Phantom Chandelier

[EvanstonDad]

Posted: 4/16/21 at 3:12pm

I saw the Broadway production of Phantom years and years ago and now I can't remember what happens to the chandelier in Act Two. I seem to remember it sitting on the stage during the intermission after it falls at the end of Act One, but then do they hoist it up to the ceiling again, or do they remove it altogether? If it raises again, does it happen during the Entr'acte?

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/16/21 at 3:16pm

It goes up and stays up during intermission.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/16/21 at 3:31pm

Yup. You see stagehands help guide it back up during intermission.

 

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 4/17/21 at 3:17pm

Stagehands guide the chandelier to a gentle crash---and often open the curtain a bit too early in my opinion and slightly ruin the effect when they're seen standing there watching the chandelier drop with the audience. There is a flash of light that is supposed to "hide" them but they often step out wayyy before the lights flashses. 

There are no stagehands, onstage at least, who guide the chandelier back up. 



 

 

Awww my video didn't work.  

Updated On: 4/17/21 at 03:17 PM

[Tag]

Posted: 4/17/21 at 3:26pm

In the Vegas version (where the chandelier crash moved to after Past the Point of No Return and there wasn't an intermission), the chandelier disappeared after it crashed (into the ceiling).

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/17/21 at 4:19pm

Every time I’ve seen the show, stagehands popped out between the curtains and helped guide the chandelier off the stage and over the orchestra pit. After it started its ascend, they walked back between the curtains.

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 4/17/21 at 8:43pm

The chandelier lifting off from the stage completely by itself at intermission is one of the ghostly parts of the show I have always loved. But, I have only seen it 74 times at the Majestic and I have never once seen a stagehand come out in the middle of intermission to "guide" the chandelier, especially since it does exactly what it did during the overture, also without any guiding. Once again, the landing needs to be guided, but not the ascent.  I have about 5 videos demonstrating this but alas I can't figure out how to paste them on here so BrodyFosse I guess you are correct. 

Updated On: 4/18/21 at 08:43 PM

[Marway44]

Posted: 4/19/21 at 9:09am

In my 300 plus times seeing it at the Majestic, only the last time I saw it with Ben Crawford, did a stagehand come out and made sure it went back up the way it was supposed to. This must be new. It kind of ruined the ghostly effect, but better safe than sorry with people sitting right underneath it.

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 4/19/21 at 11:02am

That is so odd. and I saw it in mid-February 2020 and there were still no stagehands appearing. 

 

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 4/19/21 at 11:24am

I've always wondered about the rather nonchalant ascent during intermission. Is there any known artistic decision behind this? Would it be too redundant to have the audience sit through a second ascent of the chandelier during the entr'acte?

[Fosse76]

Posted: 4/19/21 at 11:37am

Unless there is a problem, stagehands aren't on stage when the chandelier is hoisted back up during intermission (they aren't present during the overture, so why would they be needed during intermission).

Funnily enough, most people aren't even paying attention during intermission, so they don't even notice it when it hosted back to the ceiling.

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 4/19/21 at 11:53am

I agree with you...most people don't even notice, which can be part of the fun too, when people in the front rows aren't paying attention and they're standing up, looking back at the theater and someone tells them to turn around and they see the chandelier headed straight for them........I've seen plenty of heads diving out of the way. 

It's always been one of my favorite parts of the show---you get to see the dramatic rise of the chandelier a different way--without all the lighting and music. 

A note about Act II---the chandelier is NOT used at all during Act II, but I have been to multiple performances where the chandelier would randomly start flashing its lights for no reason, most notably during the 10,000 performance. I've heard that that happens when there is interference with the communication system they use.