Love of Opera Boosted 'Phantom' Star

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Golden Globe nominee Emmy Rossum picked the opera house over the classroom and hasn't looked back. <br/><br/>At 12, she had to choose between spending less time at New York's

Monday, December 27th 2004, 10:37 am

By: News On 6

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Golden Globe nominee Emmy Rossum picked the opera house over the classroom and hasn't looked back.

At 12, she had to choose between spending less time at New York's Metropolitan Opera, where she had been singing in the children's chorus, and severing ties at the upscale, all-girl Spence School. Her decision appears to have paid off.

Rossum, 18, has been receiving rave reviews for her work in the film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's ``The Phantom of the Opera.''

Rossum's portrays Christine, a young soprano at the Paris Opera who becomes caught up in the teaching and music of the mysterious phantom. The National Board of Review called her portrayal the best breakthrough performance by an actress this year.

The Broadcast Film Critics Association also gave her a critics' choice award and she'll be in the running next month for a Golden Globe for best actress in a musical or comedy.

``I'm heavy on preparation,'' Rossum recently told the Los Angeles Times. ``Some actors come to the set and don't know what scene they're playing, but that would make me crazy. It's not about control but perfectionism _ my biggest vice and one of my biggest assets.''

Rossum previously starred in the critically acclaimed ``Mystic River'' and the global-warming disaster film ``The Day After Tomorrow.''