287 posts
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Post by singingbird on Oct 26, 2021 21:32:49 GMT
“So do your end your days with me” means stay with me until the end of your days. Doesn’t mean leave him! hahahahahahha This has pecked my brain for years. Never knew that, so its a figure of speech. Mind blown. I've always had end in that context as finish. Brilliant! |
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Post by sukhavati on Oct 27, 2021 1:43:05 GMT
Did they change the line in the Final Lair that's been stuck in the show since 1986 but doesn't make any sense? Phantom: " So do you end your days with me, or do you send him to his grave?" This line has never made sense to me. The choice Christine is presented with in the Final Lair is either: A) Stay with the Phantom and Raoul is let free to go off and never disturb them. Or B) Christine can go and live her life without the Phantom, but Raoul must die as a consequence. 'Start a new life with me, buy his freedom with your love!
Refuse me, and you send your lover to his death!
This is the choice.... This is the point of no return'Yet lyrically, this line confuses the choice by offering the same option. Really can’t see the problem here. True.
"So do you end your days with me..." = Christine is going to stay with the Phantom for the rest of her natural life.
"...or do you send him to his grave?" = Christine chosing Raoul over the Phantom means Raoul dies.
It's just reiterating the "Start a new life with me..." lyric.
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2,859 posts
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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 29, 2021 13:39:45 GMT
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Post by sleepflower on Oct 31, 2021 18:42:12 GMT
The show stopped for about 10 minutes in today's matinee, just after Music of the Night. Holly-Anne Hull went off and Anouk Van Laake went on as Christine. The transition was seamless and both were superb Christines. I hope Holly is ok!
I got rush tickets easily at 9.30am on the website, stalls row H which I was very pleased with. The show is in good shape!
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Post by inthenose on Oct 31, 2021 19:32:50 GMT
The show stopped for about 10 minutes in today's matinee, just after Music of the Night. Holly-Anne Hull went off and Anouk Van Laake went on as Christine. The transition was seamless and both were superb Christines. I hope Holly is ok! I got rush tickets easily at 9.30am on the website, stalls row H which I was very pleased with. The show is in good shape! Did they make an announcement? |
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Post by scarpia on Oct 31, 2021 19:38:56 GMT
The show stopped for about 10 minutes in today's matinee, just after Music of the Night. Holly-Anne Hull went off and Anouk Van Laake went on as Christine. The transition was seamless and both were superb Christines. I hope Holly is ok! I got rush tickets easily at 9.30am on the website, stalls row H which I was very pleased with. The show is in good shape! Did they make an announcement? Life really does seem to be imitating art in this new production. Is this what they meant by 'blurring the boundary'? |
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Post by sleepflower on Oct 31, 2021 20:08:02 GMT
The show stopped for about 10 minutes in today's matinee, just after Music of the Night. Holly-Anne Hull went off and Anouk Van Laake went on as Christine. The transition was seamless and both were superb Christines. I hope Holly is ok! I got rush tickets easily at 9.30am on the website, stalls row H which I was very pleased with. The show is in good shape! Did they make an announcement? They did, they said Holly was 'indisposed' and Anouk would be Christine for the rest of the show - then the curtain came up again |
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Post by TheatreBoard on Oct 31, 2021 22:41:43 GMT
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Post by 141920grm on Nov 1, 2021 3:45:11 GMT
Did they make an announcement? Life really does seem to be imitating art in this new production. Is this what they meant by 'blurring the boundary'? Gossipy, sensationalist types better watch their necks! lol |
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Post by Theatrefan48 on Nov 6, 2021 18:10:22 GMT
Saw this again at the matinee, it was honestly heaven. James Hume was on as a delightful Andre, he and Matt Harrop were brilliant together. Lily Haye was also on as carlotta and her voice was out of this world. However....there was ANOTHER show stop before the last scene! This show must be having some serious technical issues, there seem to be reports of show stops every week!
