Watching this to grieve the loss of the West End angel. That set piece felt like another cast member, decorating the proscenium and allowing for one of the show’s most shocking moments. I can’t believe that Cameron Mackintosh replaced it with a Pegasus/horse statue.
Hear! Hear! I’ve introduced my friends to Phantom after Covid and was gutted that this gorgeous set piece is missing. It creates such a beautiful image on stage for the rooftop scene and then never failed to get a gasp from the audience when the Phantom emerges from it. Shame.
Thank you very much for posting this footage of Crawford. No matter how popular or not this video is, know that you are contributing to an archive of extremely rare and legendary footage of the original Phantom.
Ugh when he covers his ears, it hurts me physically. MC was better than any other phantom in portraying The Phantom's utter, lonely, despairing, tortured love (and desire) for Christine. No words to describe him
When he says "Christine" so sadly, and when he cover his ears. :( And the "youuuuuu", and the maniac laugh... Those are a few of the reasons why Michael is my favorite Phantom.
We wish that we can get ALL of Crawford's Phantom back here again. Multitudes of people are longing to see it again. Even though the video quality isn't so good, from 23 yrs ago, it's the greatest portrayal.
thephantom1946 I know this was 7 years ago but I agree 100% hopefully someday Andrew Lloyd Webber will give us a HQ DVD of one of the full show with the original cast but for know the closet we can get to with that is a blurry home video from 1988 but there are some HQ videos not from a show but are still related to the show and involve the original cast if you would like to see them feel free to ask
The pain in his voice is something that I havent seen expressed since. I've seen Phantom over 35 times, and MC has something in his voice that the others don't have. A mixture of madness, pain but also normality - Something that we all feel.
I can only imagine how magical it would be to see this in the video quality we have available today…Michael is an angel…..that voice. His portrayal set the bar high.
I've heard an audio recording of this (not this performance exactly) and it's incredible, but to see it with my own eyes, wow. Never thought I'd get to see it. WOW. Michael's laugh can't be beat.
I’ve seen four actors play the Phantom live - three on Broadway, and one on a national tour. None of them matched the raw emotion that Crawford put in to this. Not one of them. I know that every actor plays the Phantom differently, and that other people have seen many more notable Phantoms, but as far as the heartbreak the Phantom feels when he hears Christine confess her love for Raoul - for me, Crawford *sells* it. The way he sighs “no,” before clenching his teeth and screaming - I feel that in my bones.
Thanks for putting this up! there were a lot of videos of crawford as phantom but the channel who had all the videos got terminated! I hate when RUG does that.
OMG, this comments will make me cry :(. I truly hope that we willl get that performance one day, it's something I really wish. And I've read from comments of people who got to watch Crawford's Phantom that he was the best they have seen. But I want to make my own opinion based on that performance. :'(
Heres the thing....Micheal Craford (BEST.PHANTOM.EVER.) can seem REALLY sad when he trys to...but he cant really be sad...And Ramin Karimloo... He can be VERY angry at the you will curse part but... he always seems angry..........
He'll be 71 Jan 19 and the M E is over. He starred in The Wizard of Oz in London for a year until last March, and he just did a recording with Susan Boyle of Music of the Night for her new album. Of course he wouldn't do Phantom now even though we can wish :)
This is going to sound ridiculous but, to everyone who says Michaels Crawfords Phantom is the best, what is the best way to judge? These blurry videos? I just wish we could all have a HQ performance on a DVD one day, hopefully ALW will give us that one day
DameHaha2011 i think they mean vocally, but you can kind of tell whats going on seeing the way hes moving. Also theres still people out there who saw him in person, im pretty sure my mother had gone to see it on broadway when he went there.
DameHaha2011 I know this was 5 years ago but there's a HQ video of music of the night I think it's a music video not from a performance but still it's from the 80s so its not like watching a video form now
my advice for getting this video popular is posting it on t3hfiasc0's all i ask of you reprise [25th aniversary] everytime i check it has more and more views.
