"Phantom Duel" - Ken Hill's Phantom of the Opera

[DeborahDyer]

This version had a lot more comedy than ALW's and Peter Straker has the best voice of all the Phantoms I've heard. I have a huge POTO collection, and own the soundtrack and libretto to this one. I would love to find any part of Ken Hill's Phantom on video!

[MsPhoneMonkey]

I saw this version on stage around 1992 and thought it was fantastic.

[MrShaun42088]

Of course this is of an Opera....but this version really sounds like an Opera. I Love Webbers musical melodies alot more. they are memorable and more enrapturing than these ones.

[OperaGhostObsession]

You know it's the original musical because Christine is blonde. She was meant to be blonde and the only reason she was brunette in Webber's musical was because he gave his role to his wife, Sarah Brightman. For those who prefer the 2004 movie over the books and other musicals, clearly need to do some studying. I have read Susan Kay's Phantom, I like Yeston's Phantom, Webber's Phantom, and the 1925, 1989, and 1990 movies.

[damiaelrichmusic]

@OperaGhostObsession THANK YOU!!!! Finally someone realizes Christine should be blonde!

[BarbieGirlDolls100]

Ugh why are people so ignorant, they ARE NOT saying that this is the orginal Phantom, they're saying that it is the original MUSICAL, as in the first adaptation of the story of The Phantom of the Opera as a MUSICAL. There's a difference learn it!!!

[PhantomoftheOperaOG]

I LOVE THIS VERSION!!!!! It's funny & sad at the same time!! IT DEFENATLY needs more attention!!!!!!!

[HappyFangirl13]

Neither of them are the original Phantom of the Opera. The original was a novel published in, i believe, 1909 in France by Gaston Leroux.

[Phantomgoast]

I wounder why they call it alw phantom when camron macintosh harold prince ritchard heart did most the work i wish ken hill was still on

[garrychelsea]

@Phantomgoast maybe because andrew wrote the music and its only after the music is written that other people are brought in to work on the show, so no music no job for cameron,richard ,harols prince, imagine a film by stephen speilberg would you expect everyone on the production to have it named as their film, it doesnt work like that

[yumichan899]

Now there are five Phantom musicals I can think of:

Ken Hill's, Andrew Lloyd Webber's, Yeston and Kopit's, David Staller's, and a new one deemed as "Sgouros and Bell's version". :)

[SailorDirector]

Well my opinions have kind of changed. I realize ALW ripped off of Ken Hill a great deal and is still doing that with his sequel (AKA make a cheap buck) Check out the love never dies title font, and compare it to Ken Hill's.

I'm now under the impression that ALW wasn't a phan, but more of an opportunist that got lucky because Ken Hill and Universal made the Phantom well known. And he had Cameron Mackintosh, the best producer in England, work on the show with him.

[SailorDirector]

I do think though ALW did at least fall in love with Phantom :) Anyone who worked on the project loved it, obviously. He even tried to work with Ken Hill on it after seeing it, hehe.

[mercifulreddeath]

This looks like an awesome version, I'd love to see it. The whisper is super creepy at the begining.

And LOL in a horrified way- "yours hasn't been" Can't believe he'd say that.

[RosesNightengales]

"He was bound to Love You...When he heard you sing!!"

[Scar2401]

im glad they went with Micheal for the Phantom in Webber's version...Steve harley..eh...

[BroadwayKidNamedJosh]

What I HATE about ALW is that he never writes original stories, or even music for that matter. He bases all of his shows off of books. And a lot of the music isnt even fully his. SO many artists and composers complain about how ALW took there basic music, then changed some of the notes around so it sounded nearly the same, but different so it wasnt copyright. Hence Echoes by pink floyd which is used in POTO.

[wafflyadam4757]

Isn't taking other composers music and using it in their own show exaclty what Ken Hill's Phantom of the Opera is based upon?

[BroadwayKidNamedJosh]

I dont know, I've never even seen that version. Im talking about Andrew Lloyd Webers. Hes been in various lawsuits against copyright claims, but that tricky little bastard changes things so It sounds exactly the same, but it's different so he can't get charged for copyright. And i can't think of ONE of his shows that hasnt been taken from the story of a book. He sure is an original.......

