The Phantom of the Opera- Live in Toronto, 1991 (Colm Wilkinson, Patti Cohenour)

The Phantom of the Opera
Live at The Pantages Theatre, Toronto
1991
Starring: Colm Wilkinson as The Phantom, Patti Cohenour as Christine, Byron Nease as Raoul
Remastered by me. About 50 minutes of highlights, mainly showing Colm as The Phantom. Enjoy!

[@ttintagel]

I can't believe it was so long ago I was sitting in the audience at this production. Feels like yesterday.

[@billychartier4962]

I love Colm Wilkinson’s phantom because his voice and singing ability accomplished something that I find is very rare and hard to do. It is a voice that both provide excellent vocals to enhance the music, but also enhances the emotions that attempting to be conveyed by the character in the scenes. All due respect to the other phantoms because 99% of them are great, but Colm is one of the only ones who I felt really could make you feel what the phantom was feeling at any point in time from his voice alone. That is an exceptional talent

[@tiredofitall9213]

I seen this in 91" at the Pantages theatre in Toronto. That day I fell in love with this musical!

[@CaseyBlizzard]

I love Patti so much as Christine. She really conveys the mystical qualities of the show through her grace, movement, point of focus. She seems like a Christine with a complex inner life. Like she’s sort of haunted (in a good way). To me, it makes the story work perfectly. I adore her singing voice also.

[@olgathehandmaid]

The VHS bleaching/warping adds another tangible layer to the depth of what this production means to so many of us. Listening to the (much more aged) Patti reflect on this actual clip recently-- and watching her blink back tears has absolutely moved me. I cannot get over this footage, though Colm is not in my top Phantom list personally, this clip haunts me. It helped me really reflect on the fact that Phantom has literally existed on that stage every single night of my life since I was born, and I hope it continues long after I am gone. Save the brilliant original!

[@ctaproductions101]

wow can you link that clip of her that you described reflecting on this?

[@olgathehandmaid]

@@ctaproductions101 kzbin.info/www/bejne/boeXYn5smsaSh7M timestamp 53:10, she's in the bottom left, the whole thing is worth a watch in my opinion but this is the best part.

[@hwfiv]

"much more aged"? Seriously? I just watched it and she looked AMAZING. Having seen her perform live on Broadway MANY times, I would say she's barely aged at all. Every bit as beautiful now as she ever was. Patti - if you read this, ignore the aging comment nonsense. It was unnecessary and completely inaccurate! Perhaps Olga really meant to say that your interview was so moving because of the wealth of performing/life experience you have behind you. Perhaps she was moved by how these memories still resonate so strongly with you these many years later; not to make a callous comment about a still vibrant woman aging. I'd like to give Olga the benefit of the doubt that she didn't intend to make an insulting reference, but I couldn't move on without pointing it out. You're STILL the Patti Cohenour that I admired and adored watching on stage during your many Broadway outings.

[@robertlauncher]

Wow Colm Wilkinson is both scarier than most Phantoms I’ve seen yet also really comes across as a tortured figure. Amazing

[@musicalmagpie741]

Thank you for this, I put in on then had to stop what I was doing to watch it. I just got lost in it - marvellous! It’s great to hear Colm sing the full score. Strange to think that there was a slight chance that Colm Wilkinson could have been the original Phantom. He performed what was a very different version of the first act at Lloyd Webber’s “workshop” performance. However, he was committed to Les Miserables which premiered that year at the RSC. How fortunate we are to have had him in both in Les Miserables and then later Phantom! I didn’t see him in the show sadly (before my time) but did get to see him in concert a couple of years ago. He opened with Music of the Night and ended with Bring Him Home (complete with iconic jacket!). He was an absolute Gentleman too, even signing my original Les Miserables poster. Thank you again for letting us enjoy this!

[@philipk917]

Colm Wilkinson Yah!!! and Patti Cohenour...who I absolutely love as Christine! 🧡🧡🧡

[@okilodolicy]

Wow this brings back memories. Thank you for this. ❤😀 if you have more from the Toronto production could please post as much as possible?

[@ZidaneWarner]

Colm was always a very intense performer and roles like Phantom and Valjean is just perfect roles for him. I wish they gave him more roles like this. He’s an amazing underrated talent

[@jackdough8164]

A lot of people don’t know this was actually written for colm to be singing as the phantom. Imo he’s the best too

[@JSRRADIO]

I thought that was les mis be use bring him home was so high

[@jackdough8164]

@@JSRRADIO nope. Colm was supposed to be the original phantom but was too busy with that show to do the phantom. Once he was free he took the role here in Canada.

[@startrekmaniac1701]

Webber wanted him but he was doing let MIs and he brought in Michael Crawford.

[@phantomphan873]

@@startrekmaniac1701 I thought ALW from the start wanted Freddie Mercury as the phabtom

[@startrekmaniac1701]

@@phantomphan873 no, what are you talking about?

[@spart82]

I've loved this musical all of my life and wasn't lucky enough to be able to see it in time to see Colm in this role. Thank you so very much for this. This was incredible to watch. I'd love to see the full version if you have that.

