A younger Anthony Warlow sings "Music of the Night"

[@PaulTheillusionist]

Anthony Warlow is one of the best musical theatre has ever had to grace their stage. His voice is a gift from God.

[@HubertusRudolpho]

show some respect to the dedication and hard work for decades this man put into his voice and stop talking about a fucking god

[@swanben11]

@@HubertusRudolpho Whoah bud. That's a little much. Especially considering Warlow is very Catholic??

[@Maha1943]

I have sat in the front row at a concert and he has the bluest eyes you have ever seen He is the best

[@josegenuino5706]

his voice was so mature even younger

[@flanplan5903]

He’s mentioned I believe in an interview that his voice was quite mature for his age, even when he was younger-hell, at 18, he sounded quite mature then. I think he was just 28 or 29 here-maybe younger, maybe older (though he is capable of actually making his voice sound younger, if one listens to the Jekyll and Hyde album).

[@maicey_t.]

I want to marry this man's voice.

[@reachpersonaltraining]

Well I’ve seen the lot. The best of the best. JOJ, Ramin, Earl Carpenter, Geronimo Rauch. But this is head and shoulders the best performance I’ve ever heard. Just perfection. Wow!!!!!!

[@esejsnake1503]

Crawford???

[@Warlowisnumberone]

As phantom... WARLOW IS THE BEST! NO ONE COMES CLOSE!, If you actually study the character of the Phantom you should understand that the character is much darker and truer to the composer's intent when Warlow does it. MC is still brilliant, but Warlow takes the cake!

[@raptattention7242]

I agree. He does grasp the character well & doesn't let the audience forhet it.

[@TheKnowledgeMan101]

Ramin Karimloo is almost just as good, but at the same time, Michael Crawford will always be the best Phantom

[@holidaysinsweden]

I sort of grew up with Crawford singing Phantom, so I find it hard to prefer anyone else. But there's no denying Warlow's a tremendously gifted singer!

[@Motoruven]

One of the top five male musical artists of ALL time.

[@coconuttytree]

Seeing Anthony *as* the Phantom rather than just *singing* Phantom is a different kettle of fish. Many a night he drives himself to the point of tears. You won't be disappointed with lack of emotion.

[@alwaysxbox]

I was a Rob Guest fan, but now i have a new Phantom to love, I cried from the opening note of the show to the very last night, I met Anthony after the show and told him that he was welcomed back to melbourne, He has matured and now sings the songs with some new vocal range and speaks some of the words and that made it even more emotional, Anthonys Phantom had me think about life and love alot, his hand movemants and the way he uses the stage, a true preformer, Thanks Anthony.

[@sandyaustin5475]

He is so talented the best voice ever yes a GIFT from GOD and even now he is still the best

[@coconuttytree]

Funny thing is, he wasn't doing that high-pitched, "Damn you! Curse you!" scream until the end of the Melbourne run -- he pulled it out for the last couple of shows and now it seems to have stuck. He also plays with Christine's hair in Final Lair, mouths the croaking along with Carlotta... It's so interesting to see how all the performers have evolved over the last year. I never tire of it. Then again, I may just be mental. XD

[@aurryinne]

*jaw drop* *gasp* *whimper* *whimper* *whimper* *THUD*

[@kooperthrockmorton7869]

I cannot stand how much I love this man!

[@1974spr]

Sir Webber says to sing it as though you're singing to a beautiful woman who you're madly in love with. I think those bits allow you to think he's doing just that.

[@MrSilverback900]

I used to tell everyone that Michael Crawford was the best. He is amazing but I think I agree with you, Warlow is amazing!

[@colino72]

Incredible use of dynamics here, especially when you compare it to other versions (Crawford, particularly). This is such a dull song, really, that it needs a lot dynamics and variation of voice quality to make it interesting. Warlow does it brilliantly

[@ChrisMagoo99]

If we could have Michael Crawford's interpretation of the character with Anthony Warlow's voice we would have the ultimate Phantom

[@NeWtoN9751]

That's fantastic! What a voice! And he's becoming better and better by now

[@perth45]

I love Anthony Warlow, have done since early 90's have all his albums, strangely enough though, I've never liked this song whoever sings it. Anthony is THE BEST, check out his album 'Midnight Dreaming', It's one I never put away, but ALL his albums are great, Love you Ant.....................................

