History YMMV / ThePhantomOfTheOpera

** Gerard Butler in the movie, full stop. The man never had a singing lesson in his life, let alone sung professionally, prior to his casting and despite being a perfect tenor, those notes are just a ''bit'' out of his range (ironically, Webber claims that Butler's singing was the absolutely closest to the "rock star" voice that he'd always imagined the Phantom having).

*** Jordan Donica as Broadway's first African-American Raoul and Jem as London's (as the understudy).

*** Since re-opening after the pandemic-forced shutdown, the London and Broadway productions finally cast black actresses in the role of Christine, for a total of five thus far, with Lucy St. Louis as London's 1st and Beatrice Penny Toure and Paige Blankson as the 2nd and 3rd, respectively, as understudies/alternates--and Michelle Cornelius as the first black Madame Giry--while Emilie Koautchou debuted as Broadway's 1st (first as the alternate, then as the main one as of January 26, 2022),[[note]] Neither Ms. Louis nor Ms. Kouatchou is the first overall, however, as a black actress played Christine in the South African production [[/note]], followed by understudy/alternate Kanisha Marie Feliciano as the 2nd (and first Afro-Latina).

** Who is the best Phantom? Creator/MichaelCrawford or Ramin Karimloo? Those who prefer Crawford feel he better captures the eeriness and somewhat "supernatural" vibe of the character, while those who prefer Karimloo consider him to be a superior singer with a wider range of emotions even if he's not quite as creepy as Crawford.

** The way the Phantom roughs up Christine during "Final Lair" gets this with actress Rebecca Caine (the first Christine in the Toronto production) posting a [[https://www.onstageblog.com/editorials/2021/10/20/rebecca-caine-phantom story]] to her Instagram page about Creator/ColmWilkinson (the Phantom) being very abusive to her, to the point of actually injuring her during that scene.

** The 1986 [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2zxzaWgVRA pitch video]] is almost an UnintentionalPeriodPiece and is relatively forgotten despite making to #7 in the charts. There are power chords throughout the song and random pythons in the video. Raoul has a mullet. The Phantom is played by Steve Harley. Doubles as EarlyInstallmentWeirdness due to the lyrics and musical style being changed from borderline Rock Opera to more of a traditional musical. Harley's version is a LargeHam who starts shouting at the end. Harley worked for five months on the part and was [[ThePeteBest switched at the last minute for Michael Crawford]].

** Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess, who played respectively the Phantom and Christine in the original ''Theatre/LoveNeverDies'' and the 25th anniversary at Royal Albert Hall, get a lot of this from the phandom, due to their chemistry onstage and in real life, with the term "Rierra" designating them. There are frequent arguments about them dating or not... until one discovers Ramin is actually happily married with two kids.

*** Is she genuinely in love with Raoul, or is she unconsciously attracted to him simply because he can save her from her StalkerWithACrush? Notice on the rooftop scene, after Raoul declares his love for her, Christine immediately says, 'Order your fine horses, be with them at the door...'
*** When she kisses The Phantom at the end, is it because she really loves and/or pities him or because she's trying to save Raoul?
*** It's interesting to note in the stage production that while both Raoul and The Phantom explicitly say they love Christine and make that declaration to her, she never says it back to either of them, not even in song.

** Fans of the show tend to either love the movie or detest it, with very little middle ground. The one thing they agree on is that it revived interest in the show itself--ticket sales surged after the movie was released, ironically ''because'' people loved or hated it.

* HarsherInHindsight: The fact that Andrew Lloyd Webber essentially wrote the musical ''for'' his wife and muse, Sarah Brightman, in order to make her a star - he even gave her a chance to show off her skills en-pointe by [[AdaptationalJobChange switching Christine from a member of the chorus to one of the corps de ballet]] - becomes all the more awkward and depressing after their divorce.
** Especially so upon watching the guest performance at the end of the Royal Albert Hall performance. She was actively inching away from him and grabbing Michael Crawford's hand. (ALW managed to hold her other hand, though.) Although Sarah's still smiling and laughing, she looks like she wants to get as far from ALW as humanly possible.

** The way the Phantom roughs up Christine during the final sequence gets this with actress Rebecca Caine (the first Christine in the Toronto production) posting a [[https://www.onstageblog.com/editorials/2021/10/20/rebecca-caine-phantom story]] to her Instagram page about Colm Wilkinson (the Phantom) being very abusive to her, to the point of actually injuring her during that scene.

*** And, in addition to all that, it's very hard for an actor to emote to people at the back of the theatre when most of his face is covered half the time.

