Ask Sandra Joseph

Sandra, I just emailed you, thank you thank you thank you


You are a dearheart!!!

Hi guys,

I wanted to give you the inside scoop before anyone else hears about it. I did my interview with Hugh yesterday in between shows in his dressing room (which is beautifully decked out for fall. You'll see the gourds in the video). I think you are going to LOVE what he shares about being back in the show, his "Bible" for the role, and what he loves about singing and acting.

Want some more juicy scoop? I talked to Sara, the new Christine, on my way out of the Majestic about doing a Christine Pow-wow. How fun would it be for a few of us Christines (Susan Owen will be another one since she is my BFF!) to sit down together and talk about the role?! Get your questions ready!

xoxo-

Sandra

Can I share something else that I'm personally really excited about? Your boy Romil, who created your logo, is designing the CUTEST logo for my website! After I saw his work here, I knew I HAD to get in touch with him. Thanks, Romil! We'll let you know when it's on the site! Fun, fun, fun! Hope you're having a lovely weekend.

SandraJoseph wrote:Want some more juicy scoop? I talked to Sara, the new Christine, on my way out of the Majestic about doing a Christine Pow-wow. How fun would it be for a few of us Christines (Susan Owen will be another one since she is my BFF!) to sit down together and talk about the role?! Get your questions ready!

xoxo-

Sandra

Can I share something else that I'm personally really excited about? Your boy Romil, who created your logo, is designing the CUTEST logo for my website! After I saw his work here, I knew I HAD to get in touch with him. Thanks, Romil! We'll let you know when it's on the site! Fun, fun, fun! Hope you're having a lovely weekend.

OooOooh, a Christine pow-wow! I feel a pile of question building up here... Let me sort them out first! But that is really cool.

And yes, Romil is Looking forward to see what he's cooking up for you... Something awesome, I'm sure!

Yes, how grand it would be to have a Christine Pow-wow, the mind boggles, Sandra thank you once again, I have to say it again you are coolness personified.

Look out ladies, you'll soon get to check out Hugh's gourds!

You're welcome, Sandra. Working on your logo design has been quite a fun experience

I'm looking forward to your interview with Hugh. Sounds like it'll be very entertaining! And the Christine Pow-wow sounds like a cool idea, too. Will the method of selecting questions be the same as it was for Hugh?

R.

Raphael wrote:Look out ladies, you'll soon get to check out Hugh's gourds!

You would make that comment first

Sandra! I'm looking forward to the video with Hugh, I'm another vote towards having a Christine "pow-wow" and looking forward to seeing the new logo Raph. designed! (So much to look forward too! *claps*)

Hey Sandra,

Just a quick question for yourself....besides Phantom what is your favourite musical and why?

Sandra,

I just saw part 1 of your interview with Hugh. How fun! Some great questions so far. I can't wait for part 2!

-Bonnie

he is delicious, thanks for part one, it was fun, Hugh Panaro is half Italian, all-sweet

How sad that the record company is so short sighted to give more creative control to such a talent as Hugh, but it is good that he is holding out.

I would love for him to release a cd with Music of the Night,

That was a great interview. Very insightful (and hilarious) answers from Hugh. Look forward to part 2.

Just coming in (very late) to say hello and welcome, Sandra! I'm with the people who've never seen you perform (unless the 1998 NBA All-Star Game counts) as I've only seen the show on Broadway once and it was shortly before you joined the cast there. I think it's really cool of you to hang out here with us.

(Also, lamely, it makes me very happy that you mentioned Thomas James O'Leary--thirteen years later and he's still my favorite Phantom. )

Just watched both parts of the interview.....it was amazing thank you Hugh and thank you Sandra for arranging it

PS I think its cool that Hugh talked about Susan Kay's Phantom I am reading it for the first time at the moment and can see why it's Hugh's bible when it comes to the Phantom.

I should have asked Hugh the question, "Do you ever age?" Dude's what--46? And he looks and sounds 26.

