Phantom of the Opera - And why I finally get it- Page 2

[nfrjikgovf]

Posted: 3/21/19 at 4:06pm

Wick3- yes it has been there since 1986. Very few differences, only a hardcore fan would pay attention. The costumes are Maria Bjornson's design, but look slightly different than the Broadway ones since they are made by a different workshop. Same with the wigs and makeup. When Christine faints in the Music of the Night in London, the Phantom catches her and lies her down in the boat, while on Broadway she just falls to the floor. There are slight blocking and choreography changes, but only something you would notice by obsessing over it. There are also some slight lyric changes (Carlotta singing in Italian, for example). It used to be that the "Wandering Child trio" was sung only in London, elsewhere the Phantom and Christine sung a duet during the graveyard scene without Raoul coming in until later, but now all three leads sing together during that scene (and I believe that goes for worldwide). You are seeing basically the same show, however I find the West End is a little more fresh because there is a cast change every year where at least a dozen people leave, while on Broadway some people have been there since the 1990s.

[Lot666]

Posted: 3/22/19 at 8:09am

nfrjikgovf said: "When Christine faints in the Music of the Night in London, the Phantom catches her and lies her down in the boat, while on Broadway she just falls to the floor."

In my experience, this depends on who is playing the Phantom. I have seen at least one Broadway Phantom (sorry that I can't recall who it was; maybe Norm Lewis) catch Christine and carry her to the boat.

In response to Wick3's question, I've seen both the London and New York productions and found them to be essentially the same. The differences are very subtle and I doubt that most theatre-goers would even notice them, especially since Broadway began performing Wandering Child as a trio.

Updated On: 3/22/19 at 08:09 AM

[BwayGeek2]

Posted: 3/22/19 at 1:34pm

Great review! And very well said. I always enjoy seeing in-depth thoughts on shows.

[asoftplacetoland]

Posted: 3/22/19 at 1:49pm

Love this post!! Phantom has certainly always been a very special, magical production for me.

[dmwnc1959]

Posted: 3/22/19 at 7:45pm

Thank you for all of the kind words and comments regarding my review and pictures. Sharing your personal experiences and enthusiastic desires to see the show makes it all the more special now having seen PHANTOM OF THE OPERA at the Majestic Theater. It makes me smile ear to ear!

As for my camera it’s an iPhone 8 Plus, which has been giving me fits and issues over the past year, and has been replaced as of today with another of the same model. Maybe I’ll upgrade to the next IPhone at the end of the year, but for now I’m hoping this “new” phone takes even better pictures than the one being sent back. I’ll find out in July when I return to NYC. 

Updated On: 3/22/19 at 07:45 PM

[nfrjikgovf]

Posted: 3/23/19 at 11:16am

Lot666- As far as I know Norm Lewis is the only one who did the catch and not for his entire run, while it's standard in London. I believe it's to prevent Phantoms from throwing out their back (although Raoul does lift up Christine at some points, but he doesn't have to catch her). I believe when Jennifer Hope Wills was pregnant/returning from maternity leave, she and Howard McGillin did a modified version where she still fell on the floor, but McGillin caught her arm and gently lowered her.

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 1:22pm

Figured I'd post my thoughts from yesterday's show here:

I went to see the matinee yesterday (September 21st) with my family and sat Row A seats 1,3 and 5. While the physical production is in excellent shape and the cast was more than capable - I do think the show lacked 'spark' or any sense of spontaneity. We saw Ted Keegan (current understudy) as the phantom and he hit every note perfectly but just never felt much emotion or sense of danger with him. Kaley Ann was on as Christine and her look + voice were perfect but her acting was just serviceable. Paul Schaefer was on as Raoul and while I don't know his age, he looked much too old for the part, at least next to Kaley. I will say his voice was lovely and acting was fine. The most magnetic actor on stage, for me, was Raquel Suarez Groen as Carlotta. She has fantastic stage presence and I found myself watching her during many of the larger group scenes. 

