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Post by inthenose on Sept 18, 2021 21:27:44 GMT
I'm very discombobulated at what's happened to Phantom. It always seemed to me to be a centre of excellence in London, a place where things were still done properly. Perhaps against the odds. I cannot comprehend what must've been happening in Lloyd Webber's mind, to allow this diminution. If I'd done one great thing in my entire life, and then some charlatan had said to me: but we can do it cheaper -- I would be f***ing livid. I would want to burn him to the ground. I wouldn't go along with his scheme. If he told me to halve the orchestra I would tell him we were doubling it. Trebling it. (I would do this anyway, just to be difficult.) I would tell him that he would know where to find me if he didn't like it. If he said that the staging was old, or dangerous, I would tell him to fix it and make it more spectacular than before. If some catastrophe were to befall the world I would think to myself, I can't take it with me; I might as well roll the dice. I might as well use these otherwise useless millions to build an ark. Maybe they'll build statues of me, for my great-grandchildren to preen over. What is going on in Lloyd Webber's head? Why would he go along with this stupidity, this plastic-moulded, spray-painted, sh*t-cast rendition of the only thing he might ever be remembered for? Have you seen the new production? Would you mind giving us your thoughts more specifically about it? |
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Post by mrbarnaby on Sept 18, 2021 21:53:00 GMT
I'm very discombobulated at what's happened to Phantom. It always seemed to me to be a centre of excellence in London, a place where things were still done properly. Perhaps against the odds. I cannot comprehend what must've been happening in Lloyd Webber's mind, to allow this diminution. If I'd done one great thing in my entire life, and then some charlatan had said to me: but we can do it cheaper -- I would be f***ing livid. I would want to burn him to the ground. I wouldn't go along with his scheme. If he told me to halve the orchestra I would tell him we were doubling it. Trebling it. (I would do this anyway, just to be difficult.) I would tell him that he would know where to find me if he didn't like it. If he said that the staging was old, or dangerous, I would tell him to fix it and make it more spectacular than before. If some catastrophe were to befall the world I would think to myself, I can't take it with me; I might as well roll the dice. I might as well use these otherwise useless millions to build an ark. Maybe they'll build statues of me, for my great-grandchildren to preen over. What is going on in Lloyd Webber's head? Why would he go along with this stupidity, this plastic-moulded, spray-painted, sh*t-cast rendition of the only thing he might ever be remembered for? This may be the greatest post I’ve ever seen here. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 20, 2021 6:11:21 GMT
I saw it last Thursday night and I thought it looked and sounded spectacular.
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Post by richey on Oct 2, 2021 21:40:12 GMT
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Post by TheWanderer on Oct 2, 2021 21:48:28 GMT
It was disappointing but the front of house staff were amazing. We sat for an hour with updates every 20 mins. Announcement made to cancel the performance along with an ‘all-inclusive’ 30 minutes in the theatre bar. Ambulance and paramedics outside. Hope all involved are okay and I’m looking forward to getting back down and watching it all the way through!
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Post by inthenose on Oct 2, 2021 21:56:35 GMT
It was disappointing but the front of house staff were amazing. We sat for an hour with updates every 20 mins. Announcement made to cancel the performance along with an ‘all-inclusive’ 30 minutes in the theatre bar. Ambulance and paramedics outside. Hope all involved are okay and I’m looking forward to getting back down and watching it all the way through! Any indication what has happened, someone taken ill backstage? |
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Post by TheWanderer on Oct 2, 2021 22:12:25 GMT
It was disappointing but the front of house staff were amazing. We sat for an hour with updates every 20 mins. Announcement made to cancel the performance along with an ‘all-inclusive’ 30 minutes in the theatre bar. Ambulance and paramedics outside. Hope all involved are okay and I’m looking forward to getting back down and watching it all the way through! Any indication what has happened, someone taken ill backstage? The curtain went down just as the candles came up (not seen it before so unsure what happens next). After about 10 minutes there was an announcement asking for doctors or medics. A bit later on, they announced that there had been a medical incident backstage. There was heresay that it was ‘Christine’, but not confirmed. No more information was given other than the last announcement that stated that due to the nature of the medical incident and the medical assistance required, it would not be possible to proceed. Whoever it was, was brought out strapped into a stretcher! Fingers crossed they have a speedy and healthy recovery. |
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Post by dan28 on Oct 2, 2021 23:13:09 GMT
Someone posted this on Faceboook:
"Latest from the scene (from a friend with a friend who was at the performance) is that Lucy is “ok” and it was “a fall” between the bridge and the boat. The ambulance took over 30 mins to arrive, plus another 30 mins delay before the performance was cancelled. Lucy has now been taken to hospital. The reports on twitter seem to be slightly exaggerated, but I can’t corroborate that."
