Phantom Closing? — Page 42

I could not have been more delighted to learn that Laird Mackintosh would be playing the Phantom tonight, and he was superb. I had always loved him as Andre, but only managed to see him once in the lead and had given up hope of ever seeing him do it again.

Sierra, Ali, and Sarah were another wonderful surprise. I can only imagine what their costumes will ultimately sell for, and as for the Maria Bjornson sketches…well, I’m sure that piece will be well beyond my means.

I have complete and very close-up video of the entire curtain call and auction presentation.

I would be remiss if I did not also mention that Ted Keegan did a very fine job at the 4/12/23 matinee. I had seen him once before and was very disappointed by his Phantom, but perhaps he was unwell at the time because I was pleasantly surprised by him on Wednesday.

After comments heard at the stage door tonight, I can’t wait to see who actually ends up playing the lead on Saturday night!

Updated On: 4/15/23 at 01:32 AM

Well, here we are. Final public shows.

Will our final Phantom be either Ted Keegan or Laird Mackintosh? Doubt they'd hire back Laird for just one show. Jeremy said his final performance was definitively Thursday night. Paul and Greg don't want to go on again. And Ben isn't coming back.

Since they were ridiculously unfair to Ted these past two weeks in regards to giving Jeremy so many shows and Ted so few, I'd say Ted is owed a proper definitive final performance. My hope is Ted is given the matinee today at the very least. He deserved to close the production.

The Scorpion said: "I can only hope the filming they're doing is for commercial release, but given Cameron is hellbent on bringing the butchered production over from London, it doesn't make sense for them to do that."

I don’t see why not. These people are, let’s face it, money grubbing whores. Why shouldn’t they cash in on a release that would most definitely sell like toilet paper in 2020. The Albert Hall presentation was in no way the real deal, but rather a freaky, bloated bastardization of it. I’ve always had trouble sitting through it. There’s money to be made from releasing this — and it would interfere in no way with the “tribute band” version of the show (as Schumacher’s messy, mundane film did no harm to the original). Cam knows this.

Take any comments from the stage door with a grain of salt, the cast likely isn't allowed to say anything -- if they know anything at all, which by most accounts it seems they don't and apparently they haven't heard from Ben at all. People are being quite tight lipped about everything.

They wouldn't have hired Laird back for just one show. The right thing to do would've been to give it to Ted. But nothing we can do about that now.

I'm hoping that, since Jeremy Stolle got to have a definitive final the other night -- he said he knew it was for sure his final afterward -- Ted deserves the same respect. I'm hoping today's matinee will be his.

But we can really only say for sure that it will not be Jeremy, Paul, Greg, or Ben the next shows.

Either way, if it's Ted or Laird, I'm glad the production will be closing with a Phantom who has a long history being with the show, and one that turns in a passionate and excellent performance worthy of closing the production. It's what the show and the fans deserve. Seeing the show with Ted, Jeremy, and now Laird recently makes for such an incredible performance to compliment this amazing company, and the final scene has moved me to a blubbering mess for the first time in ages with them donning the mask.

Updated On: 4/15/23 at 10:20 AM

Lot666 said: "

I would be remiss if I did not also mention that Ted Keegan did a very fine job at the 4/12/23 matinee. I had seen him once before and was very disappointed by his Phantom, but perhaps he was unwell at the time because I was pleasantly surprised by him on Wednesday."

I have been hoping you'd catch Ted one more time. I'm glad to hear that maybe your first performance of his was an off night and he surprised you on Wednesday. I'm also glad you caught Laird too!

Updated On: 4/15/23 at 10:32 AM

GiantsInTheSky2 said: "poto19882023 said: "Paul and Greg don't want to go on again. And Ben isn't coming back.."

I can’t tell if this is just…Phan behavior, or if you actually have sources for this information.

It sounds like obsessive fan ramblings, especially the Ted/Jeremy bit - Ted Keegan has been employed with the show on and off since the mid-90’s in more than one production. I’m sure he’s a grown professional who’s not whining at the stage door about not going on during a weird period of coverage. This isn’t SMASH.

Anyways - it would be amazing if they filmed the last round of performances for distribution (or even just a cinema stream?), and even better if it was Laird to lead. He’s an incredible Phantom."

Ah I understand where you're coming from feeling that way about my posts and I apologize.

I didn't mean at all to imply Ted was acting that way. He just genuinely wants to play the role whenever he can. He was really keen to go on during Jeremy's week according to a cast member at stage door (fuzzy on whom, I 85% sure it was Greg Mills) and had initially thought he might be getting one that week, which was from Ted himself after seeing Jeremy on April 5.

Those sentiments come from Paul and Greg themselves. Greg is satisfied with the final performance he gave on March 27th, and he also said the other day he knows it means a lot to Ted so he'd rather do his swing track and let Ted go on. I do think its sweet that the cast can see just how much love he has for the role. Apparently whenever he is on a ton of the cast members are watching him from the wings.

Anyway -- Paul is in a similar boat, he had already made peace with having given his final Phantoms back in January.

I understand their standpoints, it makes sense. Going through another "final performance" must be emotionally draining.

Again my apologies for just stating without sourcing. I have been coming to see all of the shows for all but one performance since April 3 hence why I've heard a lot of this stuff. Everyone seems genuinely caught off guard by this situation.

Updated On: 4/15/23 at 10:34 AM

Ben's final performance was the evening performance on Saturday, April 1 - only for the evening show, he called out of the matinee. He sounded a bit rough on March 31. However I will say that April 1 show was the strongest I'd ever heard him vocally in the role. So him disappearing after that is odd.

Also possibly worth noting that his final two weeks he had to miss a show on both Saturdays in addition to his regular scheduled Mondays off.

clever2 said: "The Scorpion said: "I can only hope the filming they're doing is for commercial release, but given Cameron is hellbent on bringing the butchered production over from London, it doesn't make sense for them to do that."

I don’t see why not. These people are, let’s face it, money grubbing whores. Why shouldn’t they cash in on a release that would most definitely sell like toilet paper in 2020. The Albert Hall presentation was in no way the real deal, but rather a freaky, bloated bastardization of it. I’ve always had trouble sitting through it. There’s money to be made from releasing this — and it would interfere in no way with the “tribute band” version of the show (as Schumacher’s messy, mundane film did no harm to the original). Cam knows this."

Yes, but Cam knew there was money to be made from having a professional release of the original Miz, and that didn't happen either (instead, we just got concert after concert after concert). And I don't know why he would want to market a DVD of the full-scale original when in a year's time he is going to be trying to peddle the reduced version as 'bigger and better than ever'. He is surely going to hope that people forget the scale/grandeur of the Hal Prince piece so that they don't notice the difference.

But nonetheless I can only hope you're right, as the RAH thing (which I saw live too) did not do it for me either.

Ted will be Phantom at the matinee.

Per an injury, Ben Crawford will not be returning to the show. He has played his final performance.

CATSNYrevival said: "Voter said: "Per an injury, Ben Crawford will not be returning to the show. He has played his final performance."

What injury? Wasn't it announced prior that there would be rotating Phantoms for the final weeks?"

Has to be vocal injury based off his last two shows. He barely had a voice.

I don’t remember seeing anything about rotating phantoms. Pretty sure this is an emergency situation.

I've heard from a few people that it'll be Laird tonight. Until the house opens take that with a grain of salt.