Posted: 4/12/23 at 7:28am
Ben will be off today.
So. What the hells going on here. Will we get our wish and Ted will close the Broadway production as the Phantom?
Posted: 4/12/23 at 8:01am
Probably trying to rest up for the last handful of shows. He’s been very adamant in press interviews that he’ll be closing the show.
Posted: 4/12/23 at 8:04am
His voice was shot on 3/31 so he took the next day’s matinee off. I was at the night show and he sounded fine in the beginning but was losing his voice as the show went on. I’d assume he’s closing as long as he’s capable of doing so.
Posted: 4/12/23 at 8:16am
He hasn’t performed since April 1. Today will make 11 days since his last performance. This just seems a bit excessive for just resting up for the final shows? Like a few days I get but 10 performances straight? Seems kinda odd he can just take off the show for nearly two weeks and then come back for the final couple shows. Idk. This whole thing is fishy especially with how the schedule was handled last week with Jeremy getting all the shows
Posted: 4/12/23 at 8:22am
poto19882023 said: "He hasn’t performed since April 1. Today will make 11 days since his last performance. This just seems a bit excessive for just resting up for the final shows? Like a few days I get but 10 performances straight? Seems kinda odd he can just take off the show for nearly two weeks and then come back for the final couple shows. Idk. This whole thing is fishy especially with how the schedule was handled last week with Jeremy getting all the shows"
Fishy? If you were closing a megashow like Phantom, wouldn't you want to be sure your voice is in the best possible shape? That nothing would lead you to call out for the final..weekend? Nothing is fishy. This makes sense.
Posted: 4/12/23 at 9:32am
poto19882023 said: "Ben will be off today."
Do you know who'll be on today? After never having any luck with the lottery, I caved and bought a ticket I can't really afford for the matinee to see it one last time.
Posted: 4/12/23 at 9:43am
Ted Keegan for both.
You're incredibly lucky :)
Updated On: 4/12/23 at 09:43 AM
Posted: 4/12/23 at 11:06am
I hope Ben is ok but I agree that those who get to see Ted will be in for a treat!
Posted: 4/12/23 at 1:38pm
Will they still have standing room for the charity performance on Friday?
Posted: 4/12/23 at 5:28pm
Aurora Spiderwoman on YouTube posted REALLY GOOD quality of the Broadway Rehearsal with the OG cast! Simply mindblowing!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r31THBdt6eY
Posted: 4/12/23 at 6:24pm
poto19882023 said: "Ted Keegan for both.
You're incredibly lucky :)"
Just back from the show, and I do feel lucky. I think I like Ben Crawford more than many/most around here, weird intonations aside (his voice never seemed rough when I saw him), but I saw him the last three times I saw the show in February, so it was nice to see another take. Ted sounded absolutely lovely, and while I like Ben's more physically imposing, steamroller performance, I very much enjoyed Ted's more seductive and sympathetic/pitiable one. He didn't seem as threatening, but he did seem so much sadder. When she kissed him and he clearly acted like he didn't know what to do with his arms and hands, it hit a lot harder. And in the end when she returned and he turned around with this big, happy, hopeful smile, I got teary-eyed in a way I usually don't. There was so much nuance in his acting.
I'd only seen Emilie once before, and I loved how emotional/on the verge of a nervous breakdown she seemed throughout then. There was less emotion this afternoon, but her voice sounded stronger--there was less of the wobbly quality there was the first time, possibly because she was more in control. I think I might have preferred having my heart ripped out on WYWSHA, but she was still, and maybe more, wonderful to listen to.
The one who really seemed on edge this time was Johnson as Madame Giry, more so than I've ever seen her. It felt like she was barely keeping it together, so that moment at the end of Point of No Return when he's trying to escape off the stage with Christine and comes face-to-face with Giry upstage right before turning the other way to escape upstage left hit me really hard. I don't think I've ever noticed before? Or maybe it was a change. (Or something only Keegan's Phantom does?) I think I would have remembered Giry and the Phantom coming face to face before. Because today it was like...wow.
