The London production 1

Even if it were just something like they did for Broadway's longest-running performance...some sort of special curtain call event with Crawford taking part....it would be completely worth getting a ticket for.

If they could talk Crawford and Brightman back for that one night, it would be beyond awesome!

Mme Reyer wrote:If they could talk Crawford and Brightman back for that one night, it would be beyond awesome!

I think it would be nothing short of a miracle!!

I found out the other day that there's going to be a price hike in December. Top price seats in the stalls will now exceed £60. All the other sections are going up in price as well.

Scorp wrote:I found out the other day that there's going to be a price hike in December. Top price seats in the stalls will now exceed £60. All the other sections are going up in price as well.

God, you're lucky. Why are prices so much cheaper over there? The most expensive seats at the Majestic are the equivalent of 105.25 GBP. The new most expensive stall seats at HM are only about $95 USD, which you can't even get a front mezz seat for.

SenorSwanky wrote:

Scorp wrote:I found out the other day that there's going to be a price hike in December. Top price seats in the stalls will now exceed £60. All the other sections are going up in price as well.

God, you're lucky. Why are prices so much cheaper over there? The most expensive seats at the Majestic are the equivalent of 105.25 GBP. The new most expensive stall seats at HM are only about $95 USD, which you can't even get a front mezz seat for.

I don't know why Broadway is so overpriced, but it would undoubtedly have something to do with the fact that it is far, far more expensive to mount a show on Broadway than it is to mount a show in London. The difference in costs is not as much as it was before, but it's still there. I guess everyone just gets paid a heck a lot of more on Broadway. At least discounts are a lot more common on Broadway.

Back in 2001 I think front row seats in the stalls were £37.50. We're nearly double that 10 years later.

Random thingy: a view of Her Maj's from Google Maps Street View shows the theatre in its final days before someone came and replaced the classic black with the...erm, purple - clicky.

Scorp wrote:I found out the other day that there's going to be a price hike in December. Top price seats in the stalls will now exceed £60. All the other sections are going up in price as well.

Don't like the sound of that at all! Better go and see JOJ as the Phantom before the price is going up then. He just said on Twitter that he will stay as Phantom until October next year so I hope I will get the chance (and have the money) to see him at least a few times before he ends his run.

Scorp wrote:At least discounts are a lot more common on Broadway.

That's true. You can sometimes get those for half off or 40% off or something like that, so it ends up being about the same.

SenorSwanky wrote:

Scorp wrote:At least discounts are a lot more common on Broadway.

That's true. You can sometimes get those for half off or 40% off or something like that, so it ends up being about the same.

Likewise with the Vegas production. If you paid full price for top level seating, it comes up to $174.50. Thankfully there are normally discount codes available but tourists don't always realize they're out there.

Three former London cast members Andrew Halliday, David Shannon and Robyn North will be taking part in this years Christmas at the Musicals tour.

ETA: Oliver Eyre is giving his first performance as Raoul tonight.

starryeyed wrote:Three former London cast members Andrew Halliday, David Shannon and Robyn North will be taking part in this years Christmas at the Musicals tour.

That reminds me, I've still got to book for that. I meant to do it ages ago. I booked my ticket for the 24th anniversary performance of Phantom the other day. I'm really looking forward to seeing the new cast!

OK, remind me again.... How long is Scott Davies principal, and when do JOJ start? And did Davies stay on as standby Phantom?

Scott Davies is principal until 30th October and JOJ starts on 1st November. Scott will stay on as standby.

John Owen-Jones announced on his Twitter on October 4 that he'll be the Phantom until September of next year. Another 10-month Phantom! If the cast change is indeed on 3 September (which, based on the pattern of years past, I think it is), I'll be at his last show!

http://twitter.com/johnowenjones/status/26464856229

I hope that means The Phantom contract will go back to being September - September from next year onwards then.

Also, I've already told Scorp this but there's something odd going on about the 23rd October. As you all know I was planning on going to the evening, I'm not that bothered about going to the 10,000th performance and I'm going to Passion then anyway. The whole purpose of going was a treat for my mum to see Sofia anyway. So, I called up to get tickets for the evening and was told "the stalls are completely sold out and no more seats will be released, the Royal Circle only has single seats but I can put you one in front of the other your only option to sit together is Grand Circle or Balcony." I just said "are you serious?" Half thinking that okay i know Saturdays are mostly sold out lately but they don't usually completely sell out (even top price stalls seats) until the day and she said "it's a popular show it's always sold out in advance." So I was getting really confused and just said I'd think about it.

