The London production 1

dolly-ry wrote:Maybe we should start referring to Davies/Davis as SD and SJD now (oh but even that is similar) or just Stephen and Scott?

Phantom-Phantom and Buquet-Phantom?

Ah yes this is true - very similar names! I favor "SJD" for Davis and "Scott" for Davies (confused yet?)

I never really understood the whole Standby Phantom idea. Why not just have two understudies as with other lead parts in the west end? It's weird that there's one person who stays home unless Principal Phantom is off sick. Then, if that happens, he makes the journey in and works. To my mind, a 'standby' Phantom is one who would be 'standing by' in the theatre just in case something happens (ie the 'standby' would normally playing a smaller role) - but in this production, the 'standby' is probably at least a half hour away from the theatre! Just my thoughts.

There are rules on time-scales though. The "standby" will take any pre-arranged holidays of the principal and must know by a certain time on a show day whether the Principal is performing or not. I know that this is around 11 am (but I believe this may just be on Matinee days so perhaps around 2pm on a purely evening show day.) If they have been told they aren't needed by this time and then something happens in the meantime preventing the Principal Phantom from performing I believe it then falls to the in house understudy. Of course in cases when the Principal becomes indisposed close to show time or halfway through a show it is then the in house understudy who will go on. I think of it a bit like being on call at certain work places they will give you a time that if you haven't been called by you don't have to worry. (My brother-in-law's work is like this)

And yes highly confused already but I am sure we will get used to it all. If we are really looking for similarities then the Principal's first name is David and the understudies are Davies/Davis ... ha!

Agree on both of you re: standby status. But I seem to remember some wild stories about how Earl Carpenter travelled from Southern England to get to the theatre in time. One time they kept applying the makeup during the first act (not on stage, though, he-he), cause they only got to put on the basics before the show... Anyone else remember this?

I remember that story! I think it was a misunderstanding though he claims he wasn't told he was supposed to be on that day and the theatre claimed they had told him! The understudy must have been unavailable too.

I remember reading about that incident, Operafantomnet. Goes to show how close to the call this can be, I guess!

While I understand how the "standby" system works, I just don't see how it's any BETTER than having two understudies, as there are for other parts. It would just make more sense to me. I'd be curious to know how the system came to be that way. Maybe it was created to "mirror" the alternate Christine arrangement -who knows? (I know that it's not the same thing since the alternate has set days for Christine, but maybe there was an attempt to create some loose parallel?)

Does Hairspray not operate a similar system in fact with the role of Tracy?

I wonder how it came about as well, perhaps it was viewed that it would be perhaps quite demanding to be regularly in the show and have to cover The Phantom quite regularly? I am unsure.

You could be right about the role of Tracy, doll-ry -- I'm not sure. That's not a show I'm very familiar with. I guess some of this goes back to a topic that I've seen discussed here before - the validity of having an 'alternate' Phantom. We've had "unofficial" alternates a few times (Nic Greenshields, John Cudia, etc), but it's never really been part of the established Phantom practices. To my mind, though, it would just be so much easier to have two in-house people covering Phantom with the usual 1st/2nd cover system. I wonder what incentive the "standby" Phantoms have to stay in that role long-term -- they're not "working" full time and would have difficulty booking other gigs just because they might be called in. I wonder if others have any thoughts on this.

Many stand-bys like the arrangement as they get a wage of some sort even when they don't perform. But I personally think an alternate Phantom would be good, however would you schedule it so that the alternate Phantom was on different days from the alternate Christine?

I am not really familiar with Hairspray either if I am honest I have only saw it once but I seem to remember that one of the Tracy covers was credited as a stand-by.

It would be interesting re a Phantom alternate. I've read different opinions over the years over how 'hard' a role Phantom is to play. The general consensus is that it's not that it's a 'hard sing,' but there's a lot of physical stamina involved (especially with the make-up application, standing inside a cross, dissapearing through trap doors, etc). I don't know if the role "warrants" an alternate or not. I wouldn't dare judge, seeing as how I'm not a singer or performer myself, but my sense is that if Jean Valjean doesn't have an alternate, then neither should Phantom! That said, if you were to have one, I would do the "name star" treatment that the big shots seem to get (ie Monday nights off, so a shorter week - same as David Shannon had in Les Mis). The alternate Phantom would then play a smaller role during the rest of the week (ie Buquet). One Auctioneer's opinion, anyway.

auctioneer wrote:We've had "unofficial" alternates a few times (Nic Greenshields, John Cudia, etc)

Cudia?

Unofficially -- when he stepped in for McGillin a few times. He was the one who always stepped in when the big guy was on another project or was away for a while.

auctioneer wrote:Unofficially -- when he stepped in for McGillin a few times. He was the one who always stepped in when the big guy was on another project or was away for a while.

That's happened a lot in the Broadway production. Jeff Keller, James Romick, and even McGillin himself (when Hugh Panaro took an extended vacation one summer) have stepped in for short contracts, but I wouldn't call them alternates.

Well, I see that as the whole point of the discussion - there are no 'real' alternates for the Phantom, but it seems that the shows in London and NYC have had histories of Phantoms who frequently jump into the pool and relieve the Principal. It was understood that while the Principal is away, there's a designated substitute (maybe a better word for it than an alternate). Cudia is an example of someone who frequently treaded the boards as Phantom even though he was usually either Raoul or was just stepping in for a short-term contract. You're right that Cudia is not the only one who has done this in NYC. (As a sidenote, I have a softspot for James Romick, whom I remember seeing in the role in NYC maaaany years ago. He's been understudying that role forever, but I believe that he's still a swing on most days.)

auctioneer wrote:(As a sidenote, I have a softspot for James Romick, whom I remember seeing in the role in NYC maaaany years ago. He's been understudying that role forever, but I believe that he's still a swing on most days.)

