Is Emmy Rossum of Phantom...

Well, my Gawd, Frank. Where have you been? Glad to see you back. Oh, yes. That was one GREAT movie.

"...the ending of the music of the night...." Loved it.

The complete lyrics:

Music of the Night - Phantom Of The Opera
(Phantom Solo)

Night-time sharpens; Heightens each sensation.
Darkness stirs, and wakes imagination.
Silently the senses abandon their defenses

Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor.
Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender.
Turn your face away
From the garish light of day
Turn your thoughts away from cold unfeeling light
And listen to the music of the night

Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams
Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before
Close your eyes let your spirit start
To Soar
And you'll live as you've never lived before...

Softly, deftly, music shall caress you
Hear it, feel it, secretly posses you
Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind, in this darkness that you know
You cannot fight
The darkness of the music of the night

Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world
Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before
Let your soul take you where you want to be
Only then can you belong to me...

Floating, falling, sweet intoxication,
Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation.
Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in
To the power of the music that I write,
The power of the music of the night!

You alone can make my song take flight,
Help me make the music of the night...

I think her brother was a running back for the Packers a few years back. Allan Rossum. Little guy with deceptive speed.

Fairly good at returning kicks, if I remember correctly.

Hi Frtank - good to see ya - whassamatta - raining out there on the links?

I agree Rossum is a wonder. You gotta see her in Songcatcher


Uhhhhh, Gus, the Rossum you're thinking of - a 2-time Pro-Bowl player now with the Falcons, and titled "The Fastest Man in Football", is not likely to be Emmy's sibling ... no family resemblence there at all

Hi Letty, Gus, Timber...

...thanks for responding.

I just cannot get over how impressed I am by this young woman.

What a terrific voice...what a captivating face!!!

Had to share my feelings.



Hope all is well with all of you.

My golf is fair...my poker is dismal.

Looking forward to some trips into the Big Apple...over to the Frying Pan...and visits with Joe, Kicky, Blatham, Lola and the others.

Should be back into those trips within a week or two at most.

Ah, Frank. The ending was sad, but beautiful.

I am a Phantom Phreak. I love it love it love it. I was in love with Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford until I heard Emmy and Gerard play the parts. Now, Sarah and Michael just don't seem quite as good.

I think Emmy does a wonderful job. I think her innocence and naive voice really make the part.

To sum it up, I think it's a wonderful, beautiful, haunting, moving movie. As good as the stage production.

I haven't seen the new musical version. I suppose I should.

I saw the Phantom on stage and bought the CD with Brightman and Crawford and was prepared to be disappointed in the movie. HAH. I loved it. Emmy Rossum was a delight. Glad you liked her so much, Frank.

And yes Edgar, please see the movie.

Hi, Frank! We were wondering where you were on an evolution thread -- I suppose you've grown tired of that endless debate!

The film version of "Phantom" is sumptuously filmed, the singing wonderful -- the chandelier scene is truly inspired. An underrated and not well attended triumph of a film. I have watched it three times and bought the DVD. Can hardly wait for the Hi-Def, 'cause the first time I was it was on HBO Hi-Def.

Hey, everyone....

...glad to see ya all.

LW, Bella, Aggie, Edgar (nice new avatar, E)...

...I am delighted you folks feel as I did...and Letty, Timber and Gus.

Edgar...rent the DVD and take a gander. You will love it. I have no idea of what the critics who panned it were thinking...but I guess it takes a bit of insanity to be a critic. Emmy Rossum has got me enchanted. I suspect she will enchant you also.

By the way...I am meeting Joe Nation and Kickycann on the Frying Pan tomorrow night. (We're doing Friday instead of Thursday.) Weather looks good...and I am looking forward to a great time.

Hope some of you good folks will get into the Big Apple this summer and spend some time on the Pan with us.

(Not sure if Blatham and Lola will be there...but I'll keep you all informed....and with some pictures if possible.)

I wish I could make it to the Big Apple as I would like to meet all you eccentric characters.

When my class went to New York, we were able to see the broadway version of Phantom of the Opera, I was quite impressed with lady who did this version. I have watched the movie and I enjoyed it as well. I would hate to compare them (both give me cold chills) but it was different seeing the girl on broadway sing because you could feel it. I highly recommend either version...highly attractive, both, and I love girls that can sing.

You're not alone Frank.

When was the meeting in NY?

Actually..."the meeting in NY" is not a "meeting" at all...but rather a series of rowdy, beer swilling, skirt chasing events that happen mostly at the Frying Pan (a pier/bar/pick-up joint at the Chelsea Piers) attended mostly my me, Kicky, Joe Nation, Blatham...and anyone who happens to be visiting the Big Apple. During the summer...the meets happen at least once each week. The local cops know us by name.

Visually fantastic, it was rich and beautiful with superb costumes but I thought the lead roles were badly cast.
I didnt like either of their voices at all which ruined it for me.

There was a good time in the old town!

"The Phanton of the Opera" is now out on HD DVD and due out on Blu-Ray DVD in hi-def. The DVD hi-def image is superior to the broadcast and I've seen HBO's hi-def channel with 5.1 Dolby Digital. I do hope the hi-def DVD's, which I will eventually purchase, have the DTS tracks as the sound is superior (by a small margin but on a good system, one can hear the difference).

Gotta tell ya, LW...that one of the very few things I agreed with from the critics reviews...was that the sound job was poorly managed. Way too much fading out. Not sure why or how the damage was done...but it should have been corrected.

I still think Rossum has the voice of an angel...and I could listen to her sing for hours without tiring...but whoever handled the mixer was a screw up.

The sound engineering was a bit too stylized and I wish they would leave their hands off the knobs sometimes. This was not bothersome in the 5.1 Dolby Digital from my home sound system, however. If one goes to a cineplex theater, you've got the projectionist to contend with as far as volume and distribution of channels. They have a habit of kicking up the read channels and the sound has too much artificial reverberation.

Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, and Patrick Wilson all have voices suited to an operetta, which this resembles more than anything else.

Although Gerard Butler had no previous musical stage experience, he was more than adequate for The Phantom, yes, the most handsome of all Phantoms.

IMDb on Emma's credentials:

Being born and raised in New York City provided Emmy with the perfect place to start her professional career. After passing an audition at the Metropolitan Opera when she was 7 years old, she performed in over 20 operas in six different languages at Lincoln Center, alongside figures such as Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti. She was directed by Franco Zeffirelli in "Carmen". She left the opera when she entered her teenage years, as she had grown too tall to perform as a child. Emmy also appeared in a Carnegie Hall presentation of "The Damnation of Faust".

Partrick Wilson:

Patrick Wilson has a B.F.A. in Drama from Carnegie Mellon University. His theater work has produced many nominations and awards, including: Nominated for: Best Actor in a Musical (The Full Monty) Broadway: Fascinating Rhythm (Drama League Award). Off Broadway: Bright Lights, Big City (Drama Desk Nomination, Drama League Award), Tenderloin (Encores!). National Tours: Carousel (Drama Logue Award, L.A. Ovation Nomination), Miss Saigon. Regional: Sweet Bird of Youth (La Jolla), Ciderhouse Rules (Mark Taper Forum), Romeo and Juliet: The Musical (Ordway), Lucky in the Rain (Goodspeed), Harmony (La Jolla), The Full Monty (Globe).