PHANTOM's 25th in London Journal
Day One:
It was March 12, 1994 when a young, 15 year-old Rob Diamond saw THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA on Broadway for the first time, and came home on ‘cloud nine’, my life forever changed. I still remember vividly falling asleep that night listening to and discovering Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman, Steve Barton and more on the show’s original cast recording. I did this listening to a cassette tape that my parents had (which I had of course never before listened to), on my Walkman.
Today, instead of on a Walkman, millions of new theatre fans find their favorites, and learn all about them, right here on BroadwayWorld – something that inspires me every day and something that made me all the more excited to take this look back on my personal journey. I’ve never forgotten my ‘first time’ in March of 1994, which was of course already several years into the show’s Broadway run. The musical first began previews in London’s West End on September 27, 1986 and opened just 2 weeks later on October 9, 1986 (such a short preview period!). It hit Broadway in January of 1988, so we have another year and a half before we’ll see another celebration on our side of the pond.
PHANTOM inspired my theatrical journey, a huge inspiration for the talents of Michael Crawford, trips around the globe and ultimately led me to starting BroadwayWorld.com in 2003 (more on that some other time!).
It was therefore with great excitement that we arrived in London on Friday morning, September 30thto help celebrate the show’s phenomenal 25th anniversary weekend. The Royal Albert Hall has been home to many special events over the years, including the 10th Anniversary Celebration of LES MISERABLES that’s always on constant rotation in my iTunes and the 2008 CHESS concerts with Idina Menzel, Adam Pascal, Josh Groban & Kerry Ellis amongst others.
Tonight, we’re off to the Royal Albert Hall for the first concert – stay tuned!
Day Two:
Oh what a (first) night! I'm going to keep the spoilers to as much of a minimum as I can in tonight's report, since I'm a firm believer in keeping some surprises for those who will see it in the coming day(s), but there are naturally some, so read on with caution if you don't like being spoiled.
First off - the staging. Previous concerts at the Royal Albert Hall have been known for their casts of hundreds and for very large orchestras, but never before has one been so staged as PHANTOM was...in fact, it was nearly a complete production. A few set pieces weren't there, and the chandelier featured fireworks instead of making its way down (or up). Digital backdrops filled in beautifully along with a specially constructed proscenium arch to create the world of the show, that we all know and love. You won't miss any of what wasn't there, and the size, scope and additions should satisfy one and all. Most of these looked great live and should look even sharper on screen and help to provide perfect settings for the show and some new treats as well like a ‘Phantom Cam' which showed him writing some of his infamous notes.
Second, one of the many highlights was the expanded orchestrations and the larger than usual orchestra, which resulted in the show sounding better than I've ever heard it before, truly thrilling for tonight's sold out audience.
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 Robert Diamond founded BroadwayWorld.com in 2003, which has now become the largest theatre web site in the world. He also serves as the site's Editor-in-Chief, covering Broadway and beyond, with specific local coverage for 100 cities in the United States, 30 countries worldwide and 15 other related areas of entertainment - including dance, opera, fashion, concerts, comedy, films, television and more.The 2001 Syracuse University graduate (School of Information Studies) is also the owner of Wisdom Digital Media, an award-winning leading design company for entertainment and technology web sites. In his previous life, he held an executive position for the world's leading publisher of technology magazines, web sites and conferences and, as a result, was named among the "Top thirty magazine industry executives under the age of 30" by FOLIO Magazine. Diamond got his start in the entertainment field, accidentally, when he created the 'official web site' (while in college) for Michael Crawford, the popular actor and original Tony and Olivier Award-winning star of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. (He still blames Crawford - and credits him - for anything that goes particularly right or wrong during an average day.) As a respected member of the Broadway and theatre community, Diamond also served as Lead Producer for a series of sold-out shows using the BroadwayWorld.com 'brand' for a set of 'Standing Ovations' concerts, which also branched out into titles that included Holiday Shows and even more specific concerts like 'From Stage to Screen and Back Again' in tandem with publishers and movie studios. All proceeds were in turn donated to Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS, the industry's leader in aid for performers in need. Robert lives in Manhattan with his wife and two dogs, growing the business and getting little sleep. In addition, you can usually find him in a theatre many nights a week. Robert's very popular blog, 'The Broadway Pulse' appears daily on BroadwayWorld.com and he also writes weekly about theatre for the USA Network's Character Approved blog. In December of last year, Diamond was one of 5 Syracuse University Alumni, all having achieved success in the world of start-ups, business growth and venture capital, participating on a panel addressing young alumni who are currently pursuing their dreams of running their own business and experiencing the day to day challenges of a startup. It is part of the university's new Student Accelerator Program, for which Rob was recommended by Syracuse University's i-School.
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