Experiencing 'The Phantom of the Opera' in London's West End

Finally, I got to experience the most classic musical in the West End, 'The Phantom of the Opera'. I regret not seeing it on Broadway, but thankfully, I fulfilled my dream this year in the West End. Sitting in the front row is highly recommended. According to reviews, sitting in row C gives you the feeling of the chandelier almost hitting your head, and it truly feels immersive. You can clearly see the actors' expressions, just like watching a DVD version. Lily was absolutely stunning; seeing her up close, she was flawless from every angle, glowing with beauty. She's the most beautiful Christine in my heart after Sierra Boggess. I was hoping to see Lily today! Dean, the new Phantom in the West End, sang really well. His voice is very similar to Ramin Karimloo's, sometimes I even mistook him for Ramin. However, Dean's Phantom feels gentler, especially during 'The Point of No Return', where Christine's voice overpowered his. After Christine removed his mask, Dean's Phantom crawled around in darkness for quite a while, which was interesting. His costume and hat during this scene seemed unique to the West End, as I haven't seen them in the Australian or 25th Anniversary versions. I wonder if it's an original West End design or a new addition? The Vicomte's singing left a strong impression on me, feeling very righteous. In the cemetery scene, he even overshadowed the Phantom, making me think he could play Enjolras in 'Les Misérables'. Carlotta sang wonderfully, but Meg seemed a bit inexperienced. Although I could probably perform the entire show myself, 'The Phantom of the Opera' is best experienced in the West End. I've seen the Australian and Italian versions, but none compare to the West End, except for the 25th Anniversary. The set design is unmatched, and even though I suspect there's a mechanism under the chair for the Phantom's disappearance, I still can't figure out how he vanished during the masquerade ball. This year has truly been my musical theater year, fulfilling my West End dreams. After watching 'Les Misérables', I saw the original 'POTO'. I'm willing to spend all my money on the West End. I finally got the Phantom teddy bear I've been longing for! Next month, I'm seeing the Chinese tour of 'The Phantom of the Opera', hoping not to be too disappointed as I've heard the Christine in the tour is also angelic. #MusicalTheater #PhantomOfTheOpera #WestEnd