Profile for Alan Henry

Sally, that thread was closed because in the middle of the night it took a real turn for the worse and I doubt anyone with a conscience would have left it open. Thank you for the feedback. If you'd like to discuss further please feel free to reach out to Rob or you can shoot me an email to alan [at] broadwayworld.com. 

I can assure you the report abuse button was long in the works with a bunch of other new features for the site currently under work at "BWW labs". We're just trying to make it easier for the community to be able to alert us to their concerns.

Jay Lerner-Z said: "Meanwhile, over on the OT board, tazber's thread headed "DELETE" is still up. :)"

Thanks for noticing. It's gone now.

Paul is still running Broadway.com.

Both productions are great, and overall give you the same experience. The technical differences have been outlined here but you should enjoy both. Have fun!

broadwayboy223 said: "Anyone got details on why Hunchback didn't transfer? "

I had an opportunity to ask Menken about a Broadway transfer for this shortly after the last production closed. Apparently it was really never intended for Broadway and unlike Newsies - the demand just wasn't there, thus they didn't really investigate making it work.

Here's the quote:

"With Hunchback - which I was so proud of, everyone was saying it's going to Broadway - but it's actually going for regional and amateur stock licensing, which is what it was designed for. There are so many factors outside of my control about what happens from here. I've trained myself not to think about it. It's too much energy and emotional energy to think about where we'll go next."

Full article: https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Interview-Alan-Menken-Get-His-Wish-for-DUDDY-KRAVITZ-Musical-Talks-Broadway-Goals-Hunchback-and-More-20150710

amoni said: ""I love these videos, but why are most all of the tempos crazy fast?"

It was obviously shot on a camcorder and the tape must have transferred sped up..There is no way the show was that fast. The whole show would have been over in 45 minutes."

RE the Tempos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1b5UJTpNfE

One way I check to see if audio/video on these bootleg recordings has been sped up is to compare the key of the song to the original. Of course, not all shows on bootleg have original cast recordings and not so then I compare with the score if available.

Luckily, The Wiz did have a cast recording. In it, Stephanie Mills recorded "Home" in the key of C, which is a match for the key in the video from this recording.

Now in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXUigiTOVQM which is another bootleg audio from The Wiz...

If you sit through it all and mark the vocal line very carefully you'll note that the key actually shifts in and out of C and Db multiple times, showing at sections the audio is sped up a % which would actually be fairly easy to calculate with some typical off the shelf audio programs. If you have the time, it's easy to fix.

New technologies do allow for us to change the pitch of recordings without speed and vice versa, but for tape transfers, pitch changes are one of the easiest indicators of a change in tempo.

Anyways, unless each of those clips were transferred at different times/speeds - which is possible - the tempos should be accurate. Home is indicative of normal transfer speeds and sounds normal.

Perhaps someone else who saw the production could weigh in.

To the poster talking about the orchestra drowning out singing during "Home"  and asking about the conductor - no one was conducting tonight.

Stephen Oremus is the MD/Orchestrator/Arranger -  but all the music is pre-recorded to help ensure the show keeps in time and the balance/mix - prevent any slip ups from occurring. They also use timecode in the tracks to track set changes, lighting, and the video walls, etc.

I'm in no way affiliated with this production of Phantom and don't know anyone who has been in this new staging. With that said I did see this tour in Buffalo and it will be in Toronto over the Holiday season again this year.

I think (I am guessing and I have no way of knowing for sure!) what happens is that since the stage is in mostly darkness the Phantom is able to maneuver himself into or behind one of those tables/desks that come on stage which also have curtains/drapes around them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKp1FhwMR54

You can see some figure moving among the candles to the right in this YouTube clip of that particular scene. Just skip to 3/4 of the way through.

The cape, like the one designed for the original, probably is built to hold it's shape while this is being done.

If anyone knows 100% please chime in as I'm also curious! 

I must say though - I prefer the original illusion over the new one. When I first saw the Phantom vanish from the chair I was amazed - though how that one is done if common knowledge now.

Some links which might be helpful:

http://www.lyrictheatrevt.org/Les_Mis/Les%20Mis%20Character%20Descriptions%20REVISED%20FINAL%2010.18.2013.pdf

http://www.tdej.org/2010_character_breakdown_vocal_range.php

MTI Lists the breakdown as 21 actors.

And this is taken direct from the licensed libretto:

Hope that helps!

double post

I've done it. Was expecting more "behind the curtain" and less lobby walk through/stare at some props/scenic objects + talkback.

Nothing they told me in the theatre was something I didn't already know, or isn't available online in behind the scenes videos on YouTube or the Behind the Emerald Curtain videos. 

There's better stuff to do in NYC with that time/money.

I've passed this info along to Rob. Nice catch! I've never noticed that.

Yes Roxy - you're right. Recently did an interview with Alan Menken which will go up on BWW soon about the show and it's last incarnation is something we talked about.

I'll post a link in this thread once it's up. :) 

Sounds like you had a great trip! Both festival put on great productions - with Stratford productions often rivaling the best Broadway tours/productions (they've even had Broadway transfers.)

I just saw Sound of Music and Carousel at Stratford myself and am hoping to head for Shaw soon.

^It's advertised as such but if having seen Phantom a ridiculous number of times in it's original incarnation I can confirm that if Björnson ever saw what they've done to her brilliant designs she'd have mounted the head of whomever "recreated" them above her fireplace.

The costumes are cheap, pale imitations of the original - and in some scenes just a redesigned mess.

My Review:

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-Review-TITANIC-Doesnt-Sink-At-The-Princess-of-Wales-Theatre-20150525

Others:

Saw the show at opening Sunday afternoon. Official BWW review to follow tomorrow.

FYI that's not the show curtain. The show starts without one - that comes down at the end of Act II as part of the show and is left there after the show ends. (That photo was probably taken at the end of a performance.)

To answer the question above - Heppner sounds wonderful in the little singing he has to do here. I wish he sang more - he's brilliant.

I've heard MTI is no longer licensing Les Mis past June 30 of this year due to an upcoming tour. Not sure when or if we'll get an official announcement, but it would be odd for them to restrict licensing unless the show is going on the road again.

Honestly, I quite like the projections and how they are done in the Les Mis revival. They are Victor Hugo's own paintings adapted as projections and I think it works rather well.

Frankly, I find it less gratuitous than a turn table. Now there's something that doesn't add to how the story is told (in my opinion - I know many people quite like it.)