During the Seoul run, I attended over 20 performances led by Julian Kim. On one occasion, due to a last-minute schedule change, I saw Cho Seung-Woo in the role. I will not elaborate how Kim acted as the Phantom. Instead I am attaching my checklist I composed during and after the show’s run.

🎭 Acting Checklist — The Phantom of the Opera (Stage Musicals)

🎼 Vocal Delivery (Spoken & Sung)

1. Does the dialogue tone match the atmosphere and stakes of the scene?
2. Does the singing tone express the character’s emotion and suit the style of the musical?
3. Are there any diction or pronunciation issues that break immersion?
4. Is the diction too sharp or too mumbled, distracting from the performance?
5. Does the actor comfortably cover the full vocal range — high notes, low notes, and transitions between them?
6. Are high notes delivered with confidence and clarity, and low notes stable and grounded (not breathy or shaky)?
7. Is vibrato used expressively and naturally, without sounding forced or overly dramatic?
8. Is pitch control consistent even in long phrases or difficult passages?
9. In climactic moments, does the actor sustain the final note with strength and timing — carrying through until the orchestra resolves?

🕺 Movement & Blocking

10. Is the actor fully aware of blocking? Are transitions between positions natural?
11. Are gestures and physical expressions appropriate and motivated?
12. Are there exaggerated or unnecessary movements that distract?

😶 Facial Expression & Emotional Nuance

13. Do facial expressions match the character’s situation and emotional arc?
14. Are emotional shifts (e.g., from anger to vulnerability) portrayed fluidly?
15. Does the actor reveal layered inner emotion beneath surface behavior?
  — e.g., in scenes of rage or dominance, is fragility or fear still perceptible?

🧠 Characterization & Psychological Depth
16. Is the character’s emotional journey clearly traced?
  — For Phantom: from Angel → Teacher → Lover
17. Does the actor maintain psychological consistency throughout?
18. Are the character’s desires, wounds, and inner conflicts visibly projected?
19. Does the actor portray the complexity of the Phantom — terrifying, yet human?

🎭 Immersion & Theatrical Awareness
20. Are there any line flubs or hesitations that break the illusion?
21. Does the actor break character due to self-induced emotion (e.g., crying too early)?
22. Is there charisma or magnetic presence on stage — especially in solo moments?
23. Are ad-libs or omissions respectful of the original script and character?

✨ Distinctive Presence

24. Does the actor bring a unique personal edge — something only they can deliver?
25. Is there a signature moment or subtle expression that lingers with the audience?

⏳ Rhythm & Timing

26. Does the actor use pauses, pacing, and stillness effectively — especially in monologue or seduction scenes?

🔥 Chemistry & Interaction

27. Does the actor build believable chemistry with Christine and Raoul?
28. Are power dynamics and relational shifts convincingly staged?

🕵‍♂ Phantom-Specific

29. Does the actor balance mythical aura with psychological realism?
30. Is the masked and unmasked voice differentiated?
  — e.g., “Stranger Than You Dreamt It” scene
31. Is the 'Angel of Music' illusion convincingly maintained early on?


To better understand the acoustic challenges faced during the Seoul run of The Phantom of the Opera, it's helpful to compare the proscenium dimensions across venues. Charlotte Theater in Seoul measures approximately 15.3 meters in width and 9.7 meters in height—slightly smaller than the Dream Theater in Busan (16m × 13m), where the Korean licensed production began its 2023–24 run. In contrast, Broadway’s Majestic Theatre has a proscenium of 14.3m × 9.14m, and London’s Her Majesty’s Theatre (now His Majesty’s) is even more compact at 13.0m × 9.02m.

A major issue with sound settings persisted for more than a month after the production transferred from Busan to Seoul. Although Charlotte Theater has a wider proscenium than its Broadway and West End counterparts, it appears that the staging and speaker placement were originally configured with Charlotte’s smaller dimensions in mind—even while performing at the larger Dream Theater in Busan. This allowed for smoother reassembly in Seoul but led to an unexpectedly tight fit: the fixed arc-array speakers sat unusually close to the added proscenium poles, creating a narrow buffer zone.

This spatial constraint appears to have produced persistent acoustic interference, especially in the higher frequencies. Despite having over a month before opening to test the acoustics—and another month of live performance—certain vocal registers, particularly clean soprano tones, continued to suffer from unnatural damping or distortion. Carlotta’s high notes, by contrast, were not significantly muted, suggesting that the issue was not a simple volume adjustment but rather a frequency-specific interference likely caused by spatial reflections or phase issues.

The use of an added proscenium also affected audience sightlines. Because the set had been designed to fit Charlotte’s narrower stage, it left large unused areas at either side of the Dream Theater’s broader proscenium. As a result, the Busan run had an unusually high number of limited-view seats, and many side seats were never opened for sale.

During this period, the show suffered from a noticeable loss of vocal clarity and orchestral texture. Christine’s high notes, which should soar, often sounded muted or strained. To reduce distortion, the sound team lowered the overall volume, which unintentionally gave the impression that Christine’s voice lacked strength. While Act II saw a modest volume boost for songs like “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again,” many of Act I’s emotional peaks remained sonically flattened.

Fortunately, the issue was later resolved through a combination of speaker repositioning, insulation enhancements, and other fine-tuning. By the time I returned from a business trip in September, the sound had markedly improved. Volume was properly balanced, high-frequency interference was reduced, and a subtle reverb was added that enhanced immersion without muddling articulation. From that point until the show’s close in November, the audio experience was consistently satisfying.

As the Seoul run neared its end, I attended a performance that moved me deeply. I had often questioned the Phantom and Christine’s choices in the final ten to twenty minutes of the show. But that night, through microexpressions and subtle gestures, their relationship made emotional sense for the first time. I found myself walking past my home afterward, lost in thought—already wondering how much time I might devote to the upcoming Daegu run.

Originally, I had gone to the Busan performance hoping to recover from the disappointment of my last Broadway Phantom. Later, I returned for Julian Kim’s voice. In Seoul, I followed Julian Kim’s Phantom through more than twenty performances, with varying casts in other roles. As the run drew to a close, I realized I had fallen in love with every element of the production—the conductor, the orchestra, the full cast, even the ushers. Together, they gave me a once-in-a-lifetime chance to live and love this show.

I realized that I’ve poured considerable time and money into a single musical, but this seemed special and justifiable to me.