History WMG / ThePhantomOfTheOpera

* Because: why not?

I don't believe Lloyd Webber has ever claimed any of the sort, but the two tunes certainly sound similar, with their loud, haunting pipe organs playing a tune that rises and falls. Before the musical came out and [[AdaptationDisplacement displaced all other versions of the story]], ''Toccata and Fugue'' was widely associated with the Phantom thanks to its appearance in [[Film/ThePhantomOfTheOpera1962 the 1962 Hammer movie]]. Thus, the tune would likely at least cross ALW's mind while he was writing his own version.

I don't believe Lloyd Webber has ever claimed any of the sort, but the two tunes certainly sound similar, with their loud, haunting pipe organs playing a tune that rises and falls. Before the musical came out and [[AdaptationDisplacement displaced all other versions of the story]], ''Toccata and Fugue'' was widely associated with the Phantom thanks to its appearance in the 1962 Hammer movie. Thus, the tune would likely at least cross ALW's mind while he was writing his own version.

* He becomes attached to Christine because she reminded him of Catherine, whom he still loves. Hence his reactions when he sees Christine kiss Raoul.

He was one of the people who agreed to perform the Finale. To the Leading Player's surprise, he survived, but his face was burned in the process. When he left, one of the other performers (Madame Giry) agreed to keep an eye on him to make sure he's okay.

[[WMG: Erik was an actor who played Theatre/Pippin.]]

Working off of novel continuity here- he's born looking like a corpse (as traditional vampires did), he never knew his real father, and his childlike psychopathy is very much like Dracula's childlike psychopathy. Also, he manages to treat his prospective wife like total crap and have it romanticized, which seems par the course for [[{{Dracula}} most]] [[{{Twilight}} vampires]].

** I thought he just discovered that he was gay that very second.

[[WMG: The Phantom turns up years later as [[{{Bioshock}} Sander Cohen]]]]

In support of this WMG, the fact that Lloyd Webber and Sarah Brightman (who originated the role of Christine) were married at the time.
** The role was specifically written for Brightman, after all. It wouldn't be surprising if the Phantom was supposed to represent Webber, especially when you know how the two met each other.

* So he gives her the ultimatum... Say you love me, I'll let Raoul go and we live together forever. Say you love Raoul, and I'll kill him. She decides to come up and the Phantom. He stops, and lets them both go. Why? Christine's a terrible kisser, and the Phantom is just really shallow.

[[WMG: The original novel was the {{narrator}}'s attempt to make amends to the Phantom, whom he canonically saw as a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds.]]

Since the Phantom was separated from the woman he loved, the {{narrator}} intentionally portrayed him in a light that made him sympathetic and irresistable to legions of fangirls the world over for decades (which will no doubt turn to centuries).

Since the Phantom was separated from the woman he loved, the {{narrator}} intentionally portrayed him in a light that made him sympathetic and irresistable to legions of fangirls the world over for centuries.

Several aspects of the musical--the shaky chronology, the Phantom and Christine drifting into MarySue territory, the extraordinary CharacterDerailment ([[RonTheDeathEater especially for]] [[DieForOurShip Raoul]]), [[spoiler: the Phantom and Christine conceiving a child under extremely improbable circumstances]], Meg being attracted to the Phantom, enormous amounts of {{Wangst}} all around--appear so often in ''Phantom'' fanfiction as to be cliches. Since there's no way a bunch of renowned, respected artists would present, in all seriousness, a story that could have been written by a fifteen-year-old under the alias of "The Future Mrs. Gerard Butler," they ''must'' have intended it as a satire....''right''?

* No doubt both of them have deformed appearances and wear a mask (though Cohen's is a rabbit mask), and both of them are even [[MadArtist mad artists]]. Could perhaps be that Sander Cohen's past (as officially mentioned) was a fabrication if such were the case.

In support of this WMG, the fact that Lloyd Webber and Sarah Brightman (who originated the role of Christine) were married at the time.

In support of this WMG, the fact that Lloyd Webber and Sarah Brightman (who originated the role of Christine) were married at the time.
Also, "Theme and Variation" sounds like something the Phantom would program that four-armed techno gorilla to play on the organ in "Love Never Dies."

Specifically, he's a NobleDemon who's honestly trying to be an angel -- an Angel of Music! But he [[LoveMakesYouEvil fell back to his evil tendencies]] when he became [[LoveMakesYouCrazy desperate for Christine.]] But when he received just a bit of her compassion, just a bit of her love at the end, he felt restored, enough to be [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy willing to let her and Raoul go.]] He even appears to vanish at the end, [[FridgeBrilliance like a ghost finally put at peace!]]