In This Labyrinth: Justice From the Heart of The Phantom Of The Opera

PSA #SaveTheBrilliantOriginal #PhantomoftheOpera! As folks may know, the London and Broadway flagship productions have been closed due to #COVID19 (read more about it on the podcast blog). So now, we need to make sure that, when they reopen, Hal Prince’s, Gillian Lynn’s and Maria Bjornson’s original vision is preserved! You can sign and share the petitions https://www.change.org/p/cameron-mackintosh-save-the-brilliant-original-phantom-of-the-opera?fbclid=IwAR3P7J_BdCaByzAps3_Ofh4TvbpEOJK3W0ycEDNLxkVUnfDEgCSd6xsFh88 and https://www.change.org/p/cameron-mackintosh-save-phantom-london?fbclid=IwAR0WRO06G32BepAvz5oRaRiCqNdwmyEXKOF9QhVeglPF9B36DLGVnvJH87A or contact Cameron Mackintosh @CamMackLtd at https://www.cameronmackintosh.com/contact or @OfficialALW to make your voices heard!

In this twentieth episode - Wow!, I review and discuss the awesome Queer sequel to the Leroux novel - Lazare: Gaston Leroux’s Continued Investigation Concerning The Phantom Of The Opera - by K. E. Torwood. I talk about how this book is not only masterfully written, but awesomely historical and intersectional as well! Check it and the author out at @KETorwood and https://ketorwood.com/.

Content warning. This episode weighs in on on-going discussions of whether or not Phantom condones, glorifies or romanticizes violence, especially gendered violence. I argue that it doesn’t! And I discuss how, instead, Phantom addresses certain realities of trauma and makes a powerful case for transformative rather than punitive justice.

In this first episode of 2020 - Wow! - I review the French language in-concert production of the Lloyd Webber Phantom that ran from January 8th to 26th 2020 in Montreal, Canada. I had the sheer privilege of going twice, and really loved it both times! Although, I also found myself having some friendly critiques. So needless to say, I have a lot to say about this production!

In this episode, in honour of COP25 (the climate negotiations that just took place at the UN) and the students striking for climate justice, I discuss the amazing Phanfic When All Is Lost by Quiet2885. I talk about what environmental justice is, and explore how it’s thoroughly woven into the plot and characters of this epic Phanfiction thriller! https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2942105/1/When-All-is-Lost https://www.fanfiction.net/u/731205/Quiet2885