phantom of the opera national tour question?

[gypsy4]

Posted: 7/8/08 at 2:01am

I am finaly seeing phantom of the opera on stage in august it is coming to a city in my state now I am already framiliar with the show I Know all the words to almost all the songs and i've already have seen the movie and have seen video clips and pics so I already know kind of what to expect. but i'm just wondering if there is a difference between the tour and what is currently on broadway? I feel like the only person on here
that hasn't seen the show live but then again i'm only 14. I'm sitting in orchestra B Row
N.
Updated On: 7/8/08 at 02:01 AM

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 7/8/08 at 2:10am

That paragraph could be edited to say:

What's the difference between the National Tour and the Broadway production of Phantom?

[defyingravity07]

Posted: 7/8/08 at 2:11am

I don't think there is any difference. When a friend of mine saw it she said the Chandeleir didn't but I'm not sure if it was a malfunction.

[My Oh My]

Posted: 7/8/08 at 2:33am

I've seen both multiple times up close and there is hardly any significant difference between the two productions. As far as scale and design, they are both identical. Basically, the tour is a carbon copy of the Broadway production, only the large candelabra does not rise from beneath the stage deck as it does on Broadway...they emerge from the wings. And the chandelier has lights only on one side--the side facing the audience. A trap door where Raoul and Christine emerge from during the rooftop scene isn't there on tour. But really, those things are so minimal, it hardly matters. Basically what you see on tour is exactly what you see on Broadway. Have fun.

Updated On: 7/8/08 at 02:33 AM

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 7/8/08 at 2:46am

Updated On: 5/2/09 at 02:46 AM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/8/08 at 2:51am

I believe the candelabras only emerge from the wings when the visiting theatre does not have the capability or space to have them emerge from the stage floor.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 7/8/08 at 4:25am

Of all the shows where I've seen the national tour and its Broadway counterparts, I think Phantom had the least number of differences.

[James885]

Posted: 7/8/08 at 9:33am

Yeah when I saw the tour at the Kennedy Center last summer, the candelabras came in from the wings. That's basically the only change from the Broadway incarnation. Even the chandelier falls just as slow on tour as it does on Broadway!

[puppet]

Posted: 7/8/08 at 11:10am

The main difference is that the Phantom does not go through a trap door when he disappears after coming down the stairs with his opera libritto in Masquarade. There is the big puff of smoke and he runs off to the side.

[gypsy4]

Posted: 7/8/08 at 11:17am

Thanks I can't wait.

[gypsy4]

Posted: 7/8/08 at 11:25am

I've heard that sometimes they have a few instruments in the orchestra that are canned is that true?

[philly03]

Posted: 7/8/08 at 11:35am

"Even the chandelier falls just as slow on tour as it does on Broadway!"

Even slower!

And I thought when I saw the tour in Philly they did actually have SOME candelabras come through the stage. It was there for two months or so here in Philly at the Forrest Theatre & nothing's really been there since/before so maybe it just had the works to do it? :.

[My Oh My]

Posted: 7/9/08 at 12:04am

Only the individual candles and small candelabra come through the stage deck. However, the very large ones always come in from the wings. Only the show's 1st national tour had the large candelabra come in from beneath the floor as they do on Broadway.

And, oh yes, sometimes the biggest change between Broadway and the 3rd national tour is the reduced number of live musicians. The Broadway production boasts a 20+ member orchestra and the tour often cans some of its instruments. But it really depends on the venue and city. While some stops use synths, others hire a good number of local musicians to augment their touring orchestra, making it as large or almost as full sounding as Broadway's. So yeah, you won't know until you take a look at the orchestra listing in your program. When I last saw the 3rd national tour in April, they canned their trumpets, which sounded tacky. And only had a couple of violinists.

Updated On: 7/9/08 at 12:04 AM

[gypsy4]

Posted: 7/9/08 at 1:45am

at the venue that the show is playing at is pretty big i've seen alot of national tours there is a big orchestra pit and alot of times they use local musicians and they are amzeing most of the time they only list only the touring musicians in the program.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 7/9/08 at 12:15pm

"Of all the shows where I've seen the national tour and its Broadway counterparts, I think Phantom had the least number of differences."

Actually, Miss Saigon's First National Tour was considered to be superior to the Broadway production in every respect (design, sets, etc.).