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Post by Dawnstar on Oct 14, 2021 12:19:55 GMT
Glad people remember how good Gina Beck was/is. My favourite Cosette too. I regret that I didn't see her as Cosette but the first time I saw her was in Phantom, & that was 6 months before I (finally) saw Les Mis for the first time.
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Post by tom on Oct 14, 2021 16:06:58 GMT
Glad people remember how good Gina Beck was/is. My favourite Cosette too. I regret that I didn't see her as Cosette but the first time I saw her was in Phantom, & that was 6 months before I (finally) saw Les Mis for the first time. Saw Gina in Les Mis, Phantom, Wicked and Matilda and she was excellent in all. I agree with those that say the Gina and Ramin times were golden in terms of Phantom but my favourite Phantom and Christine are still JOJ and Rachel Barrell to this day.
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Post by scarpia on Oct 14, 2021 22:38:16 GMT
Rachel & JOJ were a great pair. Rachel is definitely up there in top Christines. I loved her acting especially in the role with little touches I've not seen anyone else do, and at times I swore she sang that title song cadenza live on top of the pre-rec track.
JOJ in his first run especially was phenomenal. There was one time in the 2010s where (I can't remember why) he was paired with Gina Beck for a night or two because the usuals were out. I can't remember whether they brought Gina in and or brought JOJ in at the last minute. But I'd have loved to be at that performance. Those two are who I think should have done the RAH event. And if they did, they'd just get as much, if not more, adoration from the general public who would then go on message boards proclaiming them to be the best ever.
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Post by anthony on Oct 15, 2021 1:22:44 GMT
Completely agree, never seen this cast bettered and they should have done the Albert Hall show. It was electric. I love JOJ as Valjean but have never taken to his Phantom. Similarly I love Earl Carpenter in Les Mis but not his phantom. See, if you replaced Karimloo with JOJ, that trio would have been total perfection for me. Gina Beck is by far the best Christine the West End has had in recent years (top notch singing AND acting) and she and Simon Bailey had such unbeatable chemistry. The rooftop scene was a treat especially when they were in it. I'm glad the old EPK captures some of their magic. Re resident directors, I don't think Geoff Ferris was particularly bad. The one David Shannon didn't get on with, IIRC, was Laurence bleeding Connor who was obsessed with ruining Music of the Night (and Shannon understandably resisted). Connor got to stage the scene with his weird concept in that ghastly tour, and no-one liked it. Thanks so much to couldileaveyou for the old article - fascinating! Quite controversial, but Karimloo is so overrated. I've always found his voice to be deeply unpleasant, actually. It has a screechy quality to it and just sounds thin and weak. I've never really understood the obsession with him (and at one point, it really was an obsession for many people on social media!)
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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 15, 2021 7:43:27 GMT
See, if you replaced Karimloo with JOJ, that trio would have been total perfection for me. Gina Beck is by far the best Christine the West End has had in recent years (top notch singing AND acting) and she and Simon Bailey had such unbeatable chemistry. The rooftop scene was a treat especially when they were in it. I'm glad the old EPK captures some of their magic. Re resident directors, I don't think Geoff Ferris was particularly bad. The one David Shannon didn't get on with, IIRC, was Laurence bleeding Connor who was obsessed with ruining Music of the Night (and Shannon understandably resisted). Connor got to stage the scene with his weird concept in that ghastly tour, and no-one liked it. Thanks so much to couldileaveyou for the old article - fascinating! Quite controversial, but Karimloo is so overrated. I've always found his voice to be deeply unpleasant, actually. It has a screechy quality to it and just sounds thin and weak. I've never really understood the obsession with him (and at one point, it really was an obsession for many people on social media!) Agreed. He got better now, but he used to sing off key quite a lot
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Post by scarpia on Oct 15, 2021 12:17:20 GMT
Quite controversial, but Karimloo is so overrated. I've always found his voice to be deeply unpleasant, actually. It has a screechy quality to it and just sounds thin and weak. I've never really understood the obsession with him (and at one point, it really was an obsession for many people on social media!) Agreed. He got better now, but he used to sing off key quite a lot Thirded. I know many who feel the same way. I wasn't keen on his Raoul or Phantom, to be honest; partly because of the off-key thing (that was particular bad at the Albert Hall, so I can only assume they autotuned that for the DVD/CD release), partly because of the weird North American sounds that seemed to jar with everyone else, partly because he acted too young, and partly because I just didn't buy his interpretation. I do have to thank him though for a couple of backstage tours at HM's back in the day. I've liked him in other roles; I thought he was a good Enjolras, and he was fine in the Sunset Blvd concert earlier this year. He's no doubt improved over time, and I think back then part of the issue was the lack of any formal training. I think ALW cast him in LND for the Gerard Butler factor (you know what I mean), despite saying later on that they "couldn't get away with a 30-something-year-old Phantom". And then he and Sierra got the RAH prize almost as a consolation for the fact LND bombed. Whoever had done the RAH event would have got instant adoration from everyone just because for many they're the only performers they know in the roles.
