Step Inside Broadway's Majestic Theatre

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

via Playbill.com    http://www.playbill.com/article/step-inside-broadways-majestic-theatre

[johannabarker]

Step inside a place where a notorious pedophile (and frankly, a bad actor) has an opportunity to groom other young girls (a huge chunk of them are regulars at the stagedoor and talking about how they want to throw themselves at this monster).

[Phantom4ever]

Or step inside a theater of someone who committed a crime and served his time.

[DottieD'Luscia]

My first time at the Majestic was to see I Remember Mama in August 1979.  I subsequently worked there shortly after Phantom opened in 1988.

[johannabarker]

If a high school teacher molested a student, would they be allowed back in the classroom? This is no different. He used his influence as a third rate Broadway star to molest at least one girl. Now he's in a show with a huge teenage girl following.

He didn't serve nearly enough time, he took a plea deal and he and his scumbag lawyer tried to smear this poor girl's name. 

 

[Phantom4ever]

It is completely different from a high school teacher molesting a student and that is a shockingly ignorant thing for you to say. 

[Elfuhbuh]

What he did was absolutely disgusting, but I would think he knows better than to do it again, if nothing else than to keep his reputation from being tarnished any further and employment with the show intact.

Regardless, I hope he leaves the show soon. He's not that great a Phantom, and I roll my eyes at the prospect of him becoming another "long-runner" with the production. He's been onboard for too long. 

[johannabarker]

Broadway stars have power over their fans, as the Great Comet controversy has proven. He manipulated this girl, promising to introduce her to producers. And then he gets to continue like nothing happened and get an (undeserved, he was probably the worst Phantom I've seen, and I've seen the show 24 times in multiple countries) standing ovation every night.

You know what's ignorant? Thinking sexual predators can face virtually no consequences just because they can sing.

[johannabarker]

Rumors say he's leaving in October along with their Carlotta (who has been confirmed to leaving October 28th). The producers have been complete idiots having a known risk here, but they'd be even dumber to keep him around for the 30th Anniversary in January, where the world's eyes will be on the Majestic. All it takes is for a journalist at Buzzfeed to be assigned to write something quick, google him, and go to the third search result. If he joins the LND tour that will be even worse... may he fade into obscurity like he deserves.

[Robbie2]

johannabarker said: "Rumors say he's leaving in October along with their Carlotta (who has been confirmed to leaving October 28th). The producers have been complete idiots having a known risk here, but they'd be even dumber to keep him around for the 30th Anniversary in January, where the world's eyes will be on the Majestic. All it takes is for a journalist at Buzzfeed to be assigned to write something quick, google him, and go to the third search result. If he joins the LND tour that will be even worse... may he fade into obscurity like he deserves.

 

"chill

 

[David10086]

I had no idea what everyone is talking about but a quick google search and YIKES! Really? He's been in POTO?  

 

[Huss417]

Not saying what he did wasn't wrong but hasn't this been discussed in other threads before or did you join to just rehash it all over again? Why not get it out in one post instead of post after post after post in this one? I thought I was stepping inside the Majestic Theatre to appreciate the theatre itself now I feel like I need to leave with a wet nap and the back door.

[BuddyStarr]

Sounds like type casting, how old is Christine supposed to be?  

Seriously, thanks for the heads up.  This person should have had to register as a sex offender especially because he admitted to it.  People don't change and sexual abusers are not rehabilitated.  I hope the people at the theatre are keeping a sharp eye on this guy.

[johannabarker]

I didn't just join for this, I joined because I wanted to comment on a Les Mis thread.

Christine is NOT supposed to be a teenager. In the original book, she is 20/21 if you do the math (she has finished her conservatory education, Raoul is described as being 21 and they're childhood playmates.) In one translation of the book, they mistranslate "she had the heart of a fifteen year old" to "she was fifteen years old." And of course in the movie, she was played by a sixteen year old actress which is just wrong.

 

[Phantom4ever]

Back on topic, I wish there were more pictures around  of the theater getting ready for Phantom.  The load-ins, the painting, installing the chandelier, etc. 

[jtishere]

Will be visiting the Majestic for my first time soon. Can't wait. I've seen POTO twice on tour but am really excited to see it in its home. 

