operaghostnocturne - Tumblr blog

[operaghostnocturne]

Tiefling Christine Daae. She has soft pink skin in my head. Gold, white and red color scheme.

[operaghostnocturne]

Hello! Regulus here.

You may be wondering where I've been.

Stuck in the depression cycle.

Long story short, a combination of Art School Bullshit, Covid, an abusive boss, and no job or housing security, led to a pretty bad mental health situation. Plus moving back in with my parents. Not a safe living environment for me, but I didn't really have a choice. Cuz I wanted to try mental health meds, and have a history of intrusive thoughts. In the unalive direction.

My intrusive thoughts are the boy with the horn. And I am the girl covering her ears.

I ended up in a pretty bad burnout too. I ended up stuck in a very judgemental and harsh mental state when I did art. Mostly due to art school bullshit. Lotta teachers and students ragged on my work for being digital, and DnD esc. I ended up internalizing a bunch of what people said. It's been a slow journey getting back to even being able to do sketches.

So! 4 meds, one service dog, consistent therapy, and a better living situation, I'm starting to get back to the point where I can do art again. Woo!

So what about this project? Well! I'm still a Phantom of the Opera Nerd. I actually went to the Broadway Production last February before it closed. That was amazing. Anywho, I absolutely want to continue working on this!

Buuuuut. There's been a slight shift in the way I am thinking about it, and want to do it. As in. What if Phantom of the Opera? But in Dungeons and Dragons?

I'm currently throwing the idea of making a short campaign/one shot out of this story. Or writing something based on DND elements.

A thing to note: I'm not 100% back. I'm working on this, and also trying to deal with wildly fluctuating mental health states. I'm also working on other things. See my main blog for my obsession with Critical Role and Avatar (Cameron.) I'll share sketches if I make them.

Mostly just wanted to let you guys know I'm still alive and haven't forgotten about this project.

Thanks for reading.

Here is a picture of the aforementioned service dog. Her name is Tarot Moondrop Esmeralda Phoenix Shinobi Blused-Marshmallow Diva Cooper. Nocturne (pronounced noct turn neigh. Cuz I only found out recently that that Isn't How that word is pronounced.)

[operaghostnocturne]

Phantom of the Opera 72

[operaghostnocturne]

Please do not use my posts to promote your own work. Especially without talking to me first.  I prefer to keep this blog focused on Nocturne.  While I love supporting other Phantom creators, I’d prefer to share their work on my main blog.

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Phantom of the Opera Notebook 71

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I apologize for this blog being, well, DEAD right now.  I’m very distracted by a new project (gotta love it when your brain goes: OOO shiny.)  I also lost my job back in March and have been insanely stressed out the last few weeks. I’ve periodically being flipping between dissociating panic attacks and bad depressive states, with insomnia and nightmares between.  Good news: I found a new job, with better pay.  It may not be haunting an Opera House, but the steady source of income should help tremendously.  Other bit of news: I am working on a full illustration for Nocturne, or I was, until my Wacom tablet broke. As in, I’m pretty sure if I keep trying to charge it, it will catch on fire. Don’t buy Wacom.  I’m expecting the new HUOIN one tomorrow,  (I sent the first one to my old address. Rest in Pieces me.)  Let me know if you would like to the WIPS.

Thank you so much for everyone who continues to follow this project!

[operaghostnocturne]

Quiet reminder that there is colored footage in this movie, and all of it had to be hand painted.

Lon Chaney as The Phantom of the Opera (1925).

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For Phantom of the Opera fans: The Metropolitan Opera is going to stream Gounod’s Faust on May 23rd, 2020 for free.  This is part of their daily Opera streaming service during quarantine.  Faust is the Opera primarily featured in Gaston Leroux’s original novel. I’ve also heard Faust influenced the novel and musical.  (Gounod’s Faust:Starring Marina Poplavskaya, Jonas Kaufmann, and René Pape, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. From December 10, 2011.) On May 22nd, the Met will be streaming Mozart’s Don Giovanni.   Don Giovanni is possibly the greatest Italian Opera, and one of Mozart’s best works.  Don Giovanni is also a direct inspiration for Erik’s Opera, Don Juan.  (Mozart’s Don Giovanni: Starring Joan Sutherland, James Morris, and Gabriel Bacquier, conducted by Richard Bonynge. From March 16, 1978.) I wanted to pass the information on in case anyone is interested in watching them!  The Opera’s are usually available around 7pm EDT, and are taken down the next day at 6:30 EDT.  The Metropolitan Opera is offering free nightly streams of prerecorded Opera’s every day during quarantine.  I’ve been watching anything that looks interesting for the last few weeks.  Its a great service and I highly recommend checking them out.

