The London production 1

That's a shame. I was hoping he'd stay.

dolly-ry wrote:It's official. Everyone I like is leaving. Will Barratt is leaving at cast change

Ah, no. Saw the show with Will on Saturday and I really liked his Raoul. Hope I will get the chance to see him at least once more before he's leaving.

I was hoping he'd be promoted, but lets just say a lot of familiar faces have been auditioning... shame really as I like to see new people coming in.

dolly-ry wrote:lets just say a lot of familiar faces have been auditioning... shame really as I like to see new people coming in.

Oooh what a tease! But yeah ideally I would love to see a surprising NEW cast. I've come to the conclusion that a lot of my Phantom fandom stems from seeing the same material intepreted by SO many different people and then observing the differences...which is why I love cast changes.

The offer for Raoul has went out, although I can't tell you who it is because well... no one knows who it is, they will find out in a few weeks. I have a feeling it isn't who I thought would get it though...

Also it is confirmed the only people staying after cast change are Gareth, Barry and Scott Davies.

Oh so David Shannon is leaving? Guess that means i won't get to see him then. Wonder who the new phantom will be, do you think Scott Davies will be principle phantom again or will he stay as standby?

David Shannon is leaving yes. And Scott is staying standby not being promoted - he likes the standby arrangement too much and I think I agree with him to be honest.

dolly-ry wrote:David Shannon is leaving yes. And Scott is staying standby not being promoted - he likes the standby arrangement too much and I think I agree with him to be honest.

At least he's staying! I'm really pleased that Gareth and Barry are staying too.

Me too. It's a slight consolation. I had a tear in Prima Donna today (please don't laugh anyone!) but it was just because everyone seemed to gel and just seemed perfect - I think too much about what's to come.

Well, I can categorically say that is my last show before cast change. And that's a scary thought.

I'm not overly fond of the current managers...maybe it's just me. Well, actually I like Barry James' alcoholic Firmin, but I find Gareth Snook a bit bland even though he's affable enough. I don't think the humour of the managers' scenes has really been quite right for the last year or so; there is very little response from the audience and not much comic timing going on.

Interesting about Shannon leaving, I really really hope we get a brand new Phantom! Can someone please pester Anthony Warlow and refuse to stop harassing him until he agrees to fly over? He needs to do the role in London! I'd like SJD to get a shot at it but he's not in the running sadly.

Whoever we get, I really really hope they cast someone traditional. Mature, elegant, powerful, sophisticated and operatic. I'm fed up of this young and sexy rock tenor BS that is being forced down our throats. It was refreshing to start with, now it's just plain silly and it isn't believable.

And are the LND banners in the foyer as hideous and imposing as they sound? I daren't check for myself in case I am tempted to commit arson...

Funnily enough Gina was talking about how much she loves the traditional approach, and we were discussing how people sometimes turn their noses up at it now but that it is infact how the role is played. Kudos to her for wanting it played the "traditional" way.

Well there is two banners (they look like the ones used at the press release) on either side of the foyer so yes, pretty imposing. They also take up unecessary room. However, with the foyer packed you actually can't see them if that is any consolation.

ETA: In the Final Lair yesterday everything went a bit wrong. It still managed to be one of the best I've seen though strangely. First of all, when Gina ran over to Simon the veil got caught in one of the candelabra traps pulling her head back a bit and just lying (what seemed like across the whole floor that thing is huge) she put her hands to her head and carried on. I thought it would be okay but it looked like it was where Simon had to stand and I had visions of someone tripping and falling over it. Also at the bit where SD should have thrown the veil down he still did the arm movement - funny but looked as though it could have been in anger anyway. Simon didn't stand on the veil and at one point Gina ran round him and kicked it with her foot and it ended up at the very back of the stage. It was nicely done and no one would have realised really.

Then when SD goes to release Simon as he picked up the candle he did it quite angrily and the tip flew right off into the wings meaning he didn't have the "spark" to work with. He still put the candle to the noose and the noose was released and some random light in the background went off. Was a bit odd not to have the spark but once again nicely covered.

Also Gina has completely changed her FL interpretation but more on that later as running late. (And don't worry it isn't changed to fit with LND!!!!)

Scorp wrote:Whoever we get, I really really hope they cast someone traditional. Mature, elegant, powerful, sophisticated and operatic. I'm fed up of this young and sexy rock tenor BS that is being forced down our throats. It was refreshing to start with, now it's just plain silly and it isn't believable.

I agree, in the beginning it was a cool additional effect. But just like I don't everyone to be/imitate Peter Karrie, I don't want every Phantom to be young and rockish. It might be for this reason I'm dying to see Scott Davies in London. And yes, kudos to Gina Beck for recognizing the origins of the role.

When is the cast change? September?

September 4th cast change is.

Also little bit of info - Scott has done 58 performances since he came in December...

I think someone new to the role would be cool but i wouldn't mind too much if it was someone who had previously played the part. One of the former stanby's like Matt Cammelle or Nic Greensheilds would be great or even one of the older phantoms from like ten years ago or something, like how Simon Bowman returned to play Valjean ten years after he first did.

London-Phan wrote:I think someone new to the role would be cool but i wouldn't mind too much if it was someone who had previously played the part. One of the former stanby's like Matt Cammelle or Nic Greensheilds would be great or even one of the older phantoms from like ten years ago or something, like how Simon Bowman returned to play Valjean ten years after he first did.

Wasn't too keen on the Bowman. I didn't mind much as it was only the second time I'd seen the show, but...yeah.