[OKBroadwayFan]

http://www.playbill.com/article/exclusive-see-how-the-phantom-of-the-opera-set-comes-to-life

 

I too would like to see pictures of the original load in and set construction.

[Lot666]

jtishere said: "Will be visiting the Majestic for my first time soon. Can't wait. I've seen POTO twice on tour but am really excited to see it in its home."

Did you see the original touring version, or the currently touring version that has been "re-imagined" (poorly and unnecessarily, IMHO) by Cameron Mackintosh? If the latter, you're in for a real treat at The Majestic.

[johannabarker]

The current tour is an absolutely travesty... for one thing they claim to use Maria's costumes, and I guess they do, but boy howdy is the execution of them terrible. In several cases they had perfectly nice costumes from the UK where they've physically removed decorations. She's rolling in her grave, such a shame her estate is too cowardly to fight this flagrant disrespect of her Tony Award winning work. The staging is frankly awful (by notorious hack Laurence Connor) and includes things like the Phantom saying "close your eyes" and then taking a 50 Shades of Grey style blindfold out. In Masquerade they're basically wearing dollar store masks and prom dresses. The Phantom and Raoul are incredibly aggressive and violent to the point where you wonder why Christine likes either of them. Christine has no agency and basically sits back when her paramours fight. Not to mention the fact that the current Raoul is a Trump supporter and member of the alt right.

 

But the show at the Majestic has many similar problems with both of the leading men being terrible and one of them being convicted of child molestation.

[ksilver117]

johannabarker said: "The current tour is an absolutely travesty... for one thing they claim to use Maria's costumes, and I guess they do, but boy howdy is the execution of them terrible. In several cases they had perfectly nice costumes from the UK where they've physically removed decorations. She's rolling in her grave, such a shame her estate is too cowardly to fight this flagrant disrespect of her Tony Award winning work. The staging is frankly awful (by notorious hack Laurence Connor) and includes things like the Phantom saying "close your eyes" and then taking a 50 Shades of Grey style blindfold out. In Masquerade they're basically wearing dollar store masks and prom dresses. The Phantom and Raoul are incredibly aggressive and violent to the point where you wonder why Christine likes either of them. Christine has no agency and basically sits back when her paramours fight. Not to mention the fact that the current Raoul is a Trump supporter and member of the alt right.
But the show at the Majestic has many similar problems with both of the leading men being terrible and one of them being convicted of child molestation."

Definitely not a fan of those costumes. They've taken the old tour and the Vegas production's costume stocks and torn them apart or mixed them up with the new designs and it just looks awkward.

 

But also I do have to ask, where did you see/hear anything about Ingram being a Trump supporter/alt right member? I'm not arguing that at all because I don't know him, I just hadn't seen or heard anything suggesting that.

[LizzieCurry]

I heard something about the tour Raoul being one and picking fights with fans, but not Broadway.

[David10086]

30 years at the Majestic - does RUG own that theater, or are they still paying rent each month? 

[johannabarker]

Rodney Ingram is not a Trump supporter (he's actually of Mexican descent). It's Jordan Craig on the tour who is one. He made his Twitter private after the inauguration but he would post vile racist things in between retweeting stage door pictures with fans in hijabs. Guess he needed a safe space.

i wouldn't be surprised if Barbour voted for Trump.

[Lot666]

johannabarker said: "The current tour is an absolutely travesty...In Masquerade they're basically wearing dollar store masks and prom dresses."

I don't agree with a lot of your posts, but you nailed it here.

[Sondheimite]

Wow, the social justice movement is McCarthyism.  

[Islander_fan]

BuddyStarr said: "Sounds like type casting, how old is Christine supposed to be?  

Seriously, thanks for the heads up.  This person should have had to register as a sex offender especially because he admitted to it.  People don't change and sexual abusers are not rehabilitated.  I hope the people at the theatre are keeping a sharp eye on this guy.

Barbour did time in Riker's to avoid being put on the registry. Which, frankly, is a good thing since the sex offenders registry is in dire need of reform and has been in need of that for awhile. If a guy does something stupid like getting caught while pissing on a bush in a park he gets treated the same on the registry as a guy would if he intentionally showed his junk to a small child. One is bad and should be punishable, the other one is minor and just a lack of poor judgment.