I've seen the musical twice. Cried my heart out both times... for the Phantom. I felt so sorry for him, I felt he was so misunderstood.

After the first time I'd seen the musical I was so fascinated I went straight out and bought the book. And I really liked the book too. Although in the book the Phantom wasn't quite as "likeable", there he came across as a bit too sinister for me to feel nothing but sympathy for him.

But that's just me I guess. :-)

the phantom is totaly the hero of the story. All he wanted was one person to understand him, to see past the surface.

In most of the renderings (of which there have been many) the the Phantom is sympathetic, except for the original silent film with Lon Chaney and the one with Robert Englund in it.

Has anyone read the actual story? I have not. Does it present a sympathetic character whose plight was brought about due to a greedy Impresario?

I don't know if you by the actual story mean the book by Gaston Leroux. I have read that book and yes in there you feel pity for the phantom. As I remember it his plight, as you put it, was brought about already at an early age since he was born disformed and having been forced to wear a mask already as an infant. He only wanted to be accepted for who he was, and he was very intelligent, creative and talented, but he would be rejected always.

So I found him very sympathetic and felt great compassion for him. Although some of the things the book describes him as having done were not such that they could be excused and there were moments when he was far from sympathetic I found myself wishing that he should have been allowed to find happiness.

hey, once again, the only thing I've seen from the REAL version was the sountrack to the play.

Thank you, Katarina for that wonderful explanation. Believe I had heard before that the Phantom (although pitied) was not the good person we think he is (such as played by Claude Rains and Herbert Lom). Rather more like the somewhat corrupted Lon Chaney portrayal, but Lon Chaney is a force to behold in any of his films.

Lon Chaney, Sr. that is.

I haven't read the origional Leroux in the origional french, but i've read some good translations. O.G. is definently the hero.

This is my favorite musical, I firmly believe that hte Phantom is hte hero of the play, as he was only trying to help Christine achieve her greatness in the theater. He was the one that helped her at least get to the point in her career where she can be recognized. She was also the only one that didnt run away from him when she was with him. This was a classical love story.

not quite classical, but seeming so.

Has anyone read Phantom? I can't remember the author, but it's Erik's story, from birth to beyond his death, told by his mother and him and a few other people, very very good.

You mean Phantom by Susan Kay, right? I have read it and I loved it =)