[@MusicArt68]

I used to dislike this song too.. was even ambivalent about it on Anthony's Centre Stage album. Then I saw him perform it live in concert during his "Back in the Swing" tour. It brought me to tears & I've loved it ever since.

[@gerald01]

To think that before I saw Anthony, I thought Gerard did a good job..SO BLIND. He's married to my aunt's best friend! SQUEE!!! Unfortunately they're not close...but I'm still begging her to let me meet him I live in hope..

[@nextlifearotti]

what a gift he has.... I'd LOVE to be able to sing

[@finsfan13]

Gorgeous performance (and a gorgeous guy)

[@humoronwheels87]

@doogix He probably ad-libbed some changes, or the composer of this particular arrangement (which might have been himself, I honestly don't know) decided to switch the words around a bit. Folks tend to do that in music, which I personally don't mind too much.

[@yesnonotexactly25]

The way he says "intoxication" at 3:36 gets me every time

[@Donwitter1]

It is great to be able to compare this great artist singing the same song years apart.We can appreciate the maturity of the "Bald" edition and the use of inflection but that voice was always stunning. I am so happy that I have found out about this great voice!!! This brilliant song brings me to tears every time I hear a moving performance of it!

[@josephus72]

No wonder he left opera. He can really act!

[@klippcb]

Splendid, den bästa Fantomen, perfekt !!..snyft..mycket fint och starkt och känsligt !!

[@flanplan5903]

Man he was a handsome dude back in the day when he rose to fame, reminds me a lot of Dan stevens here…and mind you, he was just 28-29 when he first played the Phantom. That’s amazing for someone so young to take on such a demanding part…and nail it through. Though to be fair, he was always older than he looked (hell if you look at the patience clips from the 90’s, he is in his mid 30’s, but looks early mid 20’s at best).

[@sandyaustin5475]

A pleasure to have seen him in the Phantom of the opera he was just magic

[@jakeblues875]

Is it just me.. or does anyone else get jealous when they hear someone sing like that..? lol I wish I could sing that well!

[@food77958]

great guy, best voice of the musical scene, I love him.

[@amateurmeteorologist7365]

Any news on whether the lad made it out of all the fake fog? Jk wonderful performance

[@ams4374]

Utter genius. Possibly the best in the business.

[@jaquejenae]

Agreed!!! I am a huge fan of Anthony and think he is a gift from god with a incredible voice and stage presence and in many circumstances consider him the "best" as i do love him as the phantom, voice, interpretation pf character, but i personally think the greatest man that ever played the phantom would John Owen Jones

[@SneakySnake26]

Wow. Loving his voice. Thanks so much for posting!

[@flannerymonaghan-morris7461]

He’s hot! Seriously, could be a movie star with those looks!

[@dadarkdude2]

just incredible

[@francespower4631]

The definitive version.

[@shmeeden]

@doogix The lyrics were changed after the Original London Cast Recording. Largely, actually, because Crawford found some of the words hard to pronounce properly when he was in make-up.

[@davidsolomon8203]

One of the best!

[@beshmao91]

yeah i really think you have to see him live to evaluate his acting. here, he is only singing a song from the phantom of the opera, not trying to convey the phantom himself. I saw him when he had influenza during his Melbourne tour, an experience i will never forget.

[@flanplan5903]

Holy fuck he had the flu and yet still carried on???? Wow.

[@maydalena]

The best version of this song I've ever heard is from young baritone singer Rhydian Roberts! He sang this song at Lord L.Webber's 60th Birthday Party in Hyde Park and was personally chosen by Lord himself to sing it!

[@camhart101]

I like the one when he's older because he sounds more confident and experienced

[@kenny63134848]

amazing..

[@spikewong9740]

I know why somebody said Warlow is the best phantom

[@stitchgrl777]

LOL, POTO's nothing without the mist. But this is too much mist for one stage. bless Anthony Warlow. He's great.

[@victormeyers1860]

So how long exactly has Warlow been a god?

