25th Anniversary Restaged Tour

operafantomet wrote:
But I do think the designer herself would be upset. She was a perfectionist and always worked to see her design come to life in the way she envisioned it. And this is far from what she envisioned, judging from her costume sketches.

Personally, I find it something of an insult to Maria to have her listed as costume designer when her designs have been butchered like this. Masquerade now looks like a half-hearted rummage in the dressing-up box.

And I second (third, fourth?) the calls to return the Phantom's fedora. It's one of the most iconic images of the show!

It occurred to me that no one so far really commented on if they changed up or simplified the orchestrations like they did for Les Mis. Any body know?

No one has commented at all, all I know is that it is an orchestra with 14 members (but apparently it sounds like there is a lot more.)

I think I did read a review which mentioned none of the orchestrations being changed but I may have made that up!

Well I hope that is the case and I also hope (but really doubt it will happen) that they would do a CD as Les Mis did, but over the years Les Mis has never been shy of doing CDs

I'm not sure if this really belongs here, but when I saw this art in a Phantom blog I immediately thought "THAT is how the new UK tour should have looked".... I like the 1830s romantic style of the art, combined with a modern touch.

http://flyfishfly.tumblr.com/post/19528990490/phantom-of-the-opera-inspired-artwork-by-edward

So press night happened last week, and yet I have a hard time finding reviews and pictures. But I found a short review here:

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/Phant-astic-new-production/story-15522761-detail/story.html

With curtain call picture. Curtain call looks very nice, at least. haha!

Found this on Tumblr today. Has a few photos of the show before it begins:

http://kirstymcarthur.tumblr.com/post/19519218398/how-the-stage-is-set-up-for-the-beginning-of-the

Also from this hashtag a bit more.
http://kirstymcarthur.tumblr.com/tagged/Phantom-UK-Tour

Seems there is audio from the show too on that blog

But that's it. Usually there are tons of pics by now. Press photos etc. Feels like this show is being hidden, somewhat...

Ugh, why does the chandelier not rise? Makes me think it doesn't fall either.

PhantomsGhost wrote:Found this on Tumblr today. Has a few photos of the show before it begins:

http://kirstymcarthur.tumblr.com/post/19519218398/how-the-stage-is-set-up-for-the-beginning-of-the

Also from this hashtag a bit more.
http://kirstymcarthur.tumblr.com/tagged/Phantom-UK-Tour

Seems there is audio from the show too on that blog

But that's it. Usually there are tons of pics by now. Press photos etc. Feels like this show is being hidden, somewhat...

Thank you, I don´t understand why there no new photos and more..!
I don´t understand why it´s being hidden...

I must see it!

operafantomet wrote:So press night happened last week, and yet I have a hard time finding reviews and pictures. But I found a short review here:

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/Phant-astic-new-production/story-15522761-detail/story.html

With curtain call picture. Curtain call looks very nice, at least. haha!

and a more realistic but technically complex set design by Paul Brown (though retaining Maria Bjornson's costumes)

And there's that unqualified plug for Maria's costumes again.

From what little I can see from the grainy curtain call shot, it does look like most of the original costumes are there; at least for the bows. As we've seen though *cough* Masquerade *cough* this is hardly the case in the entirety of the show...

~Madame~

operafantomet wrote:I'm not sure if this really belongs here, but when I saw this art in a Phantom blog I immediately thought "THAT is how the new UK tour should have looked".... I like the 1830s romantic style of the art, combined with a modern touch.

http://flyfishfly.tumblr.com/post/19528990490/phantom-of-the-opera-inspired-artwork-by-edward

Yes! I saw that too. Loved it. Especially that first one. I also had the same thought regarding the UK tour. I went to Edward Miller's website and saw that one could buy prints. I'm tempted to buy the one entitled "The Opera Ghost"

SenorSwanky wrote:Ugh, why does the chandelier not rise? Makes me think it doesn't fall either.

Dunno. But it bothers me, too. Especially that they're using a replica of the movie!chandelier instead of the Palais Garner's. It just looks cheap.

I'd love to see someone do a Tim Burton-esque take on the staging and costumes, something really bizarre and creepy and gothic and dark and still erotic.

Over on WOS, the latest audience review mentions that Red Death is officially back (yay) but looks rubbish (nay!)

Also, I like that the audience reviews actually point out that it is a very "loose" interpretation of Maria's costumes that are used!

I found that review on Whatsonstage. It's one of the first that really gives a pretty good description:

http://www.whatsonstage.com/board/index.php?/topic/39478-phantom-of-the-opera-2012-uk-tour/page__st__250

IMHO, sounds like there's more negative aspects than positive for my tastes.

PhantomsGhost wrote:I found that review on Whatsonstage. It's one of the first that really gives a pretty good description:

http://www.whatsonstage.com/board/index.php?/topic/39478-phantom-of-the-opera-2012-uk-tour/page__st__250

IMHO, sounds like there's more negative aspects than positive for my tastes.

All in all, a strong cast and a fairly good production that improves some parts of the London show (manager's office, DJT rehearsal et al) but butchers some of the key moments. It is not that it doesn't slavishly follow the original that bothered me in these moments, but more the fact that they changed them but came up with things that didn't work.I think it will strengthen as it tours, but had this production opened in London in 1986, I don't think it would have run for as long as it has.

Credit where credit is due, criticism where needed. I like that. Also interesting that the person has seen the Hungarian version, which I think the new UK tour can remind of at times, as well as the original.

