Shows
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaHighlights From My Zine Launch!In this episode, I share highlights from the launch of my zine In One Combined. Several fabulous volunteers read excerpts from the first issue at the event, and they were awesome enough to grant permission for their readings to be recorded and shared here on the show! So enjoy a taste of the zine, and also the story of how I first became a Phantom Phan!
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/in-this-labyrinth/message2021-09-1350 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaWelcome to the Reboot! Welcome to a reboot of the show at last! In this first episode back, I share with listeners some of the new POTO-related projects I’ve been working on while the podcast has been on hiatus - my dissertation, my new zine In One Combined, my new YouTube channel Spirit And Voice, and of course the new Phantom Of The Future sub-series of this very show! I also say some words about the reboot of the London production which recently re/opened. Oh, and sorry for the introjections from my screen-reader! LOL Oops, didn’t realize that Zoom would record the...2021-08-0855 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaPhantom Of The Future part 1 - The Story At The Heart Of The CityThe year is 2030. Phantom has been revived in Toronto, but not like before. As the city is transforming toward justice and sustainability, so, too, the production leads the way by being produced justly and non-extractively. The story, long gone, has returned to the heart of the city.
This first episode of the Phantom Of The Future was inspired by and is my submission to The 2030 Archive, a project developed by the People’s Climate Movement of Toronto/GTA. The Archive seeks to use the arts to collectively imagine the city and world we want, and let that imagining inspire us to...2021-03-2906 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaPhantom of the Underworlds: Erik as Lord of Sex and DeathIn this (LOL very much belated - Oops) Halloween/Samhain episode, I explore some of Phantom’s mythological roots. In particular, I explore some of our Erik’s connections to/resonances with deities of the underworld, death and passion! Oh, and apologies for the issues with the sound-quality. Tech weirdness!Support In This Labyrinth: Justice From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaLinks:Hades: Greek God of the UnderworldPluto: Roman God of Death and the UnderworldBaron Samedi — Lord of sex and death in the Haitian Vodou tradition.Haitian Vodou — More info...2020-11-281h 07
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaAt The Intersection of Trauma and Politics: My Review of the Phanfic Shadow Government/Shadows Over EdenIn this episode, I discuss the brilliant Phanfic Shadow Government/Shadows Over Eden by Quiet2885. I discuss how it explores the intersection of trauma and politics in a way I haven’t seen done elsewhere in Phanfiction. And I discuss some of the reasons why I find I prefer the original online Phic to the published version, at least on first reading of the Kindle ebook.Support In This Labyrinth: Justice From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaLinks:Shadow Government — The original Fanfiction.net version of this Phanfic, which I ma...2020-10-1857 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaMusic Of Quarantine/Quarantine Of The Opera: My Interview With Melissa DuijvestijnIn this episode I interview Dutch Phan Melissa Duijvestijn. We talk about some of her experiences as an Autistic and Visually Impaired Phan, and also about the very cool POTO role-play and recording groups she’s involved in! #ManderleyAgain #QuarantineOfTheOpera #MusicOfQuarantine Plus, bonus, she sings and reads an excerpt from one of the role-plays!Special Guest: Melissa Duijvestijn.Support In This Labyrinth: Justice From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaLinks:Final Lair featuring Melissa, Phoenix, and another friend!Wandering Child/Bravo Monsieur featuring Melissa, Phoenix, and another friend.All I...2020-08-301h 54
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaPSA: #SaveTheBrilliantOriginal!PSA #SaveTheBrilliantOriginal #PhantomoftheOpera! As folks may know, the London and Broadway flagship productions have been closed due to #COVID19 (read more about it on the podcast blog). So now, we need to make sure that, when they reopen, Hal Prince’s, Gillian Lynn’s and Maria Bjornson’s original vision is preserved! You can sign and share the petitions https://www.change.org/p/cameron-mackintosh-save-the-brilliant-original-phantom-of-the-opera?fbclid=IwAR3P7J_BdCaByzAps3_Ofh4TvbpEOJK3W0ycEDNLxkVUnfDEgCSd6xsFh88 and https://www.change.org/p/cameron-mackintosh-save-phantom-london?fbclid=IwAR0WRO06G32BepAvz5oRaRiCqNdwmyEXKOF9QhVeglPF9B36DLGVnvJH87A or contact Cameron Mackintosh @CamMackLtd at https://www.ca...2020-08-0705 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaReview of Leroux Sequel Lazare by K. E. TorwoodIn this twentieth episode - Wow!, I review and discuss the awesome Queer sequel to the Leroux novel - Lazare: