The Broadway production + US tour

broadway.com's latest ask a star is going to include Hugh! You can send in your questions Here.


On another note--I'll be headed to new york in march, though the date isn't set in stone yet, I'm looking forward to it. I didn't think I'd get a chance to go to NYC twice within a year! Phantom is on my show list (shocker) and I'm caught between seeing The Importance of Being Earnest which I saw during it's run in Stratford or trying to get tickets for How to Succeed... I'm taking suggestions once again and any are helpful/appreciated.

I'm bound and determined to get to NY for the first time in 6 years sometime this year, both to see Phantom again, and more importantly, to see a game in the new Yankee Stadium for the first time.

OK...I just got home and I'm exhausted (the bus ride was a miserable 3 1/2 hour crawl through a snow storm).

I will write a long and detailed review as soon as I'm coherent, but I've got to share a few thoughts right now.

1.) O.K., I've seen Phantom close to two dozen times now and had some amazing experiences, including the record-breaking show. Today's experience completely topped that.

2.) Sara is an absolutely amazing Christine. There's a lot to praise about her, but for now, I have to mention her WYWSHA...just wonderful.

3.) Sean is the best Raoul I've ever seen. I expected to like him based on what friends have said, but he went far beyond that.

4.) Standing on the same stage as Hal Prince while the cast did press...totally awesome moment for a longtime phan.

5.) Hugh...as The Phantom...he left me pretty speechless. He told me back in August that he felt he could do even better in the role now and he has.

6.) Getting a hug and a kiss from Hugh in full costume...let's just say that my inner 14 year-old phan was totally giddy.

I can't wait to actually write down my thoughts about the whole show...it was just fantastic.

So glad you love Sean....yeah, his work is brilliant. But he's not just a good Raoul, though; it's very clear that he is a thrilling actor.

Lucky you! Glad you made it!

The evening show was fabulous! I agree with Paula, Sean is a magnificent Raoul. The last time I saw the show when Hugh first returned I saw Ryan Silverman, so it's always nice to see a new Raoul. I love sitting up close and noticing small things I hadn't seen before, like when Hugh is at the organ after MOTN, he says the lines to "Don Juan Triumphant" while composing.

And I got to meet Hal Prince!! And Ted Keegan!




George Lee Andrews giving a toast backstage after the show.


Hal Prince!


I got to meet Hal Prince!!


Hugh & Ted Keegan.


Hugh falling in love with Kimilee Bryant's puppy.

Forgot to mention something I saw on Facebook, I think yesterday: Michael Riedel mentioned that the Schuberts are thinking about renaming a theater for Hal Prince, and Riedel proposed that it be the Majestic. Makes perfect sense to me. While it'd be hard to call that theater something else, it's a fitting tribute since no other director has even come close to having one of his shows last for so long in one place.

WOOOOW!!!

I posted this in the review thread as well, but in case people don't see it there, here is a video from Broadway Beat of the entire post-matinee curtain call speech!
http://broadwayworld.com/videoplay.php?colid=205058

"We can't close this show!"

Cape Twirl of Doom wrote:I posted this in the review thread as well, but in case people don't see it there, here is a video from Broadway Beat of the entire post-matinee curtain call speech!
http://broadwayworld.com/videoplay.php?colid=205058

"We can't close this show!"

I'll admit I was silently squeeing with joy when he said that!

Paula74 wrote:

Cape Twirl of Doom wrote:I posted this in the review thread as well, but in case people don't see it there, here is a video from Broadway Beat of the entire post-matinee curtain call speech!
http://broadwayworld.com/videoplay.php?colid=205058

"We can't close this show!"

I'll admit I was silently squeeing with joy when he said that!

I liked Hugh's reaction.

Ted! So he really is a swing on Broadway again?

(I wish he'd do another concert down South again.)

Cape Twirl of Doom wrote:

Paula74 wrote:

Cape Twirl of Doom wrote:I posted this in the review thread as well, but in case people don't see it there, here is a video from Broadway Beat of the entire post-matinee curtain call speech!
http://broadwayworld.com/videoplay.php?colid=205058

"We can't close this show!"

I'll admit I was silently squeeing with joy when he said that!

I liked Hugh's reaction.

That picture = WIN!!!

Cape Twirl of Doom wrote:
And I got to meet Hal Prince!!