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Post by Oliver on Oct 15, 2021 13:59:07 GMT
Agreed. He got better now, but he used to sing off key quite a lot Thirded. I know many who feel the same way. I wasn't keen on his Raoul or Phantom, to be honest; partly because of the off-key thing (that was particular bad at the Albert Hall, so I can only assume they autotuned that for the DVD/CD release), partly because of the weird North American sounds that seemed to jar with everyone else, partly because he acted too young, and partly because I just didn't buy his interpretation. I do have to thank him though for a couple of backstage tours at HM's back in the day. I've liked him in other roles; I thought he was a good Enjolras, and he was fine in the Sunset Blvd concert earlier this year. He's no doubt improved over time, and I think back then part of the issue was the lack of any formal training. I think ALW cast him in LND for the Gerard Butler factor (you know what I mean), despite saying later on that they "couldn't get away with a 30-something-year-old Phantom". And then he and Sierra got the RAH prize almost as a consolation for the fact LND bombed. Whoever had done the RAH event would have got instant adoration from everyone just because for many they're the only performers they know in the roles. How do you rate his performance on the 25th anniversary RAH DVD? He does seem to be off key at times here, too, but weirdly gets away with it. I guess there are strengths to his singing which compensate in the overall performance. I thought Sierra was wonderful as Christine even though she goes a little OTT in 'Wishing' and sharp. She's so much better than SB, though, never understood what people like about her. I guess it's just that she originated the role.
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Post by carmella1 on Oct 15, 2021 16:20:06 GMT
Those 2 dvds made his career.
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Post by Dawnstar on Oct 15, 2021 19:34:46 GMT
Thirded. I know many who feel the same way. I wasn't keen on his Raoul or Phantom, to be honest; partly because of the off-key thing (that was particular bad at the Albert Hall, so I can only assume they autotuned that for the DVD/CD release), partly because of the weird North American sounds that seemed to jar with everyone else, partly because he acted too young, and partly because I just didn't buy his interpretation. I do have to thank him though for a couple of backstage tours at HM's back in the day.
I'm being nosy here but how did you manage to get backstage tours from an actor you weren't even that keen on?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2021 21:15:30 GMT
I'm guessing not telling him what you really think lol
I like Ramins voice, but for me it was his acting that got me. He is the only phantom I've seen where I've been moved and felt sympathy for the character. He wasn't just a 2d villain
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Post by scarpia on Oct 15, 2021 22:13:55 GMT
Thirded. I know many who feel the same way. I wasn't keen on his Raoul or Phantom, to be honest; partly because of the off-key thing (that was particular bad at the Albert Hall, so I can only assume they autotuned that for the DVD/CD release), partly because of the weird North American sounds that seemed to jar with everyone else, partly because he acted too young, and partly because I just didn't buy his interpretation. I do have to thank him though for a couple of backstage tours at HM's back in the day. I've liked him in other roles; I thought he was a good Enjolras, and he was fine in the Sunset Blvd concert earlier this year. He's no doubt improved over time, and I think back then part of the issue was the lack of any formal training. I think ALW cast him in LND for the Gerard Butler factor (you know what I mean), despite saying later on that they "couldn't get away with a 30-something-year-old Phantom". And then he and Sierra got the RAH prize almost as a consolation for the fact LND bombed. Whoever had done the RAH event would have got instant adoration from everyone just because for many they're the only performers they know in the roles. How do you rate his performance on the 25th anniversary RAH DVD? He does seem to be off key at times here, too, but weirdly gets away with it. I'll be honest and say I've never bothered to watch it, though I own it. Once live was enough for me as far as that production was concerned. I'm also still miffed that Cameron Mackintosh decided that the thing to film was this strange and sometimes lifeless staging (due to the venue constraints) rather than the actual production, which looks so much better on film than the pixelated LED screens at the RAH...just look at how much better the 2008 London EPK looks! But from what I heard on the RAH CD, it seems the bits I remember being him off-pitch have been mostly corrected, though you can still hear him doing really weird breathing at inappropriate places (see 'Down Once More'). Pretty much! Separately, here's what the set at the Majestic looks like right now...so much classier and elegant. I am filled with jealousy that New York gets the real deal.
