New Phantom tour

Has anyone gotten tickets to the new Phantom tour yet? I got tickets for its stop in Philly and am super excited! The show looks very good and the chandelier effect sounds really cool. So, is anyone going or planning on it? So, what's everyones thoughts on this new tour?

Just intrigued but what did you read about the chanderlier effect that made it sound "cool"?

As a die-hard fan of the original, I have mixed feelings about this tour. The staging is a big part of what I love about the show, so having that changed may not work. However, since the show has been given a fresh look, I'm willing to give it a chance. As for the chandelier, it was my understanding that there is no chandelier special effect in the new tour? No rising, no falling?

Didn't Hal Prince seek some payment for them using so much of his staging uncredited?? At any rate, a huge percentage of the appeal of Phantom on stage for me (and I admit it's not something I'm in a rush to see again soon) is the amazing Prince/Bjornson staging. The clips of this just seem kinda like a watered down take...

Since they are going into the primary markets first all of the necessary pick points to make the chandelier fall all exist from when the original tour went out, so it probably wouldn't be nearly as difficult of an effect to add in at this point if they wanted.

I don't think the plot of Phantom is hard to follow, but what would make it a bit harder than the average show is that so much of the singing is done with characters just standing and singing, rather than being involved in action while they sing. Does that make sense? With a show like Phantom, you have to listen to the lyrics more intently to get some of the plot.
And there are so many little things you can miss.....like at the Hannibal rehearsal, when the new owners ask the old owners why he is selling the Opera house, and he says "we take a particular pride in our ballets". If you're only half-paying attention, that could be a moment where you give up and say that the show is too hard to follow.

WIth all due respect to "phans," I would argue that Phantom's plot is better if you don't worry about all the little details in the lyrics. At its best, IMHO, it's more about the basic story and atmosphere (I mean really, if you start obsessing over details about Chritstine's dead father, and a possible relation to the Phantom etc you could go mad.)

Links to the Facebook photos where new chandelier effect is hinted at:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=213326638847971&set=pb.148320885348547.-2207520000.1384438407.&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=213125098868125&set=pb.148320885348547.-2207520000.1384438407.&type=3&theater

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Updated On: 11/14/13 at 09:16 AM

I actually like the design of that chandelier a lot better than the one that's currently on Broadway, whether it falls or not.

Very intrigued to see this (if it comes to LA. Fingers crossed)

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I haven't been able to track down good seats at a decent price in a location relatively close to DC. My best shot is when the tickets go on sale Friday morning for the Philadelphia run. Boston has almost nothing in the first 10 rows of the orchestra, in the center section. I'm becoming worried that the subscribers have gotten all the good seats, everywhere -- either that, or the EBay scalpers bought them up. (I thought scalping had become illegal).

For me, aside from the music, the thing that gives me goosebumps is when the chandelier begins to shimmy and shake during the overture -- after the prologue's last line about frightening away the ghost of so many years ago, we hear a bang, followed by the loud opening chord, and the chandelier begins to rise. I sure hope that this is still in the show -- the angel and the staircase are gone, as are the statues during "Masquerade" and (I think) the moving walkway during the title number. I've heard different versions of whether the chandelier will fall.

All I can say is, they'd better keep the boat and "Music of the Night" or I'm going to curse the day they did not do, all that the Phantom asked of ... them.

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All I can say is, they'd better keep the boat and "Music of the Night"

Yeah, they cut "Music of the Night" and instead, the Phantom whispers to Christine, "Hey, Patti, you wanna get up — or get down?"

Um, why on earth would anyone think they'd cut "Music of the Night"? That's part of the score... and the most recognizable song. It has nothing to do with changing the overall staging of the show for a new tour.

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Updated On: 11/21/13 at 08:34 AM

Marway, I saw on the official Phantom site that, by clicking on the advance sale code info shown in a blog entry, it's possible to buy tickets now. (Alternatively, log onto the Kimmel Center cite and use the code "Christine.") I just got two dead center seats for row DDD, in the closest section to the stage. I think it may be the first row, based on its being the only row that shows up in that section, whether empty or occupied. Thanks for letting me know that it's possible to buy them before tomorrow.

SBFlyFan wrote: Um, why on earth would anyone think they'd cut "Music of the Night"? That's part of the score... and the most recognizable song.

SB, I was just being ironic about cutting MOTN -- I know they're not eliminating songs. The now-closed Las Vegas version of POTO, which was significantly shorter than the Broadway version, eliminated the rehearsal scene and crashed the chandelier at the end, instead of after Christine's replacing Carlotta in "Il Muto."

There are sometimes major changes in a so-called "new production" -- at least where it's a revival. When I saw the "Annie Get Your Gun" revival with Ethel Merman in, I think 1964, there was a new show-stopper song added ("An Old-Fashioned Wedding.") I wouldn't be surprised if the more recent revivals eliminated "I'm an Indian, too," because the song contains stereotypes that are offensive to modern ears.

The second "Forbidden Broadway" album contains a hilarious send-up of the title song in "Sweeney Todd," called "Teeny Todd (the smaller version of Sweeney)", which spoofs the significant changes that made the revival cheaper than the original.

In short, even though I know that "MOTN" is never going to be cut out of the show, my attempt at irony was not completely misplaced.

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