This looks like the Los Angeles production in the early 1990's. The chandelier has fewer light fixtures on the top tier than the actual broadway chandelier.
@adam4757 But I should agree with you here, the chandelier is falling dreadfully slowly =\ And I actually enjoyed your funny wording in the previous message :)
@adam4757 Oh, certainly you're not :) It just that there is actually in this video something that deserves so much more attention than a (notyet)shattered chandelier! ;)
@adam4757 Who cares? :) Seriously, listen to that laughter, listen to that "you-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u... (and so on and so forth)" which only Michael is capable of delivering! This video is a legend. Invaderphantomstar11, millions of thanks for it.
@Monkeyballmania the Broadway chandelier crash is more exciting than this. This looks like one of the tours, probably the 5 year run in Los Angeles in the 1990's. I just saw the New York production last April and the chandelier fell much faster than this one.
Watching this to grieve the loss of the West End angel. That set piece felt like another cast member, decorating the proscenium and allowing for one of the show’s most shocking moments. I can’t believe that Cameron Mackintosh replaced it with a Pegasus/horse statue.
Hear! Hear! I’ve introduced my friends to Phantom after Covid and was gutted that this gorgeous set piece is missing. It creates such a beautiful image on stage for the rooftop scene and then never failed to get a gasp from the audience when the Phantom emerges from it. Shame.
No one touches Crawford. Love how the audience can’t help themselves but start clapping before the end of the performance. Quality.
Thank you very much for posting this footage of Crawford. No matter how popular or not this video is, know that you are contributing to an archive of extremely rare and legendary footage of the original Phantom.
It's looks good 25th anniversary celebration party years documenty biography VIP group chat with the interview review history
Ugh when he covers his ears, it hurts me physically. MC was better than any other phantom in portraying The Phantom's utter, lonely, despairing, tortured love (and desire) for Christine. No words to describe him
I've seen many Phantoms performing this scene but the original, Michael Crawford, really drives home what a tortured soul that The Phantom is.
When he says "Christine" so sadly, and when he cover his ears. :( And the "youuuuuu", and the maniac laugh... Those are a few of the reasons why Michael is my favorite Phantom.
His crying sounds terribly saddening! awww best Phantom ever!
We wish that we can get ALL of Crawford's Phantom back here again. Multitudes of people are longing to see it again. Even though the video quality isn't so good, from 23 yrs ago, it's the greatest portrayal.
thephantom1946 I know this was 7 years ago but I agree 100% hopefully someday Andrew Lloyd Webber will give us a HQ DVD of one of the full show with the original cast but for know the closet we can get to with that is a blurry home video from 1988 but there are some HQ videos not from a show but are still related to the show and involve the original cast if you would like to see them feel free to ask
I’d love to see those!
And this is why he won the Tony! Excellent work.
I love how he screams into it. They hardly scream like there insane.Crawford makes the reprise better.
The pain in his voice is something that I havent seen expressed since. I've seen Phantom over 35 times, and MC has something in his voice that the others don't have. A mixture of madness, pain but also normality - Something that we all feel.
I can only imagine how magical it would be to see this in the video quality we have available today…Michael is an angel…..that voice. His portrayal set the bar high.
I've heard an audio recording of this (not this performance exactly) and it's incredible, but to see it with my own eyes, wow. Never thought I'd get to see it. WOW. Michael's laugh can't be beat.
It just kills me when he screams the first time. *sobs*
I saw Michael Crawford do this in LA. He was awesome.
Crawford IS the Phantom! On the other hand... This must be the slowest falling chandelier ever!
1:50 will have my heart forever
And the fact that Crawford kept laughing into intermission! Incredible!! I've never seen/heard another Phantom do that
Thank you so much for putting this up! Michael is a legend there aren't even words for the emotion I feel when he sings.
This sounds amazing! I would have LOVED to see this live!
Happy 30 years Michael thank you for bringing such a beautiful character to life!
I’ve seen four actors play the Phantom live - three on Broadway, and one on a national tour.
None of them matched the raw emotion that Crawford put in to this. Not one of them.
