Phantom of Disaster in Manhattan!
Broadway Star Joined: 9/21/07
Think about it. The phantom of MANHATTAN??? WTF!!! So tacky! who will even see this?
i'm a pretty optimistic guy and i love alwebber's scores but even with this project i have my doubts.
I'm with the cat on this one. Also, what is the story?
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
Is it not an opera like Phantom?
Broadway Star Joined: 9/8/04
"A disaster beyond your imagination will occur".
PS) The cat that erased the music was killed earlier this year, by the way. In an "accident".
Okay, I'm not sure if the actual novel THE PHANTOM IN MANHATTAN is good or not. It has to be somewhat decent for people to be interested in producing it as a musical. But the plot sounds SO incredibly tacky and laughable, it is hard to take it seriously.
NO!!!!!!!!!!! I HATE Webber.
This is like a Christmas gift from Scrooge. No, please no!
i can't wait to see the coney island set. it is gonna be hysterical.
ray-andall, all you need to do is go to amazon.com and look the book up.
Let it be said that Mr. Webber liking this book is no surprise, considering he liked the original ASPECTS OF LOVE book.
here you go...
per wikipedia
The Phantom of Manhattan is a book by Frederick Forsyth, intended as a sequel to The Phantom of the Opera (the Lloyd Webber musical, not the original book).
Forsyth's literary concept was that Gaston Leroux had recorded factual events but, in review, had apparently not checked his facts or viewed his sources with a critical eye. Accordingly the novel can be read as both a tribute to the Lloyd Webber musical and a satire of period novels in the vein of George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman series (both a satire and exploration of Victorian history and stories).
The beginning of The Phantom of Manhattan is narrated by an ailing Madame Giry, and set in the early 1900s. Famous individuals of the time, such as Teddy Roosevelt, make appearances. According to the story, Christine has married Raoul, and the couple has one son named Pierre. The Phantom has becomed a very rich theatre owner in New York and writes an opera hoping to lure Christine to New York to play the lead. The story also goes into a little more detail about the Phantom's past and his relationship with Madame Giry than in the original book and musical. There is also the introduction of a new character called Darius, a greedy man, who often assists the Phantom, and to whom the Phantom has promised to leave the opera house after his death. However, that promise is tested by Christine's arrival in New York; but Darius is determined to own the opera house himself at whatever cost...
Webber completely changed the story in its adaptation from novel to a play.
Updated On: 12/21/07 at 07:52 PM
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
How much did he change?
I think it's sad knowing that this musical is going to be based soley on spectacle. I'm sure the music will be "alright," but the sets are going to be top-notch. And there has to be some sort of big set piece to center around. I wonder where it'll play? I bet they hope to snag the St. James or something else on that block.
oh dear God. why?
I love O'Brien, but I'm sorry. another Lloyd Webber Phantom show? it aint going to work.
I am not going to argue about Webber, because I have said my peace many times . . . but that book is HORRENDOUS!
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/13/05
The writer is his own producer, Ray...so he's all set...no one else has to be interested.
Webber just seems desperate and rather than let Phantom be with its beautiful open-ending, he instead intends to cash in on it...stupid.
Webber hasn't even written the entire score. Why the hell are they already getting a production team together? This may never even be finished. Just seems overly hasty and a bit silly to me.
The playbill synopsis makes it sound so awful. Especially that last part that says something like "Christine and Raul's son is a musical genius...just like the Phantom." Please! Sounds like a boring, tacky, dumb soap opera.
I'm sure O'Brien's marvelous vision will save the production just like Hal Prince saved the original production.
Maybe it should play on repertoire with the PHANTOM.
Well... I hope O'Brien makes a boat load of cash.
He is such a great director. I wish success for this project mostly as not to be an embarrassment for such a fine theatre man.
Stand-by Joined: 6/5/03
I forgot about this ridiculous idea since we haven't heard much about it lately. I was hoping it just go away. Apparently, I was wrong.
Updated On: 12/21/07 at 10:46 PM
Swing Joined: 10/3/07
The plot synopsis of the novel listed above has definitely been changed somewhat, and it's for the worse. The synopsis on playbill.com makes it sound even MORE horrendous:
"The Phantom has slipped away to New York and has set up a fairground world on Coney Island, along with Madame Giry and her daughter, Meg. He organizes a concert in Manhattan for Christine, the object of his desire. Christine travels to the U.S. with her husband Raoul and their teenage son, who happens to be a musical genius...just like the Phantom."
I can't help but laugh out loud when I read that. Please bring an end to this project before any more money or time is wasted! O'Brien's talents should not be wasted on this!!
We can only hope and pray that O'Brien has only signed up to do the workshop....and is not going to be married to this project...
WHHHHYYYYY!?!?!?!?
Why is this happening?
=(
Why god, whats your plan..This sounds like hell.
What is Jack O'Brien thinking? From the sublime to the ridiculous. Or maybe he loves a challenge.
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