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Post by dazzlair on Oct 15, 2021 23:19:20 GMT
I'm guessing not telling him what you really think lol I like Ramins voice, but for me it was his acting that got me. He is the only phantom I've seen where I've been moved and felt sympathy for the character. He wasn't just a 2d villain I second that. A believable multi-dimensional villain instead of a pantomime one. Dave Willets was great too.
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Post by dan28 on Oct 16, 2021 10:26:10 GMT
I totally agree with what has been said about Karimloo here. I am actually surprised that he passed the auditions for these roles at all. I don't know any other performer who "sings" so off-key as Karimloo does. There are whole songs where literally not 1 note is on key. Not 1.
The sounds he makes are also not singing, but clamoring, mooing. He bellows notes above the actual note. Which creates a completely new score. For example, in Phantom where Christine takes off Phantom's mask, there is this scene where the Phantom sings "secretly, secretly" twice. Which is all supposed to be on the same note, and very seductive and intense, JOJ does this wonderfully with an intense conviction and his vocals sound silky and almost hypnotic there. What Karimloo does there has nothing to do with the score or the show, he bellows these words hysterically and every syllable gets higher because of the hysterics and inability to sing on key, and then the 2nd "secretly", it gets even higher, resulting in a mess of 6 different notes.
The Enjolras scenes of the 25th anniversary are truly laughable to me, not trying to be rude here, but the howling is so over the top that it passes by all the believability or sincerity of the show. I also have the actual recording of the Phantom 25th at Royal albert hall, the one that was live streamed in cinema's, before the editing. That recording is truly horrific. Nearly not 1 of his notes in the show is on key. Only the pre-recorded title song. They did an extreme amount of auto-tuning for the dvd release, it really doesn't sound like the actual recording anymore, and yet, even on the dvd version there is still so much off key that I still find it unwatchable. But at least I can recognize the songs a little more on the dvd.
It seems like he doesn't have control over his voice and it always goes above the note. In some rare occasions, when he has to do a long, loud, straight howl at the end of a song, it happens to be on key here and there. But that has nothing to do with singing.
I feel like he should start over, take lessons and learn to sing from a more relaxed starting point. I really wonder what would happen if he learns that a more relaxed, silky sound has much more effect than what he does now. What I consider to be singing, beauty and effective emotions in singing is literally the opposite of what he does.
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42ndBlvd
Ensemble
come and meet those dancing feet!
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Post by 42ndBlvd on Oct 16, 2021 22:06:32 GMT
How do you rate his performance on the 25th anniversary RAH DVD? He does seem to be off key at times here, too, but weirdly gets away with it. I'll be honest and say I've never bothered to watch it, though I own it. Once live was enough for me as far as that production was concerned. I'm also still miffed that Cameron Mackintosh decided that the thing to film was this strange and sometimes lifeless staging (due to the venue constraints) rather than the actual production, which looks so much better on film than the pixelated LED screens at the RAH...just look at how much better the 2008 London EPK looks! But from what I heard on the RAH CD, it seems the bits I remember being him off-pitch have been mostly corrected, though you can still hear him doing really weird breathing at inappropriate places (see 'Down Once More'). Pretty much! Separately, here's what the set at the Majestic looks like right now...so much classier and elegant. I am filled with jealousy that New York gets the real deal. Looks like the floor has had some work done. Looks a lot shiner and clean than usual.