I also think a few of the effects are in desperate need of updating. I won't mention the chandelier falling speed as it's been discussed at length in other threads. The best example of this is when the Phantom releases Raoul from the magical lasso, he swings the candle as if to burn the lasso off, but the candle is a few feet away and we never even see a spark/smoke. I also found some of the blocking extremely forced. Every time Christine puts both arms up it just feels completely unnatural. The orchestra sounded fantastic - but don't even get me started on the electric guitar wailing they added at the end of the title song.

Again, I think about 95% of the show is perfection and should not be touched. But I do think they could finesse and update a few things here and there to keep it fresh and less dated.

Updated On: 9/22/19 at 01:22 PM

[thedrybandit]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 2:31pm

FANtomFollies said: "Figured I'd post my thoughts from yesterday's show here:

I also think a few of the effects are in desperate need of updating. I won't mention the chandelier falling speed as it's been discussed at length in other threads. The best example of this is when the Phantom releases Raoul from the magical lasso, he swings the candle as if to burn the lasso off, but the candle is a few feet away and we never even see a spark/smoke. I also found some of the blocking extremely forced. Every time Christine puts both arms up it just feels completely unnatural. The orchestra sounded fantastic - but don't even get me started on the electric guitar wailing they added at the end of the title song.

Again, I think about 95% of the show is perfection and should not be touched. But I do think they could finesse and update a few things here and there to keep it fresh and less dated."

Sounds like the candle didn't work. It's meant to shoot some flame and sparks at the lasso.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 3:40pm

thedrybandit said: "Sounds like the candle didn't work. It's meant to shoot some flame and sparks at the lasso."

It does sound like the candle effect just didn't work that night. I saw the show in August and the candle worked just fine.

[joevitus]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 5:10pm

It's good to see ALW getting some praise. He had the unfortunate luck to debut with a sound the old guard was pretty hostile to, and then be the main competition for Sondheim, who had gone from cult figure to treasured icon. So nearly every conversation about ALW was about the "bad man" vs. the "good man" (Sondheim), and little real analysis, and a generally unfair attitude towards shows whose main goal was to entertain.

I myself fell into that trap at one point, though I never stopped loving Superstar, which I'd been listening to literally my whole life (I was in the theater back then, and most theater folk were intensely pro-Sondheim, anti-ALW). It took Michael Walsh's Andrew Lloyd Webber: His Life and Works to turn me around, though that book as ridiculously anti-Sondheim as Sondheim fans are anti-ALW. 

Glad you enjoyed the performance and that it meant so much to you.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 6:12pm

Miles2Go2 said: "My friend saw Phantom while I was at The Waverly Gallery when we we were together in NYC in January. She had seen a production (I believe in Canada) with her mom and the graveyard scene caused her to tear up as her mom passed away at a relatively young age when my friend was in her twenties. Her TKTS ticket placed her right under the chandelier and she said it was thrilling. I don’t regret seeing The Waverly Gallery that night as I needed to see it and it remains very high on my list of favorite theatrical experiences. I saw Phantom on tour maybe 10 years ago with my parents and was honestly a little underwhelmed by it. Despite my friend’s positive experience and others stating the tour just can’t compare to the Broadway version, I have yet to be tempted to try to see it on my NYC trips. Phantom (and Love Never Dies) actually both toured through here (OKC) recently and I skipped both. However, your review is making me think that a Thursday afternoon trip to Phantom may be in my future at some point when I’m in NYC."

if you haven't seen it since your March post, some one said previously that there is a reason that it has been running for 30 years.   While it may now be a tourist / high school attraction, as long as it is still well done, it doesn't matter.  It is a great show, despite some of the nay-sayers on this board.  Love Never Dies is another matter.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 6:18pm

I’ve only seen it once when I saw it on tour a few years ago and while I know that the Broadway production is reported to be a step up in quality, I’m not inclined to give my money to that show ever again. LOL

[dmwnc1959]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 7:04pm

Miles2Go2 said: " I’ve only seen it once when I saw it on tour a few years ago and while I know that the Broadway production is reported to be a step up in quality, I’m not inclined to give my money to that show ever again. LOL "

 

The Broadway version is not just a step up in quality, it’s like watching a completely different production. Like I said in my original post at the very beginning of this thread, if you’ve only ever seen POTO in its tour version and won’t get the chance to see it on Broadway, that’s fine. Enjoy the tour. But the masterpiece playing at the Majestic Theater is one of a kind, exponentially far superior in every way to the tour, and the tour simply just can’t touch it. 

