The Broadway production + US tour

Just came back from the performance. That was easily the best performance of Phantom that I've seen. Not technically or vocally perfect, but the energy was absolutely through the roof. They were all milking their lines, and it was obvious they were savoring their time on the stage. Magnificent.

So apparently both ALW and Sarah Brightman was there for the last US tour performance? Time to say goodbye indeed...

Odd that Sarah was there, since she was never in the production. She must've just been in the area anyway.

SenorSwanky wrote:Odd that Sarah was there, since she was never in the production. She must've just been in the area anyway.

I don't really follow news about Sarah too closely, but someone on another forum mentioned yesterday that she has a residence in the LA area.

SenorSwanky wrote:Odd that Sarah was there, since she was never in the production. She must've just been in the area anyway.

I'm a huge Sarah fan. Now I wish even more that I had been there.
Not sure if she just happened to be in the area or now. Up until around Oct 26 she was touring in Japan, Macau and Korea.

Brightman just finished a concert in Seoul, so I'm guessing L.A. was the closest thing for her to return to? Though I must admit I would expect Dale Kristien instead, or Crawford for L.A. and Brightman for West End. But I guess it didn't correspond with their schedule. But ALW seems to be oddly present in celebrating that big bag of hokum he's bad-mouthes this last year...

Were there any speeches? Crying? Other surprise guests? Original L.A. cast members? Cake? Details!

operafantomet wrote:Were there any speeches? Crying? Other surprise guests? Original L.A. cast members? Cake? Details!

Tim Martin Gleason had a short prepared address about the length of the tour with statistics. Also had notes from Hal Prince and Cameron Mackintosh. Several mentions of a revival. Various previous cast members in the audience, none mentioned by name.

Thanks for the update alaron4.

Rumour has it they had a BIIIIIG cake shaped like the Palais Garnier backstage! Anyone who caught a glimpse of it?

operafantomet wrote:Thanks for the update alaron4.

Rumour has it they had a BIIIIIG cake shaped like the Palais Garnier backstage! Anyone who caught a glimpse of it?

Yup. It looks absolutely amazing and is HUGE. I saw pics of it on FB but I think they were on a private album so hopefully some public pics show up.

Hi All,

This is my first post....found you through FB.

I'm a Old Skool phan of 14 years.... Feeling very sad about the U.S. tour closing.

Glad there is a place for us 'deserted fans'.

Ali

I just got home from LA. Last night was the most extraordinary night of my life. Details to come, including one that's so difficult to believe that I'm still trying to convince myself that it actually happened to me.

You are such a tease, Mandy!

http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/5W4F-dFNplR/Phantom+Opera+Closing+Night+Party/jE2qgPHNa-F

Ug, I just dont get it...
Is it too expensive to taylor those jackets properly?

Is it they can't get the right fabric anymore and this is the closest thing and it just won't drape properly?

Do they just don't care anymore?

http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/5W4F-dFNplR/Phantom+Opera+Closing+Night+Party/Id3kdXy_TIw
now that's a cake

justin-from-barbados wrote:http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/5W4F-dFNplR/Phantom+Opera+Closing+Night+Party/Id3kdXy_TIw
now that's a cake

Fantastic! Loving it. I'm also taking that as an official big F*** YOU to the Opéra Populaire.

Scorp wrote:

justin-from-barbados wrote:http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/5W4F-dFNplR/Phantom+Opera+Closing+Night+Party/Id3kdXy_TIw
now that's a cake

Fantastic! Loving it. I'm also taking that as an official big F*** YOU to the Opéra Populaire.

That cake seriously rocks. Like, seriously.

operafantomet wrote:

Scorp wrote:

justin-from-barbados wrote:http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/5W4F-dFNplR/Phantom+Opera+Closing+Night+Party/Id3kdXy_TIw
now that's a cake

Fantastic! Loving it. I'm also taking that as an official big F*** YOU to the Opéra Populaire.

That cake seriously rocks. Like, seriously.

Wonderful cake! The other night was a once in a lifetime experience for me. The cast was on fire. I have never experienced anything like it, and I doubt I will ever again.

I just posted about the first half of my Halloween on my blog. Of course, it's the second half that will really be most worth reading; this half is little more than a weepy, vague review of the show and an overview of the stagedoor experience, but maybe it will tide you over a bit until I get to the really good stuff.

Also, can someone confirm the performance number? I've read a few different ones, and I'm not entirely sure the one I wrote was correct.

phantomgirl110 wrote:I just posted about the first half of my Halloween on my blog. Of course, it's the second half that will really be most worth reading; this half is little more than a weepy, vague review of the show and an overview of the stagedoor experience, but maybe it will tide you over a bit until I get to the really good stuff.

Also, can someone confirm the performance number? I've read a few different ones, and I'm not entirely sure the one I wrote was correct.

Yea its correct. That is what I heard them say for the announcement sunday evening.

Love this quote from Dale Kristien:

The cadenza at the end of ‘Think of Me’ is infamous. It is sung a cappella and reaches heavenward. “I had so much fun with that. It really evolved over the five years that I worked on it. A cadenza means the orchestra has to wait for you. I sometimes got carried away with myself and held that high C for a long time.”

