Phantom of the Opera

Last night on PBS was the stage version of Andrew Lloyd Weber's "Phantom of the Opera".  They were celebrating the 25th  anniversary of the London Debut.  It was as wonderful as I remembered it.  I was able to see it the year Michael Crawford left.  They were afraid it would fade away after that but it is still going strong on both sides of the ocean and is now considered the longest consecutively running Broadway play.  The program last night after the ovation had Sarah Brightman sing a solo (she originated Christine) along with 5 of the other Phantom's.  Then they sang "Music of the Night."  The whole time you waited for Michael Crawford to come out and sing but he didn't.  It turned out he had sung a matinee performance of a play that he was starring at the time of Andrew Lloyd Weber's called the "Wizard of Oz" - he is the wizard and his voice was tired.  But from a personal observation he looked more than tired.  Maybe I expected too much but I went to bed last night in tears because Michael Crawford just didn't seem himself.  He is 70 - which is hard to believe.  But then I guess I don't look like myself either if I was comparing me to myself 20 years ago!  I do like the play so much better than the movie.  Last nights Christine was incredible.  She was much better than the Christine I saw but then they didn't care about Christine with Michael Crawford on the bill.