History Funny / ThePhantomOfTheOpera

* "Stranger Than You Dreamt it" is a sad little roller coaster of a song, what with the Phantom terrorizing Christine for unmasking him, then begging her to love him. This makes it funny when Michael Crawford's Phantom delivers the last lines so quickly and calmly, as if he's quickly trying to change the subject.

It's just the sort of story audiences adore, in fact, a perfect opera!

--> '''Piangi:''' Amateurs.
-->'''Lefevre:''' [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere I don't think there's much more I can do to assist you, gentlemen. Good luck. (makes his exit) If you need me, I shall be in Frankfurt!]]
* When the Phantom finishes singing 'Music of the Night,' he proudly unveils a life-size mannequin...that happens to look ''exactly like Christine,'' and is wearing a wedding dress. That would be bad enough (and it's pretty clear that Christine doesn't know what the hell to think of this), but then the frigging thing ''comes to life'', jerks out towards her, and causes her to faint. Whether she ends up in his arms or on the floor, Erik's reaction generally seems to be, 'Whoops, didn't intend for ''that'' to happen.'

* 'Stranger Than You Dreamt it' is a sad little roller coaster of a song, what with the Phantom terrorizing Christine for unmasking him, then begging her to love him. This makes it funny when Michael Crawford's Phantom delivers the last lines so quickly and calmly, as if he's quickly trying to change the subject.

* During "Notes II" Carlotta and Piangi are in the background studying the Phantom's opera. Then Carlotta throws the score away in disgust, and it somehow ends up covering Piangi's head. As she stalks forward to shout at the managers [[FunnyBackgroundEvent he can be seen flailing around in the background]].

* The Phantom's entrance in ''Why So Silent?'' He crashes the Masquerade ball, interrupting the previous number, casually tosses the score of an entire opera he composed on the floor, then insults Carlotta, ( "Carlotta must be taught to ''act'', not her normal trick of strutting round the stage."), Piangi ("[[YouAreFat Our Don Juan must lose some weight]]"), and his managers, (who must learn "Their place is in an office, not the arts").

* The 25th's managers. Everything they do is amusing in a suitably subtle way, with the two actors engaging in some very rapid line switches between each other. Not to mention 'Prima Donna,' an entire song devoted to satisfying her ego.
--> '''Firmin and Andre:'''
--> Who'd believe a diva happy to relieve a
--> Chorus girl who's gone and slept with the patron?
--> Raoul and the soubrette, entwined in love's duet!
--> Although he may demur, he must have been with her!
-->
--> You'd never get away with all this in a play,
--> but if it's loudly sung and in a foreign tongue
--> It's just the sort of story audiences adore, in fact, a perfect opera!

** The 25th Anniversary's version of this scene has a couple of gems. First is Piangi's line: "If you can call this ''[[CurseCutShort sh--]]'' ''gibberish'' art!" And, second of all, La Carlotta parades around the scene wearing a hat that looks like an enormous Jammie Dodger on her head.
* In addition, there is the Phantom himself. At first, he appears to be perfectly cultured and civilized, but after Raoul and Christine get together, he starts to break down into a goofy CardCarryingVillain. First, there was the Masquerade, where he interrupts wearing, um, [[https://www.belloflostsouls.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Phantom-Red-Death-e1512705881833.jpg this]]. Then the mask comes off (which...wasn't a terribly good idea after what happened [[BerserkButton last time]]), and, well, he tries to make Christine marry him. Really, he'd have grown an DastardlyWhiplash by that point if it wasn't for his disfigurement.

* It's cruel, yes, but it's also quite funny to see the Phantom ''clearly'' getting all hot and bothered when Christine starts her bit in "Point of No Return": trembling hands, clasping knees, the works - plus she gives him a taste of his own medicine when ''she'' starts running her hands all over ''him!''

-->'''Madame Giry''': "Please, monsieur - another note."\\
'''Everyone Else:''': [[OhNoNotAgain *Collective groan*]]

'''Mme. Giry:''' Signora, would you speak that way in the presence of the composer?\\

'''Mme. Giry:''' Are you ''certain'' of that, Signora?\\

* The escalating chaos of 'Notes,' where everyone is bursting in and accusing everyone else of things they didn't do. One can imagine the Phantom spying on the resultant mess and having a good laugh at their expense. Meanwhile, Meg is adorably sneaking around and pilfering the notes from behind the managers' backs so Raoul and her mother can read them.