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Post by inthenose on Oct 2, 2021 23:17:50 GMT
Latest from the scene (from a friend with a friend who was at the performance) is that Lucy is “ok” and it was “a fall” between the bridge and the boat. The ambulance took over 30 mins to arrive, plus another 30 mins delay before the performance was cancelled. Lucy has now been taken to hospital. The reports on twitter seem to be slightly exaggerated, but I can’t corroborate that. Yeah I read that post by "Gene Fallaize" on the FB "Phan" page too. Someone has already slightly rephrased it and posted it as fact on Twitter too. Guess we'll find out for sure what happened later this morning when they do the cancellation announcement for tomorrow's performance |
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Post by dan28 on Oct 2, 2021 23:22:48 GMT
Guess we'll find out for sure what happened later this morning when they do the cancellation announcement for tomorrow's performance Don't you think the performances will continue as usual with the alternate/understudy going on? The accident might have nothing to do with safety rules. But indeed, let's not speculate and wait for more news. |
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Post by inthenose on Oct 2, 2021 23:29:48 GMT
Guess we'll find out for sure what happened later this morning when they do the cancellation announcement for tomorrow's performance Don't you think the performances will continue as usual with the alternate/understudy going on? The accident might have nothing to do with safety rules. But indeed, let's not speculate and wait for more news. I would strongly suspect tomorrow will be cancelled regardless, HSE automatically will investigate (do they work Sundays?) and insurance company will need to complete their accident report and risk assessments. I'd be pretty surprised if tomorrow went ahead, because of liability/safety concerns. When Adam Salter broke his leg in LotR, shows were cancelled until HSE and the insurers could sign off on it. |
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42ndBlvd
Swing
I'll be back where I was born to be
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Post by 42ndBlvd on Oct 2, 2021 23:34:10 GMT
Latest from the scene (from a friend with a friend who was at the performance) is that Lucy is “ok” and it was “a fall” between the bridge and the boat. The ambulance took over 30 mins to arrive, plus another 30 mins delay before the performance was cancelled. Lucy has now been taken to hospital. The reports on twitter seem to be slightly exaggerated, but I can’t corroborate that. Yeah I read that post by "Gene Fallaize" on the FB "Phan" page too. Someone has already slightly rephrased it and posted it as fact on Twitter too. Guess we'll find out for sure what happened later this morning when they do the cancellation announcement for tomorrow's performance Don't they use doubles for the travel down the bridge. What was Lucy doing on the bridge |
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Post by inthenose on Oct 2, 2021 23:44:09 GMT
I haven't seen the new version, but the original production was thus;
Set of doubles 1 exit into SR trap.
Set of doubles 2 appear at top of bridge, meanwhile principals rise up backstage ready to swap
Set of doubles 2 swap with principals on the bridge SL, who enter for the Phantom's verse. From then on, it's the principals onstage until Stranger Than You Dreamt It.
If this person's info is correct, she would have fallen when they enter on the bridge swapping for set of doubles 2.
It used to be quite narrow up there and the swap is done by squeezing past your double counterpart on the offstage edge of the bridge. The boat was kept almost directly below that space USL, ready to come "round the corner" with the actors in it, which could tie in with what they said.
However, that really is a hell of a drop - especially if she's fallen off the back of the bridge.
All the above is assuming the person's info is correct and the blocking hasn't changed for this scene.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Oct 3, 2021 7:09:58 GMT
I took particular notice of who was on the bridge when I saw the show a couple of weeks ago. I’m sure it was the real phantom and Christine all the way. There was none of that hokey turning away from the audience, their faces were visible throughout.
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Post by tom on Oct 3, 2021 8:06:05 GMT
I took particular notice of who was on the bridge when I saw the show a couple of weeks ago. I’m sure it was the real phantom and Christine all the way. There was none of that hokey turning away from the audience, their faces were visible throughout. I also thought it was the real pair all the way as they no longer go across the stage and down under it. |
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Post by dan28 on Oct 3, 2021 9:31:17 GMT
Aside from the technical changes, lighting, sets, I have some concerns about the new direction, story wise.
