Phantom Closing?- Page 56

[Lot666]

Posted: 6/30/23 at 8:36am

poto19882023 said: "Now that Jordan Donica will be available after this month they should bring the show back asap so he can play The Phantom. Would be one of the shows best casting decisions in years

I loved him as Raoul and was sorry when he left.

"

 

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 7/6/23 at 2:29pm

I see rumblings about Phantom London closing on Tiktok and UK Theater forums. Not sure how I feel about it. On one hand, I don't like that idea of a cheapened Phantom being out there, but on the other hand, I still am curious to see it for myself before it closes. 

[Voter]

Posted: 7/6/23 at 2:50pm

Phantom4ever said: "I see rumblings about Phantom London closing on Tiktok and UK Theater forums. Not sure how I feel about it. On one hand, I don't like that idea of a cheapened Phantom being out there, but on the other hand, I still am curious to see it for myself before it closes."

Interesting... 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/6/23 at 2:52pm

Seems odd to just get rid of your biggest cash cow. But maybe it's not worth running anymore.

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 7/6/23 at 3:03pm

Interesting. I thought they had decided to downsize Phantom in London during the shutdown so they could afford to keep running the show once it was safe. 

That's a bad omen if the cheaper version is closing.

Updated On: 7/6/23 at 03:03 PM

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 7/6/23 at 3:35pm

Well rumor also has it that the downsizing was planned long before the pandemic, in a similar matter to what was done with Les Miz. Downsize for the sake of cutting out the original creatives. 

[Listener]

Posted: 7/6/23 at 11:10pm

I don't know what they're going to do, but I do not want the original show to slip away even more.

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 7/8/23 at 11:32am

Delete.

Updated On: 7/8/23 at 11:32 AM

[Listener]

Posted: 8/10/23 at 3:20pm

Does anyone know how many times the original Broadway production was filmed in some capacity during its 35 year run?

I know they had something set up for the final performance, since we saw the chandelier footage...and they shot quite a bit, if not all, of the original London show, since that footage was used in news reports...but I wonder how often they documented the show in full, if ever...

Updated On: 8/10/23 at 03:20 PM

[Lot666]

Posted: 8/10/23 at 3:25pm

Listener said: "Does anyone know how many times the original Broadway production was filmed in some capacity during its 35 year run?

I know they had something set up for the final performance, since we saw the chandelier footage...and they shot quite a bit, if not all, of the original London show, since that footage was used in news reports...but I wonder how often they documented the show in full, if ever..."

I wish I knew. For the 4/14/23 benefit performance, there were cameras set up at the entrance aisles to orchestra left and right, but all I've seen from that was footage of the curtain call and announcement of the auction items. I would pay a lot of money (and I do mean a LOT) for a pro-shot recording of the original production.

[Penna2]

Posted: 8/10/23 at 3:36pm

Listener said: "Does anyone know how many times the original Broadway production was filmed in some capacity during its 35 year run?

I know they had something set up for the final performance, since we saw the chandelier footage...and they shot quite a bit, if not all, of the original London show, since that footage was used in news reports...but I wonder how often they documented the show in full, if ever..."

I believe the original show with Michael Crawford was videotaped and archived. He spoke of seeing it just recently in the past couple of years and was fascinated watching his decisions as a performer during the show. It's possible the last show was archived as well. But unlikely to be released to the public. I doubt there was a pro-shot. Only speaking as someone who has following POTO for a number of years, this particular staging was nothing to write home about for a number of reasons especially this one caused the show to close after 35 years.

The Royal Albert Hall 25th Anniversary is the show that is promoted and was produced to represent the show to the public who wanted to see the show in the future (even with some of the changes) on DVD. The production pulled out all the stops with casting, staging, costumes, orchestra...the works. This is the Phantom the producers want the world to see.

I do think they will be doing a revival in the next couple of years. Both ALW and Cammack were at the Trieste Phantom with Ramin Karimloo. While not the grandest of productions, there were elements that could be introduced to a revival to change it enough to prevent anyone calling foul.

 

[thedrybandit]

Posted: 8/10/23 at 4:05pm

Penna2 said: "Only speaking as someone who has following POTO for a number of years, this particular staging was nothing to write home about for a number of reasons especially this one caused the show to close after 35 years."

 

The original, Hal Prince production that ran 35+ years in two countries isn't anything to write home about, because it "caused the show to close"??? I would love to understand your logic there.

 

[Penna2]

Posted: 8/10/23 at 4:36pm

thedrybandit said: "Penna2 said: "Only speaking as someone who has following POTO for a number of years, this particular staging was nothing to write home about for a number of reasons especially this one caused the show to close after 35 years."



The original, Hal Prince production that ran 35+ years in two countries isn't anything to write home about, because it "caused the show to close"??? I would love to understand your logic there.

Please re-read my entire post carefully, instead of cherry-picking one sentence taken without context.

I was referring to the production that was viewed as the final show. When this incarnation reopened in October 2021, it was selling out. In January, 2022, the box office began taking a hit and never recovered, until the closing was announced in October, 2022. That cast and staging is what I was talking about - the final performance which was not what I think would have been worthy of a pay-for-it stream or video.

 

Updated On: 8/10/23 at 04:36 PM

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 8/10/23 at 6:06pm

What do you mean by "this incarnation"?  Do you mean the changes that Seth made, like removing the doubles from the title song, or how some of the choreography was re-arranged? 

It stopped selling because of the omicron variant and because this was CamMack's plan all along, even if sales were through the roof. 

The Harold Prince staging was still very much intact all the way through the final performance. 