--> '''Madame Giry''': "Please, monsieur - another note."
--> '''Everyone Else:''': [[OhNoNotAgain *Collective groan*]]

* "The role of the pageboy is silent, which makes my casting, in a word... ''ideal''."

--> '''Carlotta:''' ''(re Piangi's incorrect singing of the score)'' His way is better; [[TakeThat at least he makes it sound like music!]]
--> '''Mme. Giry:''' Signora, would you speak that way in the presence of the composer?
--> '''Carlotta:''' The composer is not here! And if he ''were''--
--> '''Mme. Giry:''' Are you ''certain'' of that, Signora?
--> *cue MassOhCrap take into the flies from everyone onstage*

* A [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8cXwAs0SZE video]] of the 25th Anniversary celebration on Broadway shows four Phantoms (Ramin Karimloo, Peter Jöback, John Owen Jones, and at-the-time current Phantom Hugh Panaro) singing the title song to Sierra Boggess. She gives each one her attention as they sing their individual lines. Each one maintains chemistry with her, with Ramin Karimloo (who starred opposite Sierra in Love Never Dies and the 25th Anniversary Albert Hall production of Phantom) seeming to be trying to out-chemistry the others. One commenter described it as "the classiest pissing contest" she had ever seen.

!!The [[Series/ThePhantomOfTheOpera miniseries]]
* From the Arthur Kopit/Maury Yeston musical/MiniSeries, we have the Phantom's initial reaction on hearing Carlotta (in this version, a DreadfulMusician who only gets leads because her husband is the manager):
--> My God, this place really ''is'' haunted! What is ''THAT''?!
* Coletti's declaration that he doesn't believe in ghosts. Cue a nearby bust falling over and scaring the crap out of him.
* This moment between Christine and the Phantom (after he sabotages Carlotta's debut). You can hear the smile on Charles Dance's face.
-->'''Christine''': Did you hear about what happened to Carlotta?
-->'''Erik''': No, what?
-->'''Christine''': Her debut was a disaster!
-->'''Erik''': [[DeadpanSnarker Oh! That's too bad!]]
* During rehearsals for Faust, the director castigates the lead actor's performance
--> This is poison, not soup! You are trying to kill yourself. Not enjoy a meal. That's because you despair. Not happy!
** He then tell the accompanist to "take it from la-la-la-la". Naturally, the man looks confused.
* Just about anything the Phantom does to Carlotta. Her nervous breakdown after he pours rats all over her is a delight.
** The aftermath of the rat attack. Several characters are trying to have a serious discussion about how to deal with the Phantom... meanwhile, Carlotta is dancing around them in full [[{{Theatre/Hamlet}} Ophelia]] mode, singing and throwing flowers over everyone.
* Christine and Carlotta's sing off at the bistro. Christine starts performing and a jealous Carlotta joins her, essentially shoving her out of the way so as to take center stage. Christine tries not to laugh. We get a quick cut to the Phantom's irritated reaction as she begins singing, but Christine soon outdoes her by hitting even higher notes and remains completely unmoved by Carlotta's efforts to upstage her until the latter finally storms off in humiliation. Meanwhile, Erik is happily listening to the applause Christine's getting.

* It's certainly a TearJerker and a SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}} and so on...but honestly, the Phantom's bug-eyed shock when Christine kisses him in the Final Lair scene is kind of funny as well. (I know, I know, I have no soul...)

* When "Il Muto" resumes after the Phantom's interruption, they start at the moment the Countess removes Serafimo's skirt and hat. Unfortunately, as this has already been done, all Carlotta and Christine can is stand frozen until they both irritably resolve to just mime the actions without the items in question.

* Erik's favorite insult is apparently 'you great booby!'

