Rare pictures 1

I found these pictures of the Viennese Chandelier, other is from Google search and one is from Phantomoftheopera.com's forums, if someone hasn't seen it yet.

Anyone knows where the round chandelier ever ended up? Haven't seen it in any productions after Vienna, but it must be SOMEWHERE?

I love the look of it.

Thats so freaky looking......

Again, was that and the odd proscenium also used when the show moved to the Raimund (which is more a traditional theatre layout)?

I heard years ago that Australia used a round chandelier at one point, or am I geting my stories mixed up? It was either that or Australia's chandelier rose to the middle of the theatre's dome rather than just infront the Proscenium (I think the Vienna one rose to the centre of the dome also)

justin-from-barbados wrote:Thats so freaky looking......

Again, was that and the odd proscenium also used when the show moved to the Raimund (which is more a traditional theatre layout)?

I heard years ago that Australia used a round chandelier at one point, or am I geting my stories mixed up? It was either that or Australia's chandelier rose to the middle of the theatre's dome rather than just infront the Proscenium (I think the Vienna one rose to the centre of the dome also)

I believe that the chandelier was the same. Paul Kelly could probably answer to that, but I dont know how to contact him.

And for the chandelier, I've heard that too, but it could have been a misconception; Austria/Australia..

What a shame that it was that sort of oddity in Phantom productions; not even the original builder of the HMT's original chandelier couldn't answer why it was oval when I asked him. He said that it was in the original plans, as it is, and that's it.
But in one hand-drawn sketch by Björnson illustrates that the chandelier is round and the Phantom is riding it down..?

TheFinnishPhantom wrote:But in one hand-drawn sketch by Björnson illustrates that the chandelier is round and the Phantom is riding it down..?

Yes, the initial design shows the chandelier as round, as the Palais Garnier one. But the detailed sketch done by one of her assistants shows an oval one. I guess some technicians or other brainy people convinced them that an oval one would appear round from most seats of the auditorium, but would be a lot easier to navigate. Remember, they were close to not being allowed the whole chandelier stunt at all, they had to do several test runs with safety people to show them it was doable.

That said, when the Vienna production opened, everything was not as set in stone as it is today. The early productions was allowed, under the supervision of Bjørnosn herself, to do changes to adapt the design to specific theatres.

The Stockholm production (1989-1995) had a proscenium with only figures on top (not lower sides), and they didn't have the grave in WC either. This was because of the low stage on Oscarsteatern. The Danish production used the same sets when they opened in 2000, and kept these changes, although their stage was much taller.

An early Japanese production also altered the proscenium, as described earlier (or not the actual proscenium, but it appears the golden angel was not possible to move, and that the Phantom appeared from behind the Apollo statue, similar to what they do in Hungary).

So a round chandelier in a production probably wouldn't happen today. But back in 1989 the whole POTO replica concept was still new, and each theatre had specially made sets and costumes, with a local flair. Today most theatres buy or borrow/rent an already existing package, and they stick as close to the concept as they can (except Japan, who suddenly started copying the US costumes, but that's another story...).

And mixing up Austria/Australia makes sense, it's happened before...

operafantomet wrote:
That said, when the Vienna production opened, everything was not as set in stone as it is today. The early productions was allowed, under the supervision of Bjørnosn herself, to do changes to adapt the design to specific theatres.

Oh, that's strange, since after the Swedish production closed there was plans for a Finnish production, but ALW got temper tantrum since there is no big, old theaters in Helsinki. Helsinki City Theater was too modern for him. Argh, and then those South-American productions are in rather modern theaters, why?

But I hope that Phantom comes here soon...
Only Phantoms performed here are Ken Hill's, Yeston & Kopit's and that some "---penny Phantom of The Opera"

TheFinnishPhantom wrote:

operafantomet wrote:
That said, when the Vienna production opened, everything was not as set in stone as it is today. The early productions was allowed, under the supervision of Bjørnosn herself, to do changes to adapt the design to specific theatres.

Oh, that's strange, since after the Swedish production closed there was plans for a Finnish production, but ALW got temper tantrum since there is no big, old theaters in Helsinki. Helsinki City Theater was too modern for him. Argh, and then those South-American productions are in rather modern theaters, why?

Oh, but they were picky about which theatres got to produce it. They wanted a historical setting. But if the theatre was right, the ways the design could be incorporated was not as set ins tone as today. Nowadays "any" theatre can house Phantom, but there are no rule bending (so to speak) in the production design. Maybe because Maria Bjørnson isn't around to approve changes? Or maybe it's just become so.

They lucked with using old histor cohouses by the time the show got to Germany and the Netherlands.

The Newe Flora in Hamburg makes the Gershwin in NYC look quaint, and the one in Essen was straight out of a warehouse (I think it actually was one at one time) The Palladium one in Stutguart was somewhat better, atleast it had temporary side boxes so it 'looked' more like a conventional theatre. The only real traditional house used in Germany these days is one in Berlin, but Im not sure Phantom could fit in there.

The one in the netherlands was a huge, one level thing, no balcony.

Personally I prefer when the show is in an old fashioned house, even though ALW's first choice for the Broadway run was rumoured to have neem the Minskoff.

