard Halton

My 3 faves:

Michael Crawford
James Romick
Ramin Karimloo

It´s easy for me to say which are my favourites because of many different reasons:

Alexander Goebel (was my first)
Sandor Sasvari
Roy Weissensteiner
Scott Davies
Henk Poort
Ben Cramer

It changed a little over the time, now I´ve also:

Tomas Ambt Kofod - his voice, acting and his presence made me dizzy (can´t wait to see more from him)
Peter Karrie
Earl Carpenter

I've been listening to a decent amount of Phantom lately...and i've decided to update my list.
Top 5
1)Gary Mauer
2)John Cudia
3)Davis Gaines
4)John Owen-Jones
5)Mike Sterling

Pretty Effin' Awesome Though:
Ramin Karimloo
Ron Bohmer
Kevin Gray
Earl Carpenter

Gary Mauer
Something about Gary Mauer, his performance always leaves me in utter amazement. The way he can sustain those notes perfectly with such power...blows me away.

John Cudia
A booming operatic voice, with an amazing amount of power. I feel like the entire theatre shakes when he belts out his "be" or "you alone..."

Davis Gaines
Like Cudia, Gaines has an amazing amount of power in his voice. His deep baritone voice can pretty much put you in a complete trance...absolutely beautiful.

John Owen-Jones
His accent...the way he roll's his r's...his scream...everything about him is amazing. I try, but besides the fact that he is very "over-rated", he is still a phenomenal phantom.

Mike Sterling
I like the fact that he's a low key Phantom, and not many people have heard him...makes him almost more special for that reason.