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Post by 141920grm on Oct 17, 2021 7:36:51 GMT
Looks like the floor has had some work done. Looks a lot shiner and clean than usual. It's practically reflective isn't it? I'm a fan. After all, that *is* the usual, accepted, non-drastic method of reviving a tired-looking but much-beloved long-running show. Swooning at every single set pic coming out Broadway tech rehearsals right now- looks gorgeous without even trying
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Post by distantcousin on Oct 17, 2021 9:37:31 GMT
Been to Phantom since 1989 and the cast that made the biggest and deepest impression on me was the Ramin Karimloo/Gina Beck/Simon Bailey trio. Real hold-your-breath moments during The Final Lair, real tears from Gina, believable emotions - everything lacking in the current cast, alas. Completely agree, never seen this cast bettered and they should have done the Albert Hall show. It was electric. I love JOJ as Valjean but have never taken to his Phantom. Similarly I love Earl Carpenter in Les Mis but not his phantom. I'm so glad I got to see that trio in 2009!
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Post by anthony40 on Oct 17, 2021 16:55:15 GMT
O.M.G.! I just found out that someone that I know- a friend of a friend- is in this current production as a swing and Piangi cover.
I (genuinely) had no idea.
Despite how many years that I have been going to see live theatre- both here and in Australia- I have never actually known anyone to appear in a live professional stage show.
I've known someone who's played in the orchestra, but never on stage.
I am well impressed!
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Post by TheWanderer on Oct 17, 2021 21:06:50 GMT
Visited yesterday for the matinee. My 2nd attempt at seeing the show..my 1st attempt being the performance that was cancelled due to the medical incident a few weeks back. I was desperate to see it the whole way through but left feeling underwhelmed. There was a show stop in the 2nd act (unforeseen circumstances) but resumed less than 10 minutes later. I suppose I have nothing else to compare the vocals to, so enjoyed the talent. I just can’t help but feel like the Phantom’s little gun ‘thing’ leaves much to be desired. It really kills the atmosphere.
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Post by max on Oct 17, 2021 21:28:03 GMT
It really is a show where a show stop will kill the atmosphere.
Notwithstanding some understandable/sensible jitters after a recent onstage incident, I have to ask:
How's the new set working out, since they threw out the old set that had been causing all those annoying smooth-running shows for 30 plus years, in favour of this 'better than ever' state of the art one that'll be giving Mischief Theatre ideas....
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Post by scarpia on Oct 17, 2021 21:50:14 GMT
We seem to hear of another show-stop virtually every single week. Is this because they're replaced all the experienced stagehands with young newbies, or because the new set actually doesn't work very well, or both? So much for making this 'for the 21st century'. I don't think the original had this frequency of stops at any point in its run (though hard to say, of course, given social media/the Internet wasn't a thing back in the early days...).
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Post by 141920grm on Oct 20, 2021 8:14:14 GMT
I literally saw it 10+ times from Sept-Dec 2019 (and a few more times just before Covid closed it)... never had a show stop- apart from a long interval at the anniversary show for Adam to get into makeup/costume stepping in for Josh, plus a little issue with the throne one show where Scott just had to sit very still under his cloak and tell Meg to hold the veil to the spotlight instead- both more human “errors” than technical, and didn’t interrupt the flow of the show at all- the quirks of live theatre!
Actual show stops between scenes like what’s apparently happening regularly now sound annoying though.
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Post by og on Oct 20, 2021 12:07:24 GMT
All these show stops. Are they part of the new 'blurring the boundry' between stage and audience? He's here The Phantom of the Opera. Haunting the backstage. Causing injuries to cast. Forcing the set to malfunction. He's with us it's the ghost. Immersive. Very 21st century.
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Post by scarpia on Oct 20, 2021 12:30:33 GMT
All these show stops. Are they part of the new 'blurring the boundry' between stage and audience? He's here The Phantom of the Opera. Haunting the backstage. Causing injuries to cast. Forcing the set to malfunction. He's with us it's the ghost. Immersive. Very 21st century. Don't forget the tight-fisted double act of managers. "We're ruined Andrew, ruined!".
