Classic Phantom of the Opera Costume

In this Halloween during a national pandemic, it is difficult to express how we cannot go out of the house and do our tradition of treat or treating. But, there is nothing wrong with dressing up from what you have available from your wardrobe. This is my first official post on Vocal that I like to share with you.

In these picture shown, I am dressing up as Erik, the title character of Le Fantôme de l'Opéra(The Phantom of the Opera), the original novel written by Gaston Leroux published in the original text in 1909 -10 and translated in English at 1911. Not the character from Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical with the half mask, but the original from the novel with the full maskon due to the description of the character's physical appearance. In the photos as well as the video, I am wearing a full dress white tie ensemble, which consists of a peak lapel tailcoat, white pique self bow tie and waistcoat, pleated wing collar formal shirt with black studs and french cuffs, antique pearl cufflinks, white handkerchief, and white formal gloves. In addition to the ensemble, I am wearing a black western style hat with a wide brim, which is actually a cowboy hat, an antique walking stick, and two masks: one is a custom designed face mask I bought months ago and frequently use for out of the house errands and another is one that was made by myself with paint, ink, and diamond and beads glued on the surface. Although, I made a couple videos where it shows me taking the masks off and reveal a face with a nose that is completely covered in a charcoal exfoilating mask substance used for removing dirt and bacteria from skin pores and I used it to make it look like I had no nose. In additioon, the second video I made included a familiar line from the musical that goes: "If any of my demands have not met, a distaster beyond your imagination will occur." The line I recall from the musical was shown as a letter that states a warning to the new opera directors who decided go against his wishes that he had done in the past when the Palais Garnier Opera Theatre House was still in his mysterious and grand influence of power. In translation, if someone does not listen to how the rules are instructed by a power greater than someone else in charge is, there will be consequences to pay and they will be physically and mentally severe to that someone. So, I though that was a powerful line that Lloyd Webber put in the frenzy letter scene before the song Prima Donna was featured. Even though I am missing a traditional long, black cloak to give a signature Phantom vibe, would have had the chance to present a few short minute videos I recorded, and would have done more on the makeup touch of the face, I had to accept what is simple and classic based on what I had in my wardrobe.

Reading the original novel was as similar to the previous film adaptations with Lon Chaney, Claude Rains, Herbert Lom, Charles Dance, and the modernized versions like Phantom of the Paradise with singer-songwriter Paul Williams and the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber. But, none of them are as close to the full story of the Phantom as Charles Dance and Lon Chaney’s portrayals as Erik the Phantom, who actually had no nose, hardly any hair left on his head, and as more corpse and grotesque as Lom, Rains, and the Lloyd Webber production with Michael Crawford and film remake with Gerard Butler both playing the title role. Again, none of the phantoms are as close to the original than the portrayals done by Lon Chaney and Charles Dance in different adaptations.

With that being said, I wish you all a happy Hallo-quarentween! And: Beware of the Phantom!