Phantom Closing? — Page 51

The Scorpion said: "Dylan Smith4 said: "Chase Miller said: "What a slap in the face if they just revive this show in the next 2-3 years. Phantom needs to be gone for at least a decade."

That's exactly what I have been saying for a while now! Let people move on and bring it back in like a decade or so with a new creative team. Bringing it back immediately is a major slap in the face to Hal Prince and members of the OG creative team who are no longer with us."

This was clearly what was planned all along (and the ridiculous 'letter' on Jimmy Fallon merely confirmed it), but I agree. There is, or was, a lot of anger backstage the Majestic that that community was torn apart for no good reason other than for Cameron Mackintosh and Really Useful to open the show and hire newbies to do their jobs.

Yes, 'it's showBUSINESS' I hear some say. In that case find a show that does do the business, rather than parasitize off the hard work of deceased creatives who are no longer around to argue against their names being wrongly attributed to shoddy work."

Do you hear yourself? A community that was torn apart?? Give me a break.. A community that was together for 35 years, something that no other show was able to do. They should be grateful for those 35 years, not apparently angry about it, like you claim. And if they really were such a tight knit community, then they'll stay like that going forward and not expect to be paid for it. If a new production is going to give young people a chance to work on Broadway, then I am all for it. CM and RUG have employed hundreds of thousands of people over the years, given people their big break and allowed them to go onto other things, why your so against that, I have no idea. Did you not past that first audition?

The original original creatives did their work nearly 40 years ago.They made many many millions from it and are still receiving money from it. They have absolutely nothing to complain about. If Hal Prince really was that bothered by shoddy work, again, like you claim, then he would have got involved when cartain cast members came in who couldn't or were not delivering what was created with the original cast. But did he? No, of course not. He'd moved on. He'd done his work, was continuining to get paid for it, job done.

When it does come back, they'll probably get zero credit and zero money. God know's how you'll be able to cope when that happens.

Danny1984 said: "The Scorpion said: "Dylan Smith4 said: "Chase Miller said: "What a slap in the face if they just revive this show in the next 2-3 years. Phantom needs to be gone for at least a decade."

That's exactly what I have been saying for a while now! Let people move on and bring it back in like a decade or so with a new creative team. Bringing it back immediately is a major slap in the face to Hal Prince and members of the OG creative team who are no longer with us."

This was clearly what was planned all along (and the ridiculous 'letter' on Jimmy Fallon merely confirmed it), but I agree. There is, or was, a lot of anger backstage the Majestic that that community was torn apart for no good reason other than for Cameron Mackintosh and Really Useful to open the show and hire newbies to do their jobs.

Yes, 'it's showBUSINESS' I hear some say. In that case find a show that does do the business, rather than parasitize off the hard work of deceased creatives who are no longer around to argue against their names being wrongly attributed to shoddy work."

There wasn't "a lot of anger backstage at The Majestic." Where on earth have you got this from? Either a single highly unreliable source I expect or you've completely made it up.

This version of Phantom has closed because it was haemorrhaging money. It got an incredible well deserved boost in it's last months because it is an amazing musical that has spanned 35 years of our lives. To be expected. But that is not sustainable and before that it was in dire financial straits.

It is perfectly reasonable, and indeed desirable for such a popular musical to return soon in a financially viable format. And bringing it back soon isn't a "slap in the face" to anyone. The producers and creators of this show can put it on whenever and wherever they like. The general public can decide whether or not they wish to spend their moneyto see it.

"

Sorry to disagree with you, but what I've heard matches up exactly with what this person is saying. Seriously. People were/are not happy.

You seem pretty keen to paint Phantom as having been in dire financial straits. I'm sure things could have been better, but I'm more sure this overhaul wasn't necessary, it would have weathered its problems and endured...and yes, the people involved were deeply hurt by having their positions (and loyalty) dismissed.

Reading these posts, it's good to remember, the first stage of grief is anger.

So whether people were angry backstage or not and why seems understandable. Even for ALW who's not simply grieving such a defining thing in his career coming to an end, but even more importantly, the recent death of his son.



I do agree with those who still believe this was unnecessary and that this is more CM motivated as cost-saving measures. If I recall when the initial announcement was made, he noted looking at economic conditions (the fact that inflation is going up, that we're in the midst of a recession, global factors like war in Ukraine, etc) all unpleasant and things we don't want to think effect us, as a producer he does.

Please don't read that as me being a CM defender. I still think this was premature and unnecessary. Particularly looking at the grosses overall, and I agree with those who've said when it went from peaks and valleys in terms of grosses, the peaks were still pretty high and overall, I find it hard to believe overall it was losing money at this point.
Considering all the free PR this has gotten here in the states though, its hard to believe this respite will be short lived. Particularly seeing the Fallon clip and knowing that pre-closing NBC was working with them to do some Phantom related TV project.

Danny1984 said:
There wasn't "a lot of anger backstage at The Majestic." Where on earth have you got this from? Either a single highly unreliable source I expect or you've completely made it up.

Do you expect me to divulge names here? I'm totally fine if you don't believe it, it's nothing to me. There is one cast member who's even done an interview for this very site saying the same thing, if you want some kind of external validation.

