Comparison of Book "The Phantom of the Opera" to the Musical

Yup it’s based on a book. It’s a really good book, actually, but there are several differences between the book by Gaston Leroux and the musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Weber (who tends to piss me off, but more on that when I get around to writing a post on it or something). Overall, I thought it was a really good adaptation of it, it keeps all of the main stuff there, but there are some significant differences.

First of all, the phantom’s name is Erik. The book tells about his childhood and how he came to be living in an underground lake under the Opera House (I want to live there, think of all the great operas you could see). He ran away because he was so ugly, spent some time with traveling circuses and became a artist/magician, then starts working for royalty in various countries building stuff. This is where a character called The Persian (who isn’t in the musical) saves him from being killed. He is then commissioned to build the Opera House. Of course, these other talents of his aren’t mentioned in the musical, he’s just a musician there. Also his face is only disfigured on one side, hence the iconic mask, but in the book his whole head looks as though it is decaying. Gross.

In the musical, the fact that Christine’s father knew about the Angel of Music isn’t really explained. I had the impression that he knew the phantom personally or something like that. He actually just told stories about the Angel of Music, and when Erik came to Christine, that’s what she thought he was. So he just assumed that identity.

Meg is portrayed as Christine’s best friend in the musical, when really she isn’t in the book. Raoul’s older brother, Philippe, isn’t mentioned in the musical at all. Madame Giry also is just a box attendant and basically replaces The Persian’s role in the story.

The Phantom dies soon after Raoul and Christine leave in the book, but asks that Christine return and bury him. She does so. In the musical, he disappears, leaving his mask, and when Raoul visits his wife’s grave he finds the ring, saying that the phantom is alive and has continued to love her.

Also the having your hand up while going to the phantom’s lair is explained more, it’s so that he cannot lasso your head. Keeping your hand there means that your hand will get caught as well and you can just take off the rope.

There are a few other differences with the timing of the deaths and such, but that’s relatively minor.

And then there’s the man in the felt hat, or the shade. I have no idea who he is, and Leroux never really explains that. He just sort of appears randomly, The Persian says that he is “much worse” than Erik, and the author says explicitly that he’s not telling. Thanks Leroux.

So that’s the original Phantom of the Opera, who is basically my alter ego. Minus all the killing and kidnapping though. Seriously, how cool would it be to live in an opera house and creep people out?