Crazy Phan's New Life!

Well Since this summer my life has turn once again.
In the past 18 months I have travel the world, been to Italy, to Australia and home again. Now I have made a settling stop in the Windy City!
This Crazy Phan is chasing her dreams at the school of her wishing, a fabulous art school in the heart of Chicago here she is learning about fiction writing and theater and where exactly she wants her life to go! Its an exciting journey and I know this is the right place I need to be right now. Exploring Chicago making friends, surviving college, adapting to extreme weather changes, and of course exploring where my dreams and ambitious will take me
Life is finally settling down for a bit for me at last!

Man's Faith

*More thoughts, No Reviews. A/N This is something I wrote up after I ventured in to the Trinity Episcopal church in Downtown Santa Barbara.

Stepping from the sunny busy street in to the quiet sanctuary of the church, I stand alone among the pillars and stained glass windows reflecting the stories from scriptures I do not believe in.

I stand surrounded by quiet the noise of the street now a distant hum. 

I am no longer in downtown Santa Barbara I am in Italy, Peru, England, Turkey, Everywhere where a place of worship has welcomed me. Me a non-believer.

From the smallest chapels to the grandest imposing cathedrals I am always struck with awe. Not at a higher immortal being I cannot see but from the physical poof of man's faith.

For centuries we have worshipped, given our best artist and sculptures and architectures to build a place to show our devotion, homage to a being we give our love to. Some have stood the test of time and weather, the Temples of Egypt: others that have several religions call it its home such as The Hagia Sophia in Turkey, and some are just imposing such as my personal Favorite the massive Duomo in Florence, it is the only building in the world that can make me feel small and take my breath away and still others are simple and beautiful like this very small church in Santa Barbara, California. All to are a place of refuge to share worship and to be heard.

I may not believe in God or saints or even take the bible as nothing more than a collection of classic stories. Yet as I stand in this small packet of time I suddenly reinforced in my believe in one thing that Man's Faith is the most powerful force in the world.

Faith has changed the course of history itself, created wars and peace equally.

Faith has built places that millions pilgrim to for just a chance to touch it at something higher themselves.

Faith has given more to a poor lost soul then the richest man on earth could ever give.

Faith is sometimes the only thing that keeps a human from taking their life while at the same time Faith is what deludes a man to believe that he will be blessed if he blows a church or cafe.

Faith tells people who are acceptable to love and those who to hate, those who have rights and those who do not.

Faith gives a voice to those who may believe they do not have one.

Faith makes some stop everything to pray five times a day and others to gather in church once a week where we are told why if we take the word our god; we will have the keys to a paradise.

Faith can be a truly beautiful thing to behold, but at the same time can also take the vision of a hellish nightmare.

But it is faith that makes me believe that in this simple church the non-believer is not rejected in higher being’s eyes for I may not believe in him, I still have faith no one can take that from me.

Lives that are that fascinate.

*Not a review just a thoughts.

Have you ever been so intrigued by a story of a life that you must find out more and make it your own in some way? For me this has happened me a few times. Once when I was flipping though an illustrated history of the world, on one page I saw a picture of a woman unsheathing a sword, under the picture was a small paragraph headed, “Queen Semiramis of Assyria.” From that paragraph I had to know more, reading the page I got nothing so I hopped on the World Wide Web and scowed school libraries in search of This Assyrian Queen Semiramis. A woman of mostly myth who's powerful ambition created Babylon and conquered half the known world. The most fascinating thing about her was she was everywhere and no where at the same time. That is to say in the arts, opera and plays she features but in history books she is no more than a one line mentioned. It was this I was intrigued with why was she mentioned, what had she done to be mentioned it had to be more than just a being a wife and husband. As I read details of her story, I could hear and see her life played out and I knew in some way she was telling me to continue her story to tell her tale to a new generation. So the novels outline has been written it now just needs to be written. 

The second time this has happened was watching a documentary of Phantom Of the Opera becoming the hit musical (big surprise knowing Crazyphangirl right?) But the story of why it musical was written the love story in a love story. Andrew Lloyd Webber wanted to create the musical for his new wife a beautiful soprano. Its a story that is worth keeping alive. I can see it maybe not as the two a novel of a composer risking his career for the woman he loves. its a tale would make a great novel. Or am I alone in this thought

This has happened once again to me a few days ago. If you live in Santa Barbara you may know of the bird refuge by East Beach across the street is a House on the Hill the mysterious Mansion  that no one has lived in for years. Well on Tuesday  the owner the reclusive Huguette Clark at the age 104. Wealthy woman who hid away from the spotlight after a disastrous marriage from my understanding, Owner of that house across the Bird refuge in SB, in fact she gave money to the city to build said refuge in honor of her sister death, she is said the be the wealthiest woman in the US, a fortune she inherited, she owed estates all around the country. Now with her death and no heirs the mystery of where all that fortune will go? Her death is fascinating enough I am interesting in her life. To know what made her hide from the world. Her story too strange that you can't make it up. But my fascination aside  I do hope now after a very long life  one that sounds like it was rather rough she is finally at peace.

