Rare pictures 1

SenorSwanky wrote:What he is is a throwback to the days when it was acceptable for a white man to portray a black man in black-face makeup or with a goofy mask on.

I knew that, just for the record... The gingerbread reference was meant as a joke. There is a good description on the "blackface" topic on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackface

But the cast members has nicknamed the character Gollywog/Golliwogg, with a reference to this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golliwogg

Now the big question is whether or not to use the mask for these character designs. Is it still recognizable without the mask? It's kinda the signature piece of the whole outfit...

R.

Raphael wrote:Now the big question is whether or not to use the mask for these character designs. Is it still recognizable without the mask? It's kinda the signature piece of the whole outfit...

Yes, without it he'll end up looking like the Lion man or something. Expect if he carries his recognizable mask in his hands?

Paula74 wrote:

SenorSwanky wrote:What he is is a throwback to the days when it was acceptable for a white man to portray a black man in black-face makeup or with a goofy mask on.

Exactly. The look is pretty much an operatic version of a minstrel show character...and period-correct. I've come across a lot of reference to "blacking up" from the 1870s and 1880s while doing some historic research on local theatres.

It's definitely period-correct. I think Bjornson did well to include the character.

Anea: I knew you were joking. I was just saying in case others didn't realize what the character represents. I hadn't heard of the golliwog character before, though, so thanks for that Wiki link. Can't believe they still sell those dolls, though. In the US, Little Black Sambo books and Song of the South are taboo or even banned or out-of-print.

Ah, OK. I misunderstood you there.

But on to the ultimate challenge: anyone have pictures of the policeman in the pit in Don Juan?

operafantomet wrote:

ML6 wrote:
*That* golliwog is by far the most creepiest thing I've EVER seen on a stage. :/ It rivals the frog in Mary Poppins, for sure

I think he mostly looks like the gingerbread man in Shrek...
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fKux43-_yfs/R1QkLRFE1NI/AAAAAAAAAxY/Y2IZ1q32GOI/s1600-R/shrek_gingerbread_man.jpg

I can see it.

Anea I am pretty sure I have a brochure somewhere that has a picture of the policeman in the pit in it, I can visualise it in my head. I know I have one for certain but it won't be much use to you as it's just the back of his head/ hat and his gun you can see really.

starryeyed wrote:Anea I am pretty sure I have a brochure somewhere that has a picture of the policeman in the pit in it, I can visualise it in my head. I know I have one for certain but it won't be much use to you as it's just the back of his head/ hat and his gun you can see really.

You're right! That's one of the newer West End brochures (Karimloo/Beck?) when they had just gotten a new photographer. I have that one. Thanks!

It's either Karimloo/ Beck or Shannon/ Beck the picture is in. I am unsure which. There is definitely a picture I can visualise where you see the policeman in the pit face on though... I'm going a-hunting!

Ebay has some really nice photos for sale right now. Saved the pictures. They do have watermarks, but they're not *that* distracting!






(this looks like Sarah Brightman, can anyone confirm this?)

I've never liked that last MC/SB one. It's just clearly posed and not very elegant. The Jacoby/Culliver one, though, is one of the earliest I saw of the show, because that's the pair my grandparents saw the second time they saw the show, and it was in the Playbill they brought back for me.

There's something really classic about the b & w pics versus the more garish color ones of late, but the color versions of some of these early pics are awesome, as seen in the Vintage Photos album on the Phantom Broadway Facebook page. I'd love to see RUG put out a book with more history on the show, a sort of updated George Perry for how the show has worn on in the last 20+ years as new productions open and stake out massive runs. They could collect all these publicity photos and the various backstage photos in one place.

SenorSwanky wrote:I'd love to see RUG put out a book with more history on the show, a sort of updated George Perry for how the show has worn on in the last 20+ years as new productions open and stake out massive runs. They could collect all these publicity photos and the various backstage photos in one place.

The very thick souvenir brochure for the Les Misérables 25th anniversary concert at the O2 did essentially that -- beautiful pictures from rehearsals and international productions, images of all the posters and cast recordings, soundbites from the creatives and lists of all the cast and lists of all the cast recordings and productions and tour stops. I'd be thrilled if they did the same for Phantom. Knowing RUG, however, I think they'd see the anniversary as a chance to flog more unsold copies of the film companion. So annoyed that that thing put Perry's superior original book out of print. How I wish Cameron were as enamoured by and involved with Phantom as he is with Miz.

SenorSwanky wrote:I've never liked that last MC/SB one. It's just clearly posed and not very elegant. The Jacoby/Culliver one, though, is one of the earliest I saw of the show, because that's the pair my grandparents saw the second time they saw the show, and it was in the Playbill they brought back for me.

Not sure about that. That is, it might be posed, but that photo is just one of many from the photoshoot. There are some very fine ones too. Note that MC has the deformity makeup under the mask, so it's not just some random "let's give them the MOTN pose". And although the watermark say "Chicago Tribune", they're clearly London. I think these are from the same photoshoot:
https://2img.net/h/i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu101/potocostumes/dressing/orig2.jpg
https://2img.net/h/i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu101/potocostumes/dressing/orig1.gif

The latter is one of my all-time favourite MOTN pictures. In general I like the ones where SB looks down or have her eyes closed or halfway closed. They're very atmospheric.

ML6, that Aminta one is definitely Brightman! She has a cute nose tip, very recognizable, and I think no-one ever surpassed her grand wig... It's from the original Broadway cast. SO nice to see the lace of the scallops so well!! Thanks for sharing. Here's a similar one featured in the 1988 Broadway brochure:
https://2img.net/h/i638.photobucket.com/albums/uu101/potocostumes/aminta/origussb1.jpg

Yay! A new Brightman picture! I've never seen that one before.