Not out of ego, Kristien says, “but because I can! Every once in a while I’d get a note that it had gone on a little long so when the stage management team was there, I’d shorten it a little bit. When they left, I would… well, there’s no other way to express why I did it. It was just bliss to be in that moment, singing that note to all of those people.”

Not very happy about this Tim Martin Gleason comment, though:
One thing is certain, says Gleason. “You will never see this replication of the Broadway show ever again.”

Very interesting article in general:
http://www.lastagetimes.com/2010/10/phantom-of-the-opera-tour-ends-two-decade-run/

Hey all, I was just wondering if someone here who is familiar with the Broadway production could help me out. A friend and I have plans to go see Phantom in NY on/around January 5, 2011, matinee show. I was checking for possible ticket discounts and I couldn't find any discount offers that are valid past around Mid-December, likely to maximize profits during the Christmas/New Year holiday season. Does anyone know if Bway usually offers (or does not offer) a discount code through Broadwaybox.com or other places for the week following New Years? We're debating whether we should buy tickets now or wait a little longer to see if a discount code will be offered.

Thanks!

~Madame~

It's a safe bet that you can wait til December when that code comes out. Post holidays is a time of very slow ticket sales for Broadway in general.

Madame Giry wrote:Hey all, I was just wondering if someone here who is familiar with the Broadway production could help me out. A friend and I have plans to go see Phantom in NY on/around January 5, 2011, matinee show. I was checking for possible ticket discounts and I couldn't find any discount offers that are valid past around Mid-December, likely to maximize profits during the Christmas/New Year holiday season. Does anyone know if Bway usually offers (or does not offer) a discount code through Broadwaybox.com or other places for the week following New Years? We're debating whether we should buy tickets now or wait a little longer to see if a discount code will be offered.

Thanks!

~Madame~

Last year they released a discount code that ran from January 4 (a Monday) through March 13, 2010. So it's a good bet that there will probably be another code for the same period this coming January. It appears to always be the same code, PH24TMC. So try that one around mid-December and see what you find.

The second installment of my tour closing review is up: Clicky! Longer than the first, and I haven't even gotten to the actual show yet. I'm finding it difficult to wrap my mind around everything that happened, so I'm trying to pace myself and post in segments rather than attempt to force it all at once.

At least one part of this segment won't be a surprise to some of you who are friends with a certain Phantom on Facebook. He blew my secret!

phantomgirl110 wrote:At least one part of this segment won't be a surprise to some of you who are friends with a certain Phantom on Facebook. He blew my secret!

And he did it gooooood!

operafantomet wrote:

phantomgirl110 wrote:At least one part of this segment won't be a surprise to some of you who are friends with a certain Phantom on Facebook. He blew my secret!

And he did it gooooood!

Indeed! As another friend said, if you're going to have the punch-line stolen, what better way?

phantomgirl110 wrote:The second installment of my tour closing review is up:

At least one part of this segment won't be a surprise to some of you who are friends with a certain Phantom on Facebook. He blew my secret!

Loved reading your tour post. It was so much fun that I had to go through it a second time. I could picture everything like it was just happening in front of me. I think I'm having a panic attack now.

phantomgirl110 wrote:The second installment of my tour closing review is up: Clicky! Longer than the first, and I haven't even gotten to the actual show yet. I'm finding it difficult to wrap my mind around everything that happened, so I'm trying to pace myself and post in segments rather than attempt to force it all at once.

At least one part of this segment won't be a surprise to some of you who are friends with a certain Phantom on Facebook. He blew my secret!

Wow, such an incredible night! Thanks for sharing such an amazing story with us! I look forward to reading the rest of it.

I'm glad you guys are enjoying it. I'm certainly enjoying reliving it!

I'm still working on the next portion, but in the meantime I have a question that I think is unlikely to be answered with any certainty: does anyone have even the slightest idea how many Christines - including principles, alternates, and understudies - there have been on the Music Box Tour? Like I said, I know it's a pretty crazy question because there have been so many and it's been almost two decades, but I must ask. You see, the other day I was bragging to my boss about how much useless POTO trivia I knew and he asked me this question...and then spent the rest of the day ribbing me because the one thing he actually wanted to know was something I couldn't tell him. So, anyone?

That is such a hard question because the tour has had so many more people coming in and out of roles than the NY production has... Let's try to at least do this decade backwards with the principles and alternates... (I left out return engagements, or prior...everyone is listed once)

Principles:
Trista Moldovan
Marni Raab
Sara Jean Ford
Jennifer Hope Wills
Marie Danvers
Rebecca Pitcher
Julie Hanson

Alternates:
Kelly Jeane Grant
Sara Lawrence
Elizabeth Southard
Marni Raab
Kathy Voytko

There was always just one understudy for Christine on the tour: Whoever was playing the Princess. Sarah Lawrence was the Princess from at least 2001 until she took over as alternate in 2006. I never had the chance to see the tour again after 2006, so I don't know how many other Princesses there have been the past four years.