Phantom of the Opera Pro-Shot

Appropriate that you have original in quotes there.

mitchern said: "Do we know which alumni are coming? It'd be great if they actually got Michael Crawford there and singing this time."

While an appearance by Michael Crawford would certainly be very appropriate and very appreciated, I doubt they will get him to sing; he's 84 now, and he didn't even sing at the 25th.

As Sarah Brightman has already made appearances and performed at prior anniversary celebrations, I have to wonder whether they would simply recreate the same performance again (i.e., the title song, surrounded by past Phantoms urging her to sing for them); this would seem recycled to me.

If Sarah, and perhaps Michael, make appearances without singing, what alumni might actually perform? It's London, so maybe:

• Phantom:
  • Earl Carpenter
  • Peter Jöback - He played the role in both London and New York, including the Broadway 25th.
  • Ramin Karimloo - He played the role in London (including the 25th), Italy, and Shanghai, played the character in both Phantom of the Opera and Love Never Dies, and played Raoul.
  • Marcus Lovett - He played the role in both London and New York.
  • John Owen-Jones
• Christine:
  • Claire Moore - She was the original Christine alternate for Sarah Brightman.
  • Anna O'Byrne - She played the character in both Phantom of the Opera and Love Never Dies.
• Raoul:
  • Michael Ball
  • John Barrowman

Updated On: 10/7/26 at 10:50 AM

I'm not sure why I'm surprised there was never a pro-shot of the original production. On the one hand, proshots weren't really a thing back then. Some shows were videotaped and preserved (three of Sondheim's, and that Canadian production of Pippin, among them). But it was a rare thing. On the other hand, few Broadway composers have ever been as media-savvy as Lloyd Webber, and I'd expected him to be ahead of the trend here.

I mean, considering how much both Lloyd Webber and Mackintosh put into auxilary merchandise to milk as many profits as possible from a given show, and considering that were was obviously some pro-shot footage done, since we saw pretty elegant footage from certain scenes to accompany press coverage when the show first opened, I'd have thought filming the whole thing and offering it for sale in home media would have been slated to occur at some future point. I see why they would have held off releasing it for quite some time, with all the revenue to be gained from the rare privilege of seeing the show on Broadway or in the West End, and the multiple touring productions. But I've have thought they'd have captured it and played the long game, knowing it would have a lot of value as a commercial released in the future.

Updated On: 10/7/26 at 12:59 PM

There were several pro-shots of London but none for commercial release. They either sit in RUG/CML vaults or, in the case of one, at the V&A.

It's tragic that this is the version that gets filmed for posterity. Already I have seen enough books and articles (including academic ones!) erroneously view the Albert Hall DVD as the actual show as conceived by the original creatives, and this is only going to make things worse.

To add insult to injury, there's PR statement that BroadwayWorld have uncritically copied and pasted without even attributing it as a quotation to Mackintosh, i.e. that it has been "heightened in every department" and is an "enhanced" and "revitalised" version of the original, rather than something scaled down in quite tacky/plasticky now in many respects.

Re the question about Crawford, he specifically asked not to sing at the Albert Hall event. He didn't want the pressure. And Brightman cheated anyway as most of her vocalisations were basically taken from the OLC once she got up to the high C.

Updated On: 10/7/26 at 04:55 PM

Sutton Ross said: "Congratulations to the brilliantly talented Jordan Donica for such an incredible accomplishment. That the first official pro-shot is with TWO leads of Color is a massive deal. I knew the second he opened his mouth in My Fair Lady he was a star. Bravo!"

Donica would have been an amazing Sweeney Todd with his incredible baritone. He really has an amazing voice-a true talent.

cknick said: "It's worse if they didn't augment in the orchestra back to it's original size, at least for the filming. I'm guessing they did not or reports online would've noted it."

Fingers crossed that maybe they'll figure out a way to do it in post-production.

OT, but does anyone happen to know how long Jordan is slated to be with the show?

ukpuppetboy said: "If that’s a pro-shot the producers should be asking for their money back."

It’s not a commercially released pro-shot, it’s for their archives. For an archival pro-shot, it’s pretty damn well shot as typically archival pro-shots are filmed with a static shot of the full stage and zero zooming in, etc.

joevitus said: "On the other hand, few Broadway composers have ever been as media-savvy as Lloyd Webber, and I'd expected him to be ahead of the trend here."

I have to assume it was because they were holding out for a feature film, and that took 15 years.

I'm aware of all that, but referencing the common thinking of the 80s-90s.

CATS was sort of a different beast since any feature film would have been so different than the stage production.