 

Updated On: 9/22/19 at 07:04 PM

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 7:16pm

dmwnc1959 is 100% correct.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 7:33pm

I may actually see it on Broadway at some point as i could see it on a Thursday matinee without sacrificing any show slots. But I’m not in a big hurry. I’m seeing enough shows this trip and don’t feel like throwing POTO into the mix. I’d rather shop, go to a museum, and/or relax at my hotel and fine tune my outfit for Madonna that night.

I also will say I’m not one that’s inclined to see shows multiple times on Broadway. There are very few exceptions. I saw Hello, Dolly! twice on Broadway. I saw American idiot twice and I saw The Band’s Visit and Kinky Boots twice each. I’ve actually only seen Hamilton (my fave) once on Broadway. All my other visits to Hamilton have been either in Chicago or in my hometown. And Wicked (another fave) is another one that I have now seen five times but never on Broadway.

[LexiGirl]

Posted: 9/22/19 at 11:03pm

I’ve seen Phantom about 5 times on tour, but never on Broadway. I feel like when I’m in NYC, I have limited time and would rather see something new or an exciting revival. But I really need to find time for this on a future trip. It’s the first musical I fell in love with because for months we practiced almost all the songs in high school chorus for an end of year performance. I credit that to me falling in love with musicals and leading to it being the first musical I ever saw.

[Lot666]

Posted: 9/23/19 at 8:29am

FANtomFollies said: "We saw Ted Keegan (current understudy) as the phantom and he hit every note perfectly but just never felt much emotion or sense of danger with him."

I saw Ted Keegan in June and found his performance lacking (and unlike you, I didn't even feel that he hit all the notes). It was particularly disappointing because I had purchased the ticket in hopes of seeing Ben Crawford again, and the difference between the two is like night and day.

FANtomFollies said: "Paul Schaefer was on as Raoul and while I don't know his age, he looked much too old for the part, at least next to Kaley. I will say his voice was lovely and acting was fine. "

Mr. Shaefer is a very handsome man with a nice voice, but he is aging out of the part of Raoul, depending on who he's playing opposite.

FANtomFollies said: "The most magnetic actor on stage, for me, was Raquel Suarez Groen as Carlotta. She has fantastic stage presence and I found myself watching her during many of the larger group scenes."

This comment surprises me, because I feel like she's the weakest of all the current principals. I keep comparing her to the incomparable Michelle McConnell, and she always comes up short. I don't feel that she has the same commanding presence that Ms. McConnell did, and she definitely doesn't have the same powerhouse voice.

FANtomFollies said: "when the Phantom releases Raoul from the magical lasso, he swings the candle as if to burn the lasso off, but the candle is a few feet away and we never even see a spark/smoke."

This was a technical failure during that particular performance. The candle normally emits a blast of sparks and then the rope drops.

Can anyone comment on Bradley Dean's performance as Andre?

[PanaroFan111]

Posted: 9/23/19 at 8:46am

LOT666

 

I saw this Phantom this past Thursday Matinee,

The candle in the final lair definitely seems to be not working this week.

I specifically went to see the new Raoul and Andre since they both started last week and shocker they both where out as well as Carlotta and Piangi. Alot of white slips lol.

Ben and Eryn where brilliant as always :) Jeremy played Raoul who i really like in the role. Jim Weitzer was great as Andre. Rachel Currie Moore was a great understudy for Carlotta.

I also last month got to see Ted Keegan on as the Phantom as Ben was on paternity leave. He was good considering how long hes been with the show, but i agree with you something was missing.

Im going to try again next month hopefully seeing the new Christine Raoui and Andre :)

[kdogg36]

Posted: 9/23/19 at 8:48am

joevitus said: "It took Michael Walsh's Andrew Lloyd Webber: His Life and Works to turn me around,though that book as ridiculously anti-Sondheim as Sondheim fans are anti-ALW."

