The Broadway production + Original US Replica tour

OOH what fun, another father/daughter scenario like back when Colm & Rebecca originated Toronto (Les Mis for them, Little Mermaid for these), and darn I so with I could see them in it, I hope they both can stay atleast 12 months

Norm Lewis sings a snippet from MotN. In related news, I really want to go back to New York now.

~LCD

Brad Oscar, best known for originating the role of Franz Liebkind in The Producers, is joining the US tour as Firmin: Clicky

~LCD

Norm sounds good in that clip.

A look at the process of putting the Phantom's makeup on Laird Mackintosh: http://www.newyork.com/articles/broadway/the-secret-superstar-behind-the-phantom-of-the-opera-88760/

LadyCDaae wrote:Norm Lewis sings a snippet from MotN.  In related news, I really want to go back to New York now.

~LCD

As someone who really didn't like Norm's Javert when I saw him in London, I was pleasantly surprised by that clip.

Laird Mackintosh will perform the title role for the week between Hugh's departure and Norm Lewis' first performance.

NYT article on Norm Lewis

Favorite quote:

"And I'm coming at this from the basic level of asking, who is this guy and why is he acting like a baby?"

That's...a very blunt but amusingly accurate way of putting it.   

~LCD

NORM LEWIS-INTERVIEW-PART OF "MUSIC OF THE NIGHT" BACKSTAGE, THE MAJESTIC

I'm happy that Norm is finally getting a chance to play the title role. It was just bad timing on my part that he was scheduled to take over the role two weeks after my trip to NYC. On the plus side, I got to see Laird Mackintosh as the Phantom

I look forward to reading the reports on Norm's interpretation, though!

R.

I'm going to New York this summer (end of July-beginning of August), and I'm really looking forward to him. His voice on MotN has a Brian Stokes Mitchell quality that I really like.


Not that I'd complain if got to see Laird instead, mind...

~LCD

I really wish I could see Norm's debut tonight, and inserting the Wandering Child trio on broadway at long last  

justin-from-barbados wrote:I really wish I could see Norm's debut tonight, and inserting the Wandering Child trio on broadway at long last  

It probably shows how little I trust the production team when I see an announcement on Facebook about "a new addition to the score" and my first thought is "Oh crap, they're throwing in that dumb song from the movie--or worse, something from LND."  Reinstating the trio honestly didn't even occur to me, even though it's the most obvious choice.

I'm glad to have it back.  Now I'm really looking forward to summer...

~LCD

LadyCDaae wrote:

justin-from-barbados wrote:I really wish I could see Norm's debut tonight, and inserting the Wandering Child trio on broadway at long last  

It probably shows how little I trust the production team when I see an announcement on Facebook about "a new addition to the score" and my first thought is "Oh crap, they're throwing in that dumb song from the movie--or worse, something from LND."  Reinstating the trio honestly didn't even occur to me, even though it's the most obvious choice.

I'm glad to have it back.  Now I'm really looking forward to summer...

~LCD

I had the same thought, given Sierra's presence.

Aaaaaaand speaking of "Wandering Child," Broadway.com artist Justin "Squigs" Robertson has given us his own Hirschfeld-esque interpretation of said scene:

That's so awesome.

What do they do for the Phantom doubles in the title song? Can't imagine they have them in black face....

lol, im sure its dimly lit enough for that not to matter.

really looking for one of those "online things we are not suppose to mention' but cant seem to find any as yet

Probably so for most of the audience.

I have heard one of those unmentionables, and Norm is pretty impressive so far. His "insolent boy..." might be the best I've heard, and his MOTN is very good. I also love the Wandering Child trio. Norm has a surprisingly nice falsetto, surprising since I'd really only heard him as Javert previously.

Yeah, I really love what I've seen of him so far--I think he's got one of the best voices I've heard in the part in recent history. If I have a criticism it's that there are moments when you can tell he hasn't quite settled into the role yet (or it could be opening night jitters--"Hey, you're about to make history in Broadway's longest running show and Andrew Lloyd Webber is in the audience, no pressure"). And that will come with time.

~LCD

In case you hadn't seen them already, the new cast photos have arrived:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152866593129689.1073741842.55494929688&type=1

R.

I can never get over how beautiful the lighting in those organ scenes look, how broadway's candelabra are silvered and lit in that blue light and the one by the phantom has that gold light on it.

Hoping of course to see an unmasked photo, maybe they have not yet settled on the colour scheme for his makeup, last I heard they were still testing it on stage to get the balance just right

I love how the Broadway cast photos lately have felt so, umm...I guess "candid" is the best word.  Like they capture all these little moments where you know it's something flowing naturally out of the scene, rather than feeling staged.  The shots right after the unmasking and where Christine and Raoul are about to kiss are particularly lovely.

~LCD

Caught the matinee yesterday of the POTO tour in Greenville, SC. Definitely different from the past tour. Staging consisted of a rotating round stage which would open into a smaller black box stage for different scenes. My favorite was the descent into the lair where they open a door at the top onto air and then magically stair slabs come out of the wall!

Some parts felt rushed like the rehearsal for Don Juan. No mirror bride, wedding veil or bouquet in lair, the monkey was different and lived under the organ, a few songs had different words/phrases, and the chandelier was more opulent but definitely more pyrotechnic! Trio sang in Wandering Child, which was different but I didn't like as much personally.

We heard the phantom and Christine alternate which were both good. Ben Jacoby as Raoul leaned toward an angry Raoul. I liked all of the costumes except the ballet dresses in Il Muto.

It was worth seeing and I'd see it again, but it doesn't compare to the original.

this part 2 gallery on FB taking real long to come out tho..................................  

Random: Sandra Joseph just connected to me on LinkedIn.

For fans of Kevin Gray - Dodie Petiit posted this video as a preview of a CD being produced in his memory.

https://youtu.be/hr7Cp4XR1Uo

What a beautiful idea. I will definitely purchase that when it comes out.

~LCD

Just came across this article about actors who've spent a decade or more in a show, including Richard Poole from the Broadway company (with mention of George Lee Andrews).

http://nypost.com/2014/07/13/the-broadway-actors-whove-played-the-same-roles-for-over-10-years/

LadyCDaae wrote:

justin-from-barbados wrote:I really wish I could see Norm's debut tonight, and inserting the Wandering Child trio on broadway at long last  

It probably shows how little I trust the production team when I see an announcement on Facebook about "a new addition to the score" and my first thought is "Oh crap, they're throwing in that dumb song from the movie--or worse, something from LND."  Reinstating the trio honestly didn't even occur to me, even though it's the most obvious choice.

I agree, I totally didn't see it coming, and I too feared the worst. But it was a nice lil' thing they did there.