Sorry to go on so long. Glad I got to see it one more time.
Updated On: 4/12/23 at 06:24 PM
Posted: 4/12/23 at 7:33pm
MemorableUserName said: "poto19882023 said: "Ted Keegan for both.
You're incredibly lucky :)"
Just back from the show, and I do feel lucky. I think I like Ben Crawford more than many/most around here, weird intonations aside (his voice never seemed rough when I saw him), but I saw him the last three times I saw the show in February, so it was nice to see another take. Ted sounded absolutely lovely, and while I like Ben's more physically imposing, steamroller performance, I very much enjoyed Ted's more seductive and sympathetic/pitiable one. He didn't seem as threatening, but he did seem so much sadder. When she kissed him and he clearly acted like he didn't know what to do with his arms and hands, it hit a lot harder. And in the end when she returned and he turned around with this big, happy, hopeful smile, I got teary-eyed in a way I usually don't. There was so much nuance in his acting.
I'd only seen Emilie once before, and I loved how emotional/on the verge of a nervous breakdown she seemed throughout then. There was less emotion this afternoon, but her voice sounded stronger--there was less of the wobbly quality there was the first time, possibly because she was more in control. I think I might have preferred having my heart ripped out on WYWSHA, but she was still, and maybe more, wonderful to listen to.
The one who really seemed on edge this time was Johnson as Madame Giry, more so than I've ever seen her. It felt like she was barely keeping it together, so that moment at the end of Point of No Return when he's trying to escape off the stage with Christine and comes face-to-face with Giry upstage right before turning the other way to escape upstage left hit me really hard. I don't think I've ever noticed before? Or maybe it was a change. (Or something only Keegan's Phantom does?) I think I would have remembered Giry and the Phantom coming face to face before. Because today it was like...wow.
Sorry to go on so long. Glad I got to see it one more time."
Sounds like a great show! So glad you enjoyed it. Wish I could see it one more time too but I’m enjoying all of the show reports.
Posted: 4/12/23 at 11:26pm
I was there for the matinee today too! I would call it a perfect show.
Then I went back for the evening show.......
While it was still wonderful, there were some interesting moments:
-the ghost light was not turned on for the pre-show. And usually at the end of the pre-show announcement, the ghost light shines briefly very bright and then goes out. Tonight.....it never went on at all. Seemed like an omen to me, considering how important the ghost light is to theater lore.
Nothing else weird happened until the final lair when Julia's veil started to fall off and finally fell off as she ran to protect Raoul from the Punjab lasso. It fell off upstage behind Raoul. So Ted changed some of his blocking to walk around Raoul, grab it, scream into a bit, and drop it where it was supposed to be.
Then, when it came time to let Raoul go, Ted grabbed a candle and held it up! I haven't seen that since before the pandemic. It didn't flash like it used to, so I wonder if he just went back to the pre-Seth blocking.
THEN, at the bows, somebody in the front row started throwing long stem roses on the stage right as Raoul came out, then a bunch more as Christine came out. She awkwardly grabbed one, and then Ted came out and stomped all over them lol. It was very awkward and something I've never seen in 89 shows I've witnessed.
I live for nuances like this so I thoroughly enjoyed tonight's show.
One more show tomorrow night and that'll be it for me : (
Posted: 4/12/23 at 11:47pm
Phantom4ever said: "
THEN, at the bows, somebody in the front row started throwing long stem roses on the stage right as Raoul came out, then a bunch more as Christine came out. She awkwardly grabbed one, and then Ted came out and stomped all over them lol. It was very awkward and something I've never seen in 89 shows I've witnessed.
I live for nuances like this so I thoroughly enjoyed tonight's show.
One more show tomorrow night and that'll be it for me : ("
The idea of Phantom stomping on the roses is actually pretty hysterical 
Posted: 4/13/23 at 12:56am
I actually have it on video but I can’t figure out how to post videos on here from my phone.