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Post by 141920grm on Nov 8, 2021 14:49:32 GMT
Saw this again at the matinee, it was honestly heaven. James Hume was on as a delightful Andre, he and Matt Harrop were brilliant together. Lily Haye was also on as carlotta and her voice was out of this world. However....there was ANOTHER show stop before the last scene! This show must be having some serious technical issues, there seem to be reports of show stops every week! Do they announce anything or did everyone just sit around a bit in confusion? Also, do you think it was Tim Morgan you saw as Firmin? Just happened upon this post, that's all: http://instagram.com/p/CV6dGVdImqc James Hume is truly a scene-stealer, couldn't take my eyes off him as Lefevre/Fop! Really hope he gets to go on as Phantom this run |
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2,418 posts
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Post by robertb213 on Nov 8, 2021 15:52:04 GMT
I saw yesterday's matinee. My second time, haven't been in a decade! Row L Stalls on TKTS for £52. I did worry it would feel like a museum piece by now but I was pleasantly surprised. The score still sounds amazing, and Killian and Lucy were both great. Act 2 is still much weaker than Act 1, and that finale still needs tightening up, but it was great to revisit the show.
I'm now rewatching the 2004 film. I still don't get why so many people hated it. It's faithful to the stage version and the leads can sing it well enough. The vocal performances are certainly better than the ones in the Les Mis film!
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Post by scarpia on Nov 8, 2021 19:48:11 GMT
However....there was ANOTHER show stop before the last scene! This show must be having some serious technical issues, there seem to be reports of show stops every week! This is getting ridiculous now. The original production never had this amount of disruption. Ever. It sounds like Cameron's automation doesn't work and the SM n00bs have no idea what they're doing. ...this pained me to read, haha. I didn't like either film but I abhorred the Phantom one. I can't think of a single frame in that thing that I think is decent. The only thing I liked (and yes, I've tried racking my brains for something!) are the wax seals on the notes. That's literally it. Can't think of anything else. Nothing else about the sets, costume, lighting, direction, singing, orchestra, performances worked for me. And part of my strong reaction is because this is supposed to be the thing that immortalises the show; instead, I think it tarnished it. Though admittedly it helped boost sales of the original production on both sides of the pond and extended the run as a result, so there's that, I guess. |
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2,418 posts
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Post by robertb213 on Nov 8, 2021 20:38:14 GMT
However....there was ANOTHER show stop before the last scene! This show must be having some serious technical issues, there seem to be reports of show stops every week! This is getting ridiculous now. The original production never had this amount of disruption. Ever. It sounds like Cameron's automation doesn't work and the SM n00bs have no idea what they're doing. ...this pained me to read, haha. I didn't like either film but I abhorred the Phantom one. I can't think of a single frame in that thing that I think is decent. The only thing I liked (and yes, I've tried racking my brains for something!) are the wax seals on the notes. That's literally it. Can't think of anything else. Nothing else about the sets, costume, lighting, direction, singing, orchestra, performances worked for me. And part of my strong reaction is because this is supposed to be the thing that immortalises the show; instead, I think it tarnished it. Though admittedly it helped boost sales of the original production on both sides of the pond and extended the run as a result, so there's that, I guess. That's a shame, sorry you hated it that much! I found a lot to enjoy. Totally agree that Gerard Butler falls short a lot, particularly in the last half hour or so, but generally I thought it looked great and was a decent effort and represented the show well (actually at times it felt it was better paced than the stage version, at the show yesterday I still found myself wanting to fast-forward big chunks of it). I thought the film's opening restoration scene over the titles was beautiful, along with the title song sequence and and WYWSHA with Christine at her father's grave in particular was beautifully shot. But sorry it fell short for you! Maybe someone else will remake it in the decades to come and you'll like that one 😁 |
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Post by sukhavati on Nov 13, 2021 9:53:23 GMT