Hi, Sandra!
I have a few questions:
What was your audition song for Phantom?
How could you keep your energy, stamina and generally the strength to perform Christine so many times for so many years?
Who are your idols/inspirations?

Okay, I'm having major editing issues. I think it's time to invest in some software. I only posted the first third of what I recorded so I didn't get through very many questions here, but I'll be making more videos--and hopefully learning how the F@!! to edit the ones I've already made! Thanks for your patience.

ALSO- BIG HUGE SHOUT OUT to the awesome Romil! I saw your logo here and knew I had to get in touch with the clever artist. Check out the awesomeness he created for my site!

http://www.sandrajoseph.com

SandraJoseph wrote:ALSO- BIG HUGE SHOUT OUT to the awesome Romil! I saw your logo here and knew I had to get in touch with the clever artist. Check out the awesomeness he created for my site!

http://www.sandrajoseph.com

Aaaaaw, that logo is just too... awesome, cute and... everything else! Bravo and brava. Kudos on the Louboutins. I must say I like your new site a lot.

Thanks, Operafantomet! I never know how I'm supposed to address you guys. I guess your username is the safest way to go.

Thanks so so much I have been looking forward to this video for so long but looking at your facebook status I know you have been really busy. Thank you for me mentioning me all the way in Dublin you are so sweet. I look forward to the next video xxxxx

PS One quick question have you read the Susan Kay novel?? If so what did you think of it?

Thanks you

LisaL

YeeHaw, that is another fun interview, and thank you once again, that picture of Hugh with the 2 Christines is adorable

You're most welcome, Lisa L and Lady G (not to be confused with Gaga, of course)!

Thank you once again, you are perhaps one of the coolest celebs ever, (I do not say that often.) and I really wish that I could have seen you play Christine, you are such a warm person,..

also same for Hugh, I wish that I could see him play the phantom, I was touched by his interview. and in the first interview it was cute of him to say GO-Diva, only he may do that.

Another video posted just now.

http://sandrajoseph.com/

Hmm. Says this latest one is a private video, Sandra. Youtube settings, perhaps?

R.

Whoopsie! Thanks, R!! Fixed now.

Awesome. A question I was wondering, and that some others have been wondering in the Broadway/US Tour thread, is if/when you were in the Third National Tour. I can't remember if it was something you said on here or Facebook, but I think it was a FB status message on Halloween when you were wishing the 3NT cast well on their final show, and it seems like you made a reference to having been in that production. But I and others were surprised because we knew you had been in the Second company (where you met your husband), but didn't know you'd been in the other tour. So were you, and when?

Great video , Sandra I was introduced to the Kopit/Yeston Phantom through the NBC miniseries adaptation starring Charles Dance back in the early 90s. I've got a copy of the cast recording, but where can I find a recording of Laura Benanti singing "Home"?

And my question for you: I heard you recently worked with some young people that were putting on a student production of PotO. What was that experience like?

R.

Raphael wrote:Great video , Sandra I was introduced to the Kopit/Yeston Phantom through the NBC miniseries adaptation starring Charles Dance back in the early 90s. I've got a copy of the cast recording, but where can I find a recording of Laura Benanti singing "Home"?

And my question for you: I heard you recently worked with some young people that were putting on a student production of PotO. What was that experience like?

R.

You can hear her from the CD "The Maury Yeston Songbook"

Dustin, I was in the ensemble as the mirror bride/Christine understudy in the third national touring company for all of 1995. From there, I was promoted to the role of Christine on the second national tour. Did that in 1996 and 1997. Moved to Bway January of 1998 and stayed till hell froze over.

Marvin, I went to Eastern Oregon University last month as a "guest artist" to work on their production of Phantom-the first university mounting of the show in the country. It was unequivocally one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I loved every minute of it. What a gift it was for me to be able to share all of Hal Prince's wisdom that I'd accumulated over a decade in the show. I wish every high school and university in the country would invite me to come and spend a couple days working with the kids. I actually tried to Google and find other productions so I could contact them, but I couldn't find them.
Thanks for asking about that! It really was a joy.