Anyone who know anything about Semiramis or even Huguette please feel free to pass it my way!

Jane Eyre

After The Phantom of the Opera, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is my favorite story. While when I was younger and troubled, I could relate to the dark story of the phantom hidden away from the world because of his ugliness; now as I get older I can relate to the tale of the strong willed independent woman who comes in to her own. While I can't remember what was picked up first, the novel or DVD I do know that by now I have read and seen many versions of this wonderful story because I can't not get enough of it. So pleased and excited was I for Jane Eyre 2011, that while on my travels I feared I had missed it in my home town. But a week after being home it appeared in the paper and I rushed to see it.

Now being lover of the classics and also a female, I did love Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice with the wonderfully romantic Mr Darcy and Elizabeth, but once I discovered the tale of Jane and her Rochester I was changed. I can defend him against any Darcy lover.

However the element that most people love about this Bronte novel is not the romance or the broody hero, but the novel’s title character, Jane Eyre herself. She describes herself as "obscure and little..." but Charlotte Bronte created a character that is so much more than that. Spirited, independent, this woman does not lead life by what society or even others tell her how to but by what she believes to be true. Her only simple wish is to be truly loved and to surround herself with family and friends, a wish that many readers aspire to as well.

As I said I have seen many versions from the 1973 to 2011, yes that includes owning the sound track to the 2000 musical by Paul Gordon! From this list of several films I have picked out my top three that best portrayed the story I love.

At number three would be said musical, while I have not seen it I have the soundtrack and from this I feel this was more loyal than some film versions! With songs titles that are taken form lines in the novel, Secret Soul, and As Good As You. There are scenes that are sometimes cut from may versions, two that come time mind are in song titles, The Gyspy and Painting her Portrait; the scene when Rochester desigues himself as a gypsy to tell his guests their “futures” but in reality telling him what he really thinks tof them, the latter being a scene when Jane after hearing that Blanche Ingram could be Rochester’s bride paints two portraits one of unflattering of her and one glorious of the lady of sophistication. The leads are portrayed by Marla Schaffel and James Barbour. Both vocally fit for the roles, James Barbour with his deliciously rich baritone voice is a perfect Rochester.( And if you anything like me you could just melt at his voice!) Marla Schaffel just sounds like Jane Eyre she makes it her own. If you can find the sound track I say give it a listen because its a wonderful adaptation of Jane Eyre. One I truly wish I could have seen live.

Number Two would be 1983 with Timothy Dalton as the impassioned Rochester and Zelah Clarke as the meek little Jane. This is a BBC version, so while long and a little staged it’s the truest to novel you can find out there. Dalton makes for a fabulous handsome Rochester and is probably the most memorable to most(that could because of Bond fame). His love and passion for Jane rings in an added scene after Jane has left, in his deep green eyes and his impassioned "Find her!" has put this version on my top three list.

And in Number One would be the 2006, Masterpiece Theatre decided to update its Jane Eyre, bring this scandalous story of the 19th century to a 21 century audience. It's kept the heart of the story but upped the heat making it sexy, mysterious and all together a perfect bodice ripper. Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens take the lead in this adaptation, while she is no beauty as Jane is meant to be she holds her own in this role, and Toby Stephens is a perfect haunted Rochester. Their acting and chemistry is what puts this at the very top of my list. What carries this version so well is the music, strong but not over-powering, it carried the passion of the story so perfectly as well as being visually fantastic.

With 2006 being my top for reasons stated above, 2011 adaption had a strong act to follow, and am sorry to say it, it didn't do so well.  In case you haven't noticed but Jane Eyre is ALL about repressed passion, it what carries the reader to turning the next page, and had this reader hushing her fellow students just so she could finish the novel before bed in school. It is what is loved about the story and why it is adapted so often...however in 2011 with Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender it seems that somewhere along the line of the novel, screen adaptation and filming they forgot that. Mia, of Alice in Wonderland fame, seemed a little of the same though out the film and seemed to have none of that strength that Jane is meant to have, and while Michael is good, he seems a bit young and has none of the haunted experiences Rochester is meant to have. A one word review I would say it was…stunted…, as if it was trying to reach that passion but just couldn't quite get there. Because of this I found other parts of this adaption came to my attention.