[operaghostnocturne]

SKULLY YOUR NEVER GONNA BELIEVE THIS. The MET Opera is continuing to do daily opera streams. (Please donate to them if you can.) I try to watch anything I find super interesting. Anyway, I watched Puccini's Turandot* today (I highly recommend this production.)  Turns out, Franco Zeffirelli (1923-2019) is the guy who created this production of Turanadot. He also created the production of La Boheme in 1881 that I recently watched (which is the MET’s most preformed Opera.) For those not in the know: Phantom of the Opera came out in 1886. I’d also like to add at this point: the character of La Carlotta and Musetta are both visually and characteristically similar.  Some of the costumes and sets from this production of La Boheme are also very reminiscent of POTO.  I didn’t want to say this before because I wasn’t sure when the production was created. Coincidence? Maybe. Influence? Very possible.  Could I be reading too much into this? You BETCHA. Conspiracy theories are FUN. *Starring Christine Goerke, Eleonora Buratto, Yusif Eyvazov, and James Morris, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. From October 12, 2019. Metropolitan Opera Also if you get a chance please check out Franco Zeffirelli’s opera productions. They are fantastic.

I’m watching ‘La Boheme’ on the Met Oprea’s streaming service, and at every turn I’m like: did this influence ALW’s version of Phantom?? Cuz I’m starting to think this MIGHT have influenced ALW’s Phantom.  Like, I SWEAR I heard a rift that sounded eerily similar to main theme in “Don Juan” in Act II.  And I’m kinda sensing some Prima Dona in here too.  AND there seemed to be a little bit from ‘From Point of No Return” in Act 4??? Seriously, I’m sitting here half expecting them to break out into ‘Prima Donna,’ ‘Wishing you Were Somehow Here Again,’ ‘Music of the Night,’ or ‘All I Ask of You.”   I’m scared. (BTW, the Metropolitan Opera is offering a different opera every day this week for free.  The link is on their website.)

[operaghostnocturne]

'Beneath your dancing feet are the tombs of tortured men!'

Which is a quote from 'Phantom of the Opera' 1925, starring Lon Cheney. Heres a pic of the full skin: Masquarade Reaper

Someone pointed this out in an Overwatch group I'm in on FB. Thought I'd pass the info on.

[operaghostnocturne]

A handy dandy phantomy guide to wearing masks!

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Art Brain: Here’s a super detailed sketch of Erik and Christine posed in a difficult perspective in four different ways,  sixteen things you have NO brushes made for yet, eight things you’ve never drawn, and it MUST BE CREATED. Me: Okay, sounds like a fun challe－ Art Brain: HERE’S THE BACKGROUND.

Me: Oh, ghosts. These are the stained glass windows in that circular room where Erik’s piano is.

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Voice Lessons

Honestly, my favorite thing about this project is when I get to draw these fun, self indulgent little scenes between Erik and Christine.  Just look how happy his watching her have fun singing. Orignal Post

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Phantom of the Opera Notebook: 70

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The Problem with ‘Love Never Dies.’