Yep, he's still a swing after all these years, but I love his Phantom. I would much prefer him as principal than most of the principals they've had in that production. But I guess they value him as a role player more than as a star, sadly.

Normally in the Broadway and US Tour productions, when a Phantom is out for a week or less, they just split time roughly equally between the understudies (which are numerous--often three or four), since there is no 1st or 2nd cover status in our productions. But occasionally, they favor one of the understudies (Romick and Keller) or bring in a former Phantom who's out of work at the moment (Cudia, McGillin, Brad Little, Gary Mauer (I think the latter two stepped in at some point)) when the absence is longer. Then those guys become the de facto principal at the time, and often their names even make the poster on the outside of the theater. I think when Keller was the pseudo-principal in the mid-90s, it was between Phantoms, though, so he really was the principal, even though he was contracted to play one of the managers regularly (can't remember if it was Firmin or Andre at the time, because he and George Lee Andrews switched roles at some point).

dolly-ry wrote:Many stand-bys like the arrangement as they get a wage of some sort even when they don't perform. But I personally think an alternate Phantom would be good, however would you schedule it so that the alternate Phantom was on different days from the alternate Christine?

I am not really familiar with Hairspray either if I am honest I have only saw it once but I seem to remember that one of the Tracy covers was credited as a stand-by.

I think an alternate Phantom would be a good idea too. I don't think it would matter if the two alternates did the same performance. 90% of the audience probably wouldn't even notice!

Helen wrote:

dolly-ry wrote:Many stand-bys like the arrangement as they get a wage of some sort even when they don't perform. But I personally think an alternate Phantom would be good, however would you schedule it so that the alternate Phantom was on different days from the alternate Christine?

I am not really familiar with Hairspray either if I am honest I have only saw it once but I seem to remember that one of the Tracy covers was credited as a stand-by.

I think an alternate Phantom would be a good idea too. I don't think it would matter if the two alternates did the same performance. 90% of the audience probably wouldn't even notice!

Probably true, but they'd probably want to arrange it so it wasn't the same two Phantom/Christine combos performing together all the time. When there were still two Phantoms and Carlottas in Vegas, I think they arranged it so that the two Phantoms, Christines, and Carlottas were mixed up, which meant 8 possible cast combinations and the statistical possibility that no more than 3 of the 10 shows each week featured the same Phantom/Christine/Carlotta trio.

That is a good idea when there are so many shows a week but perhaps harder to do with only 8 shows a week.

It would be nice to have such a different set up of casts but I wouldn't want anything set in stone as I am sure there are a certain three some fans would like to see so it would be nice to have the opportunity to see different casts but also if you were aiming to see a particular one to be able to see them too.

Well, with two Phantoms and two Christines, it would only be 4 combinations, obviously, but in this case, the alternates would only be doing two shows each, so the opportunities for some of the combinations wouldn't occur as frequently as in Vegas, when each performer did 5 shows a week.

SenorSwanky wrote:Well, with two Phantoms and two Christines, it would only be 4 combinations, obviously, but in this case, the alternates would only be doing two shows each, so the opportunities for some of the combinations wouldn't occur as frequently as in Vegas, when each performer did 5 shows a week.

But add two different Carlottas and Piangis, and you'll have LOTS of combinations... Doing a double dip in Copenhagen was lots of fun, as the matinée cast basically always was different as the evening cast.

But yeah, when aiming for certain singers or combos, it might not be AS fun...

Oh I wouldn't like the Piangi thing to be for this cast ha ha. I don't like either of Rohan's understudies and they have been on a lot this season.

I would like rotation of the Carlottas though, I absolutely love all three.

Does anyone know Scott's dates as Phantom or when David will be off? Thanks in advance!

Scott doesn't have any confirmed yet apart from an as yet unconfirmed period in June. Sorry I can't be more help but if I hear the dates in June I'll post it here.

DS, SD and SJD. Have there ever been any productions with as similar abbreviations for the Phantoms?

I thought I should post something on topic before I go off topic ( I do apologise in advance for that, sorry ) but I am going to see the show tomorrow evening and should be seeing SJD's Firmin. Very much looking forward to that.

Now the off topic, I posted somewhere (I can't remember where but it was originally to Scorp) that I was going in for an operation on Monday past. I realised I haven't been on here much since or the internet at all so wanted to drop in and assure everyone I am okay but won't be posting too much for a while as I am in and out of hospital and in a tonne of pain. To be honest I wouldn't be going to a show tonight and Phantom tomorrow had I not already got the tickets. So I'll be around every so often but if I seem MIA for a while it is probably that. Also Helen if you are around that is why i haven't been in touch for a while sorry!

Hope you feel better soon! Have fun tonight and tomorrow.

Good to see you back online! And I hope you, despite everything, will have a nice evening!

Hear hear! Get well soon.

I don't suppose anyone fancies a group trip to the London production any time soon? I technically have neither the time nor the money to go, but I don't think my Phantom instincts give a damn about that. We can always use the 100th anniversary of the novel as an excuse to justify it...

I'm planning to go to London in late June or mid/end of July. So, it'd be quite a thrill to meet up with all of you.

I'm hoping that Gina Beck and Simon Bailey would be a part of the cast, still. I want my first view of Phantom in London to be truly spectacular.