My Angel of Music

I have Kane to thank for introducing me to the fantasticness that is The Phantom of The Opera. When we moved in together, my mission, should I choose to accept it (like I had a choice!) was combine our separate CD collections and take out the duplicates (there were a lot). That man had so much music in CD form. This was pre-iTunes, ladies & gentleman. I'll not even get into his 1,500+ songs on his hard drive, mostly obtained in the Napster days... Beer good, Napster, BAD! 

I was not familiar with anything about the Phantom.  Only a poster I had once seen of the infamous mask and rose, and shattered glass wording as well as hearing the thespians at school

ohh'ing and ahh'ing anytime anyone even mentioned the word "Phantom". I never paid any mind ( I used to make fun of the thespians, what could they possibly know about what's 'cool'?), and I really had no interest in investigating further. I didn't ask, and continued to sort the CDs.

BACKGROUND: Over the years, Kane introduced me to so many songs. New (Boten Anna - Jonanas Basehunter), new to me (Coin Operated Boy - The Dresden Dolls), and old stuff (i.e. from the 80's) I had forgotten about (Puttin' On The Ritz - Taco). Anytime we weren't watching TV *READ: fighting over a crime drama I wanted to watch verses something stupid on the Military Channel he wanted to watch. I always won BTW* we were listening to music. Parties - had the music pumping; driving in the car - totally rocking out; at the grocery store, singing along to the music. It wasn't until we moved into our first house did I open my mouth to inquire about the "weird, 2-CD case with the scary mask on it that won't fit in the new CD rack we just bought". Kane got as giddy as a school girl with a crush.

"What do you mean 'what's The Phantom of the Opera'?!?!?!"
"I guess I'm not as socially ept to things as you" was my smart ass answer.
"Oh, baby! You're in for a treat" He said, finishing with his famous shit-eating grin.
*Sigh, here it comes. I'd better get the soap box, a snack, a drink, and a seat cuz this is gonna be a while.

No lecture followed, he simply put in the CD and pressed play. That night we sat and listened to the entire Original 1986 London Cast Phantom sound track as performed by Sarah Brightman & Michael Crawford. Every so often, he would explain parts of the play and what the songs meant. I was smitten! He even wired our door bell to play the song *spoiler alert for the socially inept who haven't yet seen it* when the chandelier comes to life in the opening scene.

After hearing the music, and his raving about it, I wanted to see it for myself. Unfortunately, living in Phoenix, the only venue to see such a production was Gammage Auditorium. I say unfortunately because it was hardly Broadway, and shows only came through every few years. Lucky for me, it was playing there in a few months. Kane jumped on the tickets, guarded them with his life, and in September of that year, we saw The Phantom.

Tragedy comes to mind when describing the venue of my first Phantom experience. In the months leading up to the show, I had listened to that CD all the time, preparing myself to know the words to all the songs, and who was singing what parts. I knew that score like the back of my hand, and was utterly devastated when the Phantom's microphone kept cutting out during the performance, and the music was not the London Symphony Orchestra, rather a tape recording from a tape that had obviously seen better days. After we left, he promised me "Baby, one day we will go see it on Broadway". Obviously, because my blog title is The Widowed Hottie, that never happened.

Our love for the Phantom never died because of one crappy show. We continued to listen to the CD, saw the movie when it came out, bought the movie when available on DVD, watched it about once a month, and our last anniversary together was at The Phantom show in Las Vegas. Throughout our time together, music was always the center of our world. I started telling him "You are my Angel of Music" *a reference to one of the songs from The Phantom of the Opera* His response? "I will always be your Angel of Music"

After he died, I turned to music to comfort me. Playing endless hours of music that reminded me of him, us, being happy. It brought great comfort to me, yet saddened me at the same time to realize he wasn't there. Beginning soon after he died, he would send me songs on the radio, my iPod in shuffle mode, and, when I was finally able to venture out alone, places I went. To this day, almost every time I get in the car, I ask him to send me songs. He always obliges.

Set the sorta way back machine to last week. On what would have been our 7th wedding anniversary, I got - and took - the opportunity to go see The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. You know, like in NYC, bitches!, theater district, around the corner from Times Square, and that odd, 4 story Walgreen's where I got my I <3 NY coffee cup.  

It was amazing! Magic was in the air. I could feel Kane there with me. Smiling down at me, sharing in my joy of doing something I had always wanted to do. I knew my Angel of Music had made it possible for me to go there, at that time, to keep a promise he had made to me several years earlier.

Let's set the sorta way back machine one more time ... Date: Today Time: 12:00 PM AZ time Location: Driving to my parents' house:

I did my usual "send me songs" routine when I started driving. The songs kept me entertained for the 45 minute drive. Of course, I had to play radio commando and was constantly switching stations (I neglected to put my iPod back in my car upon my return from NYC). My parents live out in the boonies. The 16+ miles of open desert and nothingness plays havoc on radio stations. And since my preset stations are notorious for having commercials on at.the.same.time!, I kept switching. As I entered the turn lane to pull into my 'rents' 'hood, I made one last request. "My Angel of Music, please send me a song". I flipped the tuner button on my steering wheel one more time, and the preset which usually played my favorite old school hip hop jams, came on. But this song wasn't Sir Mix-A-Lot, Tone-Loc, or En vogue. In fact, it wasn't even hip hop! The song this preset picked up, in the middle of the desert, which was a weak signal even in the heart of Down Town Phoenix so I was amazed anything came through, was playing a tune from the 70's. The same song, in fact, playing on the radio 7 years earlier. When Kane and I entered the city limits of Las Vegas. Marriage capital of the world. The song I was about to change the station on when he gave me the look of death, warning me that if I even thought of touching the radio I was in trouble, only to proceed by grabbing my hand, kissing it, looking into my eyes, and serenading me. That anthem for the first day of the rest of our lives, and one that plays a special role in my heart above all other songs ...? http://youtu.be/y8pvXLVu8Yk

My Angel of Music FTW!