Well I know Micheal Crawford is in his 50's. I love MC but I think he would have been a bit "too old" for the role. And as for Sarah Brightman, I personally cannot stand her voice, but I just recently bought the tribute to Andrew Lloydd Webber and SB did the Phantom songs and she in NO WAY can do the role. She was screeching to reach the high notes. On the DVD you can tell that she is pushing herself to reach the "C" and that she was struggling. Her voice changed to a Mezzo-Soprano/Alto, so she really just couldn't do the role. Also, I just learned Christine is supposed to be 16 (didn't know that) she could have never passed herself off as a 16 year old.
I think it's interesting that your son hated it, but I can see why.
I've seen the play 6 times now and I loved the movie. Maybe it's because I didn't walk into the movie
expecting them (the actors) to sound like MC and SB. Because every play I've seen of Phantom, each actor has been completely different. Some Phantoms were Basses other were Baritones. Each Christine was different. They all just added their own personality to the role and made it their own. Which is what I know that the actors would have had to do for the movie.
My brother and I were actually debating about why they didn't just cast the stage actors and what needs to be reminded is that just because a person can do stage doesn't mean they can do film. I took an acting and tv class in college and it was the hardest class I took. Acting for an inanimate object that gives you no information or critique is hard. Stage is instantanous gratification. Plus, I learned that the camera doesn't "love everyone" (didn't love me). With that said they had to find people that could sing, act and do film.
I own the soundtrack and they started casting the principals in February of 2003 (filming did not begin until November 2003).
I'm just a plethora of information
(LOL) j/k.