I noticed that nearly all sincere moments in the new show are thrown away by "humour". For example, in "All I ask of you", which should be a very sincere moment, Christine is very scared, actually fearing for her life. Her lyrics are about her insecurity, grief and seeking the confirmation that Raoul takes her seriously. Raoul is trying to make clear that she can trust him and that he can provide a safe haven emotionally so that by the end of the song she begins to trust him and can wipe away her tears.
Unfortunately now they are laughing throughout the whole song. And not only that, Raoul is turning all sincere moments into jokes. During the lyrics "Let me be you shelter, let me be your light", and "Christine, that's all I ask of you", he is actually making fun of the lyrics and the show. He puts on a silly heavy voice, gets down on his knees, stretches his arms, puts one eyebrow up and jokingly sings these lines as if he is making fun of a 1881 nobleman (which Raoul actually is). Christine then laughs even louder and confirms the joke with a reaction that reads: Oh Raoul, how silly you are to imitate a 1881 Vicomte/Count. Look how funny and silly you are by imitating a sincere Raoul. And then they continue to laugh their way out of the song.
And this is just one example, the new show is full of them. Does the director not understand the show? Is he trying to apologize for the material or trying to be "current"? In my opinion a show with a director that is ashamed of its own material should close or change direction.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Oct 3, 2021 11:00:57 GMT
Aside from the technical changes, lighting, sets, I have some concerns about the new direction, story wise. I noticed that nearly all sincere moments in the new show are thrown away by "humour". For example, in "All I ask of you", which should be a very sincere moment, Christine is very scared, actually fearing for her life. Her lyrics are about her insecurity, grief and seeking the confirmation that Raoul takes her seriously. Raoul is trying to make clear that she can trust him and that he can provide a safe haven emotionally so that by the end of the song she begins to trust him and can wipe away her tears. Unfortunately now they are laughing throughout the whole song. And not only that, Raoul is turning all sincere moments into jokes. During the lyrics "Let me be you shelter, let me be your light", and "Christine, that's all I ask of you", he is actually making fun of the lyrics and the show. He puts on a silly heavy voice, gets down on his knees, stretches his arms, puts one eyebrow up and jokingly sings these lines as if he is making fun of a 1881 nobleman (which Raoul actually is). Christine then laughs even louder and confirms the joke with a reaction that reads: Oh Raoul, how silly you are to imitate a 1881 Vicomte/Count. Look how funny and silly you are by imitating a sincere Raoul. And then they continue to laugh their way out of the song.And this is just one example, the new show is full of them. Does the director not understand the show? Is he trying to apologize for the material or trying to be "current"? In my opinion a show with a director that is ashamed of its own material should close or change direction. Didn’t happen when I saw it. |
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Post by Oliver on Oct 3, 2021 12:45:40 GMT
I'm very discombobulated at what's happened to Phantom. It always seemed to me to be a centre of excellence in London, a place where things were still done properly. Perhaps against the odds. I cannot comprehend what must've been happening in Lloyd Webber's mind, to allow this diminution. If I'd done one great thing in my entire life, and then some charlatan had said to me: but we can do it cheaper -- I would be f***ing livid. I would want to burn him to the ground. I wouldn't go along with his scheme. If he told me to halve the orchestra I would tell him we were doubling it. Trebling it. (I would do this anyway, just to be difficult.) I would tell him that he would know where to find me if he didn't like it. If he said that the staging was old, or dangerous, I would tell him to fix it and make it more spectacular than before. If some catastrophe were to befall the world I would think to myself, I can't take it with me; I might as well roll the dice. I might as well use these otherwise useless millions to build an ark. Maybe they'll build statues of me, for my great-grandchildren to preen over. What is going on in Lloyd Webber's head? Why would he go along with this stupidity, this plastic-moulded, spray-painted, sh*t-cast rendition of the only thing he might ever be remembered for? |
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Post by scarpia on Oct 3, 2021 14:20:53 GMT