* {{Narm}}: The 1986 [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2zxzaWgVRA pitch video]] is almost an UnintentionalPeriodPiece and is relatively forgotten despite making to #7 in the charts. There are power chords throughout the song and random pythons in the video. Raoul has a mullet. The Phantom is played by Steve Harley. Doubles as EarlyInstallmentWeirdness due to the lyrics and musical style being changed from borderline Rock Opera to more of a traditional musical. Harley's version is a LargeHam who starts shouting at the end. Harley worked for five months on the part and was [[ThePeteBest switched at the last minute for Michael Crawford]].
** During the "Stranger Than You Dreamt It" scene, the Phantom drags himself across the floor towards Christine, who herself sometimes responds by dragging herself further away. It tends to prompt a lot of snickering from the audience.

** The 25th anniversary concert got a bit of this from the fanbase, as well -- some were skeptical since the Phantom and Christine were being played by the stars of ''Theatre/LoveNeverDies'' (even though they had previously played those roles in the original show as well[[note]]Ramin Karimloo had previously portrayed Raoul in the West End production from 2003 to 2004, then the Phantom from 2007 to 2009; Sierra Boggess had previously played Christine in the abridged ''Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular'' production[[/note]]); and since Raoul, Piangi, and Meg were played by actors who had no prior connection with ''Phantom''[[labelnote:*]]Hadley Fraser (Raoul) was more known for his work in ''Theatre/LesMiserables'' as Marius, Grantaire, and Javert; Wynne Evans (Piangi) is better known for playing Gio Compario, the Italian tenor mascot of Go Compare[[/labelnote]] while several popular alumni of the show[[labelnote:*]]Such as recurring Phantom actor Earl Carpenter playing the Auctioneer at the beginning, original West End Carlotta actress Rosemary Ashe playing one of the confidantes in ''Il Muto'', and former West End Raoul actor Garðar Thór Cortes playing Pasarino in ''Don Juan Triumphant''[[/labelnote]] were cast in minor background and chorus roles. Once the event actually took place, the casting was generally pretty well-received, ''especially'' Ramin Karimloo, who is now considered one of, if not ''the'' best Phantoms ever.

** At long last, after 26 years, Broadway cast its first African-American Phantom[[note]]Robert Guillaume's turn was as part of the Los Angeles cast, the first U.S. production beyond New York[[/note]] with Norm Lewis, who debuted in May 2014. Opinion of his performance was that [[AbilityOverAppearance his acting and singing talents transcended the problematic above-mentioned tropes]], as they did during his turn as Javert in the 2006 Broadway revival and 25th Anniversary Concert of ''Theatre/LesMiserables''.

** Though she's remained an icon of the show's legacy and has fans willing to defend her, Sarah Brightman got hit with this when originating the role of Christine, despite the part being written for her. Though praised as a singer, her acting received more negative reviews in addition to accusations of nepotism due to her being married to the composer. (This was especially so in New York City -- she wasn't a "name" in the U.S. so Lloyd Webber had to work out a deal with the actors' union to retain her in the transfer rather than recast the part.)

** The opera house explosion at the end of the Creator/JoelSchumacher film immediately brings to mind a late-1990s UsefulNotes/PlayStation FMV cutscene.

** The 25th anniversary concert got a bit of this from the fanbase, as well -- some were skeptical since the Phantom and Christine were being played by the stars of ''Theatre/LoveNeverDies'' (even though they had previously played those roles in the original show as well[[note]]Ramin Karimloo had previously portrayed Raoul in the West End production from 2003 to 2004, then the Phantom from 2007 to 2009; Sierra Boggess had previously played Christine in the abridged ''Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular'' production[[/note]]); and since Raoul, Piangi, and Meg were played by actors who had no prior connection with ''Phantom'', while several popular alumni of the show[[note]]Such as recurring Phantom actor Earl Carpenter playing the Auctioneer at the beginning, original West End Carlotta actress Rosemary Ashe playing one of the confidantes in ''Il Muto'', and former West End Raoul actor Garðar Thór Cortes playing Pasarino in ''Don Juan Triumphant''[[/note]] were cast in minor background and chorus roles. Once the event actually took place, the casting was generally pretty well-received, ''especially'' Ramin Karimloo, who is now considered one of, if not ''the'' best Phantoms ever.

** The 25th anniversary concert got a bit of this from the fanbase, as well -- some were skeptical since the Phantom and Christine were being played by the stars of ''Theatre/LoveNeverDies'' (even though they had previously played those roles in the original show as well[[note]]Ramin Karimloo had previously portrayed Raoul in the West End production from 2003 to 2004, then the Phantom from 2007 to 2009; Sierra Boggess had previously played Christine in the abridged ''Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular'' production[[/note]]); and since Raoul, Piangi, and Meg were played by actors who had no prior connection with ''Phantom'', while several popular alumni of the show[[note]]Such as recurring Phantom actor Earl Carpenter playing the Auctioneer at the beginning, and original Carlotta actress Rosemary Ashe playing one of the confidantes in ''Il Muto''[[/note]] were cast in minor background and chorus roles. Once the event actually took place, the casting was generally pretty well-received, ''especially'' Ramin Karimloo, who is now considered one of, if not ''the'' best Phantoms ever.