[Penna2]

Posted: 8/10/23 at 7:19pm

Phantom4ever said: "What do you mean by "this incarnation"? Do you mean the changes that Seth made, like removing the doubles from the title song, or how some of the choreography was re-arranged?

It stopped selling because of the omicron variant and because this was CamMack's plan all along, even if sales were through the roof.

The Harold Prince staging was still very much intact all the way through the final performance."

The original question was about the last performance being videotaped and sold to the public. My reply was that no, it likely would not be because they did RAH25. I don't know why Prince wasn't the director, but the fact is that is the POTO they put on a DVD and it's still being sold and shown in pieces on YouTube.

Your argument that it was still Hal Prince isn't relevant to that question. It had nothing to do with Cammack wanting to change the production. No one wants to lose millions of dollars to prove a point. The failure of the show only proved it wasn't a draw anymore. The show was losing $1,000,000 a week, for whatever reason. Other shows opened and did well with the openings - The Music Man for one, Funny Girl was another after that mess was straightened out, so the covid business doesn't fly.

I get your obsession - it's in your name. 

Getting mad at me isn't going to bring it back. I'm just saying what the reality is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[thedrybandit]

Posted: 8/10/23 at 9:55pm

Penna2 said: "Your argument that it was still Hal Prince isn't relevant to that question. It had nothing to do with Cammack wanting to change the production. No one wants to lose millions of dollars to prove a point. The failure of the show only proved it wasn't a draw anymore. The show was losing $1,000,000 a week, for whatever reason. Other shows opened and did well with the openings - The Music Man for one, Funny Girl was another after that mess was straightened out, so the covid business doesn't fly."

 

Okay so - it was costing $1,000,000 a week to run, it wasn't losing that per week. Music Man sold because it had a star, Funny Girl also sold because it had a star once the cast change happened. Phantom closed not because it failed, but because they want to update it to make it cheaper to run going forward.










"

 

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 8/10/23 at 9:56pm

Delete

Updated On: 8/11/23 at 09:56 PM

[Listener]

Posted: 8/13/23 at 3:54am

"The original question was about the last performance being videotaped and sold to the public. My reply was that no, it likely would not be because they did RAH25. I don't know why Prince wasn't the director, but the fact is that is the POTO they put on a DVD and it's still being sold"

Actually no, that wasn't my original question. At all.

I clearly asked if the Broadway show was filmed during its 35 year run. Any cast, at any point. That was the question.

....did you see the final performances? You seem to be objecting to the condition the show was in when it closed, or possibly certain casting choices, but having seen it myself, I can say I was very impressed with the company. Sure, there were some odd tweaks here and there by the new director, but it was still moving, entertaining, lavish and captivating. Not a heavily altered version.

I'm basically just trying to get a sense here of which performances in 35 years may have been taped with real cameras for whatever reason.

This has nothing to do with the Royal Albert Hall show.

 

Edit: And calling the longest-running show in Broadway history a failure really doesn't make sense. Come on now.

Updated On: 8/13/23 at 03:54 AM

[thedrybandit]

Posted: 8/13/23 at 9:31am

Listener said: "I clearly asked if the Broadway show was filmed during its 35 year run. Any cast, at any point. That was the question.... I'm basically just trying to get a sense here of which performances in 35 years may have been taped with real cameras for whatever reason."

It definitely was filmed several times. I believe the 10,000th performance, the 25th anniversary performance, re-opening on Broadway, and original cast were filmed, and there were possibly other performances filmed over the years. The video of the original cast is at the Lincoln Center archive and from what I understand may have become possible to view now that it's not on Broadway. The others are in the Webber/Mackintosh archives.

[Lot666]

Posted: 8/15/23 at 9:14am

Penna2 said: "Only speaking as someone who has following POTO for a number of years, [the Broadway] staging was nothing to write home about for a number of reasons especially this one caused the show to close after 35 years.

The Royal Albert Hall 25th Anniversary is the show that is promoted and was produced to represent the show to the public who wanted to see the show in the future (even with some of the changes) on DVD. The production pulled out all the stops with casting, staging, costumes, orchestra...the works. This is the Phantom the producers want the world to see."

Are you high?

 

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 8/15/23 at 10:01am

Does anyone think it will come back to Broadway within the next maybe 5-10 years?

[Voter]

Posted: 8/15/23 at 10:11am

hearthemsing22 said: "Does anyone think it will come back to Broadway within the next maybe 5-10 years?"

Yes. Minimum 7. My best bet is bringing it back right at the 10 year mark.

If it was me, I'd bring in a whole new creative team with no ties to the previous one. To create a truly new rendition that can't be compared to the original.

[chernjam]

Posted: 8/15/23 at 10:24am

hearthemsing22 said: "Does anyone think it will come back to Broadway within the next maybe 5-10 years?"

I wouldn't be shocked if as soon as the Majestic re-opens after Renovations within a year, that it returns due to "unprecedented demand"

[Voter]

Posted: 8/15/23 at 10:58am

Saw this on instagram this morning and thought I'd share

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv9_T_fu7cl/

"Dear Phriends! My name is Raquel Suarez Groen and I was the  PHINAL Carlotta Giudicelli in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. I have a ton of authentic props and fabrics  from the show that I have made into jewelry so you can now wear a piece of history. I even have THE chandelier beads!! Come join my LIVE SALE tonight at 7pm EDT on my instagram (@quelly2000) to buy *one of a kind* Phantom pieces!

You can also check out my Etsy store at
https://www.etsy.com/shop/THESEBLINGSDOHAPPEN

Each item comes with a personalized signed card from me!"

[Listener]

Posted: 4/16/24 at 11:59pm

A year later. Still in shock. Still missing ya, Ruthie II.