Gaston Leroux’s Continued Investigation Concerning The Phantom Of The Opera - by K. E. Torwood. I talk about how this book is not only masterfully written, but awesomely historical and intersectional as well! Check it and the author out at @KETorwood and https://ketorwood.com.Support In This Labyrinth: Justice From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaLinks:Author K. E. Torwood's website! — K. E. Torwood is an author of sp...2020-07-2348 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaDo I Become His Prey: POTO, Violence And The Spirit of Transformative JusticeContent warning. This episode weighs in on on-going discussions of whether or not Phantom condones, glorifies or romanticizes violence, especially gendered violence. I argue that it doesn’t! And I discuss how, instead, Phantom addresses certain realities of trauma and makes a powerful case for transformative rather than punitive justice.Support In This Labyrinth: Justice From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaLinks:Overview of Transformative Justice by Mia Mingus — This was written for a transformative justice (TJ) intervention I led and I’m sharing it here for others to use in t...2020-06-0257 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaReview: Phantom's French Language Debut!In this first episode of 2020 - Wow! - I review the French language in-concert production of the Lloyd Webber Phantom that ran from January 8th to 26th 2020 in Montreal, Canada. I had the sheer privilege of going twice, and really loved it both times! Although, I also found myself having some friendly critiques. So needless to say, I have a lot to say about this production!Support In This Labyrinth: Justice From the Heart of The Phantom Of The Opera
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/in-this-labyrinth/message2020-02-2855 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaWhen All Is Lost: Environmental Justice In A POTO PhanficIn this episode, in honour of COP25 (the climate negotiations that just took place at the UN) and the students striking for climate justice, I discuss the amazing Phanfic When All Is Lost by Quiet2885. I talk about what environmental justice is, and explore how it’s thoroughly woven into the plot and characters of this epic Phanfiction thriller! https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2942105/1/When-All-is-Lost https://www.fanfiction.net/u/731205/Quiet2885Support In This Labyrinth: Justice From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaLinks:Read When All Is Lost!Wikipedia article on En...2019-12-1856 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaThis The Phantom's Opera: The Magic of Haunting In POTOHappy belated Halloween/Samhain everyone!! In this slightly belated (Oops, sorry about that) Halloween/Samhain episode, I talk about haunting in POTO! I explore what it means when the haunting isn’t by the ghost or spirit of a deceased victim of injustice, but a living, breathing human-being. I also give a shout-out to my newest Patreon supporter! :-) Thanks hugely for your contribution!! http://www.patreon.com/phantomfemmeSupport In This Labyrinth: Justice From the Heart of The Phantom Of The Opera
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/in-this-labyrinth/message2019-11-1243 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaDenied Me and Betrayed Me: Thoughts On the Lawrence Connor ProductionWow!! This is the first episode of the second year of the podcast!! Is that not cool? Anyway, in this episode, I discuss the recent U.K. and U.S./Canada touring productions of the ALW Phantom directed by Lawrence Connor. I discuss some of the changes he’s made from the original, and why some of those changes are down-right problematic! And on that note, content warning for mild references to kink and to violence against women.Support In This Labyrinth: Justice From the Heart of The Phantom Of The Opera
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Send in a vo...2019-09-051h 02
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaTribute to Hal Prince #RIPHalPrinceA tribute to Phantom’s legendary director Hal Prince, who sadly passed away on July 31 2019 at the age of 91 after a truly awesome and ground-breaking career that spanned nearly seven decades, winning him 21 Tony awards and transforming the modern musical stage! The whole music-theatre world, and especially the entire Phantom family, mourns this loss! #RIP #HalPrince #TheBrilliantOriginal #PhantomoftheOperaSupport In This Labyrinth: Justice From the Heart of The Phantom Of The Opera
