The OTHER Phantom

[Mahatma Kane Jeeves]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 12:22pm

Greetings all, newbie here from the great city of Hibbing; located on the frozen tundra of northeastern minnesota. Hibbing's main claim to fame is that it's the town where Bob Dylan, yes THAT Bob Dylan, grew up; so we milk that pretty much every chance we get. :) Our local theater department is doing the horribly overlooked musical version of "Phamtom" in the spring. It was written by Maury Yeston of "Nine" fame, with a great book by Arthur Kopit. Our director claims that it's an incredibly difficult show to mount, hence the reason that very few local theater companies have attempted it. He claims that the story is much stronger and that the characters are far better drawn and more 3-dimensional than they are in the Lloyd Webber version.

I've heard the OCR of the show and i simply love the score. The music has a driving force, less romantic and darker than the music in the Lloyd Webber version, and much of it is incredibly intricate, almost "busy" for lack of a better word; "too many notes" as was said in Amadeus. I'm incredibly excited for auditions which are in Feb, and i'd greatly appreciate feedback from anyone who's actually seen the show, heard the score, or is at all familiar with the piece. Many thanks in advance, and one again may I say how happy I am to be here; this is truly an amazing site!

Updated On: 1/17/05 at 12:22 PM

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 12:47pm

Personally, I don't like the Yeston-Kopit "Phantom" that much. I haven't the show itself, but I think the score is rather weak, even rather cheesy at some points, especially that stupid song where the company sings "Phantom...ahhh Phantom...ahhh Phantom," and that other one where the Phantom sings with his father. Lloyd Webber's score may not be a masterpiece, but it's far better, in my opinion. However, I know that this version of "Phantom" has had some success at regional theaters and such, so the show as a whole must work somehow.

[zepka102]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 12:53pm

i like the song "Home"... even though the lyrics do seem a little weak... but i love the music to that song

[Switz78]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 1:21pm

I thought some of the songs in the show were cheezy as well until I did it. It definitely has a better story of the Phantom (Erik) himself. I think if you could combine the two shows together it would be perfect. Songs from one, story from tyhe other. The falshback sequence where we find out why Erik has been left in the opera house and by whom is very moving. Also the duet You are my Son is great. I had to stop watching from backstage so I wouldn't cry every night. Overall though, there are some weak songs, but it's a fun (for lack of a better word) show. As far as difficult to put on, I wouldn't completely agree with that. The bistro scene and rehearsal scenes are the hardest for vocals and then of course theres the moving boat on a stage, so then again, maybe it is a little difficult. Good luck with the show. Carlotta is a blast to play, very funny and screachy and a beeyatch.

[Mahatma Kane Jeeves]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 10:59pm

Thanks for all the great feedback, any other thoughts or opinions?

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 11:02pm

I think Phantom's score is too similar to that of Hunchback of Notre Dame and Anastasia. I mean, the song they sing at the contest between Christine and Carlotta sounds EXACTLY like "Paris holds the key" or whatever it is called from Anastasia. I can even sing the lyrics from the song from Anastasia and it fits almost perfectly.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 11:09pm

the reason I don't like this one is becasue it strays even further from the original novel than the webber version. I mean, they cut Raoul! wtf??? and who the hell walks through Paris selling sheet music???

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 1/17/05 at 11:30pm

I'm a huge fan of Maury Yeston, but I think his PHANTOM score is his weakest. Other than the hauntingly beautiful "Home," there's not much I like in that score.

[jo]

Posted: 1/18/05 at 7:55am

I actually saw a production of Maury Yeston's Phantom brought here in Manila for a very limited run. Sorry, but at that time it seemed like a pale copy ( even if the musical score is completely different) of the Webber musical to me.

Maybe I should revisit the OCR, which was available here, too, when they performed the show.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 1/18/05 at 8:53am

I was in one of the first regional productions in the early 90s and loved it - I think it is SO much better than the tacky Lloyd Webber version. The story is touching and even a little sad, and the songs are much better constructed. The only glaringly "wrong" choice is the song for Phillipe - it sounds like it came straight out of a Jerry Herman musical - but otherwise, Kopit and Yeston's version is the one that should have been on Broadway all these years.

[DancerGirl16]

Posted: 1/18/05 at 9:48am

I was in a production of Phantom with my youth theatre 2 years ago. (Christine played by Sara Kramer - now in Mamma Mia). I love phantom! I think that the music is MUCH better the Phantom of the Opera and although I know many people didn't like it, I am officially infatuated with the movie. I think that as an overall show Maury Yeston really beats Andrew Lloyd Webber no competition!

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 1/18/05 at 9:49am

Amen, sister

[Aphexis]

Posted: 1/18/05 at 11:31am

I thoroughly enjoy the yeston/koppit Phantom. I think it's extremely different from ALW's version, but in a good way. We have the opportunity in this show to have a more in depth look at the Phantom and why he is the way he is. In the midst of the show, there are two songs back to back that the phantom sings alone on the stage...My Mother Bore Me/Christine. I think these two pieces are honestly one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard yeston produce and make the entire production what it is. I had the good fortune of actually seeing this show and I was enthralled....I would definitely give this production a chance.

[Switz78]

Posted: 1/18/05 at 2:20pm

I think we should all remember that Yeston's show was written first. Before Webber, before Hunchbak and Anastasia.

Just be prepareed from angry little blue hairs being pissed that "it's NOT Phantom of the Opera" and yelling at you

Our Carlotta overheard a woman in the lobby screaming in the lobby that she wanted her money back and that the theater was purposely misleading people into thinking that it was Phantom
Our Carlotta then stepped in and explained that that show has "of the Opera" and this is simply called Phantom and that it was about the same thing equally as lovely
To which this beeyatch said "and why would I give a damn about your little opinion, have you seen both shows, I highly doubt it"
She had no idea the our Carlotta was in the show and a professional actress from NY who had in fact seen and done both versions
VERY FUNNY

[Eric Von Zipper]

Posted: 1/18/05 at 8:10pm

Switz I totally agree about the importance of making the disinction between the 2 versions clear to the ticket buying public! I keep harping to our director that the most crucial part of our advertising will be making it crystal clear to the public that ours is NOT THE LlOYD WEBBER VERSION!!! Anyhow, thanks to all for the great feedback concerning the show; i'm now incredibly excited about starting production and i'll keep the forum updated about it's progress.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 1/18/05 at 8:22pm

Honestly, if someone buys tickets to a show called PHANTOM thinking that it's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, they have problems way beyond not getting to hear "All I Ask of You" for the gazzillionth time.

However, when it comes right down to it, it's really not fair to compare the two because they are both so completely different. Webber's is more like an actual opera with some rock flavoring to if for good measure and Yestons is a completely honorable classic book musical. They both have their good points and the not so good points. In the end it all comes down to which one you prefer - not which one is necessarily any better than the other.

And lets not even get into David Spencer's Disney version "PHANTOM OF THE OPERA" without the "The" cuz' damn... that one is by far the silliest, hands down.

[bob8rich]

Posted: 1/18/05 at 9:33pm

I have not seen this version on stage - but I LOVE the score. I find it far superior to the rather bland Lloyd Webber score. It has at least 6 stunning songs and many other really good numbers, while - for me - the ALW show has just one great song, a couple of very ordinary songs and 2 hours of endless repetition.