MASQUERADE Previews Thread- Page 4

[Scarlet Leigh]

Posted: 8/29/25 at 1:52am

Was there on Wednesday night, 7pm pulse with Kyle and Eryn. I personally had a great time but I am the kind of person that enjoys things like renn faires and this felt at times like a maze meets a renn faire meets a production of Phantom of the Opera. There was something about the intimacy of being up close with the performers where you are literally locking eyes with them and feeling the emotion within. There are certainly a few parts/scenes that felt off or unneeded and there was a lack of consistence with the 4th wall. Was there one or was there not, there were times they paid no mind to the audience and times the looked right at you and acknowledge your presence within the shows universe. We had the indoor path with only a walk throw on the roof and while I would have loved to see Wishing performed on the roof, I can't imagine All I Ask Of You being performed any other way that how it was done inside. Stunning scene when done inside.... followed by an awkward cramped scene where Christine sings a ballad while you can hear the chaos of another group in the carnival on the other side of a doorway. The sound bleed in that part is awful.

This is an experience you have to go into ready to play along and take the journey be a part of it instead of just watching it. And for the love of god wear comfortable shoes. The dress code imo as long as you are wearing black and white I think you can get away with business casual just fine. Yeah a lot of people were dressed up super fancy but a lot of others were just in a decent polo and dress pants.

Updated On: 8/29/25 at 01:52 AM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/1/25 at 1:11pm

I’m mixed/positive on this. I saw it yesterday. Some notes:

- Nothing is “staged” on the roof anymore. At least not yesterday. They moved us through the roof set during one of the transitions. It worked better that way, I would imagine, since (as impressive as the roof set is), it literally takes you out of the experience, as you are staring into office windows in every direction.

- There was a tech stop around 3:00 that brought everything to a screeching halt. It was very awkward. The woman playing Giry was mid-scene and then just had to…walk off. We sat there for about 15 minutes and they restarted. They played the audio for the scene we had just watched twice, by mistake, and then we awkwardly sat there for another few minutes in silence until we were hurried to the next location. There, the music wasn’t playing and Christine was forced to start singing a capella.  As soon as she finished, the music began again and she had to re-sing the song. It was definitely sloppy and awkward and took me out of the experience, but I guess it’s par for the course with something as technically intricate as this production. Just wished the staff would’ve handled it a bit better. 

- I had the opposite experience of being moved around slowly. We were RUSHED during certain moments. I’d have to imagine this was all a domino effect from the tech pause, but it was strange to be hurried up a flight of escalators after sitting in a room in silence for 15+ minutes during a tech hold. Messed with the pacing for sure. 

- As stated above, the fourth wall breaking was inconsistent and admittedly bothered me. Especially during the dressing room scene, there’s quite a bit of audience interaction which felt entirely unnecessary. Just play the scene, instead of hamming it up and pandering. There’s literally no need for the performers to acknowledge the audience in that moment. 

All that said, by and large, this is very impressively executed. Some moments are straight up stunning (that opening! The boat! -…although I could’ve done with more fog…- The finale!).

Others, not so much (the carnival sequence is way too long, as is the wind-up-doll moment and the dressing room scene mentioned above). But it’s a feast for the eyes. Even if you’re losing interest in the action, there’s never a shortage of extravagance to look at. 

My Phantom was Clay Singer (very good, albeit way too young - I was admittedly hoping for Hugh). And my Christine was Riley Noland (absolutely fantastic). 

They have their work cut out for them in terms of the technical complexities. Once it’s more of a well-oiled machine, I’d love to return, but I’d be very hard pressed to drop another $200+ on it any time soon. 

Some thoughts for prospective attendees:

- PLEASE understand you might be split up from your group, but you WILL be reunited. It’s not that deep. So many people were just stopping in the middle of a transition waiting for their group, completely in the way of everyone else’s’ experience. Just. Keep. Moving. 
- As mentioned, wear comfortable shoes! 
- There was someone in my group in sneakers and grey sweatpants, which seemed borderline insulting to the cast. I was surprised he wasn’t asked to change. Dressy-casual is totally fine. Some people were in cosplay or tuxedos while others were in simple black button downs or cocktail dresses. 
- I wore a (casual) suit jacket and was very glad I did. It was freezing in there!

Updated On: 9/1/25 at 01:11 PM

[Dave13]

Posted: 9/1/25 at 1:28pm

I was there last night. Contrary to the post above, there was the roof scene.  So they may have had technical issues on the roof as when in the post above.  I do have positive and mixed views as well.  The positive is it was great to enter Phantoms world.  All of the actors were incredible. All of the actors interact with the audience. There was certainly an intimate feeling of the production.  Carlotta sat on my lap, gave me a big hug and ran her fingers through my hair.  That was fun.  The sets were incredible. Very similar to Sleep No More, except which is my complaint, you were never allowed to explore the rooms and go at your own pace like Sleep No More.  I was given two glasses of Champagne and a shot of Cognac.  
 