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/in-this-labyrinth/message2019-08-3005 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaRIP Kevin Jackson!Sharing some very sad news. Kevin Jackson, co-founder and co-organizer of the Toronto Disability Pride March @TDPM, has recently passed away very suddenly. RIP Kevin, and huge condolences to all the friends, family and colleagues he leaves behind, especially to his fiancee! Also, his fiancee is raising funds to cover the cost of his burial and celebration-of-life. So if folks can contribute, that would be a wonderful way to show support and solidarity to her at this really sad and difficult time! You can donate at https://fundrazr.com/e1XIM6?ref=ab_18EqWJTutyC18EqWJTutyCSupport In...2019-07-2802 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaJourney to a Strange New World: Queer/Crip Desire in the ALW PhantomIn this episode, which marks the 1-year #podiversary of the show - Wow!!, I celebrate both that and #Pride2019 by exploring how the ALW stage-musical of Phantom actually contains a lot of Queer Crip sexuality and desire! I also run a little non-competitive contest for folks to win a poster-version of the podcast artwork, just to do something a bit special for the occasion. Happy 1-year podiversary everyone! Thanks for listening and making the show awesome this past year, and I can’t wait to see what year 2 brings!!Support In This Labyrinth: Justice From the Heart of...2019-07-2656 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaThe Angel's Flight: A Review of The Angels of Music Series Book 2 by Louise Anne Bateman!In this rather overdue episode (Oops, sorry about that), I finally review The Angel’s Flight by Louise Anne Bateman - the sequel to The Angel’s Shadow and second book in her Angels of Music series. In particular, I review the really superb full-cast dramatized audiobook of the novel! Btw, correction, you can find the info on where to get Bateman’s first book in the show-notes and blog-post for episode 9, not 10. Sorry about that! And you can, of course, find The Angel’s Flight in print, ebook and audiobook formats at any of the following: https://www.amazon.c...2019-06-0742 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaWhat Makes You Beautiful: Interview with Bridget Liang.In this awesome, extended episode, I interview local Toronto author and activist Bridget Liang about their recently released young-adult novel What Makes You Beautiful, all about a bunch of Queer/Trans youth and a highschool production of Phantom! We talk musicals, gender, Queerness, surviving teenagehood, and, of course, Phantom as we talk about what inspired their writing. We have a really fabulous chat, and share some ideas for Queering up Phantom, both in Phanfics we’d love to see written, and in things we’d love to see tried in stagings of the story! Bridget’s book is available at htt...2019-04-271h 33
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaFrom Christine to the Khanum: Femininity in PhantomIn this (slightly belated - LOL Oops) episode in honour of International Women’s Day, I talk about gender in Phantom. In particular, I explore what the Leroux novel, the ALW musical and the novel by Susan Kay do with femininity, and how they all present subtle but powerful critiques of the dominant division of women into “good girls/women” and “bad girls/women”. #IWD2019 #InternationalWomensDay And on an unrelated note, here’s that GoFundMe link I mentioned for my moving. Thanks in advance for any and all support! https://www.gofundme.com/gun7z-help-me-moveSupport In This Labyrin...2019-04-0146 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaChristine, I Love You! - Romantic Relationships In POTO #ValentinesDayIn this first episode of 2019, because it’s Valentine’s Day, I talk about romance in Phantom! I explore how the ALW stage-musical contrasts two distinct versions of romantic relationship, one decidedly heteronormative, and one more daring and potentially radical. P.S., Heads-up for very mild references to kink around power dynamics!Support In This Labyrinth: Justice From the Heart of The Phantom Of The Opera
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/in-this-labyrinth/message2019-02-1432 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaReview: The Angel's Shadow by Louise Anne BatemanIn this episode, I review Louise Anne Bateman’s Phanfic novel The Angel’s Shadow, book 1 of her Angels of Music Saga. In particular, I review her superb full-cast audio-dramatization of the book! Although, I discuss aspects of the plot, characters and Ms. Bateman’s excellent writing as well. So, warning, here be spoilers! Also, content warning for mild discussion of depression, suicide, and sexuality, as these are themes in the novel. https://www.facebook.com/theangelsshadow/ https://www.amazon.com/Louise-Anne-Bateman/e/B00NCFY0DI https://www.amazon.com/Angels-Shadow-novel-Phantom-Opera/dp/1500574600 https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Angels-Shadow-A-Novel-of-The-Phantom-of-the-Opera-Audiobook/B079R6YVCP...2018-12-2446 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaMasquerade: from Poe to ALWIn this episode, I explore the famous Masquerade scenes found in both the original Leroux novel and the ALW stage-musical. I look at the original short story, Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe, that they’re based on, and some of the ways that story has been interpreted. And then I explore how Phantom, in both Leroux and ALW, puts an inadvertent? Disability twist on it!Support In This Labyrinth: Justice From the Heart of The Phantom Of The Opera