There are scenes that seem at a loss of why there were in the film. From Jane and Rochester's first meeting is so sudden has no of that mystery in it to the very ending that happened so suddenly that it left the view at a lost. One scene that sticks out as the worst mistake was a small scene in the middle after guests have arrived at Thornfield and Jane quietly leaves, only to have Rochester come after her. It’s a shy quiet scene but at the same time it is an extremely romantic scene, where you see that Rochester is falling for Jane. This scene was ruined when Mrs Fairfax coming in to carry on another part of the story. While I understand that indeed the story must be carried on to keep it under 3 hours, but to me someone else walking in to this scene is as if Charlotte Lucas walks in on Mr Darcy's first proposal to Elizabeth.

The other large complaint I have is the removal of Rosamund Oliver, while I understand why she was cut, because she is in so little and does not carry the story much. But all in all her presence is vital to the understanding of St. John Rivers. She is his love interest but because of his religious ambitions he shuts her out and decides to pursue Jane to be his wife at his side while he continues his missionary work in India. Without Rosamund, Rivers seems cold and incapable of the kind of love that Jane is seeking. With this small character you see, as Jane puts it when talking to him to Rochester "He loves, as he can love and that is not as you love...." that yes he is very capable but he holds it close and doesn't acknowledge it as Rochester can. It is this capability and acknowledgement to love that makes Rochester Jane's Soul mate.

This newest version of Jane Eyre has its moments of romance and of course you cannot forget that Dame Judy Dench is as fun as Mrs Fairfax as she is imposing as Lady Catherine in Pride and Prejudice. As well as the lay out was very clever, starting it in the middle and letting letting her memories take you back to the beginning. It was a clever way of setting it self apart from other adaptations.
This version is worth seeing if you love Jane Eyre but I would say if you are looking for something that will leave you warm and filled with longing as only romance movies can bring you I say skip this version and go and pick up either the novel or Masterpiece Theatre Jane Eyre, 2006.

Crazy Phan is Back!!

What an eventful year it has been...after my Rant on Phantom and Love Never Dies, I did go to London of May of 2010 and see both shows. While I promise a review after seeing the shows I felt there was nothing more I can say about it that I hadn't covered in the rant.

A year later with it changed so much been traveling the world, and This Crazy Phan Girl is ready to come back and do some more reviews of shows she loves!

Sorry for the super long wait but I am be back! Hope you will stick around!

The Phantom of the Opera! And Its Sequel Love Never Dies

As I have mentioned before, The Phantom of the Opera is an obsession of mine. I love everything about it, from the musical, to fan fiction written out of love to continue the story, to the fan community it's produced and everything in between. I first fell in love with the Phantom when I was 12, my parents took me to London, to Her Majesty's Theatre where I saw the show for the first time. The production was beautiful, the story truly spoke to me as did the music. Since then I have seen the musical 7 times (if you count the three times I saw the 90 minute production in Vegas, which I do!) and have spent most of my life gathering things related to Phantom: books, movies, CDs, fan fiction, fan art: if I don't own it, no doubt I have heard of it. I obsessively followed the development of the movie back in 2003 when I found out it was coming out. I all but stalked the director and ALMOST made it to the set, if only I had been a few months earlier, however I was invited to an advanced screening of the movie, and was sent a signed poster from the director—a very prized possession—as well as a CD of the music, (which is still in the wrapping it came in!) I lost track of how many time I've seen the movie around the 12^th time! Everyone who knows me knows just how obsessed I am.

The story of the deformed genius shunned by the world, force to live in the depths of an opera house, and falls in love with a beautiful chorus girl and helps her to fame only to lose her to a rich Vicoumte, is a story not only I but the world has been obsessed with for century now. 1911 Gaston Leroux published his story that had been in a magazine serial the year before, since then it has spawned movies, plays, musicals, books both published and just fan fiction, comic books, computer games etc.

It was Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera that was the most successful attempt at a musical to be produced. A few productions tried to adapt the story for the stage a couple years before Andrew came along. In 1985 Andrew got the idea after seeing another version of the show to compose his own show. During rehearsals everything that could go wrong seemed like it did from tech malfunctions to injured actors, Andrew was under a lot of stress because not only did he want the show important to him to succeed for money reasons but because it was a homage to his wife, the star Sarah Brightman for which he wrote the role of Christine (now does this not sound familiar? A not very good looking musical genius writes an opera for a beautiful singer? Hmm) but something clicked on opening night and Phantom was a triumph! Today it's has been in London's West End and on Broadway for well over twenty years, holds the title of being the longest running musical in history! Shown in more 25 countries, it has won many awards around the world.