“Love Never Dies,” 2012 Starring Ben Lewis as The Phantom, Anna O'Byrne as Christine, watched on Youtube, 4/24/2020 SPOILERS.  I would like to note: I enjoyed the set design, costume design, some of the music, and production of this version of Love Never Dies.  I also really liked the actor’s performances.  They did a good job.  I especially loved Ben Lewis’s singing voice.  (Derrick Davis ((US Restaged Tour)) is still my favorite.) The problem with Love Never Dies is its a sequel to Phantom of the Opera, the characterization, and writing. ALW’s Phantom of the Opera stands alone. It was never meant to have a sequel.  It really doesn’t need one.  I do feel there is a big disconnect between POTO and LND. I think LND could be rewritten to have nothing to do with the original POTO and would not suffer for it. To me, LND feels like someone’s fixit fanfic that doesn’t actually fix anything.  POTO is also insanely iconic.  It is hard to follow it up. While LND’s music is pretty good, I don’t think its nearly as memorable nor iconic as POTO’s.  I also don’t feel it balanced original POTO music with new material.  Honestly, it needs to pick one. Something ALW does in his musicals is reuses the notes of a song, mixed in a different pattern to make a new one.  “The Music of the Night” and “All I Ask of You” are like this (look at sheet music if you don’t believe me.)  This is not a complaint.  This helps with cohesion of a musical.  It also makes refrains, duets with battling music, and sometimes even story, clearer. When its done well, its unnoticeable. In fact, I got to play a POTO compilation in a semi-professional concert orchestra in high school.  I never noticed ALW does this until when someone pointed it out to me like a month ago.  In LND, I can constantly hear the rifts from the first musical, to the point where I think one of those songs is about to start, or it gets super distracting.  I noticed this especially in ‘Why Does She Love Me?’  I’m 80% sure it was based of POTO’s main theme (like the song ‘Phantom of the Opera,’ or the ‘Overture.’)  Again, I liked most of the music in LND.  But it doesn’t hold a candle to POTO. oh look I made a pun. Having said that all that: LND feels like a sequel mostly to 2004.  In my opinion, 2004 has the most sympathetic version of the Phantom, and the one that could most likely end up with Christine in the end.  Especially compared to the US Restaged Tour.  In 04, I also feel like the Phantom and Christine (not their actors) feel closer in age than other productions of the musical, other Phantom adaptations, and even the book.  (For those who don’t know: Erik is 50-60 in the book, Christine is like, 16.) LND’s writing is not great.  First of all: THE PHANTOM’S NAME IS ERIK. I know they were trying to have a MYSTERY pun. Mister Y does not work for that, especially in a format that ISN’T BEING. READ.  I can understand why its left out in POTO, as it lends the Phantom some mystery (though I do not like it.) There is LITERALLY no reason not to have the Phantom called Erik it LND. Granted, this is a complaint I have from POTO too.  I kinda feel like the Phantom not having a name dehumanizes him. That is a discussion for another day. I absolutely HATE that the Phantom runs a circus company.  A big part of Erik’s trauma comes from being in a freak show.  I don’t believe Erik would be willing to go back to that.  I also don’t think it would be his scene.  The Phantom of the Opera belongs in an Opera house, or at the very least a music all. I don’t know why he couldn’t have started something like that instead of a freak show.  Or perhaps be an eccentric composer. Especially if he is getting help from the Giry’s.   I do think its fitting that he’s working with/employing disabled, or deformed people, and other societal outcasts.  However, being the owner of the VERY THING that treated him horribly is pretty bad, especially since we don’t know if he treats these people any better than he was treated. Also, every time the music switched to ‘show tunes,’ I felt Erik’s soul dying.  On that note, when LND shifts from a musical to addressing the audience directly in its ‘show tunes’ sections, its jarring.  It breaks the fourth wall way too much and really pulls the audience out of whats going on.  The way Erik is in POTO, chased away from the world and the light, is why he is like he is.  He became fascinated with the night, the macabre and darkness because of his experiences with the world. That’s a pretty big point in POTO.  Its one of the things that make him sympathetic. After all “THE WORLD SHOWED NO COMPASSION TO ME!” is the Phantom’s excuse in the final lair. LND tramples over that.  Gustave seems to be interested in the same darkness his biological father is, as seen in “The Beauty Beneath.”  Erik’s obsession with the dark, night, and macabre is turned into genetics.  Which is pretty bad for Gustave if you think too hard about it. Erik is a serial killer.  I do believe talent can be passed in genetics.  I also think the way we view said talent and how we use it is shaped by personal experiences and preferences.  On that note, Gustave could have gotten his musical abilities from his mother, or his grandfather, both of whom are also talented musicians.   Another thing LND suffers from, is making Christine a prize again. Raoul and Erik do not see her as a person.  ‘Devil Take the Hindmost’ is literally the boys having a dick measuring contest, with Christine as the prize.  That is not okay. I hated the ending. For several reasons.  First of all, the Phantom is still abusive.  He is a puppet master. He is still not capable of having a healthy relationship with Christine.   Secondly, Christine dies. ALW, if you are gonna write a fixit fic the LEAST you could do is let Erik be happy.  Plus, Christine is killed by a cliche ‘I just wanted you to notice me’ subplot. One that wasn’t entirely well set up or thought out.  Which is disappointing and frustrating.  Last two things I hated: when Christine kisses Erik for the last time, she doesn’t take off his mask.  I feel like they missed a good opportunity to show Christine being completely accepting of who Erik is, including what he looks like (again, would be better if Erik wasn’t abusive.)  I also NEVER like it when we don’t get to see Erik’s deformity in any version of Phantom.  The only other one that doesn’t I’ve seen/read is Dance. (Which I dislike greatly. Its at the bottom of my list.)  I’m kinda good either way if Gustave goes with Erik or Raoul (preferably neither, if I get a choice, which I don’t.)  Erik and Gustave can connect over music in a way Raoul and Gustave cannot. Erik can teach Gustave about music and the beauty beneath. Raoul did raise Gustave.  Raoul might also have a serious heart change after the events of LND that we are not shown.  Or we can do that one AU where Raoul and Erik become Gustave’s two dad’s (either gay or not, whatever floats your boat.)