The negatives as mentioned you were rushed from room to room.  Then if you were caught behind the group, you went at a snails pace and often missed parts of the next scene. Another big negative, and I hope I am wrong, it felt the actors were lip syncing, especially Christine. I am hope I am wrong, but it was pretty obvious to me 
 

Oftentimes, the group was split up.  I often found myself in a small room with about 1/4 of the group. I would like to think the rest of the group was enjoying a similar scene. I get the feeling that if I go again, I may see a different show and have a different experience, especially knowing where to stand to get ahead of the group.  
 

I enjoyed myself as it was fun to get dressed up.  Always enjoyed Sleep No More and Then She Fell. Also, there’s a few scenes that adds to the story that was never developed on stage.  If you are a Phantom fan, this is a must see. Even if you are not, I am sure you will enjoy it. However, if you don’t know the story, I believe you would be lost as this is clearly for Phantom fans. 

Updated On: 9/1/25 at 01:28 PM

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 9/1/25 at 9:16pm

Well, I finally saw Masquerade and since I don't know how to use the spoilers tab thing, 

Overall, it was exciting, fast paced, emotional, and entertaining. 

Absolute highlight: During Music of the Night, having Telly Leung litereally push my legs out of the way so he can access Christine.  

 

****MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD****

Now as someone who saw the original 1988 production at the Majestic 90 times, this production had me nervous: would I like Phantom at all without Bjornson's designs or Prince's direction? Turns out, generally, yes I would. It was just a comforting--very comforting--thrill to hear that music in New York City once again. I loved so much about it. The masquerade scene happening and spinning all around me was a dream. The way the cast and crew simply extended an arm and we magically knew how and where to follow. The added backstory of Phantom. The dramatic murder of Buquet. The shocking "wait is this part of the show?" reaction to the chandelier falling. I was one of the Negative Nellies about the dress coded because I hate dressing up, but omg let me tell you if I looked around during one of those scenes and saw some dude wearing khaki shorts and a red t-shirt or something, it would have ruined the show. 

Many of the scenes have been re-ordered to make the whole thing work, but it does make sense overall. 

The just ok: (I won't call them negative)

-the stairs.  I have severe lymphedema in my legs these days and at one point, everybody ran up TWO flights of escalators. Sorry, I can't do that. I could feel the rest of the audience seething me behind me that I wasn't running too. 

-The mask. Yes it was necessary, but the mask provided to me literally poked me in tbe eyes the whole time. 

-I detected lip synching as well, especially during the outdoor Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again. 

-the lack of good merch.  Come on, no magnets? 

Why we allowed CamMack to close this show at the heightd of the omicron variant is beyond me. 

 

-

[Scarlet Leigh]

Posted: 9/2/25 at 12:51am

Dave13 said: "Oftentimes, the group was split up. I often found myself in a small room with about 1/4 of the group. I would like to think the rest of the group was enjoying a similar scene. I get the feeling that if I go again, I may see a different show and have a different experience, especially knowing where to stand to get ahead of the group."

All the split groups see the same things just in a different order. So for example... and I will spoiler tag this just in case people want to be TOTALLY unspoiled.

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

There are 3 beats to the dressing room scene (Carlotta, the Owners, and Christine) and the group at that time is split into 3 smaller rooms. Room one sees Carlotta first. Room two sees the Owners first. Room three sees Christine first. And then they all rotate. Carlotta moves to room two and performs the exact same thing she just did in the first room for the second room. The Owners more to room three and perform the same scene. Christine to room one, performing the same scene. And then they rotate again and all perform the same scene AGAIN. Room 1 saw Carlotta, Christine, then the Owners. Room 2 saw The Owners, Christine, then Carlotta. Room 3 saw Christine, Carlotta, then the owners.

So ANYTIME the group splits, you are not missing anything. You are all seeing the same thing just in a different order.

[Dave13]

Posted: 9/2/25 at 11:07am

Thanks that makes sense.  
 

Scarlet Leigh said: "Dave13 said: "Oftentimes, the group was split up. I often found myself in a small room with about 1/4 of the group. I would like to think the rest of the group was enjoying a similar scene. I get the feeling that if I go again, I may see a different show and have a different experience, especially knowing where to stand to get ahead of the group."

All the split groups see the same things just in a different order. So for example... and I will spoiler tag this just in case people want to be TOTALLY unspoiled.

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

There are 3 beats to the dressing room scene (Carlotta, the Owners, and Christine) and the group at that time is split into 3 smaller rooms. Room one sees Carlotta first. Room two sees the Owners first. Room three sees Christine first. And then they all rotate. Carlotta moves to room two and performs the exact same thing she just did in the first room for the second room. The Owners more to room three and perform the same scene. Christine to room one, performing the same scene. And then they rotate again and all perform the same scene AGAIN. Room 1 saw Carlotta, Christine, then the Owners. Room 2 saw The Owners, Christine, then Carlotta. Room 3 saw Christine, Carlotta, then the owners.