Nice, big picture of Carlotta in Hannibal, from Broadway:

http://images.broadwayworld.com/upload/38022/phantom.jpg

MlleMusique wrote:One more request, though: are there any photos of Twisted Ev'ry Way? Or does that count as "no pics from Notes II"?

Hey, I'm happy to do it! But I realized, I lied. There is a photo from Notes II, one that I had forgotten about. I felt so bad, I scanned it in along with a few others. However, there is no Twisted photo. What I scanned here are the only Notes II and Wishing photos in the book, sadly.

Thanks Loettchen, that's a pretty good consolation prize

You wouldn't happen to know who Meg is, do you? That's such a cute photo of her in Notes...

I forgot an Il Muto photo, so check my last post for an edit.

According to the book, Meg is Alexandra Young-Schmidt.

I love how the Vienna "Complete POTO" book is modeled after the English one in picture layout, and still have its own flair. So nice to see these Vienna photos. As I mentioned earlier, the brochure photos are quite crappy, even for 1989.

Have these been online? From Copenhagen (2009).


Oh, that tiny beautiful stage...



Steen Springborg, Morten Staugaard, Malin Landing and... one I should dig up the name of...
I am crazy about that Elissa skirt. It was shared by two Carlottas both in 2000-2003 and in 2009. When Carlotta moves, the hem (which is wavy somehow) moves in a most gracious manner. And the tabs are da bomb.



Another I should find the name of, Åsa Nordgren, Kim Henriksen, Jennifer Wagstaffe
Åsa Nordgren was on as Carlotta a couple of times. Kim Henriksen also played M. Reyer (left in first picture).

I haven't seen this picture before, so I scanned it. So even if it's not rare, everyone loves pictures!

That's a lovely shot of the Broadway cast

Oh, I've never seen such a good scan of that picture before! Gorgeous. So nice to see quality stuff of the original B'way cast.

Not related, and not too rare either... But the name of this Raoul is fantastic!


This picture is the original of the photoshopped one with Crawford and Brightman ( http://www.studentsoftheworld.info/sites/music/img/13175_PHANCHRISTINE1.jpg ).

Viscountess wrote:I haven't seen this picture before, so I scanned it. So even if it's not rare, everyone loves pictures!

Honestly I've never noticed the "flunky" getting in on the staircase dance in the end. I thought he just brought the drinks and left.

Not sure if he still does? As I know (in London at least) it is him who is the Red Death double so would therefore have to be away by this point?

justin-from-barbados wrote:
Honestly I've never noticed the "flunky" getting in on the staircase dance in the end. I thought he just brought the drinks and left.

He stood out in the photo for me, too. I thought, "I don't remember seeing that one...oh, wait...it's the one with the tray of drinks. Don't remember seeing him in the rest of the scene..."

Then I figured I remembered wrong.

Does anyone happen to have these pics in bigger sizes?

Thanks Viscountess!

I often wondered (and this is not a request or anything (but it could be, heh)) if we actually have found every single Original London Cast picture out there. I have an album on my photobucket designed especially to keep all my OLC photos together. And while browsing through it, I noticed that it's definately not that big. It seemed that in the 90's, more pictures were being taken.

I feel like I'm playing a game of Pokemon, I gotta "catch 'em all".

I have about 300 pictures saved in the OLC file on my computer. Granted, some of these are from after Brightman left, some are press photos, and there might also be different sizes and cuts of the same picture. But I actually think many pictures exist of the original cast, especially when compared to Les Mis.

With one exception: I only have 10 pictures from "Notes/Prima Donna"!

operafantomet wrote:I have about 300 pictures saved in the OLC file on my computer. Granted, some of these are from after Brightman left, some are press photos, and there might also be different sizes and cuts of the same picture. But I actually think many pictures exist of the original cast, especially when compared to Les Mis.

With one exception: I only have 10 pictures from "Notes/Prima Donna"!

True, you are right about that - Les Miserables OLC had some horrible photo coverage.

Hrm. I'd love to browse your file sometime lady, I wonder if you have some I don't have.

Bleeeh, after the news of school kids being allowed to butcher POTO, and after the travesty that is LSD LND, isn't it time for an air of the musical's origins, from a time where there were some serious quality standards to live up to? Some of these photos are well known (I just like the so much), some are on the rarer side.

BARTON/BRIGHTMAN:







CRAWFORD/BRIGHTMAN:







CRAWFORD/KESSELMAN:

Ah! Thank you lady, thank you. It's so nice to see some Phantom-y Old-School goodness.

I'm listening to Crawford singing his heart out right now. They don't make 'em like they used to. Now it's going to be total young-in's playing the Phantoma and Christine. Oy. (Not like they do that now...)

operafantomet wrote:BARTON/BRIGHTMAN:

I LOVE the atmosphere of this one. The lighting and their expressions communicate the scene extremely well.

I have some pictures of the original cast too. I'm not sure how rare they are, but they're pretty good scans.

Viscountess wrote:

operafantomet wrote:BARTON/BRIGHTMAN:

I LOVE the atmosphere of this one. The lighting and their expressions communicate the scene extremely well.

I have some pictures of the original cast too. I'm not sure how rare they are, but they're pretty good scans.

I was the one who coaxed her to bring out all her OLC photos. I'm looking for some high quality stuff of the OLC. I want to make some icons. And I realised I had some ugly scans. Really ugly ones. :/ If you could post some of your goodies, may I partake in them Viscountess?