I know that every actor plays the Phantom differently, and that other people have seen many more notable Phantoms, but as far as the heartbreak the Phantom feels when he hears Christine confess her love for Raoul - for me, Crawford *sells* it. The way he sighs “no,” before clenching his teeth and screaming - I feel that in my bones.
Goddamn, that voice!!
Thanks for putting this up! there were a lot of videos of crawford as phantom but the channel who had all the videos got terminated! I hate when RUG does that.
OMG, this comments will make me cry :(. I truly hope that we willl get that performance one day, it's something I really wish. And I've read from comments of people who got to watch Crawford's Phantom that he was the best they have seen. But I want to make my own opinion based on that performance. :'(
@xylonisawesome Thank you for saying so :3
this video is only a month old I imagine it will grow in popularity soon enough. LONG LIVE MICHEAL!
crawford will always be the only phantom for me (:
the best reprise ever 8)
ah..so heartbreaking
Heres the thing....Micheal Craford (BEST.PHANTOM.EVER.) can seem REALLY sad when he trys to...but he cant really be sad...And Ramin Karimloo... He can be VERY angry at the you will curse part but... he always seems angry..........
This is from his last performance in LA Production!!!!!!!
Michael Crawford and John Owen Jones.
Love how the words are pronounced with a British accent. Ahhasked instead of asked.
He'll be 71 Jan 19 and the M E is over. He starred in The Wizard of Oz in London for a year until last March, and he just did a recording with Susan Boyle of Music of the Night for her new album. Of course he wouldn't do Phantom now even though we can wish :)
My goodness!! It looks like he is standing straight up in the angel! Maybe its just the angle.....
This is going to sound ridiculous but, to everyone who says Michaels Crawfords Phantom is the best, what is the best way to judge? These blurry videos? I just wish we could all have a HQ performance on a DVD one day, hopefully ALW will give us that one day
DameHaha2011 i think they mean vocally, but you can kind of tell whats going on seeing the way hes moving. Also theres still people out there who saw him in person, im pretty sure my mother had gone to see it on broadway when he went there.
DameHaha2011 I know this was 5 years ago but there's a HQ video of music of the night I think it's a music video not from a performance but still it's from the 80s so its not like watching a video form now
my advice for getting this video popular is posting it on t3hfiasc0's all i ask of you reprise [25th aniversary] everytime i check it has more and more views.
This looks like the Los Angeles production in the early 1990's. The chandelier has fewer light fixtures on the top tier than the actual broadway chandelier.
@adam4757 But I should agree with you here, the chandelier is falling dreadfully slowly =\ And I actually enjoyed your funny wording in the previous message :)
he's kind of in his 70s, and suffered from M.E due to the stress of the work....
What is M.E?
@adam4757 Oh, certainly you're not :) It just that there is actually in this video something that deserves so much more attention than a (notyet)shattered chandelier! ;)
Was this from his last performance
RUclips...
Michael Crawford All I Ask of You (Reprise) last performance & it certainly matches his vocals w.his sigh & Scream
Who is the Christine in this?
@adam4757 Who cares? :) Seriously, listen to that laughter, listen to that "you-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u... (and so on and so forth)" which only Michael is capable of delivering! This video is a legend.
Invaderphantomstar11, millions of thanks for it.
when was this show filmed
@Monkeyballmania the Broadway chandelier crash is more exciting than this. This looks like one of the tours, probably the 5 year run in Los Angeles in the 1990's. I just saw the New York production last April and the chandelier fell much faster than this one.
@TheTitanic4 I know what you mean, that is the one of the things I dislike about the broadway production...
Did Raoul sneeze in the beginning?
Do you know if this is from broadway or london??
His last performance as Phantom Ever in LA production.
That most certainly not Michael Crawford
Yuya Sakaki Are you sure? That's his laugh.
Yes. It is.
It most certainly is. I’ve listened to the OLC recording more times than I’ve changed my pants and I would recognise his voice anywhere.
wtf yes it is! I'd recognize it a mile away! That's how good he is!