PHANTOM PHESTIVITIES!!!

[EugLoven]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 8:12pm

Let's make this the post where people comment on what happened today at the Record Performance and whatever events were held at the Majestic. I'm anxious to hear all about it.

Anyone know anything yet? Anyone walk by the theatre to see if there was a buzz?

Updated On: 1/9/06 at 08:12 PM

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 8:26pm

i heard betty buckly had a blow torch in her purse when she was headed to the theatre... she was mubling something about "Now and Forever"

[wickedfreak]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 8:35pm

HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA

[DivaBrigader]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 9:09pm

LOL BwayBaby!

I work across the street so I could see everything from there and eventually wandered outside. I thought I saw Rebecca Luker going into the show but I can't be sure as there was a sea of people. At around noon, Webber, Crawford, Mackintosh, and Prince went into the Majestic, waving once to the fans. All but Crawford exited soon thereafter. Crawford left around 4pm. I know for sure that Emmy Rossum wasn't there because she's on the Broadcast Film Critics Awards right now. Sarah Brightman didn't show, as expected. They basically put up a banner declaring it as the longest running onto the artwork outside the theatre and blocked off part of the street for paparazzi.

[wickedfreak]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 9:12pm

Why would't sarah brightman go? Just becuase she and Webber split up?

[JudasIscariot]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 9:42pm

And they made such a cute couple...

[MaxOChez]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 10:09pm

So, we should know what happened by now, shouldn't we?

[beacon1]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 10:33pm

Just saw some news agency pictures of the arrivals and it looks like Mister and Missus Wilson are expecting in the not too distant future!

I'll need to add bootie-knitting to my list of things to do!

[EugLoven]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 10:35pm

The show was let out and some of our BWW.com members who were there are online now!

Share your experiences in this thread! (Not the ambulance one, for the sake of aesthetics)

[xoxRogue]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 10:45pm

There's going to be a segment on POTO on the WB11 news at 11.

I just thought I'd post it here. It has to do with the Phantom phestivities...I guess. :)

[sfrp]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 10:48pm

Just got home from the show. I left a piece of confetti in my hair for good measure (if there is any confetti left in New York, I'd be surprised--I think most of it is on the floor of the Majestic).

The show tonight was incredible. The audience clapped itself silly when the lights went down, clapped itself into a frenzy when the chandelier went up, then stopped the show several more times during the first ten minutes (most applause went to George Lee Andrews' entrance as Andre). The cast responded to the energy of the room, and the entire first act flew by. Howard McGillin was an amazing phantom, and while Sandra Joseph isn't the most powerfully-voiced Christine I've seen, her emotional honesty in the part was touching and gorgeous to watch. Also, much love to Anne Runolfsson as Carlotta (powerhouse!) and Marilyn Caskey (the ex-Carlotta and current Madame Giry). I've seen the show many times before, but tonight the cast found all of the humor (Notes was exceptional), all of the sadness (All I Ask of You Reprise), and all of the quirks that define this show. It was amazing to watch.

I started getting teary in the second act, and nearly lost it during Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again. Sandra Joseph nailed that song. Before I knew it Meg was grabbing the mask, and then the audience was on its feet.

Curtain call was all smiles, then the cast began to leave the stage. The house darkened again, and the ballet girls formed a circle. They parted to reveal Victoria from Cats, who then did a dance over to the Phantom downstage. They danced a bit, then she strutted off stage with the whole Phantom company extending their arms toward her (does anyone know who was dressed/dancing as Victoria?). It was a classy, funny, touching tribute to the show.

Then came the tears, as past Christines, Raouls, Phantoms, and other principles took the stage for a reprise of Masquerade. Hearing all of their voices together (even over the tears of many of them) was a perfect end to the evening.

Of course the speeches came next, with Andrew Lloyd Webber, Hal Prince, Cameron Mackintosh, Gillian Lynne, and (lastly) Michael Crawford speaking. They all spoke of collaborators, people who could not be there, and the joy the show has brought them. Michael Crawford was incredibly choked up, and told us this was his first time seeing the show from the audience. Then, on his command, all the silver and gold confetti in the world rained down on us, followed by a shower of Phantom balloons.

Now the lucky folks are off at a masked ball, and I'm home to look at my souvenir mask and program. I hope everyone who got to be there enjoyed it, and I hope those of you who were not there get to see some of the coverage. It was a magical evening.

Updated On: 1/9/06 at 10:48 PM

[xoxRogue]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 10:51pm

That sounds terrific. Wow. I would of loved to hear all of them sing Masquerade. *sigh*

[TobyRagg]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 10:55pm

What other big names were there?

[EugLoven]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 10:57pm

That sounds awesome! Souvenir mask? Did everyone get one when they got in? That's funny, it must have been bizarre to see a Cat on stage! Sort of "the passing of the torch" from one recognizable character to the next, huh?

That's really awesome. Great memories, I'm sure.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 11:00pm

Wow.

What a treat to be there!

[Buscee]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 11:01pm

I just got back myself, and I can only repeat what was just posted. It truly was a memorable evening. The energy was there from the very begining. Rebecca Luker, Judy Kaye were a few of the ladies of Phantom that I recognized. Lauren Bacall was there too. The whole bit with Victoria from Cats dancing in front of the moon was very amusing! Every seat in the house had a commenorative Playbill, souvineer program, and mask. Wasnt there alot of people in the masqurade number tonight? The Dummies weren't on the staircase. Maybe they put other casts on, but there was no mention of it. I saw it 18 years ago, and several times thereafter, and it is still in great shape.

[sfrp]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 11:02pm

When the audience entered the theater, every seat had a big souvenir program (I assume the kind they sell at the show) with the new line, "The Longest-Running Musical on Broadway" across the botton. Every seat also had a souvenir mask (Masquerade-style, not Phantom-style...sadly). I took a picture of the mostly-empty theater and the mask-hung seats, and it's really the only photo that came out from the whole event. Ha.

The Cats tribute was surprisingly touching! They even had a big moon projected onto the back of the set for that part.

As for other big names, none were in our mezzanine section (though there was buzz about Erin Dilly and Victoria Clark being in the upper mezzanine). Someone claimed Lauren Bacall was downstairs, but I didn't actually see anyone. Most of the show-related big names were seated together in the right orchestra around row H. Andrew Lloyd Webber was there with his sons.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 11:05pm

That masquerade bit sounds fantastic. That is by far my favorite company number in ANY show. It is just electrifying

[Chanticleer148]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 11:08pm

All Hail to CATS-The Best Longest Running Musical in Broadway History!
All Hail: Phantom of the Opera

[larobey]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 11:09pm

Wow. That sounds just fan...er....phantastic. It sounds like it went off perfectly. And I know this is rather selfish, but I really hope someone was able to get a videocamera in their tonight. What a bootleg.

[gavrochegirl]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 11:19pm

(It's selfish and it's breaking the rules)

What night it must have been!

[sadiem100]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 11:25pm

What number performance is this?

[DivaBrigader]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 11:28pm

7,486

[sadiem100]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 11:31pm

Thankies!

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 1/9/06 at 11:36pm

anyone else think that this was a little bit of a letdown? I laughed my ass off watching the clip of the entire les mis cast doing "one". But for some reason having one cat come out and dance for a few seconds is less impressive, did cats to anything when they took it from les mis? (i picture the cats storming their tire with a big french flag for some reason)