All of this makes a Phantom obsessed girl VERY happy to hear, so imagine when she heard the composer she idolized was coming out with a sequel to this fantastic show that had changed her life. It could go one of two ways, VERY excited and obsessively following like the movie OR she could be heartbroken and VERY disappointed not to mention a little angry. For me it was the latter. I am not happy that Andrew Lloyd Webber decided to continue the story on the stage.

The way the original musical ends is perfect; Phantom disappears. To do what? No one knows: he could go to America to start a new life, he could peruse Christine even more, Christine could come back to him, or the phantom could die of a broken heart...anything could happen. And for twenty years anything has happened in the stories that fans have written, some were good, some were ok and some were just horrible. The good like Susan Kay's Phantom takes the life story of Erik the phantom told in the last two pages of Leroux's novel and fleshing it out to a 500 page novel. The OK novels like Becky L Meadows's Progeny a sequel to Phantom where Erik stays in Paris, conceives a child with Christine, pretends to die but even their love it seems can defy even death, yes sounds bad but the way it is written I can accept her story more than I can this last story. AND for the horrible: The
Phantom of Manhattan by Fredrick Forsyth, I am not the only fan to condemn this book. I read it once and that was enough for me. But to hear THIS book, this novel shunned by most phantom fans is the novel that Andrew Lloyd Webber chooses to base his sequel on is all but an insult. Knowing the back story of the novel is helpful to get why he chose it. Andrew wanted to do a musical sequel for ages (or so he says) and never go around to doing it, Fredrick Forsyth stepped up to the plate to write it on Andrews command, although it only takes from the musical and NOT from any other original Phantom works and completely fuck the story up.

I can normally take almost anything that is fan written with an open mind, I understand that in a fan fiction this is someone's interruption of the story and it's not set in to stone. But to tell a group of a million people this is what happened, to even make an official musical sequel to already perfect show is just too much. Then to try and pass that off as THE official sequel of the entire story to change to the characters we have grown to care about to something almost unrecognizable, and to later insult your fans for not accepting your idea, this Mr. Andrew Lloyd Webber, is truly an insult, to the original story that was written which gave you the inspiration for your award winning musical, to the fans who have continued to see and pay for anything with you name on it building up your fortune and to yourself because this is so very clearly a scheme for more money and not an interest in a new phantom tale as you keep telling the press.

The "story" of this musical sequel, Love Never Dies (I love what one fan-TGITPC- said on youtube "…He watched Bram stoker's Dracula one too many time." As the tag line is Love Never Dies) is based somewhat ten years after the phantom has vanished (depends on if you don't look at the dates on the synopsis. 1881 the events of the opera house transpired, but somehow, 1910 they're in Coney Island and its ten years later he says? I really don't think he looked at his shows very well when he planned this) The Phantom, now know as MISTER Y, owns a freak show on Coney Island in America, where the Giry's who have travel with him and he has made Meg the star. However still pining over his true love, he once again lures Christine who is married to a Drunken in debt Raoul, and her son Gustave to America with promises of a hefty fee if she sings. From there it just gets worse, with a Vaudeville dancing Meg Giry who later commits murder because she is now in love with the phantom, who doesn't pay attention to her to some really interesting songs in the score.

I have heard Love Never Dies, and I must say the voices of Phantom and Christine are worthy of their roles. Ramin Karombloo has a truly beautiful voice, very "phantom-esque" as my friend commented. I think he can hold his own in this role which is such a demand from those who love original Michael Crawford's Phantom. Sierra Boggess is a beautiful soprano I believe I have seen her in Las Vegas as Christine, she defiantly has the voice for it but sounding more motherly and mature without losing that beautiful bell like soprano voice I love in my Christines.. I must Raoul being a gambling drunk for me gives me vicious pleasure! I have never liked Raoul to hear He and Christine are not living the happily ever the end of the original musical implies after makes me more than a little happy, although he resembles NOTHING from the Raoul from the musical.

The biggest disappointment was hearing what Andrew Lloyd did to the Giry's, I have always considered them great people of character, Madame Giry taking in the Phantom and treating Christine like a daughter, Meg innocent trying to understand and help her friend Christine, but to be turned in to Greedy money seeking, Child killing villains? Why? Now I can see Meg falling for the Phantom seeing as he takes her under his wing in those ten years and makes her a star in his shows I CANNOT see her considering KILLING a child to make him see her, let alone prostituting herself! Yes I understand that ten years changes people and much can happen in a new place and a new time but still messing with classic characters like that is just wrong. I also really don't think Phantom would stoop so low as to write the music he "writes" for Meg's shows, the music seems so beneath him!

