Phantom Closing?- Page 54

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/24/23 at 12:03pm

imeldasturn said: "You need to have hearing issues not to notice the difference between 14 and 28 musicians. None of the London changes is an improvement and the orchestra sounds thin. It also used to be the only harp in the West End and it was sad to hear it go."

Who cares? All those extra musicians were driving sad, unfortunate Cameron Mackintosh into the poorhouse! THE POORHOUSE! They had to go!

/s

[Piparoo]

Posted: 4/24/23 at 12:22pm

Obviously the musicians were extremely appreciative of the steady gig for so long but, in reading through the This American Life story from a couple of years ago, I was definitely getting an A Short Stay in Hell vibe from some of them.

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/24/23 at 1:14pm

Piparoo said: "Obviously the musicians were extremely appreciative of the steady gig for so long but, in reading through the This American Life story from a couple of years ago, I was definitely getting an A Short Stay in Hell vibe from some of them."

Then why didn't they leave for greener fields? No one was forcing them to remain in the show's employ.

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 4/24/23 at 1:34pm

Lot666 said: "Piparoo said: "Obviously the musicians were extremely appreciative of the steady gig for so long but, in reading through the This American Life story from a couple of years ago, I was definitely getting an A Short Stay in Hell vibe from some of them."

Then why didn't they leave for greener fields? No one was forcing them to remain in the show's employ."

It was obvious the writers of that piece were pushing that narrative, asking leading questions like how do they stay sane playing the same music night after night. There's definitely a bias in a question like that. 

 

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/25/23 at 8:35am

Did anyone else note that, near the end of Frank DiLella's piece about the closing night red carpet, he said something about "the rumor" going around that night night was a new "immersive" production of Phantom?

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 4/25/23 at 10:13am

Lot666 said: "Did anyone else note that, near the end of Frank DiLella's piece about the closing night red carpet, he said something about "the rumor" going around that night night was a new "immersive" production of Phantom?"

When they announced the re-opening of the London production, the restoration of the side boxes for audience use and the proscenium were described as "blurring the boundary" between the production and the audience.  Of course, it turned out to not really be anything spectacularly "new" which the original didn't do.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Details-Emerge-on-the-Redesigned-Her-Majestys-Theatre-Home-to-THE-PHANTOM-OF-THE-OPERA-in-the-West-End-20210211


Perhaps, along the same lines, Cameron and/or RUG were teasing the media with that information, just to get a buzz going?  Frank DiLella could have interpreted this to mean "immersive" or perhaps he was told that key word and he ran with it.

 

Updated On: 4/25/23 at 10:13 AM

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/25/23 at 11:05am

sbflyfan said: "Lot666 said: "Did anyone else note that, near the end of Frank DiLella's piece about the closing night red carpet, he said something about "the rumor" going around that night night was a new "immersive" production of Phantom?"

When they announced the re-opening of the London production, the restoration of the side boxes for audience use and the proscenium were described as "blurring the boundary" between the production and the audience. Of course, it turned out to not really be anything spectacularly "new" which the original didn't do.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Details-Emerge-on-the-Redesigned-Her-Majestys-Theatre-Home-to-THE-PHANTOM-OF-THE-OPERA-in-the-West-End-20210211


Perhaps,along the same lines, Cameron and/or RUG were teasing the media with that information, just to get a buzz going? Frank DiLella could have interpreted this to mean "immersive" or perhaps he was told that key word and he ran with it."

Yeah, I remember that B.S. when London reopened. I guess they'll probably attempt the same spin for New York.

 

[Danny1984]

Posted: 4/25/23 at 2:42pm

"And we are comparing the changes in London to dusting the set? Yikes this thread really has jumped the shark. I'm not surprised though. The same thing happened on the British theater message boards where the pro-Cameron people just relentlessly supported him and the phans kind of eventually let it go and now everybody over there seems to be walking around going "It's the original 1986 Brilliant Original! They just dusted it!"