That description of the banners is horrible. Are they destined to stay there for the entirety of the sequel's run?

Remember when I said I wonder how long it would it be before they start flogging LND at Her Majesty's like they did with WIW? Apparently sooner than I had expected... Methinks a certain a show at the Adelphi can't be doing very well.

Well you never know Bowman could leave Les Mis to play the phantom again, don't think it'll happen though.

dolly-ry wrote:
Also it is confirmed the only people staying after cast change are Gareth, Barry and Scott Davies.

This is probably going to sound like a really stupid question, but when you say the only people staying, do you mean the only people staying out of the principal cast or the only people staying out of the entire cast?

.I think someone new to the role would be cool but i wouldn't mind too much if it was someone who had previously played the part. One of the former stanby's like Matt Cammelle or Nic Greensheilds would be great

I didn't see Matt Cammelle when he was in the show before, but I heard he was very good. Someone new to the show would be great too. I'd prefer it if the new Phantom took the more traditional approach, rather than the young, rocky thing.

I'll be honest I'm not entirely sure - however I do know that so many of the ensemble are confirmed to leave it looks as though it could be. I don't know if all the ballet girls would leave but it certainly is a huge cast change.

Also someone in the current cast has actually auditioned for a principal role and is in fact not "confirmed to be leaving." All I am saying is I'd be VERY happy if they got their part.

dolly-ry wrote:I'll be honest I'm not entirely sure - however I do know that so many of the ensemble are confirmed to leave it looks as though it could be. I don't know if all the ballet girls would leave but it certainly is a huge cast change.

Yikes! Some of the ensemble have been there for so long, it's natural they'd want to move on.

Also someone in the current cast has actually auditioned for a principal role and is in fact not "confirmed to be leaving." All I am saying is I'd be VERY happy if they got their part.

Don't tease us like that!! Are the auditions still going? I'm looking forward to finding out who the new cast are, even though I'll be sad to see this cast go.

Oh I'm really happy that Scott Davies is staying! The way things are looking, I'll definitely be travelling to London next year to see the new cast and I'd love to see Scott again, as he was my first ever Phantom Very curious to find out who the new principal Phantom will be though...

Does anyone know who the 2nd cover phantom was during Peter Cousens run? Scott Davies was standby and i know all of the other 1st and 2nd phantom covers throughout the years but that's the only one i don't know. There may have been two because there was a cast change during Cousens run and a guy called Paul Collis was to join the cast as Raoul (understudy i think) and i read that he was going to be understudy phantom but i'm not sure if he actually joined the cast as he became ill and sadly died at christmas that same year. Can anyone confirm if he did actually join the cast?

Helen I've seen two understudies this year I've raved about it's one of them *ahem.*

Auditions are finished and people are waiting on offers. One offer has went out as I said before and everyone should know by the start of July. I doubt I'll be able to tell you any more concrete information until then as no one else knows until then so neither will I

As I said there's a few people who were in the same cast as understudies who have also auditioned for the roles they understudied a few years ago.

Oh and Ellen was off on Saturday by the way.

Scott's on again tonight but it isn't much use for people seen as the shows already started.

dolly-ry wrote:Helen I've seen two understudies this year I've raved about it's one of them *ahem.*

You're saying the new principal Phantom is one of the current understudies but not SJD? Who's the other? Tim Morgan?

SenorSwanky wrote:

dolly-ry wrote:Helen I've seen two understudies this year I've raved about it's one of them *ahem.*

You're saying the new principal Phantom is one of the current understudies but not SJD? Who's the other? Tim Morgan?

Scott Davies and SJD are the phantom covers in the current cast. Tim Morgan hasn't understudied the role for a long while.

She must be talking about Raoul then.

SenorSwanky wrote:She must be talking about Raoul then.

Yeah i thought that, i was going to put it in my last post. It would be cool though if one of the current cast members has auditioned for principal phantom. I'm also quite keen to see who the new 2nd cover phantom will be.

...or perhaps Katy Treharne as Christine? That was a pretty good review, I recall.

Sorry I'll clarify Scott Davies is NOT being promoted. Nor does he want to be therefore didn't audition, it is a brand new Phantom I know that much.

Therefore by process of elimination it's either a Christine or Raoul (however I did very much like the Madame Giry understudy I saw... I seem to be one for understudies!)

ETA: I forgot about Tim Morgan! I heard he auditioned last year I am sure so may well have done this year. Phantom (and Les Mis) do seem to attract people to come back.

dolly-ry wrote:Also little bit of info - Scott has done 58 performances since he came in December...

I don't want to make David Shannon into a scapegoat or anything, but isn't it time to call it "Phantom alternate" instead of standby? Cause this means Scott Davies has done in average 9 performances a month. Isn't that as much as the Christine alternates?

Yes Scott said he'd done the equivalent of a full months of performances I think he made it, he then did another performance so I think he's done 59 now.

Also David has his weeks absence coming up and Scott is on for all 8 performances, so you are right about the "alternate" status. Although Tabitha Webb hasn't done all her alternate performances either so it just seems a bit complicated.

Also thought I'd elaborate on my comment on Gina Beck before. During the final lair on Saturday it was clear she was really fighting for Raoul and doing everything just to save Raoul. I really liked it as I always thought if she changed up her performance it would be to fit with the sequel but on Saturday this certainly wasn't the case. She was constantly clinging to Simon and rarely left his side the whole time - they also threw in a few extra kisses over the course of the lair but it really worked. I do like the Scott/ Gina/ Simon combination as they seem to work with each other very well.