* A [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8cXwAs0SZE video]] of one of the 25th Anniversary celebrations shows four Phantoms (Ramin Karimloo, Peter Jöback, John Owen Jones, and at-the-time current Phantom Hugh Panaro) singing the title song to Sierra Boggess. She gives each one her attention as they sing their individual lines. Each one maintains chemistry with her, with Ramin Karimloo (who starred opposite Sierra in Love Never Dies and the 25th Anniversary Albert Hall production of Phantom) seeming to be trying to out-chemistry the others. One commenter described it as "the classiest pissing contest" she had ever seen.

** For her part, Sierra Boggess is clearly enjoying the show as Christine USUALLY doesn't perform the song with quite that much of a shit-eating grin.

* One of the casts released [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvhdv7FiryE this song]] as part of a Christmas Broadway benefit. It's a retelling of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" using different items from the show: "Six geese-a-laying" becomes "Lot 666, a chandelier in pieces," etc. What makes it hilarious is that the actors gradually change the song; for instance, the two actresses who play Christine (a MythologyGag: it's a tradition for two different women to play the part on different days, as it's way too demanding for one actress to do multiple shows a week) argue over who will do what performances, with their understudy, repeatedly butting in to take part in the conversation; the Phantom describes his mask as "a sweaty piece of porcelain on my face" and tells the Christines that "they have to kiss the funny lip thing" he wears; the Carlotta sings "Five high Ds" with an example every time, only for the Christines to show her up by singing an "E" instead (she exhaustedly tells them to shut up); the corps de ballet girls badly sing as they call themselves "eight tone-deaf dancers"; and Raoul brags that he gets to kiss both Christines. It's hilarious.

* The escalating chaos of 'Notes,' where everyone is bursting in and accusing everyone else of things they didn't do. One can imagine the Phantom spying on the resultant mess and having a good laugh at their expense.

* The Phantom's entrance in ''Why So Silent?'' He crashes the Masquerade ball, interrupting the previous number, casually tosses the score of an entire opera he composed on the floor, then insults Carlotta, ( "Carlotta must be taught to ''act'', not her normal trick of strutting round the stage."), Pianzi ("[[YouAreFat Our Don Juan must lose some weight]]"), and his managers, (who must learn "Their place is in an office, not the arts").

* It doesn't come across very well on the original cast recording (or the movie, unfortunately), but the managers can be absolutely sidesplitting in the right hands. Firmin {{Deadpan Snark|er}}ing his lines in "Prima Donna" or Andre fumbling his way through the "ballet from Act Three" speech are among the many delights ThoseTwoGuys bring to the show.

* Raoul confesses something he learned while eavesdropping on Christine for the second time. To paraphrase, a very annoyed Christine asks, "You were listening at my door again?" and (to further paraphrase) Raoul answers, "Of course not -- I was hiding in your closet."

-->'''Lefevre:''' [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere I don't think there's much more I can do to assist you, gentlemen. Good luck. (makes his exist) If you need me, I shall be in Frankfurt!]]

-->'''Lefevre:''' If anyone needs me, I'll be in Frankfurt!

--> '''Carlotta:''' Outrage! This whole affair is an outrage! Have you seen the size of my part?

* This little bit in the song "Notes/Prima Donna." "And what is it that we're meant to have wrote?" {{Beat}} "Written."

* Carlotta's diva rant shortly thereafter ("'These things do happen'? You've been here ''five minutes'', what do you know?!").

* Christine and Carlotta's sing off at the bistro. Christine starts performing and a jealous Carlotta joins her, essentially shoving her out of the way so as to take center stage. Christine tries not to laugh. We get a quick cut to the Phantom's irritated reaction as she begins singing, but Christine soon outdoes her by hitting even higher notes and remains completely unmoved by Carlotta's efforts to upstage her until the latter finally storms off in humiliation.

* Christine and Carlotta's sing off at the bistro. Christine starts performing and a jealous Carlotta joins her, essentially shoving her out of the way so as to take center stage. Christine tries not to laugh. We get a quick cut to the Phantom's irritated reaction as she begins singing, but Christine soon outdoes her with the aid of the cancan dancers and remains completely unmoved by Carlotta's efforts to upstage her until the latter finally storms off in humiliation.