** The 25th anniversary concert got a bit of this from the fanbase, as well -- some were skeptical since the Phantom and Christine were being played by the stars of ''Theatre/LoveNeverDies'' (even though they had previously played those roles in the original show as well[[note]]Ramin Karimloo had previously portrayed Raoul in the West End production from 2003 to 2004, then the Phantom from 2007 to 2009; Sierra Boggess had previously played Christine in the abridged ''Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular'' production[[/note]]); and since Raoul, Piangi, and Meg were played by actors who had no prior connection with ''Phantom'', while several popular alumni of the show[[note]]Such as recurring Phantom actor Earl Carpenter playing the Auctioneer, and original Carlotta actress Rosemary Ashe as one of the confidantes in ''Il Muto''[[/note]] were cast in minor background and chorus roles. Once the event actually took place, the casting was generally pretty well-received, ''especially'' Ramin Karimloo, who is now considered one of, if not ''the'' best Phantoms ever.

** At long last, after 26 years, Broadway cast its first African-American Phantom (Guillaume's turn was as part of the Los Angeles cast, the first U.S. production beyond New York), Norm Lewis, who debuted in May 2014. Opinion seems to be that [[AbilityOverAppearance his acting and singing talents are transcending the problematic above-mentioned tropes]], as they did during his turn as Javert in the 2006 Broadway revival and 25th Anniversary Concert of ''Theatre/LesMiserables''.

** The 25th anniversary concert got a bit of this from the fanbase, as well -- some were skeptical since the Phantom and Christine were being played by the stars of ''Theatre/LoveNeverDies'' (even though they had previously played those roles in the original show as well[[note]]Ramin Karimloo had previously portrayed Raoul in the West End production from 2003 to 2004, then the Phantom from 2007 to 2009; Sierra Boggess had previously played Christine in the abridged ''Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular'' production[[/note]]); and since Raoul, Piangi, and Meg were played by actors who had no prior connection with ''Phantom'', while several popular alumni of the show were cast in minor background and chorus roles. Once the event actually took place, the casting was generally pretty well-received, ''especially'' Ramin Karimloo, who is now considered one of, if not ''the'' best Phantoms ever.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Erik has become more or less the poster-child for [[TheWoobie woobiedom]]. Try to find a fic where he ends up miserable and alone. The fan base is split over this, but a strong majority finds Erik to be by far the most sympathetic character in the book/play/film. And how you feel about this ''will'' make a difference on what you think of ''Love Never Dies''. Fan works aside, there's been a ''lot'' of different interpretations of who Erik actually is--he's been portrayed as everything from a doomed romantic who just got pushed a little too far (Kopit/Yeston version) to a slasher-style killer who sold his soul to the devil and flays the skin from his victims ([[Film/ThePhantomOfTheOpera1989 the 1989 film]] starring Creator/RobertEnglund, [[Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet yes, Robert Englund]]).
** Christine. Is she genuinely in love with Raoul, or is she unconsciously attracted to him simply because he can save her from her StalkerWithACrush? Notice on the rooftop scene, after Raoul declares his love for her, Christine immediately says, 'Order your fine horses, be with them at the door...'

** The way the Phantom roughes up Christine during the final sequence gets this with actress Rebecca Caine (the first Christine in the Toronto production) posting a [[https://www.onstageblog.com/editorials/2021/10/20/rebecca-caine-phantom story]] to her Instagram page about Colm Wilkinson (the Phantom) being very abusive to her, to the point of actually injuring her during that scene.

* FairForItsDay: Creator/LindsayEllis considers this is the case when it comes to the Persian; she argued this in her video “The Most Whitewashed Character In History”. On the one hand, to her, the original book plays right into “orientalist” stereotypes of a savage Persia. And a character called the Persian might not sit well today, even if his identity is supposed to be a secret. But the Persian himself is largely absent of obvious stereotypical traits, coming across as a determinedly calm voice of reason and even being one of the most likeable characters in the book overall. She thinks it’s also why the Persian is nearly always AdaptedOut, DemotedToExtra, or retroactively stereotyped, making it hold up even better. Raoul is one of the only people in the book to treat the Persian like a fellow human regardless of his race or nationality and puts his complete, unconditional trust in him immediately.

* JerkassWoobie: Erik.

** Most of the comments on Website/YouTube clips of the newly designed US tour are ''not'' kind, decrying the many changes made. But there's a decent amount of praise, and many people agree that they actually ''prefer'' the tour's version of the [[https://youtu.be/exL72rEvcd0 opening sequence]] and [[https://youtu.be/XGRFy8rHVyo chandelier crash]].