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Post by anthony on Oct 21, 2021 1:24:50 GMT
The Helsinki non-replica production looks horrific. A trailer is here at the bottom of the page: oopperabaletti.fi/en/repertoire-and-tickets/the-phantom-of-the-opera/Looks like a dreadful amateur production. Anyone lucky enough to be seeing this mess?! Some of the officially released pictures aren't even in focus! Why is Christine wearing bondage gear during PONR?! How is this an official production?!
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Post by sukhavati on Oct 21, 2021 4:22:01 GMT
I notice on social media RUG is now falsely claiming the West End production is 35 years old, despite the poster outside the theatre and the programme stating that its first performance was this year on 27 July. Typical. Well hey - the BBC was promoting Doctor Who's 50th anniversary in 2013, even though between 1989 and 2005 the show was off the air, although there was a single television movie with Paul McGann in 1996. If the Beeb can't count, why should RUG be able to do so? It's kind of up there with celebrating Mozart's 250th birthday even though he didn't see 40...
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Post by sukhavati on Oct 21, 2021 4:55:27 GMT
Who saw Crawford and Brightman and what were they like? Also any anecdotes about Crawford being a complete diva such as summoning other cast members to his dressing room and giving them notes are always welcome 😀 I saw Crawford in the role, although there was an understudy playing Christine (not even the alternate). I knew him for a time in the 90s, and the stories about him being a bit difficult are true. As long as people defer to him and acknowledge what he feels is his due, he's lovely, but you don't want to deal with him when he's tired and cross. Or if he feels that others aren't working as hard as him. Having said that, he's willing to break his neck for a role if it means that it makes the theatrical moment that much more magical.
As far as his acting, he went for pathos as the Phantom, which left half the audience an emotional mess. He could switch from strong and confident to fearful and pathetic in a split second and take the audience with him. He moved with a certain panther-like grace, and every single bit of stage business, every gesture was carefully worked out and duplicated unless something went wrong. One night I was there, for example, the boat didn't want to go, the trap doors weren't opening correctly, and the chandelier didn't want to drop. The show ended up running about 30 minutes longer due to the tech problems, but as he told me later, the audience were very nice about the problems. By the time I saw him, his voice had developed a LOT, and it wasn't as reed thin as it is on the OLC album. But he'd also gotten into this thing where he wanted reverb in some places, so that was interesting. He was a damn powerful performer. If you saw him in his prime, he was an absolute beast, and although he had moments where his Christines got thrown around, he wasn't quite as physical as I've seen in the past ten years. He had the kind of charisma that could hold the entire audience in rapt attention. You could have heard a pin drop in some of the silent spaces of "Music of the Night." I asked him once how he did what he did - being able to hold an audience so spellbound, and radiating the character and emotion to the back row of the top tier, and he couldn't explain it. He said he just did what he did. He was incredibly graceful, he absolutely communicated the emotion of the moment to the audience, he could have the hair standing on the back of your neck at times, but then you'd be weeping your eyes out along with him in the final lair.
I wish there were photos or video of what he used to do at the end of the first act. On the "he was bound to love you" line in the angel, he came up from this sort of defeated, hunched posture and did this body wave (ask a dancer) where he would finish moving the entire torso by grinding his pelvis into the angel. It was extremely sexual. Then in the line, "you will curse the day you did not do/all that the Phantom asked of you" he did this crazy physical business that I haven't seen anyone else do and the show is more boring for it. During "you will curse..." he had his hands spread wide over the top of the sculpture supporting himself as he slightly leaned out. Then when he spat out "Phantom" he spread out the sides of his cape - so it was the full semi circle - and at the same time he would lean even further out. I know they had him belted into a harness so he couldn't take a tumble out of the angel, but it looked as if he could fall into the audience. Very much in horror-movie character. He'd then drop one side of the cloak and let that hand down, and with the other arm, reach up and hold his arm straight up as the angel ascended to the gods holding out the note for "you." It was absolutely amazing to watch. Then the maniacal laughter that went on and on and on even after the blackout. Oh - another thing he did that was very sexual was during Point of No Return. While Christine was singing her part, he sat on the bench and started fondling himself, for lack of a better term. He worked up his hands over his chest and started circling what I presume were his nipples. Eventually, the hands made their way back down and he started rubbing his thighs, which I have seen other actors do. However, MC rubbed them high enough in such a way that it appeared he was masturbating before Christine came up behind him. And then with the physical interplay between the Phantom and Christine, he pretty much continued doing what I've seen in the old video with Sarah. I was told that Hal Prince told him to knock the fondling off multiple times, and he just kept doing it - although I know at the talk he did at the V&A, it was the same "I don't know why I did that" answer he gave me years ago.