Intrigued about Olivia Breron as Christine, she sounds wonderful. Sad to get my initial impression of MOTN kinda... reaffirmed, though. All reviews I've read so far largely seems to describe they're walking aimlessly around, or just sitting down, with Christine listening to the Phantom's "lecture". Sounds kinda pointless. I fear they, in their desire to make it so bloody reeeeaaaaaal, removed the tension the original version has. The tension from suppressed sexual desire felt by two fairly innocent souls. The scene has always represented a sort of sexual awakening to me. An awakening for both the Phantom and Christine. That's why the "music lecture" thing always rubbed me the wrong way. Not thrilled that the UK tour versions seems even more watered down.

So...I sent in a short but sweet inquiry to the Maria Bjornson archive today....

Someone who saw the new UK tour two days ago (and spoke to John Owen Jones afterwards) writes that the Phantom did indeed dance in Masquerade originally, but that it has now been cut.

So...I sent in a short but sweet inquiry to the Maria Bjornson archive today....

Will be interesting to hear what they have to say, if anything.

FINALLY!

Only a few, but still. They added some on the official site:

http://www.thephantomoftheoperatour.com/sights-sounds/photos-2

Bleh. As they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The hair. I definitely don't like the hair:



And I'm sure this is MOTN, but what the heck is Christine doing, there? It looks like she's getting ready to have wax dripped on her by the Phantom.

PhantomsGhost wrote:The hair. I definitely don't like the hair:



And I'm sure this is MOTN, but what the heck is Christine doing, there? It looks like she's getting ready to have wax dripped on her by the Phantom.

I always knew he was a kinker.

Viscountess wrote:

PhantomsGhost wrote:The hair. I definitely don't like the hair:



And I'm sure this is MOTN, but what the heck is Christine doing, there? It looks like she's getting ready to have wax dripped on her by the Phantom.

I always knew he was a kinker.

Looks very much like the classic production pic pose from the Ken Hill "Phantom."

R.

What is he doing with that candelabra?

So far, I'm really dissapointed with the changes. Everything looks so campy, especially lair scenes and Masquerade.
A phriend will see it soon, can't wait to hear his thoughts.

Yes, it's very kitschy and campy. If the original was 101 Camp Things to Do with Curtains, this should be 101 Camp Things to Do with Oversaturated Lighting and Projections.

Ugg!
Let me say first that I am all for change, if change is for the better, but so far to me anyways this is not a change for the better, those pics look like a regional or school production.
That Hannibal shot, just look at the people in the background that look like they are wearing green T-shirts and that leopard sheet over the chariot! The onle redeming quality is Carlotta actually still has her original costume.
I can almost let it pass that they took the masquerade costumes and extended the idea into ball gowns. But I sadly believe poor Maria is turning in her grave.
I just dont understand how radically changing costumes for the worst (cheaper) will affect the cost of the tour moving around (sure it would affect the innitial cost of production) But we know the original toured before.
The idea of Masquerade set is interesting, but it just doe not look 'nice' The whole thing for me is suffering from the problems the 2004 movie had, it just does not look like it is set on one cohesive time period, the styles are all over the place, the architectural references are just not working, its like 'let's just throw up a bunch of frilly gold ornamentation and hope it resembles an opera house'

yes I know the majority of people seeing the show wont care, but to me it is just chopped up and ugly. With Vegas they had the sence to make the extensions to the set match Maria's original.

And that mask, I guess they have the LND creatives from London working on that.

At this point I hope this production does not end up touring the US.

This looks a lot better than I feared. I can see what you all mean with campy, as it has more garish light (pun intended) and more obvious cliches in the design. But I can also see how it might work live. I don't see it as an improvement of the original, though. I see it as the moderately pretty little sister.

The Masquerade costumes still makes me wanna hurt someone, though. I would be fine if the whole scene, including costumes, was redesigned. But taking someone's design and chop it to pieces is not OK. Wold a museum cut off the lower half of a Leonardo da Vinci painting and replace it with something they saw more fit for their museum? No.

Carlotta's Elissa costume, on the other hand, kicks ass. I'm totally loving it. At first glance I thought it was new, but the alternating red and green tassels, the very red apron and tabs and the materials of the skirt makes me think it's a truly vintage piece from the early/mid 90's 1996 coming to life again. I wish I had a better scan at hand, but I think you see what I mean here:



It looks very fresh, though.

justin-from-barbados wrote:yes I know the majority of people seeing the show wont care, but to me it is just chopped up and ugly. With Vegas they had the sence to make the extensions to the set match Maria's original.

I agree with this. I agree with this a lot. The main difference is probably that Vegas had Hal Prince, Gillian Lynne and Maria Bjørnson's assistant to make the changes, within what they knew/thought was her vision, while the new UK tour concentrate on NOT making it resemble Bjørnson's design.

If they wanted to make it more like the actual Garnier masked balls, though, they should have placed the feast inside the main auditorium. Though people flocked up and down the main staircase all evening (it was the perfect place to see and be seen), the actual party took place inside the auditorium. All the seats were temporarily removed for the evening, so the stalls became one giant dance floor. THAT could make an awesome Masquerade set, with the chandelier hanging above and the golden proscenium or gilded boxes and statues in the background. Like these two combined:






Alos this one, just for inspiration (it's not Palais Garnier, as it's clearly earlier. But you can see they utilize the auditorium, and there are soldiers, gypsies, girls dressed as boys, jesters, farmers etc. And people everywhere! And musicians entertaining on stage):
http://www.culture.gouv.fr/Wave/image/joconde/0484/m500202_08-521382_1.jpg

I don't see why they would move the New Year's party to the Hall of Mirrors. Wasn't this only used for smaller private parties held by the star singers and dancers of the opera? Or is my mind deceiving me?

We all agree that Carlotta is photoshopped into that Hannibal picture, right?

Yes, of course, and the last pic from the descent to the lair is also heavily Photoshopped.

operafantomet wrote:We all agree that Carlotta is photoshopped into that Hannibal picture, right?

Depends whether Dewynters is involved...!
OG