So, I then phoned Ticketmaster who said the exact same so then I was thinking okay maybe it's right it's just a really busy show for a change so decided to phone See back again to sort out some tickets. I was really confused anyway as I know a tonne of people have got tickets for the 10,000th so I didn't expect the 10,001st to be sold out but anyway. So when I called back See the girl I got this time said "Oh because it is for the 23rd October you have to call this number and they sort out your tickets..." and gave me another number, which when they answered said they were "such and such" I'm not going to say what they said as it seems as if they are trying not to have people call it. Anyway, so I called them and they said "Can I take your name etc and we'll call the theatre themselves as that's what we're having to do with the Stalls and Royal Circle for that performance." Anyway cut a long story short (ha short this hasn't half been a ramble) I managed to get C17 and C18 in the Stalls. But can anyone hazard a guess as to what the h--- that whole wild goose chase was all about?

Didn't someone say they've blocked off three whole days for that event? Or was that the 25th anniversary date? Sounds like something is cooking indeed!

That's the 25th anniversary weekend but it has been said and I quote that "as the curtain rises on the matinee of the 23rd October it is only the beginning of the celebrations..."

I'm hearing more and more whispers of a tour next year but we'll see if that comes to anything, you never know.

Also meant to say this yesterday and I can't quite believe I'm actually typing this but Earl Carpenter will be Khashoggi in the Manchester leg of the WWRY tour.

starryeyed wrote: I'm hearing more and more whispers of a tour next year but we'll see if that comes to anything, you never know.

As someone who lives in the North West, I'm crossing everything for this!

If they did a tour I wish they'd go to York. I've long wished to go to the Theatre Royal and see PotO. Please let PotO come to York! (Imagine seeing a show like that at a theatre looking like this gorgeous!)

starryeyed wrote:Also meant to say this yesterday and I can't quite believe I'm actually typing this but Earl Carpenter will be Khashoggi in the Manchester leg of the WWRY tour.

I must try to go and see him in WWRY, I couldn't really believe it first when I read it. I can't really picture him in that role to be honest so it would be interesting to see what he would make out of it.

starryeyed wrote:
Also meant to say this yesterday and I can't quite believe I'm actually typing this but Earl Carpenter will be Khashoggi in the Manchester leg of the WWRY tour.

I heard about this yesterday, but I thought it was a wind up! Is it only Manchester he's doing?

I'm hearing more and more whispers of a tour next year but we'll see if that comes to anything, you never know

I hope it happens. It's been a long time since the last tour.

Helen wrote:

starryeyed wrote:
Also meant to say this yesterday and I can't quite believe I'm actually typing this but Earl Carpenter will be Khashoggi in the Manchester leg of the WWRY tour.

I heard about this yesterday, but I thought it was a wind up! Is it only Manchester he's doing?

Yes, only Manchester.

I'm hearing more and more whispers of a tour next year but we'll see if that comes to anything, you never know

A new tour would be great, as Helen said it's been a long time since the last tour so it's about time.

I'm gutted: I bought my ticket to the performance on Saturday (birthday show) but have had to cancel my trip from Canada. This will be the first birthday show I've missed in a few years. Sigh.

The person who posted about Earl on WOS got it from my Twitter. It's 100% true and has since been posted on Earl's website.

And auctioneer so sorry to hear that, I'm not going either.

Happy, happy, happy birthday to the original production!!!

I raise my glass to all who's made the Phantom story come true, and I hope the cast&crew have a jolly good time tonight. Auctioneer, sorry you had to cancel the trip. Hope it's nothing too serious, but it still sucks.

I would have LOVED to be there, but alas...

Congratulations, London production, for twenty-four amazing show-stopping years. And the original cast, too. Without their performances, Phantom would have never escalated to the power status that it is now. (I'm sure it would have, but it wouldn't have been so remembered!)

Happy 24th London production!

R.

Happy birthday Phantom!

Cast member texted me today saying they hope for a big party next year. I hope so too, and hope the fans get involved!

Happy birthday dear Phantom, lot's of cake for you

Happy 24th birthday Phantom.