The Broadway production + Original US Replica tour

I'm going to NYC and I really want to see Norm and Sierra do their thing. Is there a way to know whether someone else will be in the lead roles ahead of time?

If I remember correctly, Norm Lewis has a six-month contract with the show and Sierra a three-month (someone please correct me if I'm wrong) both starting in mid-May. I'm not sure what the plans are for either of them renewing, so if you want to see them I'd suggest arranging it in the near future.

As far as alternates go, Mary Michael Patterson is scheduled for Monday evenings and Saturday matinees. As for understudies...well, that's something you're just going to have to roll the dice on, for the most part.

~LCD

Thanks for replying. I'll be there in October, can't change the dates. I didn't realize this was a short term engagement.

Sierra has said, via Twitter I believe, that her last show is September 6th.

I'm planning to take a trip to see one of Norm's last shows the weekend after the election (7th-9th of November). I wanna see Sierra too, but won't be able to swing a trip before then unfortunately.

http://stagenotes.net/phantom-sets/
set models for the new tour, which do look quite nice, but I am seeing alot of elements that never made it to the final product

SenorSwanky wrote:I'm planning to take a trip to see one of Norm's last shows the weekend after the election (7th-9th of November).  I wanna see Sierra too, but won't be able to swing a trip before then unfortunately.

There is no offical date yet for Norm's last performance.

justin-from-barbados wrote:http://stagenotes.net/phantom-sets/
set models for the new tour, which do look quite nice, but I am seeing alot of elements that never made it to the final product

I agree, there's several details ultimately left out or changed. But very cool to see, thanks for sharing!

phantom10906 wrote:

SenorSwanky wrote:I'm planning to take a trip to see one of Norm's last shows the weekend after the election (7th-9th of November).  I wanna see Sierra too, but won't be able to swing a trip before then unfortunately.

There is no offical date yet for Norm's last performance.

I know. I'm just hoping he's still there then. Exactly six months is 11/12.

Oh for the love of...now he needs a haircut and a friggin' shave!



~LCD

Ugh. Is there some meet-and-greet thing the tour does?

The New York Times is doing a series on this week revisiting some of Broadway's long-running shows. Here's Charles Isherwood's take on how Phantom holds up today (spoiler: rather well, all things considered).

~LCD

Nice pro-shot clip of Norm's MOTN: http://popwatch.ew.com/2014/08/20/watch-norm-lewis-as-broadways-first-african-american-phantom/

Mmmm, good memories...

~LCD

From Laird Mackintosh via Twitter, the new Broadway Christine alternate is twenty-year old Kaley Ann Voorhees

Yes please. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prZY3-jmiPc

Paula74 wrote:From Laird Mackintosh via Twitter, the new Broadway Christine alternate is twenty-year old Kaley Ann Voorhees

Let the Friday the 13th jokes begin.

My artist friend Michael Stewart (aka Pyro Painter) recently entered his submission into the "Art of the Mask" POTO contest. You can check out his entry (and others) at the following link (which should take you to the Facebook page for the contest):

http://woobox.com/u8xhht/vote/for/4604192

You vote for the one you like by clicking the "Like" button for the entry.

Just thought I'd spread the word.   

there is a new brochure out now with Norm and Sierra, I so need to get one.
I really liked the previous 25th Anniversary one with Hugh though, so I hope this one is just as great.

I must admit that I snickered a bit when I realized that this is the third new brochure to be made in Broadway history since they abandoned the generic ones in 2006, and the second one to feature Sierra Boggess. GODDAMNIT. She's played Christine Daaé on Broadway for a total of 5 months, and they make two brochures for/with her.

But anyhow, I AM happy they made a new one, and especially one featuring Norm Lewis as that casting was a landmark in POTO Broadway's history.

Nice video clip (official) here of Norm and Sierra with the last part of the title song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85JjME4UZqo&feature=youtu.be

Mary

If you want to see Lewis, you've got a little more time--he's extended through January: Click here (also contains the official announcements for Patterson and Voorhees).

Inexplicably, the official Facebook declares that they're "thrilled to have [Patterson] returning to the PHANTOM cast as Christine!" And being the alternate doesn't count because....?

~LCD

LadyCDaae wrote:
Inexplicably, the official Facebook declares that they're "thrilled to have [Patterson] returning to the PHANTOM cast as Christine!"  And being the alternate doesn't count because....?

~LCD

Almost everything that page posts now just makes me repeatedly.

They were really great a few years back...especially back when they posted albums full of photos of past casts, etc.. It's gone way down since.

Anyhow, it seems they're continuing the old tradition of moving cast members back and forth between Broadway and the (new) tour...Julia Udine will take over for Mary Michael Patterson in December.

Kaley Ann Voorhees, Broadway's new Christine alternate, has an official Facebook, and some photos of her in costume and backstage has been shared there (I think the site is run by her agent):

https://www.facebook.com/kaleyannvoorhees/photos_stream

I'm thinking she wears a Las Vegas rooftop costume? She looks lovely in it.

I've never heard anyone's praise be sung as loud and clear as this article does on new Christine alternate Kaley Ann Voorhees. No, seriously. Like, holy shit.

http://www.cleveland.com/onstage/index.ssf/2014/09/reach_for_the_stars_how_local.html

I saw Julia Udine in Minneapolis last January, in the remuddled production, and I thought she was awful. Wooden acting, not a great voice. Came across as really immature and playing both men for what she could get out of them; which, to be fair, might have been what she was directed to do. If she's now going to be on Broadway, here's hoping that she's improved in the interim.

The Countess

Linda Balgord is also coming over to do Giry. and Nov 25 the tour gets a new Phantom

PLEASE OH PLEASE KEEP COOPER AWAY FROM THE BROADWAY PRODUCTION, to quote Carlotta "He does not have the voice"

Chris Mann (from the voice) is taking over on tour, maybe they are grooming him there vocally to take over from Norm next year

Can someone remind me what Kaley's alternate schedule is?

justin-from-barbados wrote:Linda Balgord is also coming over to do Giry. and Nov 25 the tour gets a new Phantom

PLEASE OH PLEASE KEEP COOPER AWAY FROM THE BROADWAY PRODUCTION, to quote Carlotta "He does not have the voice"

Chris Mann (from the voice) is taking over on tour, maybe they are grooming him there vocally to take over from Norm next year

My instinct/hope is that Laird Mackintosh will take over the role, but who knows? They've been porting a lot of people in from the tour. I'm kind of curious how they're managing the transition from Connor's direction to Prince's...

~LCD

I hope it starts with a nice sit down conversation telling them, quite plainly, "what ever you all did over there, FORGET IT"