Phantom Closing? — Page 27

Just listened to a comparison video on YouTube, uploaded by user TrustGavroche, laying out many “You alone can make my song take flight” phrases by various Phantoms. So this is just from a vocal perspective rather than physicality.

There’s a lot of sloppy work in the 2021 and 2022 clips. The only one I’d want to see in person is Laird, who leads by a country mile and sounds stunning and brilliant, and if not him then Greg Mills. But the other two current covers - heard side by side - well, let’s just say some brilliant singers in the role have been fired for much less.
Whoever talked about Ben’s weird vowels was so right. His sounds are not even ballpark approximations of what the vowels should be. And his final note is in-the-basement flat, which is curious considering how he contorted all the sounds leading up to that just to stay in the vicinity of on-pitch.

Crossing fingers I end up seeing Laird in the next few weeks.
FWIW, David Gaschen from years ago sound really great. Would have loved to have seen him. Howard McGillin sounds hit and miss, very inconsistent. And Gary Mauer is as excellent as always. Peter Joback… forget about it.

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Updated On: 2/22/23 at 05:35 PM

MemorableUserName said: "The Monday schedule was posted a few pages back so you all probably already know: Laird is scheduled to go on 3/6."

Wonderful news, thanks for mentioning that. I missed the schedule so will aim for 3/6!

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I believe Phantom has a 26 piece orchestra? The NY Post is sloppy as hell, and often goes into fake news territory. It's a **** publication.

phantom1978 said: "NY Post says Phantom will be returning.

https://nypost.com/2023/02/22/andrew-lloyd-webber-will-bring-back-phantom-of-the-opera-penning-king-charles-iis-coronation-music/"

This is what most of us suspected all along... that this is purely a way to bring the low-budget version to town. I suspect this is more CM than ALW decision. Even being a biased an ALW fan, I can't imagine that ego > greed for him. Having the longest running show on Broadway history continue would seem more appealing to a man who is incredibly wealthy already. And this is the CM playbook. Did the same thing when Les Miz closed "it will be back soon" - and wasn't it within a year or so? And how'd that work out for it? It's insulting to us fans and those who have supported the production all these years if they think that there's not something special and unique about the original work that can never be replicated.

I get the point that ticket sales were soft until the announcement in September. Couldn't they have taken a page out of the West End and simply announced "booking periods" to try to build up the advance with the reality of it shuttering?


On another note - heard the audio comparisons of Ben from a week ago before it was removed. Wow - it's sad to hear such a difference. It sounds like there's some issue that he's working his tail off to try to cover and act his way around, but - if I spent $200 - $300 for a ticket and that was the Phantom, I'd be disappointed.

chernjam said: "This is what most of us suspected all along... that this is purely a way to bring the low-budget version to town.”

The Post article is the same speculation that everyone has, there’s not even an “unnamed source” to quote with any sort of timeline. The show will undoubtedly be back on Broadway in the future. The question will be when and whether it will be the downsized production currently in London or an entirely different production. At this point I’d rather see a new production. Yes, the work Prince and his collaborators did was beautiful, but it’s ok to have revivals that aren’t simply retreads of the original.

It's Cindy Adams. Take with a grain of salt, but also she's very close with ALW's personal press rep. I'm not sure if she knows what day of the week it is.

If this scaled-down PHANTOM is indeed coming in, it would seem wise to wait a few years. There were 3.5 years between the closing of the original LES MIS and the first revival of it. Let people miss it before bringing it back.

Or if you want to capitalize on momentum, you know, just keep extending the Broadway production...

AEA, we all know that it's ok to have reimagined revivals. Part of the reason why it is so sad that Phantom is closing though is that this production will NEVER be seen again not for creative reasons but for financial ones.

And that first revival of Les Miserables was technically just the final tour stop of the 3rd NT.

What's really wrong about all this is CM has Les Miz and Phantom in London still considered to be in their original runs even though the set design, direction, lighting, and choreography are all different.

ALW/CM would never think that Phantom will remain the longest running show forever, and I am sure CM could not care less about that. They can see the grosses as easy as anyone else and it is clear that shows like Wicked and Lion King are much more profitable this far into their fun than Phantom was at the same point and they will both undoubtedly pass Phantom as longest running show.

Like I've said before, we are lucky that Phantom didn't close the day after Harold Prince died. Cameron and Seth are working on the perfect phrasing now for the new production which will "breath new life into a classic" "make the Phantom all new for the 2020's" etc.

chernjam said: "I can't imagine that ego > greed for [ALW]. Having the longest running show on Broadway history continue would seem more appealing to a man who is incredibly wealthy already."

Agreed.

chernjam said: "I get the point that ticket sales were soft until the announcement in September. Couldn't they have taken a page out of the West End and simply announced "booking periods" to try to build up the advance with the reality of it shuttering?"

Agreed.

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Laird will be going on tonight, per his Instagram:

”Last minute news: I will be on tonight (2/23) as The Phantom. Early show 7pm!”

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Someone posted about it a couple of weeks ago, and I mentioned that April 14 was supposed to be the benefit performance that was indicated in the extension's press announcement.

Updated On: 2/24/23 at 12:59 PM

Probably just a mistake/oversight? When looking at official websites vs. the ticket sellers, sometimes I just assume that one hand doesn't know what the other hand is doing.

I won the digital lottery for tomorrow, and Greg Mills is on as the Phantom… should I accept?

If so, where would my seat likely be (1 ticket)?

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As someone who's entered every day for the past few months and never won...yes, you should take it.