Las Vegas Phantom Fans Week 2010

The biggest problem I see is if the tour does extend, and Fans Week is moved to November, then people might have to choose between seeing the tour close and Fans Week.

I'm hoping the November rumor is just that. Because if that's not the case, you can officially count me out for Fans Week. I'll be doing significantly less fun things instead.

phantomfett wrote:The biggest problem I see is if the tour does extend, and Fans Week is moved to November, then people might have to choose between seeing the tour close and Fans Week.

That is sadly true. If I have to make that decision, it will be the tour closing. The Vegas production I can always see another time.

I know we all complained last year about the timing. Putting it to late August or early September will collide with people going back to school, work etc. after summer vacation. So they might have tried to change the date because of this.

But November... is another bad choice. It's the high season for exams for students, and as phantomfett said it will possibly collide with the finale of the US tour. Maybe they hoped to benefit from the latter, with people already being "in the area", but I think most will be forced to choose. Especially money wise.

But it totally makes sense with why they haven't announced anything yet...

I REALLY hope that November is not when they choose to have Fans Week! The approaching holidays would pretty much make it impossible for me to go. I would be heart-broken, but helpless! Please, please, NOT NOVEMBER!!!

I sent the box office an email to ask what's up. I'll post if I get a response, but somehow I wouldn't count on one.

I called the Box office this morning and the woman I talked to never heard of Phantom fans week. The same thing happened 2 weeks ago when I called for info!

The Phantom box office isn't an entirely reliable a source based on previous experience last year. That being said, November is a very awkward time to schedule Fans Week for the circumstances already cited. Both flights and hotel rates will undoubtedly be higher that time of the year and make it less likely for budget-conscious fans - even nearby - to be able to make it.

It's a bit irritating that the producers aren't at least giving even minor updates as to where they are in terms of developing the event. I recall the first Masquerade Ball they did back in 2008 wasn't even announced until a week or two beforehand.

R.

"Thank you so much for your interest in Phantom Fans Week. We saw your post on the page and completely understand your concerns. We are working diligently to finalize the plans so we can announce the dates very shortly. Due to some of the strong language on the postings, we have removed the thread on this topic."

alaron wrote:"Thank you so much for your interest in Phantom Fans Week. We saw your post on the page and completely understand your concerns. We are working diligently to finalize the plans so we can announce the dates very shortly. Due to some of the strong language on the postings, we have removed the thread on this topic."

Alright, who swore at Webber and his crew this time?

Alaron,
Whose reply was it that you posted? And what thread had strong language? (Not this one). I wonder what the delay is. Last year at this time we already had our Fans Week packages purchased.

janagram2 wrote:Alaron,
Whose reply was it that you posted? And what thread had strong language? (Not this one). I wonder what the delay is. Last year at this time we already had our Fans Week packages purchased.

An "Amanda" via Facebook message. There was a short-lived Facebook thread about PPW 2010 basically calling the producers nincompoops.

I don't think calling them names is the answer here. After all, they ARE putting together a (judged on last years content) great event for Phantom fans. I'm grateful they're actually doing it.

But like you, I think the delay this year is awfully late. If they at an early state suspected the date would be pushed back to November, they should have just said so. Right now there's confusion as to whether it'll be a gathering at all, and many start to reconsider attending it (myself included). They should be gently reminded that if they want people to attend, some more info on planned date is needed. But name calling is (pun attended) uncalled for.

Let's hope the delay is due to them trying to get awesome people to attend. I'm still voting for Gillian Lynne!

The fiance and I are planning a Vegas wedding for either this December or next spring... Would it be in poor taste if I tried to coordinate the dates so we'd be there for Fans Week?

Becky wrote:The fiance and I are planning a Vegas wedding for either this December or next spring... Would it be in poor taste if I tried to coordinate the dates so we'd be there for Fans Week?

No.

As for Gillian...yes, please!

Jeff and I received the same message from Amanda in our facebook inboxes this morning as well. I think they must've sent them to anyone who replied to that thread. I don't think the thread contained any tremendously offensive language (i.e., vulgarity, etc.), it mostly stated that the behaviour of the production company was 'unprofessional' in providing little to no information and expecting that fans should be able to drop everything at a moments notice in order to attend (and no, I didn't write it, but I did agree with the sentiment). However, I can see why they'd want to remove a discussion that casts them in a less than positive light...

Jeff and I have been really looking forward to this, but we're also getting frustrated at the lack of concrete information. We both have 'real lives', and arranging travel from Toronto can be expensive...

In our frustration we began tossing around the idea of coordinating our own, by-phans-for-phans-Phan-weekend. (Which probably shouldn't have been 'tossed' into anything on the Phantom LV board... just sayin'...). Jeff used to coordinate these for the Toronto production, and I'm a project/event coordinator in my day job. It could be a combination of nostalgia, ambition, and having just returned from seeing the US tour twice this past weekend prompting this line of thinking, but it could be really fun to pull together an event based around the closing of the US tour this fall. Goodness knows they certainly deserve a big send off from us Phans! Not meant to detract from or replace anything going on in Las Vegas, but something we wanted to present as a possibility for discussion.... Certainly not trying to create any conflict or LV vs. Tour hostility, 'cause there's certainly enough divide in the phandom with all the LND and whatnot going on these days!