 

Respectfully, this is incorrect. If there's one thing the Phans never did over there it was "let it go." The problem was precisely the opposite. Most people took a measured view along the lines of mourning the loss of the huge orchestra but appreciating the peri-post pandemic environment and understanding that the changes were needed for the longevity* of the show. A small but very vocal set of Phans (there were only about 4 or 5 of them) repeatedly replied to everyone else telling them they were wrong. When the new show opened, the vast majority of people that actually saw it rated it highly and confirmed nothing was as bad as had been feared. The Phans (most of whom hadn't actually gone to see it due to their entrenched position) continued to reply to everyone that enjoyed it telling them they were wrong, despite art being subjective. The discourse was completely stifled and the moderators eventually had to intervene. But "let it go" they did not.

*Which has now born true. Contrary to the Phans confidence that London would struggle and Broadway would blossom (being the only place in the world to hear the 1986 orchestration), the opposite of course turned out to be true. The public voted with their feet, Broadway became unviable and closed, but after a slow start London is performing better and better.

(My own personal opinion - saw the show last time I was in London and it looked and sounded great. I'd urge people to see it before judging).

Updated On: 4/25/23 at 02:42 PM

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 4/25/23 at 4:34pm

So Danny, you're telling me that the London phans are still not happy with the downscaled show, but then you remind us that the downscaled show looks and sounds great?   

[Danny1984]

Posted: 4/25/23 at 4:50pm

Phantom4ever said: "So Danny, you're telling me that the London phans are still not happy with the downscaled show, but then you remind us that the downscaled show looks and sounds great?"

Well, in essence I suppose. There's a bit of inference in what you say. I can't speak for the London Phans now, but the ones that used to post were pretty anti it. And in the main had not seen it.

It is my opinion from when I went to London that it still looks and sounds great, yes. Not as good as the 80's and 90's, but better than the tired version of the original it became in the 00's and 10's (when, as TBFL correctly stated, Prince's involvement was increasingly minimal). And a gulf away, I think from the way the Phans (who hadn't seen it) described it.

[kdogg36]

Posted: 4/25/23 at 5:21pm

Danny1984 said: "Not as good as the 80's and 90's, but better than the tired version of the original it became in the 00's and 10's (when, as TBFL correctly stated, Prince's involvement was increasingly minimal). And a gulf away, I think from the way the Phans (who hadn't seen it) described it."

Is it really an original director's job to make sure a production stays fresh long after it opens? I'm pretty sure there are other people being paid to do that. I appreciate that Prince regularly visited both productions for many years after opening, but that was a bonus; he had already done his job in the 1980s. 

[Listener]

Posted: 4/25/23 at 7:41pm

Did any of you go to special ticket performance on April 13th, with that VIP experience at the Lambs Club afterward?

Did anyone special perform there? They promised company members from the last 35 years would attend and entertain...did it happen? Considering how much they charged for tickets, I would like to think so.

[FunnyBoy22]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 12:09am

Interestingly, the original Broadway set is being sent off to 'NETworks' per the production manager. Perhaps for future rental in regional markets? I half thought the chandelier might wind up at the Smithsonian (perhaps it may yet!) 

Updated On: 4/26/23 at 12:09 AM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 9:26am

I hope we're not getting a non-equity Phantom

[inception]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 9:47am

RippedMan said: "I hope we're not getting a non-equity Phantom"

Makes the most sense.  Looks like the non-equity Cats tour is coming to an end soon with the last dates listed on their website being Vancouver May 23-28 & then Honolulu June 13-18.

Weren't most of the vocals on Broadway pre-recorded anyways?  Could hire some RuPaul gurls to mime the role of Christine. Ginger Minj would be perfect. Can't tell the difference between her and Sarah Brightman.

[poto19882023]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 9:56am

The entire title song is pre-recorded, and the Phantom has the following scenes pre-recorded:

• ”Bravi…bravi…bravissimi”
• POST-COVID: the final two “I am your angel of music, come to me angel of music” (Likely to give the Phantom/Christine more time to get to the other side of the stage to get on the set piece for the descent to the lair, since they got rid of the doubles after reopening) 
• Notes/Prima Donna: All voiceovers
• “Il Muto” Ballet: Evil laughter before Buquet’s hanging
• All I Ask Of You (Reprise): Evil laughter as the chandelier falls
• All of “Why So Silent?”
• Notes II: All voiceovers
• All of the bits before the performance “Don Juan Triumphant” (“I’m here…”, “seal my fate” etc.)

Everything else is sung live

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 10:07am

RippedMan said: "I hope we're not getting a non-equity Phantom"

Me too.  Is that what "NETworks" does?

