1994 Interview with Dale Kristien MCIFA (Michael Crawford international fan association)

Here are some of the Q&A's from fans to Dale Kristien at a fan meeting in LA

Q: In Phantom Christine runs off the stage saying that she can't be in Don Juan Triumphant, Next thing you know she is at the rehearsal, Why do you think she changed her mind?

Dale: It's Raoul, insensitive Raoul, Exactly! its my whole point about the relationship between Christine and Raoul, I mean, he goes-if you listen to the owrds of All I ask of you, "Say you love me,- he goes, "you know I do", typical: so later on when she gets upset, she exits, then comes on doing it, Obviously insensitive Raoul has talked her into yet another of his hare-brained schemes. So the whole thing about this is that if they'd just leave it up to Christine, she can handle it. but Raoul gets in the way. But Raoul gets in the way and she thinks well he is a man I guess I should have him help me out here, but basically Christine handles the whole thing and in the end, ladies and gentlemen, by saving Raoul she saves the Phantom.

Q; towards the end of point of no return, the police and managers run on stage to try to help then pull back why did they retreat?

Dale; Something about the gun, and they did not want to shoot Christine, thats why, plus we had to get away.

Q; Stage glitches?

Dale; Micheal Crawford is a clown, You know in the scene in the Phantom of the opera, the journey, were on the travelator, there is another couple that is supposed to be the phantom and Christine, and we are waiting in the wings for them to come off pass the latern and go back on. well the girl that's coming across tripped, som Micheal says"Damn, Damn, she tripped, Limp. He was a constant joy to work with.

Q; How much dance and voice training have you had

Dale; I think training is as fun as performing, I went to college to study voice and have a degree in applied voice, the dance training, Christine has to dance on pointe and I had never been to ballet class, I took the opportunity to learn to dance on pointe and make it look believeable.

Q; some Christines don't dance on pointe

Dale; Yes I know that, they did not want to put the effort in that I have.

**Note, when I saw Dale in LA in 1989, she danced on Demi pointe she was not on full pointe till a few months later.

Q: what would a typical day be like

Dale: Micheal would be there at 4 and I would be there at 7pm Michael puts everything he had into the role, Me I needed I like, Did'nt help me anyway, -my husband left me.

Q: what was it like in Michaels arms in Music of the night and he did not touch you

Dale: whos says he did'nt touch me, sometimes he would really touch me, and say later I did not mean to, and I would say sure.

Q; what is your voice teachers name?

Dale;Florence Riggs

Q; how did you find out that you had been chosed for LA Phantom?

Dale; I never wanted to do it on Broadway, I live in LA and do not like NY, So I went to NY to have them hear me, they offered me the part in New York, and said that if you want to play Christine in LA, if you're wearing the dress already, you stand a better chance of doing it in LA., after doing it in NY with Micheal for three months. then Micheal was asked to do the Inaugural Gala for George Bush, Micheal invited me to be the Christine at the gala, and introducing us they said from the LA production of Phantom of the Opera, Dale Kristien and Tony award winner Micheal Crawford. I found out on TV that Indeed I had the LA part

more, of the interview,

Q; In the grave yard how does the phantom hold the fireballs

Dale: Pyrotechnics, he has a stick with 7 little buttons on it, the fireballs come toward Raoul and Christine and we'ew supposed to dodge them, well one night, Monsiur Crawford was having a great old time with those little buttons, and we have these little flash pots on the floor, which they tell me "its perfectly safe. one night Mr. C is pushing these things where we were standing and I was like not acting anymore, Raoul, we are outta here.

Q; did you make any changes how you played with Davis Gaines, and Robert Guilliame

Dale: you have to , they are entitled to do their own thing, however, I don't think anyone did it better than Micheal,It was not as emotional with Davis or Guillaume or anyone else I played with seven different men who played the Phantoms, it was never more emotional than Michael made it.

Q: in Point of No Return, at what moment does Christine actually know it is the phantom

Dale; Hal Prince has since changed it, how would I not know-it's something about his voice, I would know it, so the way that I decied to play was- his voice was so mesmerizing when I heard it I was put back into a trance, during the part where I actually touch him, Now, if Christine knew that it was the phantom thats tacky, so it makes sense that I do not know it is him til I finally touch him and am like what do I do. Hal Prince never liked it well he did, but you can not tell another actress when to take off that stuff (the hood-the mask, like the way I did it.. It was like He is here you guys are looking out here. mostly meant for Roaul in the wings, Don't you get it yet-so I really do care about the phantom, but it want socially acceptable to be seen with a man like this so

Q; from all the years in phantom did they allow you to take anything home?

Dale; no they did not allow, but I got stuff, 4 1/2 years I was buddies with the poeple and how could I part with my wedding dress, how could I let someone else wear it, it's mine damn it, I have a box with my wedding dress and the veil, and I have the think of me dress, and I have some hair and my bouquet, and my scarf, the crew gave me the dummie that the phantom tosses, it is actually my face, they poured plaster over my face.

more from the interview

Q; the mausoleum scene was originally a trio, was there a reason why that was changed

Dale; Michael had it changed, Michael said that you could not hear what was happening between phantom and Christine, When Steve Barton came to replace Micheal Pointek, the trio was put back,

Q; in the mausoleum scene Micheal Crawford would say Come on Come on don't stop, and Davis Gaines did'nt

Dale; I don't remember that except we left earlier

Q; in the point of no return Michael Crawford was orignally sexy then was not why

Dale; Define "sexy" I think that Hal Prince thought that it was too suggestive, they way that Miceahl did it was subtle and it was suggestive, but it meant something, it was sexy okay, giving it to someone else looks crass,

Q; Fearing the crowds of fans at the stage door

Dale; I did stop going out to meet with the fans backstage, because some of the fans were asking personal questions one of which had to do with my ex-husband. I could not anser the question and say "you are insensitive asking me that. sometimes a crush of people can be frightening to be in the middle of

Q; Ever been stalked

Dale: No, but Mary D'arcy, she was are alternate in LA, she had an over enthusiastic fan, it did not become a dangerous situation, but you could see where it could

More

Q; on New Years Eve, youhad the biggest grin on your face, (When Michael returned to LA) was it "he's back"

Dale; I could not be happier that day, I could not control myself,it was astonishing.

ladygodiva wrote:Q; the mausoleum scene was originally a trio, was there a reason why that was changed?