I wish there were a way of seeing his Phantom performances in his prime. As much as he could be a pain at times to certain folks in the crew, he was absolutely astonishing live. Karimloo has nothing on him, I don't care what the fan girls believe. And he is the one who set the template making this ugly, middle aged recluse who was grasping at straws for his last chance at companionship absolutely believable as a sensual, romantic, and ultimately tragic Byronic figure. He really was the toast of the town back then - everyone wanted to meet him, everyone wanted to see him, everyone wanted to be associated with him. I mean, the Ken Russell video of "Music of the Night" gives you a taste, but the closeups kind of ruin it - you need the distance of the theatrical space, as well as the shared emotion of the moment between performers and audience. He was absolutely magical onstage - it was a special kind of alchemy that we won't seen repeated anytime soon. I'm sorry for those who didn't get to experience Crawford in his prime as the Phantom.
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Post by singingbird on Oct 21, 2021 7:05:10 GMT
Who saw Crawford and Brightman and what were they like? Also any anecdotes about Crawford being a complete diva such as summoning other cast members to his dressing room and giving them notes are always welcome 😀 I saw Crawford in the role, although there was an understudy playing Christine (not even the alternate). I knew him for a time in the 90s, and the stories about him being a bit difficult are true. As long as people defer to him and acknowledge what he feels is his due, he's lovely, but you don't want to deal with him when he's tired and cross. Or if he feels that others aren't working as hard as him. Having said that, he's willing to break his neck for a role if it means that it makes the theatrical moment that much more magical.
As far as his acting, he went for pathos as the Phantom, which left half the audience an emotional mess. He could switch from strong and confident to fearful and pathetic in a split second and take the audience with him. He moved with a certain panther-like grace, and every single bit of stage business, every gesture was carefully worked out and duplicated unless something went wrong. One night I was there, for example, the boat didn't want to go, the trap doors weren't opening correctly, and the chandelier didn't want to drop. The show ended up running about 30 minutes longer due to the tech problems, but as he told me later, the audience were very nice about the problems. By the time I saw him, his voice had developed a LOT, and it wasn't as reed thin as it is on the OLC album. But he'd also gotten into this thing where he wanted reverb in some places, so that was interesting. He was a damn powerful performer. If you saw him in his prime, he was an absolute beast, and although he had moments where his Christines got thrown around, he wasn't quite as physical as I've seen in the past ten years. He had the kind of charisma that could hold the entire audience in rapt attention. You could have heard a pin drop in some of the silent spaces of "Music of the Night." I asked him once how he did what he did - being able to hold an audience so spellbound, and radiating the character and emotion to the back row of the top tier, and he couldn't explain it. He said he just did what he did. He was incredibly graceful, he absolutely communicated the emotion of the moment to the audience, he could have the hair standing on the back of your neck at times, but then you'd be weeping your eyes out along with him in the final lair.