The worst thing about LND is it completely ignores the character growth in its predecessor. Characters completely regress into who they were before the ending of POTO.  This is annoying and bad writing. Lets start with Meg and Madame Giry.  I don’t like that Madame Giry is helping Erik. Yes, she helped him escape the freak show in 2004 (and possibly other versions.) BUT, she was also absolutely TERRIFIED of the Phantom in POTO.  She helped Raoul find the Phantom’s Lair, with the full knowledge that Raoul intended to put a stop to Erik’s madness.  I think it would be more likely that Madame Giry would stay as far away as Erik as she possibly could. Madame Giry also feels like a secondary greedy villain in LND, and that feels WAY off base for her. Maybe Erik being manipulative has rubbed off on her? Again, I don’t think she would be in this position in the first place (nor would Erik be manipulative, because I see him as realizing he DUN HECKED UP at the end of POTO). Meg, I could see wanting to help the Phantom (she even does in some versions.)  I see this as her being enthralled by the legend of the Phantom, and less that they actually know each other. As for her loss of innocence, I don’t think it was set up well, nor was it executed well. Also, Meg wanting the Phantom to see her is a cliche. Cliches can be okay, if they are handled well. I don’t think LND wrote it well. The only person I feel that has consistent characterization from POTO is Raoul (well, a specific version of it.)  I have always been of the opinion that Raoul is a jerk.  Having him spiral into gambling and drinking after a traumatic event is not surprising.  Could be something that was always there, could be PTSD.  Who knows, it wasn’t really talked about beyond Raoul feeling sorry for himself, and him being frustrated that he can’t connect to Christine on a musical level. Christine’s arc in POTO was about taking back her own power and becoming her own person. Of letting go of the past and moving forward.  This is thrown out. She is once again caught between two men in a dick measuring contest, both of which are trying to manipulate her to one side or the other, completely powerless.  This time, there really wasn’t a way for her to get it back. I feel like she felt obligated to sing for the Phantom, even without Gustave’s life being threatened, and the Phantom’s manipulation is what made Raoul leave  (Granted, I think Raoul leaving makes sense in the context of LND.)  Christine has no agency in LND. Finally, the ending of POTO is what redeems Erik.  He is the one with the biggest character arc and character growth. He learns the most.  I do believe he had a genuine heart change at the end of POTO.  What happened wasn’t what he wanted, but it was what he needed to become a better person, and start moving past his trauma. Ignoring that is a big mistake. Yet, in LND, he is back to being an arrogant, abusive, manipulative, puppet master.  Sometimes, I can see small pieces of character growth. He seems less bothered by his appearance, and maybe slightly more mature. Though, even these glimpses are often overshadowed or ignored in the next scene.   LND is NOT continuation of the characters we met in POTO. Much of the writing that connects LND with POTO is meh.  Honestly, in some ways it feels like less a sequel and more its very own adaption of Phantom. Which is half its problem.

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Bit further into “Love Never Dies.” Things I’ll say are good: the production, Ben Lewis’s voice, the music itself, the costume design, and the set design. Those are pretty good. STILL hate the overall story. ALSO YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO MAKE ERIK NOT AN ABUSIVE BLIGHT.

Ten minutes into “Love Never Dies” and I’m already screaming in agony. Don’t even get me STARTED with how bad Erik being. back. in. a. freaking. circus. is. Running it or not, a place like that caused some MAJOR FRIDGING TRAUMA. NOT A HEALTHY ENVI FOR OUR FAVORITE GHOST. Also, can he be the Phantom of the Opera, if he is no long in an opera? LASTLY. Dear ALW. HIS NAME IS ERIK.

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Ten minutes into “Love Never Dies” and I’m already screaming in agony. Don’t even get me STARTED with how bad Erik being. back. in. a. freaking. circus. is. Running it or not, a place like that caused some MAJOR FRIDGING TRAUMA. NOT A HEALTHY ENVI FOR OUR FAVORITE GHOST. Also, can he be the Phantom of the Opera, if he is no long in an opera? LASTLY. Dear ALW. HIS NAME IS ERIK.