Yes, sorry I haven't answered sooner. Been trying to catch up on some housework after having the flu for a second time and a furnace that had to be replaced during a zero degree cold spell.
Thanks for your input. I hear from the Michael Crawford fans who are nothing if not avid, and will never accept anyone in the role which he created. Crawford was known as an incredible actor, but it was Andrew Lloyd Webber who discovered his beautiful singing voice and made him famous. So I feel that Webber owed Crawford nothing and had the right to cast his movie with a younger actor to attract the younger fans. I'm glad you enjoyed the movie.
This young actor was exceptionally good dramatically, I thought, and though his voice was different....richer..... in quality (and as I said, had a few minor pitch problems that bothered me), he made a believeable Phantom (and I can speak from personal experience with my daughter's friends.......he IS drawing a younger audience!)