Phantom: Broadway vs US Tour- Page 2

[Justin D]

Posted: 9/13/16 at 10:05am

Quite simply, the original production is Beautiful,

easiest way to describe it.

The new tour just isn't. Kind of reminds me about how I feel about the movie. the "look" of the tour is closer to the "look" of the movie. Their attempt to make it more 'realistic and gritty' what ever that means. Basically what they did in both instances was to throw all references of period accuracy out the window.

[ageorges3]

Posted: 9/16/16 at 11:38pm

Haven't gotten a chance to see the revamped tour yet, but based on pictures I've seen - and I don't want to denigrate the guys responsible for the new design, for all I know its a completely different experience live, sets don't always translate well to photos - but I don't think you can compare it fairly to the original show playing at the Majestic.  

 

One of my favorite things - and I'm one lucky dude, been able to see it more than a few times - sitting in the audience of the Majestic is taking in Bjornsons design work.  Each time I saw it I focused on different elements of the set in certain moments when I wasn't watching a performer - and there was so much detail and intelligence in what she came up with.  Without the Bjornson proscenium and her design of the Lair, it's really not fair comparing the two.  

 

Cam Mac is a brilliant producer, but what he did with the revamp of the tour - and I don't have all the facts here - was kinda selfish, I'm sad to say.  He billed it as "reinventing" and "refreshing" the look of the show - and in reality, it was probably to avoid paying royalties (not sure what the specifics of the contracts were, just taking a guess) to all of the creatives behind the original production.  Part of it may have been that the original set was a beast to tour - and that's a valid motivation on his part, the cost of physically setting up and breaking down a show of that scale might have been immense - but I'm still saddened - don't want to denigrate the man though - that touring audiences wont get to see all of that marvelous original design work.  

[FiddleMeThis]

Posted: 9/17/16 at 6:23am

You're 100% right. That's exactly what CM wanted to do- cut the royalties and have a cheaper production tour. Sadly he didn't really succeed all that well- it's not that much cheaper to tour and he still ended up using Maria's costume designs for most of it. 

[PattyO'Furniture]

Posted: 9/17/16 at 11:36am

Oooooh, guess I'm in the minority.  I thought the tour was wonderful and many, many things made much more sense than the original: hopefully some of these aren't spoilers - the transition/flashback sequence from the auction to the rehearsal of Hannibal, the descent to the lair, "Prima Donna" moving the plot along, the staging of Bouquet's death - all were so spot-on/smart.  When the chandelier fell, there was a very loud "bang" that scared me to hell, and "glass" pieces exploded into the audience - some pieces hit me in the face, and I was sitting there smelling gunpowder, shocked - me and the lady next to me, looking at each other in silence; don't even thing we remembered to applaud we were so stunned.  Things are more poignant and make more sense: in the end, when the POTO says, "Christine, I love you," Christine has crept back onstage to return the ring, but his back is to her; he doesn't know she's heard him say this, yet she still leaves...which is how it should be/more believable; a man like the POTO who's concealed his entire being would never tell someone his true feelings.   

Yes - "Masquerade" = a dud.  Bland, no magic.  Costumes are very bad, no visual appeal; they are really "non-costumes" if such a thing exists - especially the Phantom's; it's uninteresting, especially if you've seen it on Broadway or even a prior tour/sit-down; missed the staircase/opulence.  I did miss some of the magic of the lair/candles/boat.  I hated that wig on the Phantom; too long - and I can't remember if that wig came off in the Final Lair...?

Saw the prior tour many years ago - the one on B-way 15 years ago - the recent tour 2 years back.  To me, the tour performance I saw, it would be false and disrespectful to say it is "terrible" and that it should be passed up.  There is still spectacle and magic, not to mention the acting and singing.