So ANYTIME the group splits, you are not missing anything. You are all seeing the same thing just in a different order."

 

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 9/2/25 at 12:05pm

Scarlet Leigh said: "ANYTIME the group splits, you are not missing anything. You are all seeing the same thing just in a different order."

Exactly! All the more reason for audience members to just go with the flow of traffic and not worry about being separated from their group. 

The one “piece of advice” the guide gave at the beginning of the experience was “watch your step,” but I wish they’d add something about not panicking if you are split off from your group/waiting for them. 

Speaking of watching your step, so many people in my group tripped or stubbed their toes at certain points. What the hell are they going to do if (read: when) someone falls…? Feels inevitable. 

Updated On: 9/2/25 at 12:05 PM

[lastmidnights]

Posted: 9/2/25 at 9:56pm

WiCkEDrOcKS said: "Speaking of watching your step, so many people in my group tripped or stubbed their toes at certain points. What the hellare they going to do if (read: when) someone falls…? Feels inevitable."

Help the person get up? See if they are ok? I mean, what else do you want them to do? As long as the pathways are walkable, I'm not sure what else you expect from them. 

 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 9/3/25 at 12:37pm

Any idea when they'll put the next block of tickets on sale?

 

[ER765]

Posted: 9/3/25 at 12:42pm

lastmidnights said: "WiCkEDrOcKS said: "Speaking of watching your step, so many people in my group tripped or stubbed their toes at certain points. What the hellare they going to do if (read: when) someone falls…? Feels inevitable."

Help the person get up? See if they are ok? I mean, what else do you want them to do? As long as the pathways are walkable, I'm not sure what else you expect from them.

"

Some of you are so quick to get snarky for no reason. 

It’s a fair and legitimate question. I was with a group of older people who I could have easily seen falling, seriously hurting themselves, stopping the entire show for EVERYONE, and threatening a law suit. 

It’s not like it’s a crazy scenario to propose. No ones “expecting” anything…

Updated On: 9/3/25 at 12:42 PM

[MB124]

Posted: 9/3/25 at 12:49pm

lastmidnights said: "WiCkEDrOcKS said: "Speaking of watching your step, so many people in my group tripped or stubbed their toes at certain points. What the hellare they going to do if (read: when) someone falls…? Feels inevitable."

Help the person get up? See if they are ok? I mean, what else do you want them to do? As long as the pathways are walkable, I'm not sure what else you expect from them.

"

Oh wow - the staff is going to help the person get up and see if they’re okay?!?! They’re not just gonna stand there?!?! I’m sure the OP never thought of that!!! 🙄 

[lastmidnights]

Posted: 9/3/25 at 10:52pm

My reply was not meant to be snarky. This isn't a sit-down and watch immersive production like The Great Comet. Everyone knows what they are getting into. I don't know what else they could do to make it less likely for people to trip, unless there's something in the building that's an unmistakable tripping hazard that I'm unaware of (if so, please share!). People have to get up and walk around. 

It's a bit like asking, "What are they gonna do if someone has a seizure during [show with flashing lights]?" You can (and absolutely should) warn people, so they can take their own precautions as necessary, but beyond that, you will inevitably have to deal with things as they arise when running these types of events. I'm sure they have stop protocols if someone gets seriously hurt, but my question is, what do you actually expect them to do to prevent tripping? I'm genuinely curious. Warning people to watch their step, maybe even repeating it as they move, seems to be about all they can do.

[ChairinMain]

Posted: 9/4/25 at 1:38pm

Has there been any word or speculation on who is taking over the 7:45 slot from Nik Walker when he leaves to do BULL DURHAM at Papermill and when he is leaving the show? Are they going to have Cooper Grodin, the understudy, step in, or bring someone in for the weeks Nik is out?

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 9/4/25 at 1:42pm

Give me Howard McGillin and I'll go see it. 

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 9/4/25 at 2:33pm

TheatreFan4 said: "Give me Howard McGillin and I'll go see it."

Agree !! The best 

[ChairinMain]

Posted: 9/4/25 at 2:47pm

I love Howard in everything he's ever done, and while he's an exemplary phantom, my top five phantoms of all times are largely baritones or those with a truly unique sound. Colm Wilkinson, Norm Lewis, John-Owen Jones, Anthony Warlow and of course Michael Crawford. Walker is the Masquarade Phantom who best matches what I think the character should sound like, I'm bummed he's out of town when I'm in New York or I would have seen loved to see him. (I have tickets for Kyle Scatliff, who I hear is wonderful!)