However....there was ANOTHER show stop before the last scene! This show must be having some serious technical issues, there seem to be reports of show stops every week! This is getting ridiculous now. The original production never had this amount of disruption. Ever. It sounds like Cameron's automation doesn't work and the SM n00bs have no idea what they're doing. ...this pained me to read, haha. I didn't like either film but I abhorred the Phantom one. I can't think of a single frame in that thing that I think is decent. The only thing I liked (and yes, I've tried racking my brains for something!) are the wax seals on the notes. That's literally it. Can't think of anything else. Nothing else about the sets, costume, lighting, direction, singing, orchestra, performances worked for me. And part of my strong reaction is because this is supposed to be the thing that immortalises the show; instead, I think it tarnished it. Though admittedly it helped boost sales of the original production on both sides of the pond and extended the run as a result, so there's that, I guess. Oh Scarpia, I have to agree with you. I didn't like Giry hiding child Phantom in the opera house - it erased so much of his individual story from both the source material and the brief exposition after Why So Silent... Working for the Shah of Persia, being an architect, magician, genius, etc. I also don't like the way they made it appear he'd been grooming Christine since her childhood - very squicky factor for me there. Plus Bouquet leering at the dancers through a peephole, but that was in the original script that I read in the 90s. While Patrick Wilson might have had a shot as the Raoul u/s, I don't think that Emmy or Gerard would have made the cut for a touring version of the show. The stage voices in general have always been so much stronger. And I don't understand why the director felt the need to turn Masquerade into Truman Capote's Black and White ball, when the song lyrics mention the swirling colours. I really missed Hal Prince's black box in the Phantom's lair - especially with everything so bright while he's singing the lyrics about the darkness. I also really hated that they took his magic away - the sword fight was a joke. I could go on and on... *facepalm* The only things I liked were the very beginning when the theatre dissolves into its former glory and the little nod to La Belle et la Bête when all the arms were holding the candelabras. The production design was lovely - but that's the best I can do...lol. I wish they'd made it in the 90s with the original leading trio the way they'd intended pre-ALW divorce. I wish Hugh Jackman hadn't turned down playing the Phantom in the film in favour of Van Helsing. His voice might be nasal, but he would have been hella better than Butler. |
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Post by scarpia on Nov 13, 2021 13:53:27 GMT
This is getting ridiculous now. The original production never had this amount of disruption. Ever. It sounds like Cameron's automation doesn't work and the SM n00bs have no idea what they're doing. ...this pained me to read, haha. I didn't like either film but I abhorred the Phantom one. I can't think of a single frame in that thing that I think is decent. The only thing I liked (and yes, I've tried racking my brains for something!) are the wax seals on the notes. That's literally it. Can't think of anything else. Nothing else about the sets, costume, lighting, direction, singing, orchestra, performances worked for me. And part of my strong reaction is because this is supposed to be the thing that immortalises the show; instead, I think it tarnished it. Though admittedly it helped boost sales of the original production on both sides of the pond and extended the run as a result, so there's that, I guess. Oh Scarpia, I have to agree with you. I didn't like Giry hiding child Phantom in the opera house - it erased so much of his individual story from both the source material and the brief exposition after Why So Silent... Working for the Shah of Persia, being an architect, magician, genius, etc. I also don't like the way they made it appear he'd been grooming Christine since her childhood - very squicky factor for me there. Plus Bouquet leering at the dancers through a peephole, but that was in the original script that I read in the 90s. While Patrick Wilson might have had a shot as the Raoul u/s, I don't think that Emmy or Gerard would have made the cut for a touring version of the show. The stage voices in general have always been so much stronger. And I don't understand why the director felt the need to turn Masquerade into Truman Capote's Black and White ball, when the song lyrics mention the swirling colours. I really missed Hal Prince's black box in the Phantom's lair - especially with everything so bright while he's singing the lyrics about the darkness. I also really hated that they took his magic away - the sword fight was a joke. I could go on and on... *facepalm* The only things I liked were the very beginning when the theatre dissolves into its former glory and