OK, the *title* of this musical is taken from a book ABOUT a legendary phantom who LIVED underneath the Paris Opera. So do not be confused about the word *opera* - it is just a word in the title. If it were called "Ghost of the Theater", would you be asking us why it is not a PLAY? Or if it were called "Phantom of Yankee Stadium", would you be asking us why it was not a baseball game??
Now, the transformation of this book into a MUSICAL is based upon the kind of musical structure and decisions made. This music is POP SHOW TUNES - certainly not at all of the artistic quality, profundity, and technique of genuine opera. If you have never experienced a REAL opera, than you would have no idea what I am talking about. There are people on these lists that hear a piece of pop garbage, or a commercial, and if it has some violins and a piano in it, think it is CLASSICAL MUSIC. If I stand next to the refrigerator, that does not make me a quart of milk!! If I put toe shoes and a tutu on this lumpy 59-year-old body, and prance around the house, that does NOT make me a ballerina (ooh - there's disgusting visual for this early in the morning!!! Sorry . . . ). So "Phantom of the Opera" remains a cringe-inducing maudlin and over-heard piece of musical theater - NOT EVER to be confused with a genuine opera.
One of my colleagues had a huge poster in her rehearsal room, that had on it a picture of the famous shoes polish - and underneath it said "THIS is Shinola!" . .for all those who could not tell the difference . . . She would point to it when people could not tell the difference between real artistic music, and . . . . well, the other stuff . . .