"The Phantom"?

[broadwayaddict2]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 3:07am

Hi...

Does anyone remember a musical called "The Phantom" by Maury Yeston? Did anyone go see the musical? How was it compared to Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera"? Were there any similarities?

I bought the CD and listened to the music and loved it! I was wondering if this musical is playing anywhere. I tried searching the internet and couldn't find it playing anywhere. If anyone has any information on this, I would definitely appreciate it. Thanks!

[BDrischBDemented]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 3:19am

Webber's "POTO" beat it to Broadway, as it was already established in London due to the fact that the novel is public domain there. Yeston had trouble securing the rights in America, and by the time he did and got it sorted out, "POTO" had made a transfer to Broadway. At that point, Yeston pretty much knew he'd be compared to Webber's work, and "Phantom" has sadly never played on Broadway, though it's done a fair amount by community theater groups.

Edit: Oh, just so you know, it's called just "Phantom". Just a minor thing.

Updated On: 10/24/06 at 03:19 AM

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 6:26am

If i am not mistakin Satah Brightman was in a production in London ( or was asked to be in one )

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 6:42am

I was in one of the very first regional productions of Phantom and it is a far superior show to Lloyd Webber's. The show is fun, interesting, dark where it should be, and has some great songs. There is only one flaw and that is the song sung by Phillipe - "Who Could Ever Have Dreamed Up You?" - it sounds like it was written by Jerry Herman and doesn't fit with the rest of the score. Otherwise, it is a ver interesting take on the story, and it is too bad it didn't make it to Broadway before that other piece of drek that's currently (still) running.

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 8:10am

I love this version It's very special and deserves to be on Broadway someday. The movie version with Charles Dance and Teri Polo is vert good, too.

Not as visually stunning as ALWs (but then what musical is?)- but the story is more emotional and the music is just as good.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 11:19am

"Webber's "POTO" beat it to Broadway, as it was already established in London due to the fact that the novel is public domain there. Yeston had trouble securing the rights in America"

How can that be true? Under U.S. Copyright Law at the time, works entered the public domain 50 years after the author's death (it has since been extended). If Leroux died in 1927, then the work would have entered the public domain in 1977. Did I miss something?

[Eastwickian]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 11:29am

I believe that Sarah Brightman was asked to be in a completely different Phantom of the Opera by Ken Hill, which is how Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh went to see it at the Theatre Royal Stratford East and got the idea to do their own version.
Updated On: 10/24/06 at 11:29 AM

[broadwayaddict2]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 11:31am

Wow! Which role did you play?

[madbrian]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 11:41am

I know this show played the Papermill Playhouse in NJ quite a few years ago. I wasn't able to catch, but everyone I know loved it and preferred it over the POTO.

[Calvin]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 11:47am

I saw one of the earlier mountings in Houston with Richard White and Glory Crampton and Jack Dabdoub (all of whom are on the cast recording). Some of the music is quite lovely, although sometimes it gets annoyingly repetetive (the Phantom Fugue, and the incessant music lessons). Some of the book scenes aren't so great, but I find the characters to be much better developed in this version than in ALW's version.
Updated On: 10/24/06 at 11:47 AM

[Fosse76]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 11:56am

"I believe that Sarah Brightman was asked to be in a completely different Phantom of the Opera by Ken Hill, which is how Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh went to see it at the Theatre Royal Stratford East and got the idea to do their own version."

Also, I believe they were originally going to try and produce Ken Hill's version too.

[tourboi]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 3:44pm

I am totally the descenting opinion here...but IMHO PHANTOM is a tragic mess of a musical.

The musical style is largely musical comedy (while Carlotta's "This Place Is Mine!" is funny, its not appropriate for the story). What was a chillingly gothic romantic thriller of a novel (love the book), has become a cheesy musical comedy. And the lyrics get pretty bad...DIRECT quote:

"The operas been invaded by a Phantom! The operas been invaded by a Phantom! (Phantom!) The opera's been invaded by a ghoooost! By a ghost! By a ghost! If you follow him you're following a Phantom...He wears a mask! A mask! A terrifying mask! He wears a mask! A terrifying mask!"

Please!

Lloyd Webber's score, IMHO is much more lush, and romantic, and appropriate to the subject matter.

The saving grace in Yeston and Kopit's mess (which, btw, strays in its root plot lines dramatically from the original novel...the opera manager is Erik's dad? What? Star Wars, anyone?) is the song "You Are Music" which is lovely.

The rest? Pass.

I've sadly seen it twice in two different productions (including the tour which duplicated the Papermill/TUTS run) and was sadly dissapointed each time.

[Calvin]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 3:52pm

"The operas been invaded by a Phantom! The operas been invaded by a Phantom! (Phantom!) The opera's been invaded by a ghoooost! By a ghost! By a ghost! If you follow him you're following a Phantom...He wears a mask! A mask! A terrifying mask! He wears a mask! A terrifying mask!"