I wish there were photos or video of what he used to do at the end of the first act. On the "he was bound to love you" line in the angel, he came up from this sort of defeated, hunched posture and did this body wave (ask a dancer) where he would finish moving the entire torso by grinding his pelvis into the angel. It was extremely sexual. Then in the line, "you will curse the day you did not do/all that the Phantom asked of you" he did this crazy physical business that I haven't seen anyone else do and the show is more boring for it. During "you will curse..." he had his hands spread wide over the top of the sculpture supporting himself as he slightly leaned out. Then when he spat out "Phantom" he spread out the sides of his cape - so it was the full semi circle - and at the same time he would lean even further out. I know they had him belted into a harness so he couldn't take a tumble out of the angel, but it looked as if he could fall into the audience. Very much in horror-movie character. He'd then drop one side of the cloak and let that hand down, and with the other arm, reach up and hold his arm straight up as the angel ascended to the gods holding out the note for "you." It was absolutely amazing to watch. Then the maniacal laughter that went on and on and on even after the blackout. Oh - another thing he did that was very sexual was during Point of No Return. While Christine was singing her part, he sat on the bench and started fondling himself, for lack of a better term. He worked up his hands over his chest and started circling what I presume were his nipples. Eventually, the hands made their way back down and he started rubbing his thighs, which I have seen other actors do. However, MC rubbed them high enough in such a way that it appeared he was masturbating before Christine came up behind him. And then with the physical interplay between the Phantom and Christine, he pretty much continued doing what I've seen in the old video with Sarah. I was told that Hal Prince told him to knock the fondling off multiple times, and he just kept doing it - although I know at the talk he did at the V&A, it was the same "I don't know why I did that" answer he gave me years ago.
I wish there were a way of seeing his Phantom performances in his prime. As much as he could be a pain at times to certain folks in the crew, he was absolutely astonishing live. Karimloo has nothing on him, I don't care what the fan girls believe. And he is the one who set the template making this ugly, middle aged recluse who was grasping at straws for his last chance at companionship absolutely believable as a sensual, romantic, and ultimately tragic Byronic figure. He really was the toast of the town back then - everyone wanted to meet him, everyone wanted to see him, everyone wanted to be associated with him. I mean, the Ken Russell video of "Music of the Night" gives you a taste, but the closeups kind of ruin it - you need the distance of the theatrical space, as well as the shared emotion of the moment between performers and audience. He was absolutely magical onstage - it was a special kind of alchemy that we won't seen repeated anytime soon. I'm sorry for those who didn't get to experience Crawford in his prime as the Phantom.
Incredible post. Thank you.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2021 8:52:30 GMT
The Helsinki non-replica production looks horrific. A trailer is here at the bottom of the page: oopperabaletti.fi/en/repertoire-and-tickets/the-phantom-of-the-opera/Looks like a dreadful amateur production. Anyone lucky enough to be seeing this mess?! Some of the officially released pictures aren't even in focus! Why is Christine wearing bondage gear during PONR?! How is this an official production?! I dont think it looks horrific tbh. For a limited run production its got some interesting ideas. The main thing I like is how dark it looks in tone, compared to the slightly disneyfied London production I like this is keeping to the original stories darker roots. Plus in a way I'd rather someone try something radical than a watered down version of the original.
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Post by cezbear on Oct 21, 2021 9:06:50 GMT
Who saw Crawford and Brightman and what were they like? Also any anecdotes about Crawford being a complete diva such as summoning other cast members to his dressing room and giving them notes are always welcome 😀 I saw Crawford in the role, although there was an understudy playing Christine (not even the alternate). I knew him for a time in the 90s, and the stories about him being a bit difficult are true. As long as people defer to him and acknowledge what he feels is his due, he's lovely, but you don't want to deal with him when he's tired and cross. Or if he feels that others aren't working as hard as him. Having said that, he's willing to break his neck for a role if it means that it makes the theatrical moment that much more magical.
As far as his acting, he went for pathos as the Phantom, which left half the audience an emotional mess. He could switch from strong and confident to fearful and pathetic in a split second and take the audience with him. He moved with a certain panther-like grace, and every single bit of stage business, every gesture was carefully worked out and duplicated unless something went wrong. One night I was there, for example, the boat didn't want to go, the trap doors weren't opening correctly, and the chandelier didn't want to drop. The show ended up running about 30 minutes longer due to the tech problems, but as he told me later, the audience were very nice about the problems. By the time I saw him, his voice had developed a LOT, and it wasn't as reed thin as it is on the OLC album. But he'd also gotten into this thing where he wanted reverb in some places, so that was interesting. He was a damn powerful performer. If you saw him in his prime, he was an absolute beast, and although he had moments where his Christines got thrown around, he wasn't quite as physical as I've seen in the past ten years. He had the kind of charisma that could hold the entire audience in rapt attention. You could have heard a pin drop in some of the silent spaces of "Music of the Night." I asked him once how he did what he did - being able to hold an audience so spellbound, and radiating the character and emotion to the back row of the top tier, and he couldn't explain it. He said he just did what he did. He was incredibly graceful, he absolutely communicated the emotion of the moment to the audience, he could have the hair standing on the back of your neck at times, but then you'd be weeping your eyes out along with him in the final lair.