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/in-this-labyrinth/message2018-11-2136 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaMy Power Over You Grows Stronger Yet!I’m back finally! And in this episode, I talk about obsession. I discuss obsession in the story of Phantom a bit, but I mostly discuss the experience of being an obsessed Phan. And I try to tie it in to the history of obsession in Western culture and medicine, and think a bit about how obsessive Phanship breaks some of the rules of the very normalcy that, I’ve argued previously, Phantom itself challenges!Support In This Labyrinth: Justice From the Heart of The Phantom Of The Opera
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Send in a voice message: https://anch...2018-10-3141 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaYour Spirit And My Voice!In this episode, I explore the critical role Phantom and becoming a Phan played in shaping my Disabled identity and politics, and how the Phantom’s spirit helped me find my voice as a Disabled person! I share this in honour of Toronto Disability Pride 2018, which is today. So happy Disability Pride everyone! #TDPM #DisabilityPride #DisabilityPride2018Support In This Labyrinth: Justice From the Heart of The Phantom Of The Opera
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/in-this-labyrinth/message2018-09-2228 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaOur Strange Duet: The Oft Overlooked Power of the Title Song!In this episode, I discuss the Title Song from POTO - the one actually entitled “The Phantom of the Opera”. I talk about some of the awesome things that I read going on in that song/scene, and some of the reasons why it was that song in particular that made me first fall in love with Phantom!Support In This Labyrinth: Justice From the Heart of The Phantom Of The Opera
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/in-this-labyrinth/message2018-09-0435 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaTurning From True BeautyIn this episode, I discuss some of the things I take serious issue with in the Gerik, aka the 2004 film adaptation of the Lloyd Webber Phantom. I talk about why I find this film adaptation extremely problematic, and ultimately unfaithful to the spirit of the stage-version! Warning, here there be spoilers for both the stage-musical and the film!Support In This Labyrinth: Justice From the Heart of The Phantom Of The Opera
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/in-this-labyrinth/message2018-08-0653 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaThat Man And Mystery: POTO and the Trouble With Normal part 2, ALWIn this episode, I talk about the Andrew Lloyd Webber stage-musical of Phantom, and explore how it deals with and relates to the idea of “normal/normalcy”. Like with the discussion of the Leroux novel last time, I explore both the musical itself as a text, and some of the historical context in which it emerged.Support In This Labyrinth: Justice From the Heart of The Phantom Of The Opera
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/in-this-labyrinth/message2018-07-2040 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaRIP Gillian Lynne.A short tribute to Gillian Lynne, the original choreographer of the Andrew Lloyd Webber stage-musical of Phantom and of many other shows as well. She sadly passed away on Sunday July 1 2018 at the age of 92, after a career spanning 7 decades! Her loss will be felt by the music-theatre world, especially in the U.K., and by the Phantom community around the world as well.Support In This Labyrinth: Justice From the Heart of The Phantom Of The Opera
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/in-this-labyrinth/message2018-07-0703 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaPoor, Unhappy Erik: POTO and the Trouble With Normal part 1, Leroux.In this second episode, I talk about the original novel of Phantom by Gaston Leroux and its relationship to the concepts of “normal”/“normalcy”. I explore the historical context of the novel, and look at how that context might impact the novel’s handling of those issues. Apologies, btw, for this episode being slightly late. RL business plus technical difficulties equals delay! So thanks very much for your patience. Also, content warning for references to sexism, racism, colonial and ableist violence, and eugenics in discussion of the historical context of the Leroux novel.Support In This Labyrinth: Justice Fr...2018-07-0748 min
In This Labyrinth: Liberation From the Heart of The Phantom Of The OperaWhose Is The Face In The Mask?In this very first episode, I take some time to introduce myself and the podcast. I explain something of my background and where I'm coming from in doing this show, and some of what inspired me to do it. And I cover the basics of how the podcast is going to work and some of what I hope to cover in it. So I hope you enjoy!Support In This Labyrinth: Justice From the Heart of The Phantom Of The Opera
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Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/in-this-labyrinth/message2018-06-1337 min