Phantom 25 Broadway

[Mosspath]

Posted: 9/23/12 at 9:52pm

This is my first post here, so please let me know if I'm doing anything wrong!

I've seen a decent number of musicals over the years, but the one I've yet to see is one of my favorites- The Phantom of the Opera! This coming January (the 26th to be exact), marks the 25th anniversary of the Broadway production. I'd love to make my first time seeing it even more memorable by attending on that date, however, it's blocked out when I try to purchase tickets on Telecharge. I know there was a big celebration in London for the 25th over there, and I was hoping something equally spectacular would occur on Broadway.

So my question to you is this, have you heard of a celebration being planned for Broadway? If yes, then when will it be officially announced, and how do I get tickets? If not, feel free to speculate!

Thank you!

[CapnHook]

Posted: 9/23/12 at 10:00pm

Please don't mistake the question I am about to ask as me being a jerk -- it's a dead serious question.

How can THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA be your favorite musical if you haven't ever seen it? Are you basing this opinion from only listening to the cast recording?

Updated On: 9/23/12 at 10:00 PM

[binau]

Posted: 9/23/12 at 10:06pm

He might have also seen the movie, or the concert DVD...

I consider GYPSY my third favourite musical, but I've never seen it (seen both filmings + bootlegs + all cast recordings). Do you have to see it live for it to count? (I'm also being serious, not bitter)

Updated On: 9/23/12 at 10:06 PM

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 9/23/12 at 10:09pm

I knew WICKED was my favorite show before seeing just based from videos/cd/what I read. Same with "Company" which I loved the music before seeing the Raul video.

[Mosspath]

Posted: 9/23/12 at 10:09pm

No, it doesn't sound jerkish at all, and it probably does sound odd for me to say!

Let's see, I've "experienced" the Original London CD, the Highlights CD, the 25th anniversary DVD and soundtrack, the questionable 2004 movie, plus various "bootleg" YouTube videos (as well as a bunch of other adaptations of the story). I probably should have specified that I've never seen it live before

[CapnHook]

Posted: 9/23/12 at 10:13pm

It's tricky. You can see a film version of a musical, such as HAIR, and love (or hate) it based on that. But seeing it on stage is quite different. A lot of the film versions are drastically different than the stage version. I'm certain that the Matthew Broderick MUSIC MAN would turn anyone off from that show, but if you saw it live, you may have a different opinion.

Of course your liking to a piece is mainly determined by the production of it.

I've always been fascinated as to how someone becomes a "fan" of a show, or call it their favorite, when they haven't seen it.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 9/23/12 at 10:17pm

Mosspath -- gotcha.

A relative of mine, not a theatregoer, loves the CHICAGO movie musical and when they were planning a trip to New York, sent me an e-mail to ask me to buy tickets to their "favorite musical" CHICAGO. I did, and after she saw it, she had LOATHED what she had just seen. She couldn't believe that the stage adaptation of the film would be so horrific. That amused me.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 9/23/12 at 10:17pm

Well music does play a large part in, y'know, musicals...so I think its fair. I've never seen On The Twentieth Century, Caroline or Change or numerous other classic shows...any maybe never will - but they're staying on my list!

[Mosspath]

Posted: 9/23/12 at 10:19pm

I think my love of it is based on the story and the characters, mostly. As well as some major "fangirling" I do over the various men who have played the title role. I love the different feel each actor or actress brings to their role, especially in something that's been around as long as PHANTOM has. And I'm sure most of my family has thought, "She's obsessed!" for all the times I've listened to/ watched something PHANTOM related.

But, I digress...

[My Oh My]

Posted: 9/24/12 at 12:59am

A musical and a production of a musical are two distinct entities to me, even if they should, ideally, compliment each other. The production, in this case, a stage production being a delivery system/platform.

At its most basic, the whole of a musical is its written score, just like a novel is all you need to 'experience' a complex story, "the work" is contained in the music and lyrics.