the little nod to La Belle et la Bête when all the arms were holding the candelabras. The production design was lovely - but that's the best I can do...lol. I wish they'd made it in the 90s with the original leading trio the way they'd intended pre-ALW divorce. I wish Hugh Jackman hadn't turned down playing the Phantom in the film in favour of Van Helsing. His voice might be nasal, but he would have been hella better than Butler. Agree with all of the above. Don't even like the production design either for some of the reasons you mentioned - far too bright and happy instead of gothic and menacing. The setting of the show in a fictional opera house in a year when there already was another opera house in use and the Franco-Prussian war was about to happen was another big no-no for me. Part of the appeal of the story to me was the very particular setting of the story in that opera house - the Palais Garnier. There is no explanation as to why another random (and rather small-looking) opera house would have a lake beneath it, whereas what Gaston Leroux described in his original novel (and Björnson and Prince retained in the stage show) was very much anchored in reality. To be honest I'm rather glad the 90s film didn't happen. I don't think Michael Crawford or Sarah Brightman would have been well served by a director who clearly didn't understand the material, and the memory of their performances might have been tarnished (in the same way as Ben Platt's seems to have been in DEH, albeit for different reasons). |
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4,801 posts
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Post by Mark on Nov 14, 2021 10:44:06 GMT
Finally seeing this again in London today, haven't been to Her Majesty's since 2015, with the last three times I've seen it being in New York on their Thursday Matinees. Couldn't resist the second row dayseat.
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2,859 posts
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Post by couldileaveyou on Nov 25, 2021 16:24:52 GMT
The grande dames are at it again
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7,166 posts
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Post by Jon on Nov 25, 2021 16:26:53 GMT
Not been a good week for ALW, first Cinderella, now Phantom.
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Post by westendboy on Nov 25, 2021 17:59:17 GMT
The grande dames are at it again There seems to be drama afoot! Spicy! |
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Post by inthenose on Nov 25, 2021 18:10:06 GMT
It was clear to me and perhaps those who followed this situation closely that ALW wanted to reopen with a proper orchestra. I always suspected this was purely Cameron Mackintosh's decision, and I imagine ALW was fighting tooth and nail against it. Sadly, ALW as a powerful man (and a public figure) had little say in this one. The show will never be the same again, we all know that - but as a critic of ALW as a producer, I really feel he didn't want this to happen in the West End to his finest work.
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Post by westendboy on Nov 25, 2021 18:10:18 GMT
The grande dames are at it again There seems to be drama afoot! Spicy! But in all seriousness, is CM telling the truth? It is possible that it was both his and ALW's decision, but CM somehow forced his hand? Something along those lines? Or is ALW trying to shift the blame? |
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1,483 posts
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Post by steve10086 on Nov 25, 2021 18:32:18 GMT
If it’s a “cut costs or this show isn’t financially viable” situation then they must have agreed to cut the costs. Otherwise the show would be shut! You can’t go along with it and then complain about it and blame someone else. Otherwise couldn’t he have personally suffered the additional cost needed to maintain the orchestra? Though, with the creatives and investors all dumped, I don’t really understand how it’s losing money all of a sudden.
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Post by h86 on Nov 25, 2021 19:03:06 GMT
Since when is 1200 seats intimate!!!
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7,166 posts
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Post by Jon on Nov 25, 2021 19:03:10 GMT
If it’s a “cut costs or this show isn’t financially viable” situation then they must have agreed to cut the costs. Otherwise the show would be shut! You can’t go along with it and then complain about it and blame someone else. Otherwise couldn’t he have personally suffered the additional cost needed to maintain the orchestra? Though, with the creatives and investors all dumped, I don’t really understand how it’s losing money all of a sudden. Maybe ALW could have sold another theatre to pay for it as he keep threatening to do every time he's interviewed. |
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