Phantom Closing?- Page 46

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 1:59pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Are they the same Playbills you can buy at playbill.com?"

That's from the charity performance from a couple of days ago. I don't know if Playbill Store will have the closing night playbill. You'll probably see them pop up on eBay for like $500. 

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 2:02pm

defenses said: "Laird will be on for the final performance. Ben is sidelined with a bacterial infection.https://playbill.com/article/laird-mackintosh-will-play-phantom-of-the-operas-final-broadway-performance-principal-ben-crawford-sidelined"

Poor Ben! I hope he gets better. Laird has a big show tonight!

[Fosse76]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 2:28pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Are they the same Playbills you can buy at playbill.com?"

Presumably.

[The Scorpion]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 2:33pm

Jordan Catalano said: "I know it's an unpopular opinion, especially with the die-hard fanbase of this show (and others), but I don't mind switching it up after decades. If it was any other show, it would be on it's 3rd revival, looking COMPLETELY different than it did in 1986 (the OLC). And don't get me wrong, I love this show but it does feel like a show from the 80's.

When they redid "Les Mis" in London last year, people were furious but I went to see the new one and..I kinda love it. It looks fresh and new and I think does breath some new life into it. I've seen the dark drab "Les Mis" (and I'm NOT knocking the original design) so many times that seeing it bigger with pretty awesome use of colorful projections made it exciting again for me to watch. Did they save money by doing that? Probably - but it honestly doesn't look cheap at all. So maybe that's what a new "Phantom" will be, too.

You liked it because they (deliberately) stopped caring for the original product. It was planned obsolescence. Original Miz was in a terrible state by the time it closed, but it didn't need to be that way. Had they kept up the levels of care they originally had done in the first 20 years of its run, then there wouldn't have been all this fascination with something new and shiny. 

I have no problem with trying out a new production of Phantom if it's genuinely new; that's what most revivals do. But in this case, they market it as the original while changing it up for something blatantly cheaper. That's not only insulting towards the deceased creatives whose names they wrongly attach to the substandard output, but also very cynical and mendacious towards the paying public.

Phantom's look is not so much 1980s as 1880s, and that's something the London replacement gets very wrong with how it is lit (and, in some areas, staged). 

 

Updated On: 4/16/23 at 02:33 PM

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 2:38pm

Dylan Smith4 said: "Jordan Catalano said: "Are they the same Playbills you can buy at playbill.com?"

That's from the charity performance from a couple of days ago. I don't know if Playbill Store will have the closing night playbill. You'll probably see them pop up on eBay for like $500."

On Friday they definitely had the closing night Playbills for sale already...  I ordered one.  They seem to have removed the item link from the Phantom page on their site, but it still works from my order confirmation e-mail:

https://www.playbillstore.com/the-phantom-of-the-opera-closing-night-special-edition-playbill.aspx

[ggersten]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 4:10pm

Ok, it' 4:10 in NY but the FB live red carpet does not seem to have started! 

[NYadgal]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 4:12pm

I can see not-live bits on Instagram but no sound. (It’s not my device)

Is there another place to “tune in”?

[ggersten]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 4:13pm

Richard Ridge was supposed to be doing a FB Live broadcast

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 4:16pm

Me thinks that the ball has dropped on live streams, much like the chandelier.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 4:19pm

If anyone finds an actual link to what we are supposed to watch - please share.

In typical BWW fashion - it’s not clear and isn’t working.  

[ggersten]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 4:20pm

Supposedly here is FB Live - LIVE from PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Closing Night Red Carpet | Facebook

[ggersten]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 4:26pm

There is some video on BWW Instagram page, but no sound. And must be from earlier, because some is with cast members - who might have to get into costume and makeup....

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 4:31pm

The livestream not working for the fans to see is kind of fitting, I guess. 

[JasonC3]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 4:41pm

How entitled we are.  Expecting an announced Livestream to actually work.

/sarcasm

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 4:41pm

Jordan, They posted a photo of the closing night playbill. Here's the link to their Instagram. I checked the playbill store, and it is not up yet. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CrG-hnvJHoV/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 4:45pm

The page is on the Playbill store, and it says "In Stock," but it won't let you add it to your cart. Maybe they deactivated it until after the performance.

Updated On: 4/16/23 at 04:45 PM

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 4:47pm

Where did you see that Taffy? I cannot find it anywhere.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 4:50pm

Playbill Store Link

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 4:51pm

It was posted the other day, and reposted today on post #1114, but it also comes up on a Google search:

https://www.playbillstore.com/the-phantom-of-the-opera-closing-night-special-edition-playbill.aspx

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 4:52pm

They might wait till after the performance, but I will keep refreshing it and see what happens. 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 5:02pm

Can something be called a performance if you can’t actually buy tickets to it (aside from some lottery seats)? Sounds more like a closed, private, corporate event.

Last night’s crowd who went with their hearts and memories completely bared were at the final performance more than today’s inner circle of invites and people who “happen to know someone who was slightly involved and got invited last minute.”

Nonetheless, congratulations to Laird for being the last one today and last night. It’s in the best hands. And that virus of Ben’s, which they had hoped would be gone by now, was so insistent that it had him clean out his dressing room weeks ago! Weird! /wink

Updated On: 4/16/23 at 05:02 PM

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 5:07pm

BorisTomashevsky said: "Can something be called a performance if you can’t actually buy tickets to it (aside from some lottery seats)? Sounds more like a closed, private, corporate event.

Last night’s crowd who went with their hearts and memories completely bared were at the final performance more than today’s inner circle of invites and people who “happen to know someone who was slightly involved and got invited last minute."

No different than an opening night performance. 

[Alyssa213]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 5:23pm

Has anyone seen if ALW is even there tonight?

[ggersten]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 5:26pm

My daughter is there and she posted this image:

[Dylan Smith4]

Posted: 4/16/23 at 5:29pm

Oh those alone will be worth something one day! Hope she frames them!