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 11:18am

NETworks started as one of the first non-Equity touring companies to really show the viability of non-Equity touring on a larger scale (their name literally stands for Non Equity Touring works). They also have a decent amount of storage/warehouse space nearer their home office in Maryland, so it’s just as likely, if this is true, that Cameron Mackintosh/RUG are renting space from them cheaper than they would get anywhere in the tri-state area. It’s also possible that NETworks purchased it in anticipation of the rights getting released for professional productions and wanting to have it as part of their show package rentals.

All that being said, even if NETworks comes to a deal with Mackintosh to produce a non-Equity tour there is no way that the Broadway set is going out on the road.

Edited to add: since their founding NETworks did expand to also producing Equity tours as well.

Updated On: 4/26/23 at 11:18 AM

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 11:31am

AEA AGMA SM said: "All that being said, even if NETworks comes to a deal with Mackintosh to produce a non-Equity tour there is no way that the Broadway set is going out on the road."

Then why send the Broadway set to NETworks?

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 12:20pm

Lot666 said: "AEA AGMA SM said: "All that being said, even if NETworks comes to a deal with Mackintosh to produce a non-Equity tour there is no way that the Broadway set is going out on the road."

Then why send the Broadway set to NETworks?"

As I said, it could be that Mackintosh is just renting storage space, or it could be that they bought it in anticipation of being able to rent it out for future regional productions. I’m not saying a non-Equity tour is never going to happen, just that the Broadway set that was just loaded out is not going to be on tour. A set that old, that was not engineered and built to tour, would cost far more to maintain and transport on the road than building a new set would.
 

It’s also not a guarantee that a NETworks produced tour would be non-Equity. They've been co-producing the Les Mis tour for years now and haven't shown any sign of making that non-Equity. 

[FunnyBoy22]

Posted: 4/26/23 at 7:20pm

Yes, to echo the above comments -- the likely answer in the more immediate is either NETworks assisting in the storage of these assets (as they DO have a huge amount of storage space for scenery and costumes) on behalf of RUG/Cam Mac OR alternatively, they've purchased the set from the production for future rental to major regional companies. 

To be sure, the Broadway set was NOT constructed to tour, and it's also 35+ years old now. While refurbishment can and will likely happen, these pieces will likely come together in more 'mix and match' ways if used even regionally. Or at least modified in a way that they can be easily adjusted to whatever performing arts center they get used in going forward (ie. the size of the false proscenium, which on tour would be made wider or taller depending on the venue). 

Pittsburgh CLO's construction center actually housed at least ONE of the original touring sets to PHANTOM for many years (it used to be a talking point on their website blurb). I don't believe they ever actually owned it, but the production made use of their considerable storage space. I could see NETworks serving a similar function here? Time will tell!

Updated On: 4/26/23 at 07:20 PM

[Lot666]

Posted: 4/27/23 at 3:26pm

I guess Ben Crawford has moved on.

https://www.theatermania.com/news/ashley-blanchet-ben-crawford-claybourne-elder-ann-harada-to-lead-muny-beauty-and-the-beast_1700135/?fbclid=IwAR2dyhu5N2EhopXGjfRSmmmtEEzuQ3LF8sh3OX6qPare3KZf-J9ZOBUKZrQ

[Penna2]

Posted: 4/27/23 at 4:29pm

Lot666 said: "I guess Ben Crawford has moved on.

https://www.theatermania.com/news/ashley-blanchet-ben-crawford-claybourne-elder-ann-harada-to-lead-muny-beauty-and-the-beast_1700135/?fbclid=IwAR2dyhu5N2EhopXGjfRSmmmtEEzuQ3LF8sh3OX6qPare3KZf-J9ZOBUKZrQ"
Deleted

Updated On: 4/27/23 at 04:29 PM

[Listener]

Posted: 4/28/23 at 11:02pm

Which set pieces went out this week?

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 4/29/23 at 11:53am

Kevin Broomell has been documenting the load out on his instagram daily. The most recent pieces to leave are the portcullis, automation equipment, lighting rigs, the proscenium statues including the angel, the graveyard set. Joseph Buquet and the chandelier are still there. 

They've extended the stage floor out over the front orchestra for their work.