Re-imagined Phantom Tour coming to the US

[bwayto]

Hang on! What's the original masquerade disappearance?

I saw the show in London during the Olympics and the Tour in Toronto in 06'. Doesn't he disappear at the top of the stairs?

Someone want to clarify, share the story? etc.

[EricMontreal22]

I haven't seen it since the mid 90s, but was wondering what this "restored" Masquerade appearance was too...

Didn't Hal Prince complain about this because they used a lot of his direction ideas, uncredited?

I dunno, for me the main reason Phantom works so well is simply due to the Bjornson designs and Prince's masterful staging. That's a huge part of the appeal of seeing it live. I know nothing about the new director but, as with Les Miz, it almost seems like CamMac just hired someone on the cheap... Yeah, that's cynical, but unless I heard tons of praise about some crazy re-invention, it doesn't make me too eager to revisit the show (but I'm far from a diehard fan...)

But I'm sure it will do well on tour.

[LizzieCurry]

In the replica Mackintosh staging, he disappears at the BASE of the stairs. But there's a Red Death double at the top who appears along with the poof of smoke at the bottom.

[CATSNYrevival]

"I dunno, for me the main reason Phantom works so well is simply due to the Bjornson designs and Prince's masterful staging."

^This.

And the whole point of this Phantom tour and the 25th anniversary Les Miz tour was clearly to rake in money off the title while not having to pay royalties to the original directors and designers. It's a total sleazeball thing to do, but if that's what CamMac wants to do it's totally his right to do it. I just wish the public was more aware of it.

[EricMontreal22]

Thanks Lizzie--I think I remember that. So, I'm still confused--that has been dropped from the current Prince productions? (Since the poster mentioned he/she was hoping it would be restored?)

[PitPro2004]

I have heard thru the grapevine that NETworks is handling this tour. Whereas they've done wonders for the current LES MIS tour, I have to admit that I have no desire to see this production. It's simply not necessary.

[LizzieCurry]

Eric: I'm pretty sure it is, but I don't know offhand. I bet that giganto thread I linked to earlier would tell you. :)

PitPro: Yes, it's NETworks. Here's one of the audition notices. http://playbill.com/jobs/find/job_detail/50444.html

[boggess]

The lack of a chandelier crash was the most disappointing thing to me about the 25th Anniversary at RAH. I can understand cutting costs for the tour, but still a disappointment nonetheless.

[ukpuppetboy]

Ok. Well you're probably about 20 years too late there but yes in the Hal Prince show, as opened, the Phantom disappears through a star trap at the btm of the stair case, giving an audio cue that he's in position by singing his line live (after the rest of the decent is prerecorded) - hence why that line sounds muffled or echoy depending on the mask position wrt to the mic). I digress.

In early rehearsals/tech rehearsals Paul Daniels had developed, as I understand a semi structural costume with Maria Bjornson when the Phantom was lowered through the costume while his prerecorded lines were that, such that the audience was totally taken by surprise when the Opera populaire company edged closer to the Phantoms' costumed frame and then the whole fabric of his costume collapsed and he had disappeared into the ether from "within" it. A la Ben Kenobi at the end of Star Wars.

complications/time constraints in tech meant that AND the decent into the lair on horse back down the travelator (whose tracks still may be present under the refloored London bridge) meant the existing version was put in place.

As I said the final Phantom disappearance in the UK tour is an homage to this. And a few peoples knowledge was really just a geeky fanboy thing untilI just went a ruined it. But for a valid point. That its not all about money. I got paid a few hundred quid to help make that happen. Uncredited. And you know what. I couldn't care less really. And the Joseph Bouquet hanging in the UK tour is as breathtaking as it is unexpected.

But whilst Cameron Mackintosh may have decided to, and believe me i
i am fully happy to criticise him where it's valid, restage the show - the original Hal Prince version remains in London, New York, and many versions worldwide. If you're a purist and the Maria Bjornson drapes are all you need in your life you may need to book a flight but they are still there and not erased from existence. If you fancy seeing a new fresh look then enjoy the tour.

And I really doubt whether Maria Bjornson would be outraged.. But I only met her twice so that is total speculation. She always came across as lovely to me. But then I was 10/12 and star struck both times..

[ukpuppetboy]

And i reread that and pretty sure i didnt blow any secrets wide open really. Apart from the fact that he doesnt really vanish cause he isnt really a ghost, he's a talented actor singing in a pretty damned entertaining musical written by some Brits and directed by an American and designed by a Parisienne of Norwegian Romanian parents.