I'm very discombobulated at what's happened to Phantom. It always seemed to me to be a centre of excellence in London, a place where things were still done properly. Perhaps against the odds. I cannot comprehend what must've been happening in Lloyd Webber's mind, to allow this diminution. If I'd done one great thing in my entire life, and then some charlatan had said to me: but we can do it cheaper -- I would be f***ing livid. I would want to burn him to the ground. I wouldn't go along with his scheme. If he told me to halve the orchestra I would tell him we were doubling it. Trebling it. (I would do this anyway, just to be difficult.) I would tell him that he would know where to find me if he didn't like it. If he said that the staging was old, or dangerous, I would tell him to fix it and make it more spectacular than before. If some catastrophe were to befall the world I would think to myself, I can't take it with me; I might as well roll the dice. I might as well use these otherwise useless millions to build an ark. Maybe they'll build statues of me, for my great-grandchildren to preen over. What is going on in Lloyd Webber's head? Why would he go along with this stupidity, this plastic-moulded, spray-painted, sh*t-cast rendition of the only thing he might ever be remembered for? He does have a huge say in it, though. And given that, by closing the original production vehicle, they don't have to pay Hal Prince or his estate his huge share of the gross, nor adhere to the 1986 contracts of the orchestra members, nor even pay back investors who have all been cut out, you have to wonder where all these savings are going, because they're not going into the show. Heck, unlike in 1986, they don't even have Stoll Moss to pay for the venue. |
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Post by scarpia on Oct 3, 2021 14:23:43 GMT
I took particular notice of who was on the bridge when I saw the show a couple of weeks ago. I’m sure it was the real phantom and Christine all the way. There was none of that hokey turning away from the audience, their faces were visible throughout. Never heard anyone call that magical scene 'hokey' before, and first-timers and even repeat-attenders who didn't know the final details of the production didn't even know they were doubles. Every single time I saw the original production I heard gasps from audience members at the fluidity and speed of the transition, coupled with a 'how did they do that?' expression. Hal Prince told ALW that he wanted the next scene to begin before the current one ends, and that transition with the doubles was a perfect way of achieving it. The prolonged thing you get now totally jars with the drama of the moment and the music. I hope the cast member concerned recovers swiftly. I've never heard of anyone falling like this though in any production of the show. Is this due to the new set-up backstage? |
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Post by inthenose on Oct 3, 2021 15:56:19 GMT
Worried by the lack of news about Lucy. Really hope she's okay. We've worked together in the past and I dropped her a message (as I'm sure everyone who knows her has) but not delivered.
Did today's show go ahead - who went on?
Also, stalked a few other cast's Twitter's and whatnot, out of the entire company only one person seems to have even tweeted anything at all (and it didn't mention Lucy).
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Oct 3, 2021 16:41:41 GMT
I took particular notice of who was on the bridge when I saw the show a couple of weeks ago. I’m sure it was the real phantom and Christine all the way. There was none of that hokey turning away from the audience, their faces were visible throughout. Never heard anyone call that magical scene 'hokey' before Don’t worry, it was just the doubles turning their heads very obviously away from the audience that used to strike me as hokey, not the entire scene. It’s even more magical now that they’re able to show their faces all the time they’re descending because that moment which used to look odd (to me) doesn’t take one (me) out of the story any more. |
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Post by anthony on Oct 3, 2021 16:42:36 GMT
Worried by the lack of news about Lucy. Really hope she's okay. We've worked together in the past and I dropped her a message (as I'm sure everyone who knows her has) but not delivered. Did today's show go ahead - who went on? Also, stalked a few other cast's Twitter's and whatnot, out of the entire company only one person seems to have even tweeted anything at all (and it didn't mention Lucy). Show went ahead as planned today, it seems (posts on Twitter). Nothing on West End Understudies, so I assume that St John performed today and it was all done as a precaution (hence no statement)? Tbh, are we even sure it was St John? |
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Post by inthenose on Oct 3, 2021 17:02:46 GMT
It's St Louis, not St John. Yes, it appears to be her.
Just seen this on FB:
"Just got the information from a friend that Lucy has been hit in the face by a metal pole during the show and had to be rushed to hospital. She suffered a concussion, whiplash and a cut on the face but else she's doing OK. Wishing her a speedy recovery!"
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Post by tom on Oct 3, 2021 17:42:35 GMT
Never heard anyone call that magical scene 'hokey' before Don’t worry, it was just the doubles turning their heads very obviously away from the audience that used to strike me as hokey, not the entire scene. It’s even more magical now that they’re able to show their faces all the time they’re descending because that moment which used to look odd (to me) doesn’t take one (me) out of the story any more. I sort of agree but they could at least use one set of doubles at the beginning where they used to walk across the stage and then descend the stairs under the stage as what they do now is a bit awkward for the first part of the song - at least they now go straight into the title song after Raoul has said "angel" rather than the extended music that they had when it first reopened. Although it was obvious it was doubles, it was still quite clever doing that and then a pair walking out on to the bridge straight after. |
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