I get that the phantom is powerful man who can get his way, but couldn't Andrew have chosen a different name for him! Mister Y? WHY? That does not makes it seem very mysterious, I always enjoy Maestro, simple, no name, but to the point and mysterious but apparently Mr. Lloyd Webber didn't. And the biggest question I have is, is it really necessary to kill off Christine? I mean I get Raoul taking off on Christine when the Phantom challenges him, I can barely understand Meg driven to madness and killing but Killing Christine? Why is she the one who has to die this is the second (maybe third) story where I have seen Christine die in the end. Although she dies in perfect operatic fashion taking two songs with her as she goes, leaving the phantom to be a daddy! From what I have listened to the soundtrack it does seem like typical Andrew Lloyd Webber show, from truly beautiful melodies that I know only Andrew can compose to some numbers that seem HIGHLY out of place of the show and not just the Vaudeville parts. There are many haunting reminders of the original musical but also I hear notes from of Andrew's other shows, something Mr Lloyd Webber is known for.

I know as a reviewer I should not pass judgment until I have seen the show with an opened mind. However this is Phantom my love and my life, Phantom of the Opera has guided me though some really dark times in my life, and I have dreams of having Phantom in my professional life, which is why I am going to see the show and why I even bothered to buy the CD. Mind you if this was just another musical, an new Andrew Lloyd Webber production then I would be fine maybe even a little excited, but it is because of what I have heard Andrew Lloyd Webber say about his fans and our thoughts about disliking the very idea and his choice of story for a sequel, hurts me personally and that is why I find it hard to even listen to the music, and why I know that as hard as I will try to go in with an open mind, I don't think it will be possible. However I will see this show hopefully with the original cast and I do hope seeing I might change my mind even a little. But I feel so strongly about this musical sequel, that I know it is very vindictive of me to wish harm on any show, but for those who love the original story and musical and for the very reputation of Erik the Phantom of himself I hope this show has a very short run and Andrew Lloyd Webber learns not to mess with his fans or with a perfect piece of work again!

Roma week One!

Ok, well as is expected the Reviews have made it only to paper and not on the web but soon, I promise!
Ahh Roma! That is my excuse, I have been enraptured with my new experience, exploring the city and adjusting to the time difference.
I am in Rome for a study aroad program studying Art History and Interculture Communcations. Italy has been my favorite country i have visited so far and the oppertuinuty to study in it is a major blessing and I am greatful to my family to let me go! I am in a group of 33 students from Califorina. I am in an apartment with Five people in the area of Trastrevere.
Week One: The company that I am studying through had us hit the ground running so this week has been long!he plane ride was as expected was long, but not horrid however mostly uneventful. When we landed we were disoriented and only wanted to be with in our apartments and sleep which was smart. The next day the company expected us to be in the school at Nine in a city we have never been in and jet lagged. So as very much expected we got competely turned around and if we admit it, lost. I think we went wrong when we took the bus the oppesite direction then where we instrustioned.
But when it was here where it hit me, I was in ROME! I had fretted about it, had this fear that someone was going to tell me there had been some mistake and I couldn't go, but here i was walking the streets of Rome lost and late for class but yes I was in Rome!
That morning we loved in the fact we were in Rome and went in the general direction of the school. Along the way we asked for directions to make sure we on right direction, passed ruins and wonder what they were. One of the group ran in front of a horse and buggy getting yelled at by the driver, "Stupido!" something we all understood! Also while we were passing a popular tourist attraction (we think) we saw a actor dressed up as a Gladiatior, we think he heard our stiffled giggles because as he passed another member of our group he lifted his fake sword and pretended to slice her throat all without breaking stride! That morning was in my opinion the best way to start my trip.
For the most part the week was been filled with experiences and a realization of how much I don't know and how Americanized I am. Not being able to speak the language is a major challenge but I do hope that I will get better by the end of the my three months.
Sadly it seems that Rome does not wish us to see Rome, every guided tour we have been on has been pouring rain. One advice I would give to anyone, NEVER buy an umbrella off of a vendor on the street, the three Eruos is appealing but in heaving rains and wind it can break so easily and be pan not to mention you will be misterable the rest of your tour! Defendently invest in a more expensive one.
That somes up my experiences so far, this weekend we go to Florence and I am thrilled! Besides the rain which makes me feel like a drowned cat, hissing and spitting as well, I am having the time of my life!