I AM SO JEALOUS!!!!!!

more new photos on the FB page, I almost died seeing some of those old ones.

Me too!

phantomfett wrote:Me too!

Is the words "death" and "red" partly the reason?

Yeah, there are two new RD pics that I hadn't seen, but it's mostly for the older pictures of Phantoms. I love the way the older suits are cut so much better than the newer ones. Makes me sad that Winterling can't get it right. Or that Vincent Costumes didn't transfer the patterns to them. Whichever it is--boo.

Sean MacLaughlin has a "day in the life" photo blog on Playbill that takes us through his two-show 23rd anniversary day: http://www.playbill.com/multimedia/gallery/2121.

I love this kind of stuff. Amazing he drinks an energy drink and then is able to go on and sing. Those things are usually murder on the throat, worse than soda or wine.

http://www.playbill.com/multimedia/gallery/2121./?pnum=18 <-- favourite picture. the end.

on the energy drink front-- I know people in my program who do that right before shows. I agree--they're insane.

Christine's Shadow wrote:http://www.playbill.com/multimedia/gallery/2121./?pnum=18 <-- favourite picture. the end.

Hugh looks like he's channeling Sweeney Todd. I love all the dog pics.

Cape Twirl of Doom wrote:I love all the dog pics.

Ditto! More doggy photos! (That's sweet that Soot gets to come to work with Hugh!)

operafantomet wrote:

Paula74 wrote:I can't say it's the craziest story he's ever shared...but it even got my partner to

http://www.broadway.com/shows/the-phantom-of-the-opera/buzz/154761/showering-with-cloris-leachman-tops-phantom-star-hugh-panaros-2010-memories/

Resolution for 2011: “To take more showers with famous people!”

I'll drink to that!

I'm a little (a lot) late here, but my resolution should have been to take more showers with naked Phantoms. Damn.

Booked my tickets for April 1st in NYC -- my phanniversary!

Hugh performed Music of the Night on the CBS morning news earlier today.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/02/19/phantom-performs-live-in-cbs-2-studio/

He sounded great, especially for singing live at 9:30am! It's a shame though that the reporter & on-screen graphic referred to him as Hugh "Parano."

Sad they had his name wrong. If I were Hugh, I'd've corrected the guy. People mispronounce both my first and last name all the time, so I get tired of it.

Are they giving Hugh the rest of the day off? Can't imagine getting up at the crack of dawn to go on TV and then doing 2 shows.

So, last night, I was looking through a box of assorted non-Phantom Playbills and stuff and came across a couple of pages from City Guide magazine from a few years ago. It was an interview that Hugh did around 2004...and something below the interview stood out.

The Phantom of the Opera is playing at the St. James Theatre, 246 West 44th St.

Umm...really?

That's even worse than messing up the leading man's name on TV.

Speaking of theatres... I have three souvenir brochures from the USA (US tour) which I cannot locate the exact theatre they performed in. Here's the year, cast and city:

1993 - Franc D'Ambrosio - Adrienne McEwan (Sylvia Rhyne) - John Schroeder (Tampa Bay)
1995 - Grant Norman - Diana Fratatoni (Susan Facer) - John Schroeder (New Orleans)
2003 - Brad Little - Lisa Vroman (Marni Raab) - Tim Martin Gleason (San Francisco)

Any inputs on which theatre housed them? There's no info whatsoever in the playbill and insert.

operafantomet wrote:Speaking of theatres... I have three souvenir brochures from the USA (US tour) which I cannot locate the exact theatre they performed in. Here's the year, cast and city:

1993 - Franc D'Ambrosio - Adrienne McEwan (Sylvia Rhyne) - John Schroeder (Tampa Bay)
1995 - Grant Norman - Diana Fratatoni (Susan Facer) - John Schroeder (New Orleans)
2003 - Brad Little - Lisa Vroman (Marni Raab) - Tim Martin Gleason (San Francisco)

Any inputs on which theatre housed them? There's no info whatsoever in the playbill and insert.

Little/Vroman/Gleason was at the Orpheum theatre in San Francisco.

Thanks a lot for that! Would love to know the location of the other ones as well, but this is a good start.

Hugh Panaro answers readers/viewers' questions for Broadway.com on video:
http://www.broadway.com/shows/the-phantom-of-the-opera/video/153443/ask-a-star-the-phantom-of-the-operas-hugh-panaro/