[@MusicArt68]

Oh, since about the mid-1980s

[@flanplan5903]

Mind you, he was just 29 when he first played the phantom. Twenty fucking nine.

[@cosifantutte90]

Anthony Warlow and Michael Crawford are very respectable Phantoms in their own rights...no matter how much you like one over another, at least give the other the same respect. At least give Crawford some credit, he was the toast of the town as original Phantom in London, NY and LA - not bad for "this mike dude" as you wish to call him.

[@Haephasto]

Actually,it is not Warlow's fault that some of his fans are rude, nor does he have any way of stopping them. Instead of being greater than they are and ignoring their posts, you not only take the time to respond, you also state that you like the artist less! This is a ghastly thing. I love Henk Poort's phantom the most (though sadly, he did it in Dutch),Then Michael Crawford's and then Warlow's,but still,Warlow is AMAZING. I will watch his stuff regardless of his fans' behaviour. You should too.

[@jeffgerman]

LOL...great minds think alike!!!

[@Sheeta123]

OMFG He had hair back then!!! O_o'

[@morganlhart494]

Damn that’s a lot of fog...

[@nikedadoug]

Based on what I've seen and heard. He has definitely evolved from A mere diety to a God of Music.

[@ProjectEntry]

I saw the latest Australian run of the Phantom of the Opera, and he's as brilliant as the last time (probably better) i saw it when he last played the Phantom 10 years ago

[@jasminnemcdonald94A]

Try listening to this with the lights off.

[@swanben11]

I'm too young to transcend this plane of existence just yet...maybe when I'm a little older.

[@ActorsWithIssuespodcast]

wow, that's a lot of fog! haha. bravo warlow! :D

[@jasminnemcdonald94A]

Why couldn't Hollywood cast him to play the Phantom in the 2004 film adaptation of ALW's musical??? That would have worked better.

[@Arkelk2010]

I don't think I like the interpretation (the more spoken bits in the middle of the singing), but the singing is marvellous: all the notes, especially the high ones, are well hit.

[@josephus72]

I'm not responsible for how I "sound" to you, this is a matter of perception only. In fact, I never proposed any view that musical theatre was better than opera. My point was that in my opinion, the ability to act well is not a priority in opera. the main focus in vocal skill. In contrast, both the ability to sing and act are equally valued in musical theatre. But I didn't choose one over the other, they are different art forms in my view and shouldn't be judged against one another.

[@jeffgerman]

He hasn't lost anything with age. Except maybe his hair.

[@Evealle]

I absolutely agree, and, out of curiosity, who was the second?

[@joecool6792]

Oh come on. Dynamics are definitely important (meaning fundamental) to interpreting a song, but Warlow does a fantastic job with them and there can be no arguing with the superiority of a trained voice (let alone one as beautiful as his) to Crawford's nasal production and whatever training he's had (a voice teacher whose claims to fame are Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman? Really? I'd skip town and change my name I were him/her).

[@josephus72]

You can really really hope all you like but there's no misconception involved. It's an opinion based on highly observable evidence. The ability to act well is and always has been a secondary consideration in the art of opera and this has been confirmed to me by friends who regularly perform with professional, highly respected opera companies. It's a classic example of snobbery toward alledgly "lower" forms of art which occurs in many fields. Warlow and Nigel Kennedy have the right attitude.

[@or10z2k]

I think he is better in this version, only because with age obviously you lose some control of your voice, the high Ab in this version he is able to drill, whereas in the later version right when he hits it his heavy opera vibrato comes in as well, I mean both are amazing but I think he was more control over his voice in this version

[@DocEsquire]

And not Luciano Pavarotti?

[@CarmelSRobinson]

HAIR? Surely not!

[@Emibabe716]

dude i think gerard was ebtter than michael. gerard just brought something to the music michael couldn't

[@sundus928]

From when is this video ?

[@yajunwindbell]

To be honest, the older version. It's more matured and complicated.

[@thenatural91483]

or10z2k...which version you speaking of?

[@TorturedXeno]

They're both really good. I, personally, prefer Michael Crawford... but at least they're better than Gerard Butler. >:]

[@Fireboy0]

My question is..."Why wasn´t Warlow the Phantom of the film?!?!?" (well...why wasn´t any of the GOOD singers the phantom) Imagine if Webber dind´t sayd that he wanted actors to really sing the songs...BAH!!!