So, ya.... um, thoughts, comments, etc.?

And PS we had a blast catching up with the tour in East Lansing! So sad to think it's the last time the tour will be in Michigan! I saw them every time (okay, all but one) they hit my home state, from the very first to the very last.... ::sniffles:: We'll miss you!!!

At some point, I'd love to see some sort of event - whether it's completely fan-organized or official - for Broadway, too. Phantom is such a iconic part of Broadway after all these years...even for someone who loved musicals before it opened, it's hard to imagine Broadway without it and, for many people, it's been an incredible first introduction to Broadway. Yet, I can't think of the last time...if any...there was really any sort of special event there for or involving the fans.

Don't get me wrong...the longest-running performance was a wonderful celebration of the show and I'm so thrilled I got to be there, but I've also had great fun getting together with small groups of fans at the show...so an actual fan week or some other sort of event for Broadway would be incredible...and long overdue.

Maybe a fan gathering to mark the tour's closing could sort of pave the way for a Broadway event?

alaron wrote:

janagram2 wrote:Alaron,
Whose reply was it that you posted? And what thread had strong language? (Not this one). I wonder what the delay is. Last year at this time we already had our Fans Week packages purchased.

An "Amanda" via Facebook message. There was a short-lived Facebook thread about PPW 2010 basically calling the producers nincompoops.

I'm happy to say that I was the one that posted the original message on the LV fan page, and it was not meant as an insult to the producers, but it definitely was meant to call attention to the fact that the lack of information has been thoroughly unprofessional. I basically stated that it was extremely disappointing that there had been no word, and that it seemed the event's producers were content to assume that all fans had open schedules (I clarified that to read: have no lives), and that we would all be willing to drop everything last minute and attend. That is quite simply a lack of respect and I was sick of it. We all have our own lives to deal with. I understand the massive logistics that go into planning this sort of event, but after last year's success, I would have thought that planning would have begun in November 2009. Again, it's a lack of professionalism to sit on something for MONTHS when the details could have been ironed out a long time ago. We suffer as a result.

Later replies from others contained some inappropriate language so the page admins chose to delete it. So be it. The original post served its purpose, and let's hope the generic reply we all received is a promise to get the information out soon, and not just lip service. I have no issue calling them out again. I think it's a little funny that the government managed to get me squared away before any Fans Week notice. That's bass ackwards in my book.

As far as the other fans-run event goes, my interest depends heavily on dates and whether or not I will be able to attend the Vegas Fans Week. If these unsubstantiated rumors about it happening in November are true, then yes, I will be looking to do something else in the Sept-Oct time frame instead, as I will be in training in November and won't be able to go to Vegas. I'm hoping to see the Tour before the end of its run anyway. We shall see.

Looks like the fam is organizing a trip in September. I can't wait for RUG much longer.

One more lengthy post from me on Facebook demanding dates for Fans Week. Let's see if they find a reason to pull that too.

Phantom on a Budget wrote:One more lengthy post from me on Facebook demanding dates for Fans Week. Let's see if they find a reason to pull that too.

Thank, I appreciate that. I'm too scared that they will track me down and ban me from the show.

Fans Week in Vegas this year has been scrapped, per there facebook page. Looks like I'm headed to Pittsburg.

Yep, it's official. So what the #@&% am I gonna do with this snazzy new costume I commissioned?

R.

Raphael wrote:Yep, it's official. So what the #@&% am I gonna do with this snazzy new costume I commissioned?

R.

Come to Pittsburgh and wear it to the show.

I can't believe they cancelled it. Soooooooo disappointing. I've been counting the days since last year when I got sick and had to leave Fans Week on the first day. I think I will shelve my costume. Talk about being all dressing up with no place to go.(yeah I know there's Pittsburgh but don't really want to travel there).

That's sad news! Did they give any reasons?

Whaaaaaaaaaaaat??!?!

It's officially cancelled? Last thing I heard was that they were working on some finishing details. I am very surprised. And disappointed. And I wonder what the reasons are. Economy, administration... Andrew Lloyd Webber?

*getting paranoid*

"We are working diligently to finalize the plans so we can announce the dates very shortly" apparently is BASE's way of saying "it's not working out, it hasn't been working out, and we're too afraid to say so, so we're just going to keep putting it off."

I have no words.

I am extremely saddned by this. I'm still going to work on my costume, but without a cool event to wear it to, I fear it will just gather dust. I do need to finish it though. I can't stand having it unfinished and always nagging me. What sucks about Fans Week being cancelled is that the Venetian is the only place I really want to wear it because it is completely self-contained. I didn't have to worry about going outside and getting it dirty. Even if they ever hosted something like this in NY, I would be very hesitant to wear it there, not to mention that I had to ship the hat to a friend in Vegas last year. I'd have to do some research to get it to NY. But then I'd have to wear it outside....

Not to mention that now we won't be able to meet some of our out of country kin....

Sadness....

Phantom on a Budget wrote:"We are working diligently to finalize the plans so we can announce the dates very shortly" apparently is BASE's way of saying "it's not working out, it hasn't been working out, and we're too afraid to say so, so we're just going to keep putting it off."

I have no words.

I feel the same, I was not able to go last year because I was going the end of July to see the show and could not afford another trip in September. This is disappointing, it just comes off as really unorganized planing of Fans week.