[wafflyadam4757]

I can think of one of his shows which is original; "The Beautiful Game" which he wrote with Ben Elton.

I only know of 2 lawsuits he was in. One he was LEGALLY cleared of plagiarism, and the other was settled years ago.

[BroadwayKidNamedJosh]

Which proves he's not that good of a writer either, because if he was, that show would have made it :\

And yeah, legally cleared, because like I said it wasn't the exact chords and notes but he changed them in a way they sounded the same but it wasn't copyright, but he based the music off of it. Whatever im not getting into a feud with ALW nuts.

[msclairol]

They used a clip from the Steve Harley video to illustrate ALW's Phantom? Snerk.

[Hasselhoffhater]

It's strange that a piece of the Tales of Hoffman is in the Ken Hill Score. Is the score mainly with operatic scores?

[ChristineDaaePhan07]

It was really rude of that reporter to say that Hill's musical hadn't been as successful. Who cares? I think that it's a beautiful and much more classic version of the story.

[evertime492]

Christine.... you have betrayed me...... haunting

[OperaGhostObsession]

@evertime492 if Erik ever said that to me... I know I'm in trouble!

[stitchgrl777]

this is almost like a ghost story. ALW's was more of a love story.

[amortenti]

i would like to see this...seems much more haunting than ALW's, even Christine and Raoul look more creepy! And, finally, Christine is blonde! Like how she should be! Perhaps they should make this into a movie, like another musical show did- the 1990 POTO film. This strays a bit far from the book though, and no scene of Christine first going down into the lair.

[Hondurankid92]

mr hill seems a tad bitter lol but im sure his version is nice too. personal fan of ALW but cant judge whose is better cuz i havent seen hill's

[DarthCrydus]

This isn't the Original Phantom all Musicals are the original Phantom of the Opera, and the Original Original Phantom of hte Opera is the Book of Gaston Leroux

[Ryanlaskey]

@DarthCrydus the original phantom adaption

[jakeblues875]

@DarthCrydus True, the Original NOVEL was written by Leroux, but Ken Hill's musical came out before Lloyd Webbers version, and as we heard in the video--it gave Lloyd Webber the inspiration to write his musical. So we all have Ken Hill to thank really lol

[DarthCrydus]

@jakeblues875 but there isn't "the real musical" thats what i want to say

[MusicalLover6]

I really like this version of Phantom. I've been looking FOR-EVER for videos of this Phantom. I think his voice is amazing. :)

[SailorDirector]

who even cares which is the original they're both outstanding and it's from the CREATOR's imagination on the book! Geez! They both, ALW and Hill, are fans and decided to make a musical out of it ):> Why can't people just understand....z

[hefincarwyn]

i saw a proffesional priduction of ken hills phantom during my univerity days, it was terible, i had to force myself to sit through it all. it was worse than a bad pantomime, don't mean to offend, please get in touch if u can correct me and let me know if there is any productions going on, i always like to be proven wrong

[ImhotepsAshes]

What a rude thing to say! "Yours hasn't." Pffffttt!

[RabiaB]

"A ghost of a chance" - is there some law saying that tv people have to make silly puns? And I like Ken Hill's version a lot. I saw it once and had a lot of fun with it.

[generic334]

personally i like the ken hill version better ALWs version is to soppy and melodramatic and overblown

[DonJuan1992]

Ohh burn lmao "Yours hasnt why is that?" I mean come on thats just rude poor guy I like this though =D

[jarvisel]

I like the look on his face when the interviwer asks that, a real "Huh? What did you say?"

[kristinalinda]

Oooo, that whisper was creepy!

[thereisnophantom]

This is inaccurate. Ken Hill's version came out about 20 years before Andrew Lloyd Webber's and Webber actually saw Hill's show and asked to collaborate. Ken Hill refused and Webber took it upon himself to write his own, completely ripping the idea.

[Alia101]

yep Webber even admitted to it in the extras on the movie

[InsaneYami91]

I really hope to see Ken Hill's Phantom of the Opera once, I've already seen ALW's so...

But I actually think I might like Ken Hill's more. (Maybe because he's got a blonde Christine x3...) Love both musical's though.

And Ken Hill's was the first.