[@dalebowes54]

I saw this at Pantages theatre in Toronto. I will always remember it ❤❤❤

[@eristineforever6934]

Colm Wilkinson is such an amazing Phantom. My favorite Phantom, though, will always be Ramin Karimloo.

[@wichischannel2910]

Best cast ever. Best DaMoFu Phantom ever!!! Unbeatable. C.T. Wilkinson. All actual performers have lots to learn from him.

[@markdaly1648]

He hung around with Luke kelly and dubliners and they would say come out for a few pints. Even if he was performing. The next day. That would have been the early 1980s

[@eristineforever6934]

46:50 oh, my poor Eristine heart. 😍

[@GreatestAndGreatest]

Thanks so much for sharing! ❤

[@tenebrisrex333]

Colm's odd accent and sometimes strange timing aside, he truly captured the powerful madness and emotion of phantom, probably best. Intense performance, it's too bad his co lead was lack luster in emotion, though she had a pretty voice.

[@p_nk7279]

I think you’re pretty right on. I feel his timing is good though. And this is set in Paris, so we shouldn’t expect like ‘American’ accents or something for a French character. I love The Phantom!

[@meganomahoney5450]

@@p_nk7279 I’m playing Christine in phantom of the opera at my house in much 2022

[@tiredofitall9213]

I fell in love with Colms performance of the Phantom... I actually seen this at the Pantages theater in Toronto. I haven't watched or seen anyone else play in the role, because I want to remember it exactly how I first heard it!

[@paulblack7576]

I worked at the Pantages as an usher back then and seen it 24 times. The guy that played the phantom on the Canadian tour took me on a tour under the stage etc and showed me how the hydro live worked. I did not know that they had to lip synch to some of the songs because it was impossible to actually sing and perform a few of the songs live.

[@carolortimculliton863]

Well. I worked on the stage crew for the first two and a half years of the show, i can assure you that nothing was lip synched, i am not sure who told you that. Looking back ,it was the best two years of my life. How many people remember that Neve Cambell of the move Scream was a 15 year old ballerina in this show?

[@kronos911]

@@carolortimculliton863 The first verse of Phantom of the Opera was lip-synched. It's widely known and can be confirmed with a Google search.

[@andrewbloom7637]

​​​@@carolortimculliton863Neve could play Madame Giry in the London production of "The Phantom of the Opera", given that she's a Brit through her father Gerry. She was a member of the Ballet Chorus of the Opéra Populaire (and a understudy for the role of Meg Giry) in the original Toronto production of the musical. Despite being dubbed by Liz Callaway for her singing parts in the 1998 Disney direct-to-video film "The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride", she does have singing experience, as she did her own singing in the Toronto production of "The Phantom of the Opera" and in the TV series "Party of Five".

[@DANOVERBOARDvlogs]

Thank you so much for posting this!

[@nathankelly3509]

25:16 must have been terrifiying for the audience. Seeing a big ahh chandelier fall toward Christine alone while she is screaming bloody murder must be scary, edit: Colm Wilkinson's elmo laugh got me dying 💀💀

[@Dinostudio-x6y]

41:43 MY GOSH he's voice.... He sings higher than necessary for this part, but I will say this... Sounds piercing 😢

[@bookboybrs90]

Thanks please more?

[@leonardowilson7709]

18:53 Damn he was pissed!!!

[@knowpassword]

Saw it twice in Toronto.. the second was Paul Stanley of KISS fame! Front row centre. With a forgotten person..

[@LesleyWells-ic6up]

So this is what inspired Ramin Karimloo! He first saw this in 1990. ❤

[@effieh1176]

Was Rebecca Caine playing Christine Daae in 1991?

[@stefchanel1723]

Yes, but she had understudies.

[@effieh1176]

@@stefchanel1723 thank you

[@p_nk7279]

Sound goes out at 23:40

[@Reeal15]

@25:50 - That "monsieurs" tho

[@aikenyao7239]

25:41 Red Death

[@Kvchandte]

6:40 (Sorry!!)

[@Kvchandte]

31:20

[@WTHFX]

It's a shame that the picture quality is what it is because this is easily the best Phantom performance out there. Colm: the first and greatest Phantom.

[@andrewbradbury8527]

Terrible filming, skipping scenes

[@MarinelliBrosPodcast]

its only highlights

[@Day-ZDuke]

Dude, this was filmed 30 years ago. Firstly, the technology was nothing close to what it is today. Most people didn’t even have a video camera, would have been like a Hi8 tape Secondly, there certainly was a “No Recording” policy, so the person was doing this in secret. Not like they could set up a tripod and film away

[@mikekaraoke]

@@Day-ZDuke Oh come on- most people didn't have a video camera lol They were all the rage in the 80's/90's and sold like hot cakes-if that w as the case most of the companies like Radio Rentals, Rumbelows, RadioShack etc would of gone bust! My dad got the JVC GR-C1 in 1984 outright, but my uncle rented one out for years from Dixons with the: Panasonic M5! Also I have video camera footage from the 80's-a lor clearer than this footage-but this footage has obviously been watched millions oftimes since 1991 and the obviously the quality has degraded so much over time.

[@xxxMinakoAinoxxx]

Holy shit amazing

[@kirstigan1]

Thank you soooo much for posting this!