[@flanplan5903]

Also, it probably would’ve been pretty creepy, considering that Emmy Rossum (who played Christine in the movie) was 16-17 at the time of filming. Warlow would’ve been 42 or 43 at the time of filming, although I believe that Christine is around 16-17 anyway. That would give off all the wrong implications.

[@Fireboy0]

@@flanplan5903 well...the phantom is creepy :D I just wish we had a good singer in the part. Butler was still ~15 years older than Emmy. And it's amazing that I got a reply on a comment I did 12 years ago :D

[@flanplan5903]

@@Fireboy0 you are welcome. I’m also not so sure if Warlow himself would’ve been entirely comfortable with the idea of starring alongside a young 16 year old (she was a singer, as well) and seducing her in character (“Music of the night” becomes a lot more nightmarish and less kind of swoon worthy when you realize here that a middle aged man is seducing a girl YOUNG ENOUGH TO BE HIS FREAKING KID). (In all fairness, I’m sure a lot of people who were singers/non-singers would’ve been freaked out by the idea of being a freaking disfigured middle aged dude seducing a girl young enough to be his daughter). Warlow I don’t think has done many movies before. Also, if they had gotten Crawford to return, I think the creepiness factor would be doubled (Crawford was born in 1942, so he would’ve been 61 or 62 at the time of filming), since the Phantom would be seducing a girl young enough (aged 16) to be his grandkid. Let that sink in.

[@doodledude8190]

@@flanplan5903 to be fair, she's 20 in the book while he's 55. It's never been not creepy

[@audiesgirl]

I just found out Mr. Warlow lost his hair to cancer so my earlier comment was from ignorance.

[@coconuttytree]

I wince when he screams. Can't be good for the voice! Ah well, the immense effort he puts into it; that's why we love him. I'm also curious as to who gave me bad rep for stating a fact. Schumacher said he wanted a "young cast". He was primarily going for acting ability and looks, relying on technology to smooth out any kinks in the voice. Now I'm not condemning Butler -- he did act the part well! -- but be reasonable, Gerry fans: his voice cannot rival stage Phantoms' such as Anthony's.

[@EmilyGloeggler7984]

I actually love and appreciate both men's talent. For me, personally, Anthony can't come close to Michael in bringing the role of the Phantom to life (and no, not just because he was the first or original - it was the way he performed the character). But Anthony does have a stronger, more operatic-type voice than he does and he still is a wonderful actor in his own right. Nothing wrong with loving both men.

[@olioftheunderworld]

ya mum!

[@Spiceofmadrid]

he's good but michael crawford captures the essence of phantom very very well, and IMO makes him the best phantom

[@TabletopTeamBuilding]

not gonna lie, and i know this isnt him. but i never really liked any video of michael crawford singing phantom, just not for me

[@riordan32]

1:09 = shaun micalef

[@emsdunstan3189]

He is a very talented singer, however his voice is to powerful for the phantom role, the phantom should be seen as strong but seductive not too up right and posh, dont think he fits the bill, but he has such a lovely vibrato in his voice, the tone is gorgeous :)

[@TheMsiaddict]

Are you talking about Matt Cammelle? He started MOTN with whisper like voice, then slowly building up to powerful voice, then ending with whisper like voice again.

[@hansi6119]

There is no voice too powerful for that role. The intention is that it must have precision.

[@coconuttytree]

Honestly, Butler's voice is nothing to praise. I do acknowledge his acting talents and I won't slam him for being chosen to play the role -- after all, it wasn't his fault he was miscast. A high calibre singing voice just wasn't on Schumacher's priorities list, I suppose. XD Also...

[@TheBoredMovie]

@dabermanator I agree, but you are a hypocrite. You just mention them in the same sentence, which counts as an online breath.

[@fatheranthony4pope]

@Emibabe716 lol like a complete lack of musical talent!!!!!

[@2seconds2long]

hmmmm he was until recently a man by the name of Ramin Karimloo came along

[@TheMsiaddict]

The best Music of The Night was sung by Matt Cammelle.