And for the record. I have never seen Love Never Dies and probably never will. In Melbourne I went to see Next to Normal instead. Regrets? None whatsoever.

Peace out. Probably wont post again.. X

[AEA AGMA SM]

I'm just happy to see that it is going out on a full Production Contract. Not a lot of shows are doing that these days.

[ukpuppetboy]

Not quite final post..

So I am a Star Wars kid. And what George Lucas has done, and continues to do with overwriting what everyone loves about the original trilogy is reprehensile to me. Pretty soon puppet Yoda will be totally replaced by ninja kicking CGI Yoda, i'm sure of it. He has no idea what people love and are drawn to about the charm of the originals.

I REALLY dont think that is the case here. As I said, in the UK (realtively small as it is) we have the choice of both, until the tour ends in Birmingham. I guess that is the joy of live theatre and why kids should stop playing computer games and go see Spring Awakening or something.. But I'm not political and am starting to bore myself, so apologies.

[EricMontreal22]

UKPuppet--thanks for that. So you mean the effect (and the horse) never actually made it past tech? (Just to be clear, as originally I thought the other comment meant it was in it for a few years...)

I admit, I am not being openminded. But I am not too impressed by the video clips--and, being completely snobby, replacing Hal Prince by an essentially no name director when you're doing a major tour and are a big wig producer does seem cynical to me.

Anyway, I saw the Toronto production and Canadian tour a number of times, I loved it as a young teen--and really that's enough for me right now, so this doesn't bother me in any extreme way--just slightly. I sorta wish if they were going to restage it they'd try some totally new vision--this feels half baked to me (though, again I think it would be hard to make it work without Prince's vision--as the film proves.)

I haven't seen the Star Wars movies since I was a kid (and then it was only the first one and the Ewoks TV movies), so have little to say there--but I think it's different anyway. CamMac clearly wanted to do a new production that could play theatres that the original couldn't-anniversary or not, I'm sure that was the top reason--and meh. That makes sense, though when they sell it as this grand new vision, I cringe a bit... :P

[PB ENT.]

Maybe they'll bring in the turntable. After all it would enhance the whole love triangle thingee. How about some flying monkeys?

Seriously, I am glad it's going to be available on tour again. Shows like Les Miz and Phantom will not die. "Love May Die" but not these shows. Maybe the Phantom can slit some throats and send them down the shute. Hey not a bad idea, A Sweeney/Phantom!

Hope this puppy stops in Philly.

[ukpuppetboy]

EricMontreal you're a sensible guy so here I am contradicting myself again!!

I'd pretty much say we're on the same page fella. Phantom was the first show I wanted to see, aged 9 and the third I ever did see. Probably took up too much of my formative years but i guess never did me any harm. Better that than glue or meths..

I think the use of Maria's costume was a nod to the old, but the staging is pretty new. And whilst it may have started off as a brief to be a cheap and easy tour version it actually isn't. The original is mostly drapes with the occasional desk and piano and chair. Granted the staircase and stage deck are costly, fabric isn't. This is a revolve that takes up half the stage with a very imposing central drum with some brilliant tricks up its sleeve. Like I said it took me 10 months to come around (and I was there for tech in Plymouth) so i can't say anything..

If you like Phantom, and seems you do, I'd recommend it. So long as they cast well. And it's North America so of course they will. Toronto had some of the finest Phantoms and Christines going. I know. I flew there to see the. As I also said. Geeky fan boy. Just don't spread it around.

[ukpuppetboy]

Oh. And yes. Never made it into previews i think. But the hole for his staff to "ground" the costume WAS on Her Majesty's deck next to the trap and the rails for the horse were on the travellator until successive stage replacements hid them..

[eatlasagna]

so in terms if the re-imagined tour compared to Cam Macintosh's other shows (Miss Saigon and Les Miserables)... which of the three is better... or would you rank them in? because I believe Laurence Connor directed all three, right?

[EricMontreal22]

Puppy--thanks, I really appreciate all those details (though in defence of curtains--I *love* how so much of Phantom is done just with curtains...)

Back to being cynical--lasagna, it does seem that Connor is essentially a MacKintosh lackey I know he started off helping out with direction on Phantom's long run (I think), but otherwise it seems like all of his major work is doing easier to tour CamMac shows--Saigon, Les Miz, Phantom as well as the Sam Mendes' Oliver he produced.