Oh and one more thing that happened is when Meg pulled the cover off the chair at the very end, it wouldn’t come off! So she yanked again and then gave it a real good 3rd yank and it came off. Never seen move than one yank before. Sounds kinda dirty but it’s true.
Posted: 4/13/23 at 8:12am
Phantom4ever said:
"Nothing else weird happened until the final lair when Julia's veil started to fall off and finally fell off as she ran to protect Raoul from the Punjab lasso. It fell off upstage behind Raoul. So Ted changed some of his blocking to walk around Raoul, grab it, scream into a bit, and drop it where it was supposed to be.
Then, when it came time to let Raoul go, Ted grabbed a candle and held it up! I haven't seen that since before the pandemic. It didn't flash like it used to, so I wonder if he just went back to the pre-Seth blocking."
The blocking of Madame Giry stopping the Phantom at the end of the Point of No Return has been happening at least since the beginning of the year - may have been after the show reopened, but I can't recall seeing it or not last October. Julia's veil has had issues staying on the past three times I've seen her. The candle has been used on and off for the past few weeks. And for the most part when they use it, the spark hasn't been working. I'll still suspend my debelief as I prefer it over just move the noose forward to release Raoul.
Posted: 4/13/23 at 8:18am
Found some photos on Instagram of the roses:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq9lE6SOYkS/
Posted: 4/13/23 at 8:20am
Broadway Flash said: "Will they still have standing room for the charity performance on Friday?"
Apparently, yes. The only show they're not offering SRO for is Sunday.
Posted: 4/13/23 at 9:26am
Regarding the candle, the one time I saw it work was when Jeremy did it for last Saturday matinee. So awesome to see again. But I agree, I prefer the attempt even if it doesn’t spark. Plus since John is quite a bit taller than Ted, it was fun to watch Ted have to do a bit jump to get it well above his head for both shows yesterday. And such a wonderful treat to get to see Ted for two more shows. I think of current cast members, Ted/Emilie/John is my absolute favorite trio and this is only the second time I’ve ever gotten to see them. The final lair for the matinee was without a doubt the best I’ve seen in the last year
Posted: 4/13/23 at 10:14am
Tonight is currently up in the air in regards to Ben. At the end of last night at the stage door Ted said he’d better get home and “shut up” to rest his voice since he had no idea what’s going on tonight.
Btw-
Box office has confirmed SRO for Friday & Saturday, definitive NO for Sunday.
If you want a chance at SRO, I’d suggest showing up starting at 5AM, however you may need to show up earlier than that if you want a shot at getting anything for Saturday. I showed up 5:50AM on Wednesday and was 7th in line. My alarm never went off today and I sadly got there at 6:40ish—I would’ve been 17th in line I think, but most people were buying 2 tickets so there wasn’t any point in my staying there as there wouldn’t have been any luck.
Scalpers got $300 out of my pocket for a box seat. Ugh. Oh well, as long as it’s Ted/Emilie (or Kanisha please?)/John I’ll be fine. I have yet to see a Ted show from a good vantage point, got to see the second act from the orchestra last night and cried like a baby during the Final Lair, something which hasn’t happened in a very long time. I imagine that would happen in act one as well if I could see his full performance, faces and all, from a better vantage point.
Praying tonight will be that night!
Updated On: 4/13/23 at 10:14 AM
Posted: 4/13/23 at 11:34am
Here’s what David Lai and the principal trio were teasing a few weeks ago: https://people.com/theater/andrew-lloyd-webber-new-version-song-think-of-me-phantom-of-opera-close-exclusive/
Posted: 4/13/23 at 4:45pm
Phantom lottery for tomorrow's performance 4/14 on rush.telecharge.com
Posted: 4/13/23 at 4:54pm
yyys said: "Phantom lottery for tomorrow's performance 4/14 on rush.telecharge.com"
Seems like Telecharge wasn't ready for the traffic. Impossible to get through at this point.
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