Dale; Michael had it changed, Michael said that you could not hear what was happening between phantom and Christine, When Steve Barton came to replace Micheal Pointek, the trio was put back,

That is interesting! I've always been a trio fan myself, but I can see how whoever is playing the Phantom feels he looses the focus...

Q; from all the years in phantom did they allow you to take anything home?

Dale; no they did not allow, but I got stuff, 4 1/2 years I was buddies with the poeple and how could I part with my wedding dress, how could I let someone else wear it, it's mine damn it, I have a box with my wedding dress and the veil, and I have the think of me dress, and I have some hair and my bouquet, and my scarf, the crew gave me the dummie that the phantom tosses, it is actually my face, they poured plaster over my face.

Dale Kristien, I'm sooooooooo jealous! I wonder how many cast members who have taken home full costumes... I know many owns masks, stockings and minor stuff, but I didn't know about the whole costumes thing. Maybe this means Sarah Brightman have in her possession some of the original West End or Broadway stuff?

As usual, thanks a lot for sharing this stuff with us, Ladygodiva. It's such an interesting part of the Phantom history.

operafantomet wrote:

ladygodiva wrote:Q; the mausoleum scene was originally a trio, was there a reason why that was changed?

Dale; Michael had it changed, Michael said that you could not hear what was happening between phantom and Christine, When Steve Barton came to replace Micheal Pointek, the trio was put back,

That is interesting! I've always been a trio fan myself, but I can see how whoever is playing the Phantom feels he looses the focus...

Yay for Steve Barton in that case! I've always wondered whether it was Hal, ALW or MC who wanted the trio replaced with a duet. I think the trio works far better and gives Raoul some much-needed stage time. Thank God London kept it.

Dale has always had this 'Michael is so much better than any other Phantom I've worked with' thing going on. I'm not sure whether I appreciate the honesty or find it a little unprofessional. Personally I've never liked her Christine.

Speaking of MC's LA run, does anyone know for sure what the date was of MC's FINAL FINAL performance? I've got the 29 April 1990 as the date for his 'planned' final performance in LA, and he made a speech that night, but I was of the understanding that he returned briefly to the role... so when did he return, and how long for?

Scorp wrote:Dale has always had this 'Michael is so much better than any other Phantom I've worked with' thing going on. I'm not sure whether I appreciate the honesty or find it a little unprofessional. Personally I've never liked her Christine.

She say something similar in this news coverage for the last L.A. performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoyflTp6pl8

Nice, but brief clips from the title song and MOTN there, even of Robert Guillaume.

here is a cute story on Dale being plastered

Dale; One day I went to have a face mold for the dummy in the show, They poured this stuff over my face with straws up my nose, ( Dale indicates with two fingers in her nose.) (A picture is snaped of Dale at that very moment, (Dale replies did you just take a pic I am so embarrased. Okay so they do that, and also the clevage on the dummie is mine.

Scorp there are some things that I do like with Dale, although pretty much she was the stiffest, most akward, and least gracefull Christine, although in person she was quite pretty, she had a beaming smile, and a good voice, the final lair she was fantastic actress. although I give her a 40 out of 100, -60 for her almost stiff as a board first act, but like I said her final lair was great, although most of the phans my age who saw the LA fawn all over Dale like she was the second comeing of Mary Martin and Julie Andrews and Ethel Merman and Gertrude Laurence rolled into one.

Now I never liked how Dale spouted off about former Christines, and Dale allways was a bit to much of a braggart over her Christine.

Operafantomet, I do have an article on actors actresses who have taken stuff home. I have to find it and went I do I will type it out. (Thats why it takes me so long, I hope to have someone who can scan and download or upload whatever they call it and she can post a lot for me, I hope,

Although I have heard that Sarah has her slavegirl costume from London, and another costume, but all that is a rumor so far, I will have to go over all my old correspondance, I have tons of letters and articles to look through

very few get to take something home, on the good side in the early years of phantom in Toronto and NY they used to hold many charity actions and Rebecca Caine and Rebecca Luker, and most of the cast would Donate peices, such as a wedding veil, bouquet, arm bands, loose beads, some fabric, some distressed bodices, I have heard of at least 10 or more slave girl bodices and bodices from some masked ball were auctioned off. I will try to look that stuff up. I do know of one used managers chair being auctioned off for I believe 900 dollars, they say that it was and still is a magnificant chair. absolutely gorgeous.

And one Christine actress only took shoes, and boots, for her personall use, I am not sure who this is but this was in 1993 when I heard about the shoes, so it would obviously have to be someone from that time. Lucky girl

Adding this interview with (amongst others) Dale Kristien here:

http://www.lastagetimes.com/2010/10/phantom-of-the-opera-tour-ends-two-decade-run/