Ahahaha, cuuute! Came across the Hugh Panaro article where Sandra Joseph's all too lovely curves has been photoshopped out (usually it's opposite, ya know):
http://www.lschs.org/uploaded/news-events/explorer/00091_explorer_summer06(2).pdf

BTW, I didn't know Hugh Panaro played Martin Guerre in West End!

operafantomet wrote:Ahahaha, cuuute! Came across the Hugh Panaro article where Sandra Joseph's all too lovely curves has been photoshopped out (usually it's opposite, ya know):
http://www.lschs.org/uploaded/news-events/explorer/00091_explorer_summer06(2).pdf

BTW, I didn't know Hugh Panaro played Martin Guerre in West End!

No, Hugh was never in the West End Martin Guerre...just the U.S. tour that was supposed to transfer to Broadway, but didn't for various reasons.

That whole article amused me...from the very obvious "cover-up" on Sandra's picture to the fact that almost the ENTIRE piece is a series of copy-and-pastes from existing articles and interviews. There's an original paragraph or two at the beginning and end, but the rest is all copied.

I remember getting an e-mail from the editors of that alumni magazine because they needed some hi-res versions of photos on his site. When they sent me the issue, though, I remember thinking, "Wait...didn't Hugh say this before? Did I already read this a few months ago?" I ended up going back through the articles on the site and finding all the copied parts.

Think I'll try bidding on some of those press photos...

A request: anyone have any photos of the complete proscenium arch at Her Majesty's? Post-show, curtain down, perhaps?

R.

Raphael wrote:Think I'll try bidding on some of those press photos...

A request: anyone have any photos of the complete proscenium arch at Her Majesty's? Post-show, curtain down, perhaps?

I think I have several, of both Bjørnson's set model and of the finished result. I'll dig them up if no-one beats me to it.

side view

Partly finished set model for Her Majesty's Theatre, without the golden angel. So well fitted.


Safety curtain during intermission.


Upper proscenium and parts of the chandelier. A bit blurry, but still.


Small, but I love the colours.


Well, not an actual photo of the proscenium, but different part photoshopped together. But it has some nice closeups of the various sculpture groups.

What is that safety curtain? Never seen it before.

SenorSwanky wrote:What is that safety curtain? Never seen it before.

A British thing... It's a fire curtain of some sort. Must be lowered and raised for every performance. Such a curtain is common in all theatres in the world, but I think it's only in England you have to check it's working for each performance. At Her Majesty's Theatre it's done during intermission.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_curtain

Seriously, go check out the POTO Broadway site on Facebook. The amount and quality of rare pictures they've posted these last weeks is beyond amazing. Loads of never-before seen photos, fantastic closeups, b/w and colour, old and new. They're pampering us so much I'm starting to get suspicious.... Trying to straigten up everything UK RUG and ALW messed up? Preparing for the 25th anniversary in West End? Or just realizing they have a faithful fanbase who is crazy about rare pictures? I mean:


Rebecca Luker, Steve Barton, David Gaines, Katherine Buffaloe

The main link for their site is:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Phantom-of-the-Opera/55494929688

Yeah, this has been a gold mine for phans. The pics are amazing for nostalgiacs of the early days of the show. First clear shot I've ever seen of Timothy Nolen's Phantom. Great shots of a rarely seen Christine, Katherine Buffaloe, some awesomely atmospheric shots of Dale Kristien (only ones I've seen of her from Broadway) and Patti Cohenour with Michael Crawford and Steve Barton. I feel like making some new avatars.

operafantomet wrote: Or just realizing they have a faithful fanbase who is crazy about rare pictures?

The key word there being crazy, right?

I want some more Steve Barton pictures. The fact that he was a part of the OLC/OBC and he understudied AND played the phantom at one point in his life, how is it there is less than ten shots of him as The Phantom? This Broadway Phantom facebook has me intrigued. And, like Swanky, I might just make some pretty avatars.

ML6 wrote:I want some more Steve Barton pictures. The fact that he was a part of the OLC/OBC and he understudied AND played the phantom at one point in his life, how is it there is less than ten shots of him as The Phantom? This Broadway Phantom facebook has me intrigued. And, like Swanky, I might just make some pretty avatars.

Well, he played the Phantom when Michael Crawford did (more or less), often stepping in for him. It was all about Crawford back then. He also didn't play the Phantom for too long on Broadway, did he?

operafantomet wrote:

ML6 wrote:I want some more Steve Barton pictures. The fact that he was a part of the OLC/OBC and he understudied AND played the phantom at one point in his life, how is it there is less than ten shots of him as The Phantom? This Broadway Phantom facebook has me intrigued. And, like Swanky, I might just make some pretty avatars.

Well, he played the Phantom when Michael Crawford did (more or less), often stepping in for him. It was all about Crawford back then. He also didn't play the Phantom for too long on Broadway, did he?

Yeah, only 213 performances behind the mask on Broadway, in 12th place behind MC's 302. He was frequently out when he was principal, which is party of why Jeff Keller is in 7th place with 442.

New London photos are up on the international POTO Facebook site:
https://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=266638&id=53351527050

Only four there right now, will probably come a lot more. They have a new photographer this time around too: Michael Le Poer Trench.

I'm not impressed with the new style, I feel really bad saying that but there's just something about the pictures that seems off to me. The Masquerade one is awful in my opinion (why so far away?) I was wondering where I recognised the photographers name from, it has bugged me all afternoon then I remembered he is Cam Mac's partner and also photographed the Les Mis tour.