have they ever thought of making some of the changes from the Vegas Phantom to the one on Broadway or London?

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 7:09pm

just wondering if it was ever even though of... i was just watching stuff on youtube and it reminded me of how much i loved the opening of Vegas with the chandeliers as well as how they didn't use the rope in the end but rather a spiked cage of some sort.. made it less ridiculous looking... just wondering

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 7:13pm

I feel the chandelier would be deemed too dangerous on Broadway. Hell, the stage manager won't let the current one even go faster because she still thinks it's too dangerous.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 7:15pm

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 7:34pm

^^^ I agree, Mr. Roxy.

But... that said, the theatre in Vegas was built for and is rigged for the show as it was re-envisioned. And it is much newer than the Majestic, I.E. fire codes, safety, ect... Maybe someday they can adapt the changes

[fingerlakessinger]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 7:43pm

I hope they do...when I recently saw the Broadway production, the falling chandaleir gained laughs at how slow it and dumb it looked.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 7:57pm

I think the chandelier crashing is anything but dumb. Even if it is slow it is still an awesome effect. I have seen the show seven times. Five times on tour and once on Broadway and then once in Vegas and the chandelier is always so cool. It would be pretty hard to do the same chandelier and special effects on btaodway because they don't have the same theatre.

[PitPro2004]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 8:05pm

They aren't allowed to make those changes due to fire hazard and safety rules. I, for one, am glad. Vegas shows should never dictate how Broadway runs because Broadway is about good theater while Vegas is about spectacle and little substance. That's why shows out there can't make it.

Phantom in Vegas is called "The Vegas Spectacular" so it draws people in just for this reason. They cater to the gamblers who need a break from pulling on the one armed bandits.

Hairspray didn't fare so well, Lion King closed. Unfortunately, Vegas draws people in for all the reasons that are currently ruining Broadway. Dog-and-pony shows with little else to offer.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 8:20pm

I disagree. Broadway is about money. Occasionally, you'll get good theatre tossed in with the deal, but mostly it's about money.

[AlfieByrne]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 8:29pm

I, for one, am glad. Vegas shows should never dictate how Broadway runs because Broadway is about good theater while Vegas is about spectacle and little substance.

Well, Broadway's chandelier effect isn't exactly a "good theater". Neither is the show itself as a whole...

Personally, it's just a lame stage effect that could be upgraded in my opinion...

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 8:58pm

^ I could not disagree more. It may not be the most exciting effect as it was back when the show opened, but it is a very cool effect. And Phantom is a great piece of theatre in my opinion. The effect is not lame or dumb. When that music starts and the chandelier begins to rise I get chills every time. And Phantom has a lot of substance. It is one of Broadway's most timeless and classic love stories.

[cwilliams]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 9:02pm

The vegas production is great, but the original has one of the best production designs of any show currently on Broadway or the West End. Considering its age it still looks incredibly fresh, and certainly holds up next to more current production designs of "big budget" shows on Broadway, the designer of Phantom also created the brilliant costumes.

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 9:09pm

well just to clarify... i don't think it's lame or anything... i saw the show on broadway several years ago and loved it... it's just watching the vegas version's of the chandelier was just so awesome... and not so much the crash as it is the start of the show when the four pieces come to together... it completely beats the original version where it just rises to the top (IMO)... and yes i know it was created for that theater and whatnot but i was wondering if they ever thought of bringing that to broadway or london but i guess not because of safety hazards and all that stuff...

and if anything... if i had a choice between the chandelier and the ending.. i'd rather they try to do the ending staged in vegas... i've never liked the rope that holds Raoul... it just looks really stupid... the cage thing feels like more of a threat...

[PitPro2004]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 10:13pm

Let me clarify too..

I am one of the biggest Phantom Phans out there and sure, I'd love to see the Chandilier come down with the speed of a Monster truck instead of a defective Pinto! And yeah, of course now Broadway is about $$ first, compromising artistic integrity and turning off the purists who love theater, like me. Speaking only for myself of course. But when people start comparing Broadway to Vegas, it's time for a time out because neither is anything like the other.

I seem to recall a little show that had neither sets nor Chandeliers nor helicopters nor flying actors and it ran quite well and long and it made plenty of money. Anyone remember A Chorus Line? Outran that pesky opera ghost for long time until Erik and company caught up.

[Overkill]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 10:28pm

"But when people start comparing Broadway to Vegas, it's time for a time out because neither is anything like the other."

Yes, this is true. But when it's a Broadway Musical playing in Vegas, with changes or not, I think it's not bad to compare. Mamma Mia, The Producers, Avenue Q, Phantom have all played Vegas. They're still Broadway shows, though.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 11:01pm

Whoa...kinda scary responses.

I'll reserve judgement, I've only seen the show once...on the last time it was in Dallas just before the 3NT closed forever, and it was in *Bad* shape. Most disappointing thing I had *ever* seen.