That would be the aforementioned fugue. The line readings in that song on the recording are jaw-droppingly awful, too. (and this is a paraphrase)

Manager guy (I can't remember his name): My poor Carlotta! Can I get you a drink?
Carlotta: Yes. Something laced with hemlock. (she screams)
Manager guy: J-j-j-oseph Buquet!
Carlotta: He was my costume man.
Manager guy: We sent him down below.
Inspector: Well, someone has sent him back up!

Ouch.

[tourboi]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 3:54pm

My personal fave...although I dont know if its on the CD...

The Star Wars moment:

"Erik...you are my son. Did you know you're my son? You became my whole life when your life had begun...and I promise, I'll never allow you to be on display!"

I swear. I cringed.

[BDrischBDemented]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 3:55pm

I'm not 100% sure, that's what I've heard. Is there a possibility that somebody in the U.S. had the right to the novel, but not in the U.K.?

[EganFan2]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 3:56pm

Yeah, some of the lines and lyrics are pretty cheezy. Nice take on the story, though.

[Calvin]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 3:58pm

tourboi, that is indeed on the CD. And they threw in another groaner in that song:

Erik: What did you think of it when you first saw it? My face?
Dad: It could have been better.
Erik: Not a good face for a tenor, I remember thinking.
Dad: Not even for a baritone.

[tourboi]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 3:59pm

HAH! Yes. I must get the CD for a good laugh.

Who can forget..."From every leading role, to every toillet bowl!"

[jynni]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 4:21pm

Throw me in with the dissenters that think this version is awful. Funny enough, it was through this version that I was introduced to the "Phantom of the Opera". I remember being very intrigued with the idea of the Phantom - a disfigured musical genious that lived beneath the Paris Opera.

It was probably about a year later that my dad played a tape of ALW's version. I was hooked from the first chords of the Overture.

On a side note, I saw Glory Crampton as Maria in West Side Story about five or so years ago. I remember I was initially excited because I recognized her as being the Christine from the Yeston/Kopit "Phantom". Turned out she was horrible - bad acting and her singing sounded like a warbly sixty year woman.

[jewishboy]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 4:22pm

Laura Benanti does an amazing version of "Home" on the Maury Yeston Songbook.

[Maile]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 5:21pm

God, I thought Phantom was just terrible. The songs were so bad and so corny I couldn't even listen to them.

I remember seeing a local company do it and in big bold letters on the flyer was, "This is NOT the Andrew Lloyd Webber Hit."

Pretty sad when that's your tagline.

[ElFantasma14]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 7:11pm

Kristen Chenoweth was in the New England premiere of "Phantom" at North Shore way back in the early 90's.

[SDav 10495]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 7:12pm

"Webber's "POTO" beat it to Broadway, as it was already established in London due to the fact that the novel is public domain there. Yeston had trouble securing the rights in America"

How can that be true? Under U.S. Copyright Law at the time, works entered the public domain 50 years after the author's death (it has since been extended). If Leroux died in 1927, then the work would have entered the public domain in 1977. Did I miss something?

I think the problem with "securing the rights" was more about the fact that Cameron Mackintosh and the Really Useful Group put some restrictions on where the Yeston/Kopit show could play in proximity to the ALW show (also explains that sad tagline Maile quoted above--all about avoiding legal trouble). Certainly not the kindest move by Cam Mack and RUG, though kindness is not exactly what they're known for.

That said, I have not been impressed with what I've seen and heard of the Y/K version and I think the ALW score (and even the somewhat mediocre book) serve the story much, much better. People forget that the original novel is not one of the great masterpieces of French literature--it's just a very good mystery/romance--so it's not a tragedy that ALW's version doesn't do much with most of the characters. I'd rather see an adaptation like ALW's, where the characters aren't fully drawn out and the book stays more or less true to the original, than an adaptation that creates fuller characters at the cost of groan-inducing deviations from Leroux. Granted, I suppose I'd have to see a full-scale production of the Y/K version to truly judge, but as someone who has both seen the ALW version and read the novel numerous times, I can safely say that ALW (and Charles Hart, and Hal Prince, and Maria Bjornson) captures the novel's soaring gothic melodrama perfectly.

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 7:27pm

I saw a production of it at the Springer Opera House here a few years back. While I can't remember much about the show overall, I remember HATING the first act. Enough so, that I was considering sneaking out at intermission.

Unfortunately for my plan I ran into the Assistant Artistic Director, whom I believe was directing it, before I could sneak out a side door and he asked me what I thought. I tried to stay politely non-comittal but he saw right through that. He then asked me to stay through the second act and see what I thought after that.

He was right. While I don't remember enough about the production to comment specifically about the music and book, I distinctly remember being breathtaken by the second act.

I wish the two acts were closer in quality, but the strength of the second act alone made it overall a wonderful night. I'd see it again.

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 10/24/06 at 7:46pm

Home is a gorgeous song.