I just want to make clear though, in case there is any confusion, that no one is saying that the staff are angry simply because the show is closing. Shows close all the time, it's a fact of life. What is bothersome to those concerned here is that this has been done cynically. It took less than 24 hours for ALW to go on to Jimmy Fallon and pretty much announce the return to New York. This is not a normal way a show closes.

Listener said:
Sorry to disagree with you, but what I've heard matches up exactly with what this person is saying. Seriously. People were/are not happy.

You seem pretty keen to paint Phantom as having been in dire financial straits. I'm sure things could have been better, but I'm more sure this overhaul wasn't necessary, it would have weathered its problems and endured...and yes, the people involved were deeply hurt by having their positions (and loyalty) dismissed.

Yes, the point is that these jobs WILL be there again very shortly. But this community won't be part of it, and their contributions will be erased/dismissed as is what happened in London. Yes they had a great gig. Everyone is grateful for that. But as other posters have said, this whole gameplaying is unnecessary.

Honestly, it would just be more respectful and indeed tasteful if this show did not get put on again in NYC any time soon. But that's clearly not what Cameron or Andrew have in mind.

TBFL said:
If Hal Prince really was that bothered by shoddy work, again, like you claim, then he would have got involved when cartain cast members came in who couldn't or were not delivering what was created with the original cast. But did he? No, of course not.

At this point I can only assume you know zilch about the show or how it was run from that comment. Hal Prince came in all the time, and the only reason this is playing out the way it is is because he's not here. These plans were in the making before Hal's death and then got the greenlight once that happened.

Updated On: 4/19/23 at 06:07 PM

Ben Crawford’s been doing an AMA (ask me anything) on a Phantom subreddit. Here are a couple interesting replies:

Q: what is your opinion on Cameron Macintosh

A: Love him. Smart business man. Understood and appreciated my performance. He owes no one anything.

Q: it seems everyone is bashing him for closing the show…

A: I know…the thing is we weren’t making a ton of money. Pretty sure we got our stop clause in early December when we came back. The only shocking thing about the announcement was that jack ass at the New York Post had to be first so he posted completely incorrect information re: the closing date

Q: I hate to be nosey and you don’t have to answer at all but what happened? A bacterial infection all of April? Deleting a lot of your Phantom social?

A: The sound in the theater is terrible. I’ve been complaining about it since I started. It’s the culprit. There’s no monitors on stage. When I asked for them they said the sound system was too old to accommodate them. That’s before and after the pandemic, when we got a new sound system. Imagine half of your face is glued down but you also need to sing like an opera singer. Now do that for 7-8 shows a week for over 1000 shows. It’s insane.

Also I’m not feeling especially loved by an entity I literally slung on my shoulders for 3 & a half years.

It’s not bitterness to alter my Instagram (everything is archived), it’s simply a decision that was made for my sanity. I gave my life to the show and when I had to miss the last two weeks because I’m always giving my all I got thrown out with the set. Time to move on.

Updated On: 4/19/23 at 10:22 PM

If you don't believe the show was losing money, go look at the grosses rom when the show reopened in 2021. Nearly 12 months of weekly losses.Thats an insane amount of money to lose and regardless of what someone's peronal wealth is, you don't throw your own money into it, just to please a handful of Phans. It got a boost when it announced closing, but only for that reason,

Figures pre covid mean nothing now. Inflation isn't going down, peoples wages are not going up and people are sturggling to make ends meet and don't have money to spare on broadway shows, or other luxuries. Tourism isnt back to near where it was and it's tourists who keep long runners like Phantom going.But yeah, sure, lets keep it open to please you and the staff who work there....

Strangely, none of the long time orchestra players are angry about the show closing. They seem to have a good perspective on it. Appreciative even. Weird you dont know any of those people working on it.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/09/nyregion/phantom-opera-orchestra.html

JSquared2 said: "If nothing else, this entire thread has proven (once again) that there ain't no crazy like Phantom Phan Crazy!

I'm positive that Jesse Tyler Ferguson is already hard at work on his dramatic reading of the thread's "highlights". “


I was just thinking about that the other day! If he wants good highlight to read, he should head over to the New York New York thread. A lot of fun ones there.

Is anyone else on that side of TikTok where the young-ish creators are making videos about mouring the loss of Phantom as if it is a way of passage for theatre fans?

fashionguru_23 said: "Is anyone else on that side of TikTok where the young-ish creators are making videos about mouring the loss of Phantom as if it is a way of passage for theatre fans?"

I am a little deeper into the side where they are now ridiculing anyone who didn't think the show was perfect clearly knows nothing as how else could it last 35 years if it wasn't perfect....

Went through that whole reddit thread. Yikes. Especially the one making fun of the OBC and Sarah Brightman . Horrible though on how his later days were mistreated

Could someone dm me the Reddit thread or post it here?

I’m not sure how anyone can perform a major vocal role without monitors to hear themselves and/or the music, but it appears he did so for several years and sang just fine. Can anyone interpret or clarify why monitors were so necessary for him towards the end of the run?
And how dozens of singers did fine in the role without them for 35 years, but all of a sudden the fact that they don’t exist was an issue?