A musical can be judged on its written music and lyrics alone.

The interpretation of its score by musicians and actors is performance and an art in itself. How effectively they tell the story through song is a whole other topic but it shouldn't go into deciding whether a musical is any good or not.

It's entirely possible to love a musical but loath its stage production. In the end, it's important to not allow performances or productions or interpretations decide if a musical is good or not.

Nothing wrong with basing how one feels about a musical on a cast recording, provided it contains most of the score and the performances aren't influencing one's assessment of it.

[binau]

Posted: 9/24/12 at 1:15am

Why don't you include the libretto with that text too?

Still, even if what a 'musical' is, is music and lyrics - what is the music really? A bunch of strange figures on a page? It doesn't really mean anything until it is performed, and when it is performed - what kind of orchestration do we consider the 'music'....the score the composer wrote for the orchestrator (presumably) on a piano, or the orchestrated music?

I get what you are saying and agree that there is a difference between a 'musical' and a 'production of a musical', but it seems quite hard to judge a musical without some kind of production IMO. Even a read through is, in a sense, a production...

Updated On: 9/24/12 at 01:15 AM

[My Oh My]

Posted: 9/24/12 at 1:24am

Then you'd need to have it interpreted and performed for you, obviously. But the performance itself or that act of interpreting it isn't THE musical. It's a performance of that musical.

So you can have a totally crap cast perform it, but if you know what to look for and what's important, you can come away with a fair assessment of the quality of that musical.

Quality of the performance is a whole separate thing.

And libretto is definitely a basic element. Don't know how I overlooked that. Thanks for pointing that out.

I initially wrote a long-ass thing on orchestration but deleted it for length. Now I regret it because it addresses, in detail, specifically your comments on piano/full orchestral score as a basic element.

In short it is, but it doesn't have to be the full orchestration and a good single piano adaptation would suffice. To me, at least. Of course, it isn't what I prefer.

Updated On: 9/24/12 at 01:24 AM

[Mosspath]

Posted: 9/26/12 at 3:20pm

Tried calling around today to see if I could get any info. Telecharge didn't know anything, and when I thought I got a number for the Majestic I ended up getting a merch guy who also didn't know. Does anyone know of a number I can reach for any type of management at the Majestic that might know something?

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 9/26/12 at 6:53pm

Lol I like how the entire thread is turning into a discussion of what constitutes calling a musical "favorite."

Mosspath, to answer your question, I don't believe any celebration has been announced yet. Believe me, we would know about it here if there was. If the date is blacked out, there probably is something planned for that day. Either they are closing it to the public, or they are waiting to release tickets until something is announced (that way they ensure an allotted amount of tickets are handed out to the important people).

[bklynBridge95]

Posted: 9/26/12 at 8:01pm

I heard somewhere and don't quote me on this cause I'm not sure it's true but they said it's probably going to be something like everyone involved in the show producers, former cast members, etc.. will get first dibs and what ever is leftover is sold to the public so something tells me they are just waiting to see who is coming before they start selling tickets to the public

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 9/26/12 at 9:14pm

Well, if it is anything like what they did with the Les Miserables Anniversary celebration that would be a royal shame!

They invited so many creative team people and their families as well as prime "Le Miz student production kids" to the Imperial to perform, that the "invited leftovers" had to watch this celebration from a neighboring theater on a screen. And by leftovers I am talking about Broadawy stars that had starred as leads in the production for years. A few Valjeans had traveled from Europe to sit in a theater to watch a film of the celebration. What an insult!

Let's hope TPTB have the decency to do it right with POTO.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 9/26/12 at 9:25pm

I just started getting into his stuff this past summer. RIP, Mr.Williams.

Edit - oops, completely wrong thread for some reason, but still - enjoy!




Watch him do all manner of gymnastics with Johnny Mathis!

Updated On: 9/26/12 at 09:25 PM