I know it's an old book, but do you recall anything specific that gave you that impression? I haven't read it in a very long time, but I recall Walsh having high praise for Sweeney Todd and I never really got the impression that he was anti-Sondheim at all. I think I recall some criticism of Into the Woods, which was current when the book was published, but that was in comparison to earlier work that Walsh preferred. 

[ImAProphet]

Posted: 9/23/19 at 9:47am

Lot666 said: "Can anyone comment on Bradley Dean's performance as Andre?"

As a big fan of Laird Mackintosh (he was the first Phantom I saw and a wonderful Andre, plus I adored his behind-the-scenes Instagram posts) I definitely missed him, but honestly Bradley Dean was perfect. Strong acting and singing, and I was surprised how much he nailed the comedy given it was only his second performance (the 9/12 matinee), especially when he was trying to get past the ballerinas during Il Muto.

[Lot666]

Posted: 9/23/19 at 11:31am

PanaroFan111 said: "Jeremy played Raoul who i really like in the role."

Lucky you! I've literally been hoping for years to catch Jeremy as Raoul (he's a great Phantom), but it never seems to happen when I'm up there.

 

[Lot666]

Posted: 9/23/19 at 11:32am

ImAProphet said: "Lot666 said: "Can anyone comment on Bradley Dean's performance as Andre?"

As a big fan of Laird Mackintosh (he was the first Phantom I saw and a wonderful Andre, plus I adored his behind-the-scenes Instagram posts) I definitely missed him, but honestly Bradley Dean was perfect. Strong acting and singing, and I was surprised how much he nailed the comedy given it was only his second performance (the 9/12 matinee), especially when he was trying to get past the ballerinas during Il Muto."

This is great news! I agree completely about Mr. Mackintosh, but I was blown away by Mr. Dean in Bat Out of Hell, so if we have to lose Laird, Bradley looks like a strong replacement.

 

[Wick3]

Posted: 9/23/19 at 12:29pm

LexiGirl said: "I’ve seen Phantom about 5 times on tour, but never on Broadway. I feel like when I’m in NYC, I have limited time and would rather seesomething new or an exciting revival. But I really need to find time for this on a future trip. It’s the first musical I fell in love with because for months we practiced almost all the songs in high school chorus for an end of year performance. I credit that to me falling in love with musicals and leading to it beingthefirst musical I ever saw."

Phantom has Thursday matinees so next time you're in NYC, try to see if that time slot works for your schedule!

 

[joevitus]

Posted: 9/23/19 at 12:46pm

kdogg36 said: "joevitus said: "It took Michael Walsh's Andrew Lloyd Webber: His Life and Works to turn me around,though that book as ridiculously anti-Sondheim as Sondheim fans are anti-ALW."

I know it's an old book, but do you recall anything specific that gave you that impression? I haven't read it in averylong time, but I recall Walsh having high praise forSweeney Toddand I never really got the impression that he was anti-Sondheim at all. I think I recall some criticism ofInto the Woods, which was current when the book was published,but that was in comparison to earlier work that Walsh preferred."

Yes. A few things I remember, in no particular order. He called Into the Woods, "lesser Sondheim" filled with New York neurotics "more grim than Grimm." and also claimed it was Jonathan Tunick that gave Sondheim's scores their unique sounds.  A couple of times, he passive-aggressively quoted someone else's negative assessment so it would look less like an attack coming from himself. He quotes Tom O'Horgan saying Follies was "the most boring, depressing thing I've ever seen" and a critic, don't remember who, saying that whenever Sondheim came close to finding a melody, he stomped up and down on it.

Not really related, but he also went after Sondheim in a book on opera (tangentially, as the section had nothing to do with him) claiming Sondheim intentionally wrote unmelodic music because he wanted people to focus on the lyrics.

Updated On: 9/23/19 at 12:46 PM

[kdogg36]

Posted: 9/23/19 at 1:35pm

joevitus, thanks for the detailed answer. I didn't remember the Follies dig, but I didn't know that show at all when I read the Walsh book as a very young man, so it probably didn't make much of an impression then. I think the melody-stomping comment is actually a joke from a Sondheim ally quoted in Sondheim & Company. Anyhow, I guess there was a bit more anti-Sondheim material than I remember.