[camm9182]

The actual original phantom of the opera is the book by Gaston Leraux.

Ken Hill's is obviously not as good as Andrew Lloyd Webbers', the ratings of the latter thwarting box office charts.

[Shalott13]

Well that's because people knew about Webber, and he copyrighted the musical first, and so his was the first to have huge productions.

[6shatter6chandelier6]

You can't say obviously just based on ticket sales. ALW is both more well known and, as mentioned before, he copyrighted the musical first.

[stitchgrl777]

I think Ken Hill's is a darker, a bit more decadent, it's not as main stream, and therefore less people are easily accepting to it. It doesn't make it less well-written than ALW's.

But I will say this -- Ken Hill's Phantom threatens to KILL Christine in the end, and that is something that Erik from Gaston Leroux's novel would never do.

[MaskedLion]

"KILL Christine in the end, and that is something that Erik from Gaston Leroux's novel would never do. "

Umm. I am not trying to be rude, but I think you need to reread the book. Dont you think that "Everyone will be dead and buried.." doesn't mean Christine as well?

[kudasango]

...yes he did. Remember the grasshopper and the scorpion? XD She was going to die too if she didn't marry him.

[SailorDirector]

copyrighted as in nobody can make a musical based off the book but him....? O_o;

[DavidlyMe]

Didn't Ken Hill die fairly recently?

[EmmyRossum13]

I really LOVE Webber's but I like this Phantom...it seems really good!

[Fishlady0311]

I started out with ALW's version, but I find that Ken Hill's version is also excellent. Love the music.

[practicaldreamyr]

Why does Raoul's love song to Christine sound like a Gilbert and Sullivan tune? Oh well, would still like to see it...

[lilleangel]

They use musci from operas that have already been written. Kind of cheating actually, but that would be why it seems familiar.

[ChantantReve]

To be honest, ALW did the same thing... the difference is that he concealed smaller snippets of classical music already written... he was just more clever about the stealing - and all musicians do this to a point.

[Shalott13]

Indeed, it's a musical about opera...so they include songs from operas. But ALW certainly did as well. In fact, Leroux did. Not that he actually used the music itself, but... They all do.

[anton1990]

That must be Peter Starker as the Phantom.

[anton1990]

I think the mask is better in Kens version.

[Chishannicon]

Hahahahaha, "His has been largely successful. Yours has not. Why is that?"

Jerk.

[atruephan85]

um, it looks kinda cool, but cheap at the same time. . .

[GrobanitePhan]

I adore both Ken Hill's and ALW's...though Hill's musical has more play counts on my iTunes than Webbers. XD

[practicaldreamyr]

May I ask where you got the Ken Hill version? I've looked for it, but to no avail. Would love to hear it.

[kriitikko]

Ken Hill's is the original, it opened couple of years before ALW's. But Webber's is the one that people remember and that will play for the next 300 years. Still, we should always remember that without Hill's Webber wouldn't have made his own version.

[Marius24601]

Webber's is better by a long shot

[AwesomlyRandom]

I like Andrew Lloyd Webber's

[MattytheMusicMan]

Tell Mr. Lloyd Webber if he EVER needs a 15 year old male <i>soprano</i>, im the guy! =D

[phantomfreak411]

the phantom in ken hill's sounded like darth vader at some points

[RedRoseSeduction]

Your a blonde? So am I.

[Oldphan1]

Oh my god... Great find dude! Thank you!

-Oldphan

[RedRoseSeduction]

That's just plain creepy.

[ImogenLloydWebber]

lol! it aint as gd as my dads show

[rbfanatic]

Andrew Lloyd Wwbber is your father? Wow! Last year, your father Andrew Lloyd Webber sent me his merchendise from Jesus Christ Superstar a keychain, a Phantom of the Opera pin, and a Rumpus Cat action figure from CATS! Your father is a great man! I own all of his CDs!

[RedRoseSeduction]

Lucky!

[RedRoseSeduction]

You're dad is my absolute idol! I have all his music books!

[RedRoseSeduction]

Have him send me an e-mail.

[RedRoseSeduction]

Tell him he is a God of music.

[kartoonkween]

Dang. I wish that I could have seen Ken Hill's show.