On another note, Chorus Line is *still* the longest running BROADWAY musical...Phantom, Les Miz and Cats are West End Transfers that don't have half the merit of Chorus Line.

ETA: yes, I know...pot calling kettle black.

Updated On: 1/16/11 at 11:01 PM

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 11:36pm

The Vegas production is a whole lot of fun; I also don't think it does anything to damage the "integrity" of an Andrew Lloyd Webber show, as people have complained in the past. It just slims down the show's fat a little bit and blows up what makes it appealing. The Broadway chandelier looked absolutely comical after I saw the Vegas version. It's like watching a jumbo Christmas ornament being slowly dangled.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 1/16/11 at 11:41pm

I saw the third national tour four times. If you saw the regular cast, it was not pretty. Kelly James Grant (Christine standby) absolutely trumped Trista Moldovan in every way. Tim Martin Gleason was an okay Phantom, but I saw Andrew Varela as the understudy and he was by far the most amazing Phantom I have ever seen. When I saw the show with Kelly James Grant as Christine and Andrew Varela as the Phantom, it was one of the best shows I have ever seen.

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 1/17/11 at 4:23am

Webber doesn't tinker much with his baby. Phantom is his cash cow, he won't risk changing it. The Vegas production is the equivalent to a theme park production. It has added spectacle, which doesn't really work all that well. The cage is rather cheesy and clearly doesn't fit in with the rest of Bjornson's set in that scene. The Broadway and London productions are best left as is, they work just fine and do not need fixing.

[emo_geek]

Posted: 1/17/11 at 5:05am

If anyone has a chance to see the Vegas version I highly recommend it. It is dazzling. I think some of the effects should be implemented on Broadway.

[Sally]

Posted: 1/17/11 at 5:50am

I haven't seen Phantom in Las Vegas, but it must be working well for some people. It's been running there since 2006, and Vegas isn't Broadway musical friendly.

The show has added spectacle. It's VEGAS, but it is essentially the same show that plays on Broadway or any place else. Hal Prince did the cutting himself and was satisfied with the results. I would trust him to respect the show a lot more than I would its composer.

[Justin D]

Posted: 1/17/11 at 7:43am

On a technical side......

No the Vegas style chandelier can not work on broadway, because you would have to build a new theatre or totally dismantle the roof of the majestic for all those cables.

In Vegas the chandelier does not fall at the same point (no intermission) and just goes back up quickly into the roof. On Broadway you would end up with the chandelier having to fall back into it's loose pieces floating all around the theatre (as it is at the start of the shoe) that just would not make any sence.

Yes the Broadway chandelier needs to fall faster, however it is the largest one in all the productions (except vegas) so maybe that's why it is so much slower (and a red strobe light does not helo at all)

they cant introduce the Raoul cage because it would require replacing the whole stage floor (I doubt there is enough room under the stage for that anyways. Pluss from what I;ve seen, it is also a very high object to be stored under the stage, Vegas has a much deeper basement.

I dont even think they can introduce the espanded Il Muto scene because that takes up atleast 3 or 4 fly rails, the current one takes up only 1, I dont think they have any more to spare.

Don Juan I think, although a nice change in Vegas, I prefer the 'barn' over the 'castle'

The only easy changes I think they can do would be to replace some minor pieces:
The way the Dressing Room mirror works, where it looks like she is stepping through the glass when it is still closed, rather than seeing the whole piece of glass slide open is cool.

the bride 'breaking' through the mirror is also cool, but not nessessary.

The last thing that i really loved (and most people don't even realise it) is the Vegas boat. there is a piece in the boat that popps up when it turns into a bed, almost like an ornate headboard thing, that makes it look more like a bed than a boat.

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 1/17/11 at 9:50am

I still say they got the idea for the "Raoul-cage" from the "Wishbone" version of POTO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf30wdl6QZQ&t=0m20s

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 1/17/11 at 1:25pm

The equivalent of a theme park show? Are you kidding me? It's Vegas. Of course there will be added spectacle. The added spectacle did not take away from the show for me at all and it actually made the show even more magical and emotionally moving for me. I do not see how people could call it a theme park show just because there is added spectacle. I have never seen a theme park show that is as technologically advanced or as in depth and magical as Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacuar.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 1/17/11 at 1:31pm

To me what was spectacular about the Vegas show was that it was mercifully shorter and without intermission. Broadway Phantom often puts me to sleep. Vegas Phantom was smooth but didn't miss a beat.

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 1/18/11 at 1:28am

I guess I just don't care much for the Vegas production. To me the added spectacle, is only there to help cover the poor cuts to the book. When I say theme park show, it is the slashed book and rushed plot that I refer to. It is almost like seeing Hairspray or Chicago on a cruise ship only with more bells and whistles and very awkward transitions. It is a big, spectacular Cliff Notes production.