I wish there were photos or video of what he used to do at the end of the first act. On the "he was bound to love you" line in the angel, he came up from this sort of defeated, hunched posture and did this body wave (ask a dancer) where he would finish moving the entire torso by grinding his pelvis into the angel. It was extremely sexual. Then in the line, "you will curse the day you did not do/all that the Phantom asked of you" he did this crazy physical business that I haven't seen anyone else do and the show is more boring for it. During "you will curse..." he had his hands spread wide over the top of the sculpture supporting himself as he slightly leaned out. Then when he spat out "Phantom" he spread out the sides of his cape - so it was the full semi circle - and at the same time he would lean even further out. I know they had him belted into a harness so he couldn't take a tumble out of the angel, but it looked as if he could fall into the audience. Very much in horror-movie character. He'd then drop one side of the cloak and let that hand down, and with the other arm, reach up and hold his arm straight up as the angel ascended to the gods holding out the note for "you." It was absolutely amazing to watch. Then the maniacal laughter that went on and on and on even after the blackout. Oh - another thing he did that was very sexual was during Point of No Return. While Christine was singing her part, he sat on the bench and started fondling himself, for lack of a better term. He worked up his hands over his chest and started circling what I presume were his nipples. Eventually, the hands made their way back down and he started rubbing his thighs, which I have seen other actors do. However, MC rubbed them high enough in such a way that it appeared he was masturbating before Christine came up behind him. And then with the physical interplay between the Phantom and Christine, he pretty much continued doing what I've seen in the old video with Sarah. I was told that Hal Prince told him to knock the fondling off multiple times, and he just kept doing it - although I know at the talk he did at the V&A, it was the same "I don't know why I did that" answer he gave me years ago.
I wish there were a way of seeing his Phantom performances in his prime. As much as he could be a pain at times to certain folks in the crew, he was absolutely astonishing live. Karimloo has nothing on him, I don't care what the fan girls believe. And he is the one who set the template making this ugly, middle aged recluse who was grasping at straws for his last chance at companionship absolutely believable as a sensual, romantic, and ultimately tragic Byronic figure. He really was the toast of the town back then - everyone wanted to meet him, everyone wanted to see him, everyone wanted to be associated with him. I mean, the Ken Russell video of "Music of the Night" gives you a taste, but the closeups kind of ruin it - you need the distance of the theatrical space, as well as the shared emotion of the moment between performers and audience. He was absolutely magical onstage - it was a special kind of alchemy that we won't seen repeated anytime soon. I'm sorry for those who didn't get to experience Crawford in his prime as the Phantom.
Thanks for this, I would have given anything to see Crawford in the role.
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197 posts
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Post by Peter on Oct 21, 2021 19:29:22 GMT
I notice on social media RUG is now falsely claiming the West End production is 35 years old, despite the poster outside the theatre and the programme stating that its first performance was this year on 27 July. Typical. Well hey - the BBC was promoting Doctor Who's 50th anniversary in 2013, even though between 1989 and 2005 the show was off the air, although there was a single television movie with Paul McGann in 1996. If the Beeb can't count, why should RUG be able to do so? It's kind of up there with celebrating Mozart's 250th birthday even though he didn't see 40... To be fair there was still a deluge of original officially licensed stories during that time, so the narrative continued - just not on telly! The problem with Phantom is that it in uncharted waters - is it actually reasonable to expect a long running show to have changes to its physical production during it’s run? Lots of others have had massive changes to the actual script and score and still claimed to be continuously running (the many endings of Miss Saigon, We Will Rock You, Starlight Express etc). At what point do we call ‘Triggers Broom’?
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