My Peter Karrie Experience - Dreams Do Come True

I had started a little post in the "Land of Random" section about having the opportunity to do some work for a certain Phantom, Mr. Peter Karrie. It's proving to be quite the little adventure with an unexpected turn that might be of interest to fellow fans.

IF you don't want to read the whole story....Scroll down to the end of my post and just read the last line.

When I saw a post from PhantomJT about Peter Karrie doing a concert tour I decided to ask the theatre that I do some office work for if they might be interested in having PK. So with their permission, I contacted Peter to see if he had more dates open for his tour. A day later I received a nice reply saying that he'd love to come to our venue. I figured at this point that our theatre would have me hand over the reins to them as I don't normally deal with the artists. However, I'm guessing since they know I love all things Phantom, they've left me in charge of planning this event. It's a lot of work but it's neat getting to do work for PK.

For these shows he is having local performers join him onstage for some of the numbers in the songs. So now I'm trying to audition choirs, soloists etc for a show that is only about a month away. Again, not my usual job but it's a very good learning experience.

One day I come into work my boss looks at me and says "Hello Christine." My name isn't Christine so I stand staring at him confused. "Hello Christine" he repeats. I still stand there like an idiot. "You're on the show Christine." he says. I stand there like but I still don't understand. My boss hands me an email from Peter saying that he thinks I have a lovely "Christine" voice and he would like for me to be his "Christine" for the show.

What the heck??? I didn't audition for anything. I had no plans on auditioning. I'm not a performer. The only person I used to sing with was my cousin before she moved away. We used to goof around with a recorder and sing all kinds of stuff from musicals(as long as no one else was around to hear).

My bosses inform me that my sneaky cousin had slipped them a little recording of me singing "Think of Me" a few years back and they'd kept it. So now with this show in mind, they sent the recording off to Peter to see if maybe he might have some little chorus part in the show that my voice might be suitable for. They weren't expected him to come back offering me the Christine part and I certainly wasn't because I didn't even know I'd auditioned. At that point I was just about in tears when I got the news.

I spent the next two days in a state of shock. Part of me thrilled and part of me petrified. Two days later I get a phone call and it's Peter. I have never spoken to him before in my life and didn't know what to expect but he's just as nice as folks say he is. Very nicely went over things and what songs we'd be doing. So far it's Phantom, All I Ask of You and of course his MOTN. Depending on running time, may also include Point of No Return and Think of Me.

So life has suddenly gone crazy. I got the news almost 22 years to the day when I first discovered Phantom. So you know what? Don't ever give up on your dreams because you just never know what may happen.

OMG! I'm playing Christine opposite Peter Karrie!!!

I've known all this for ages. I still hate you

Wow, that's incredible. You are so lucky. Wish I could come see the show.

Dreams come true indeed, that is just incredible To sing with Peter Karrie, wow, congratulations!

That is... OMG!!!!!

Thanks for the comments. I'm still in a bit of a state of shock but finally getting to the point where I'm past totally freaking out and can enjoy and want to have fun with this.

I know when I was a little girl watching her first glimpse of Phantom via MC singing Music of the Night on a TV special, I never would have thought that this would happen all these years later.

Once the concert takes place, I'll post about what it was like if anyone is interested.

This is all manner of awesome. Good for you!

~LCD

Cogratulations! Break a leg, so to say

I'm so happy for you, you made me remember I'm a member here, been a bit sidetracked by Facebook I think these days. I can't wait to here your review. G.

That is fantastic. Good for you . I really want to hear more about it when you've done the concert.

That is so OMG. Congratulations!!!!!

Thanks everyone. The OMG I can't believe it has a new meaning right now. For the past week and a half I've had a really bad throat infection and am on total voice rest. I'm more of the Little Mermaid right now than Christine.

So now I have had to find a replacement Christine to be ready as it doesn't look good for me right now.

Oh no! Hope you get better in time. When's the show(s)?

Thanks Swanky. Rehearsal with Peter is this coming Sunday. The show is the following evening.
My house looks like an apothecary right now. The doctor and Peter are not letting me give up. I'll fight this stupid infection until the end.

Did you find someone else in case you can't go on, or is he just going to leave that part of the show out?

Those songs HAVE to be in the show. It's called "A Phantom Returns" so with a name like that, there has to be more than just MOTN from Phantom in it.

I did go and find a suitable understudy. She's actually the voice teacher I was going to use before this whole infection thing came along. Thankfully she's a soprano and has the concert evening free.

