Life as I know has ceased to exist......

Ok - in the grand scheme of things - it hasn't. But have you ever had one of those moments when you completely change the way you look at things - or the way you believe in things? I had one of the moments last week. My earth shattering experience is the equivalent to finding out that Santa Claus doesn't exist or that Daniel Craig had a body double in Casino Royale - it just can't be.

So anyone who knows me knows a few key points about me. I love Disney World, I love happy endings, tiaras rule and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Phantom of the Opera. I have seen it three times in Milwaukee, dragged my dutiful friend Gina to the cliff notes, drive through version in Las Vegas, have the CD and have the movie version permanently recorded on my DVR where I often fast forward through just to listen to the songs. I love the music, the costumes and the romance between Christine and Raoul.

So here's my beef...

Andrew Lloyd Weber (ALW) decided to create a sequel. At first I was ecstatic - I couldn't wait! But then like anything I see or watch - I had to know the ending - so I looked up the sequel on Wikipedia. Now to refresh everyone's memory about the first show - the Phantom is mad in love with Christine and kills at least two people in the first production to show his love for her. Apparently ALW was never happy with how the first ended - that Christine did not end up with the phantom. So he decides to write a new production with a completely different story line.

Without giving away the plot - I will say that the new production creates a story line where the Phantom and Christine have been in love since the beginning and Christine loves the phantom more than her husband, Raoul.

ALW has now shattered everything I love about the show and the movie. It's like finding out Ross and Rachel get divorced in the Friends reunion show 10 years from now. UGH!!!

He has turned Christine into the modern day version of one of those women who marries her prisoner pen pal husband - the kind that meets her husband after he has been sent to prison. I don't get why ALW would think a murdering, psychpath would be even remotely attractive to a woman. Although I am currently looking for Mr. Right - I can say that the criminally charged and incarcerated in one population I don't think I am willing to tap.

I just don't know if I can ever listen to the music the same way again. I guess I am going to have to learn to love Wicked even more than I do - as to usurp the place of prominance Phantom had!