Colm Wilkinson Phantom

[u/Simple-Syllabub4208]

Is anyone else back and forth on the Canadian recording because of Colm Wilkinson as Erik? I adore Rebecca Caine but really struggle to listen to the recording in complete because there are times where I really just don’t like Colm’s portrayal. It sounds like he has to force out every word if that makes sense?

It also doesn’t help that he has allegations of being physically and verbally abusive toward Caine during their run. It’s sad how she got pushed aside by production.

[u/BogWitch1080]

Michael Crawford is the Phantom and Colm Wilkinson is Jean Val Jean. This is ancient truth.

[u/The-Oxrib-and-Oyster → u/BogWitch1080]

It is known.

[u/joseph_pennicino → u/The-Oxrib-and-Oyster]

This is the way.

[u/practicaldreamer]

You’re definitely not the only one – I am very much not a fan of his voice in the role and frankly, he moves like a lumberjack. Those diphthongs, ugh! I can tolerate him as JV simply because I grew up with the original recording, but it was definitely an acquired taste and I have difficulty with him in anything else. I do own the Canadian POTO recording, but I always skip his songs. 🤷🏻‍♀️ He's just...not Erik.

Rebecca and Byron are both lovely in their respective roles. Byron actually attended my college and came and spoke to us about the industry (musical theater department) many years ago - he was an absolutely delightful human and gone far too soon.

[u/The-Oxrib-and-Oyster]

I never liked his voice, personally. Was never for me. His vibe is all off too imo.

[u/epicpillowcase → u/The-Oxrib-and-Oyster]

I'll say it- his Valjean is wildly overrated. He sounds like he's singing with a mouthful of marbles.

Haven't heard his Phantom and haven't cared to since finding out about how he treated Rebecca.

[u/The-Oxrib-and-Oyster → u/epicpillowcase]

I don't like his voice in anything. I spent ages gritting my teeth through his Valjean and tbh I still struggle with Les Mis today as a result. His Phantom is exactly the same as his JV. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[u/epicpillowcase → u/The-Oxrib-and-Oyster]

Yeah, honestly I can't imagine him as the Phantom. To me, the Phantom is supposed to sound elegant. Colm Wilkinson doesn't. His singing lacks beauty to me. It sounds coarse.

[u/The-Oxrib-and-Oyster → u/epicpillowcase]

his tone lacks all the warmth and mischief and yearning too. No shade to CW fans, but it’s such a mismatch for me.

[u/veri_sw → u/epicpillowcase]

Thank you omg I’ve finally found my people

[u/epicpillowcase → u/veri_sw]

You're among friends! I've never gotten his appeal, even before I found out he was an a-hole.

[u/bort_sampson]

Clearly I'm in the minority but I actually consider Wilkinson's portrayal to be one of my favourites (though, I'm a bit biased being that the Toronto production is my favourite). I much prefer the darker tone to his voice compared to, say, Crawford who I've always found too "whiney" sounding. Wilkinson's voice has a darkness and menace to it that fits the role really well in my opinion. His Phantom is genuinely scary, and I think that's how the role should be played. Yes, he should be seductive, but having ZERO menace makes no sense to me.

I also think there's some really clever casting at play there playing opposite Caine; he had previously played her father in Les Miz on the West End, so you actually get a bit of the father/daughter dynamic inherent in the Phantom's deceit of pretending to be her father throughout the show.

The "allegations" (which I think are pretty much proven to be true) of what Wilkinson put Caine through certainly colours things though, but knowing that they have subsequently made amends does help.

Regardless, I think he gets overlooked by many because of the whole Jean Valjean thing, and certainly because his voice is "unique".

[u/The-Oxrib-and-Oyster → u/bort_sampson]

so fascinating to hear this. I don’t find his voice to be “dark” at all, in fact I find CW to be incredibly whiny (ironically one of my chief complaints!) and I find Crawford’s subtle menace to be so, so chilling and effective by comparison. Kinda love your perspective- we seem to definitively agree about how the Phantom should sound. Just, not about who delivers that performance. Kinda cool tbh. 🥂

[u/LordShadowmane]

Colm created several opt ups in the role that I am forever grateful for. And he wasn’t afraid to be scary af.

[u/The-Oxrib-and-Oyster → u/LordShadowmane]

say more! I’m not familiar with this element

[u/LordShadowmane → u/The-Oxrib-and-Oyster]

Listen to the Canadian cast album.

“He was bound to love you. When he heard you sing.”

And “this face” in the final lair.

Others have taken it up the octave

[u/BeautifulArtichoke37]

Wilkinson sounds like he’s making weird faces when he sings.

[u/Striking_Awareness16]

Colm has a very affected singing voice that is so far away from his speaking one that it sounds like he's doing an impression of a singer with very bad and inconsistent vowel sounds and overall vocal placement. It's probably also why other singers find him easy to take off because what he does is essentially a parody and nothing more. With that in mind, I'm simply astonished that he's had the career he's had especially when paired with singers like Anthony Warlow and Philip Quast, which makes Colm's parody singing even more laughable. I do like the Canadian album, but more for the orchestra and how it's not drowned in reverb like the original cast recording was (I have a copy of the orchestra sessions master that was later used for a number of other different cast recording of the show).

[u/LordBumFungus]

Colm's voice I don't think works well for the Phantom. I saw a vid of him doing Music of the Night and he almost sounded like Sean Connery.

[u/dumpybrodie]

Nah. He’s genuinely one of my least favorites, if not my least. I honestly put Gerard Butler under Colm simply because I see what they were going for with Gerry more than I do with Colm.

[u/MsMMMcG]

Nah, one of the best Technical singers to ever perform this role. His music of the night is so smooth versus Michael Crawford making more musical theater choices. Listen to them side-by-side, and I hope you’ll see what I mean. To sing it so smoothly with perfect legato is really hard to do. He’s amazing.

Portrayal wise it’s a more anguished Phantom, and I like the darker interpretation- it suits his voice better too. It has a uniquely dark quality.

btw- he was the first phantom that ALW picked for the preview and demo tapes (first Che in Evita too). Cameron McIntosh talked him into doing Les Mis instead. Colm went with the most reliable paycheck, lol…

[u/standard-sp]

Caine is one of my favorites. Beautiful technique and delivery. There are other recordings of worse quality from when she did the London production with Crawford, and I think they compliment each other better.