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Video Spotlight: Phantom of the Opera by VoicePlay and Rachel Potter

Saved my favorite Phantom cover for last. As some of you know, the first solely VoicePlay video I ever saw was their ACA-Top 10 Broadway countdown. That solidified my love for this group. Like countless others, that little snippet of Tony Wakim singing "The Phantom of the Opera" wasn't enough. We wanted more. Well. Well! The people spoke and VoicePlay listened. Bless their a cappella, musical loving hearts. There's just something about these guys singing Broadway that does something to me. Something silly. It's like I go from a grown woman to a 14 year old at a One Direction concert. I have absolutely no chill when it comes to VoicePlay performing songs from musicals. I am sans chill. What's great about this is that I know I'm not alone. Others reading this will undoubtedly have the same problem.

Now these guys deciding to do more from Phantom themselves would've been enough. More than enough. But they decided to take this one step further and invite the oh-so-talented Rachel Potter to join them. This is the third video they've done together and is my favorite of the three. VoicePlay and Rachel together is pure magic. Go ahead and see for yourself. Don't be surprised if you find yourself slightly in love with all six of them by the end. You've never heard Phantom quite like this.



So? Aren't you at least slightly in love? If the answer is no, you didn't watch it right. Try again. Yes, I know it's not exactly like the original. With only six voices and no instruments it couldn't be, now could it? Take it for what it is: their interpretation of this song. There is not one single moment of this that I don't love. From the eerie opening in black and white to the end when VoicePlay disappears leaving our heroine Rachel all by herself - I love all of it. Vocals aside, it was such a treat visually speaking. But what about those vocals? We'll do this in pairs. Starting with our leads: Rachel Potter and Tony Wakim.

There were two main things that Rachel's performance made me think. The first was how incredible it would've been to see her on Broadway. It's not just her voice; it's her entire performance. She wasn't someone playing Christine. She became Christine. The second was, well, I believe my beloved Little Big Town put it best: "I got a girl crush, hate it admit it, but/ I got a heart rush, ain't slowing down/ I got it real bad, want everything she has". Let's review. She's beautiful. She's incredibly talented. I knew she would hit that note at the end and my jaw dropped anyway. I went and saw her country trio, Steel Union, a few weeks ago and you know what? She sounds this good live. Better, in fact. Great stage presence. She did Disney impressions and rapped, even. Plus she collaborates and hangs out with cool people like VoicePlay. So heck yes, I have a girl crush. 

As far as Tony goes, I had high expectations going in. The Phantom is such a fascinating and complex character. He's dangerous and manipulative; he's also seductive and charismatic. It's not a character that just anyone can play, but I believed that Tony could pull it off and he did. He exceeded my expectations. Incredible vocal, but it was the performance that put it over the top for me. The hand gestures. The way he stalks up to and around her. There's this one moment right where you see this predatory smirk on his face when he gets to her. Before she turns to face him. It's a look of someone who has their prey right where they want them. Perfect. Just perfect. Bonus points for the cape handling skills. Tony flippin' Wakim, y'all, AKA The Tony.

Next pair: Geoff Castellucci and Layne Stein, the rhythm section. These guys are so in sync with each other which means that the foundation they provide is always rock solid. This is especially important in this, considering that their parts are the biggest departure from the musical version. If you're going to give this song this kind of vibe, it needs to be great. It wouldn't work otherwise. Changing up something so iconic is a risky business, but it's Geoff and Layne. Of course they make it work. Last but definitely not least is what you could call the E section. Earl Elkins Jr. and Eli Jacobson. Their parts are perhaps the most interesting of the arrangement to me. Their harmonies are so tight and they do some really cool things throughout this. Rachel and Tony may have rocked the leads. Geoff and Layne may have laid the right foundation. But Earl and Eli give this its depth. Don't overlook them.

All six of them brought something special to this collaboration, but I need to heap some extra praise on one. Layne Stein. Why? Because this was his arrangement. It's one thing to cover a song as classic as "Phantom of the Opera". It's another to reinvent it into something fresh and new while staying true to the spirit of the original like Layne did. I've loved The Phantom of the Opera for about 15 years. Last night I saw it for the first time in over five years. First time seeing the new production. New look. New choreography. New staging. And I fell in love with the show all over again for the second time in a matter of months.

The first time I fell back in love with Phantom? When VoicePlay uploaded this video back in November. It's what got me so excited to see the show again and is ultimately why I've spent this entire week writing about it. Again, everyone - Earl, Eli, Geoff, Layne, Rachel and Tony - get credit for this. But Layne gets the most. This arrangement is incredible. It's so intricate, more so than you realize at first. He did such a wonderful job. As a music lover, I'm so grateful that there's people out there like Layne creating things like this. So bravo, Layne. Thank you for renewing my love for this wonderful show.

VoicePlay (and Rachel)? You guys should indulge your theatrical sides more often. 

Keep up with them all at the following places: 
VoicePlay
Website
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Patreon

Rachel Potter - including links for her country trio because why not?
Rachel's Website   Steel Union's Website


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