Nooooo! Get well! She's probably good and all, but I think I speak for everyone when I say that YOU are the one supposed to be on that stage with Peter Karrie. I X my fingers.

What a story! Hope you're getting better.

You guys/gals are awesome.

The steroid spray seems to help(that and a big pep talk from Peter). I tried the first verse of Phantom last night and I could sing it.
Mr. Karrie is flying somewhere over Quebec as I write this and we'll be greeting him at the airport in a few hours. That will be my first time ever meeting him. Then it's off to rehearsals.

Major butterflies.

Good luck! Wish I were in your shoes...except not playing Christine.

http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/lifetimes/article/1379193

So, MasqPhan, how'd it go? BTW, did you edit instead of quote my last post?

Oh my goodness Swanky. I'm so sorry. I did hit edit. Some moderator I am. My mind is not working normally right now. Too tired to think.

Oops, thought you'd said the show was last night too. Well, hope you're breaking a leg as we speak.

I fixed your post that I messed up. Again, sorry for that.

I've slept 4 hours in the last two days so I'm a bit too out of it to say much right now.
All I will say for now is that last night my dream came true.

MasqPhan wrote:
All I will say for now is that last night my dream came true.

Yooooouuuuu teeeeaaaase!!! Please, give us something to gush over. Pliiiiiiis.

But I'm so happy for you. I mean, wow. I can't imagine what an adventure you've experienced. Go you!

Sorry for drawing this out so long. I've had about 5 hours of sleep in the last 54 hours. Trying to get myself back into the swing of things.

The throat infection cleared up the night before the show.
Rehearsal was supposed to be that night but there were so many others to rehearse (cast of around 80) that there just wasn't time to go over the Phantom stuff. PK had been up over 24 hours by that time.

The next afternoon my rehearsal with Peter was scheduled and I ended up with what was probably the worst case of stage fright in the history of mankind. It was so horrible. I seriously felt like crawling under a rock and dying. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.

Peter arrived for rehearsal and realized how ill I was feeling but he wouldn't let me give up. Gave me a really great pep talk and urged me to come rehearse in a quiet spot so I'd be less scared. It was my first time ever singing with someone other than with my cousins back when we were younger. He was very nice about everything and soon I was able to sing and we went out on stage and did the songs there in front of a few others in the audience.

Four hours later it was time for me to step on stage for real. We had hoped to sell maybe 150 seats because we only had a month to promote the show but we sold out our 600 seats theatre. Even had to add seats at the back. Absolutely brilliant. Peter told the audience the story of how he came to first hear me sing and then "Phantom" started playing and I stepped out on stage to finally live me dream and for just one night, be "Christine". And Peter is one of those performers who acts, rather than just sings the song. He really becomes the "Phantom" with or without a mask. I couldn't see him during the song as I'm facing forward but I could feel his presence as he stalked the stage.

I was trying to focus on what I was doing but at the same time just kept thinking I can't believe this is really happening. That I am getting to live my dream right now! And really if I could have picked any "Phantom" that night, it would have been Peter so that was the icing on the cake.

Our Phantom numbers received two standing ovations. Really amazing feeling. Once off stage I plopped down in the wings and had a little cry while watching him sing "Music of the Night". It all just felt so surreal.

It was a really amazing experience and something I will never forget as long as I live. I am so thankful to Peter for giving me this opportunity. Very kind person and wonderful to work with for all involved in the show.

After the show Peter came and sat on the stairs leading to the stage and signed, posed for photos and chatted with anyone that wanted his time. He was so tired but didn't rush anyone. The funny thing that happened is people started asking me for autographs too so we had to share the Sharpie until someone gave me their pen. Never in a zillion years would I have envisioned that. Then came photos. I normally hate being in photos but I was on such a high from the show that for once I didn't mind. lol

For those wondering what he sounds like after these years...He hasn't lost anything. Really powerful voice. I am convinced that his voice doesn't record well because what I heard in concert was better than anything I've heard of him whether legal Youtube recordings or his own albums. Even at rehearsals when he was jetlagged, he still sounded amazing.

*envious*

Holy crap, wow. Sounds like an utterly awesome experience. My fantasy is more to BE the Phantom, not perform with one, obviously, but I can only imagine how thrilling and, as you said, surreal it'd be to actually experience that.

I'd love to see any photos. Did anyone take video? I hope so, so you can have a permanent record, and so we can see it too.

So what songs were performed? You did the title song with him, and he did MOTN. Anything else?