Phantom Vegas DVD?

[iNick1224]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 2:32am

Maybe a dumb question but does the Phantom Vegas Spectacular plan to be filmed or has it been filmed?

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 2:40am

No

[The Scorpion]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 3:12am

It would be a great idea though, even though the Vegas production is not my favourite production (not a fan of the cuts). The Hal Prince/Maria Björnson NEEDS to be filmed before it's too late. And no, the 25th anniversary event doesn't count; to me it's nothing like the show.

[westcoast_wannabe]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 5:30am

Agree about the 25th anniversary DVD. It's a close representation and A LOT better than the movie but it still lacks the elegance of the actual show. I don't even mind the chandelier not falling on the DVD it's the fluidity of the stageing and some of the simpler stage pictures that I miss most.

[ChiChi]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 12:33pm

I actually like the 25th. I just view it as a completely different production. I am fortunate to have a VERY nice recording of the London production which cures my craving for the actual, original show when I have one.

I'd love to see the Vegas production.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 12:49pm

ChiChi, this is his catty way of telling you that the show was filmed twice (once the 2004 movie and once the 25th anniversary event), and that you'd have to be satisfied with that.

(Yes, yes, I'm like a commentator parsing political speeches...)

[ChiChi]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 12:51pm

Oh, okay. Well I thought we were discussing the Vegas production and his responses made it sound like that was what he was referring to.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 12:54pm

Nope. Just being his normal self, which I love. But sometimes he does need an interpreter.

[ChiChi]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 12:58pm

He knew what he was doing.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 1:50pm

"It would be a great idea though, even though the Vegas production is not my favourite production (not a fan of the cuts). The Hal Prince/Maria Bjrnson NEEDS to be filmed before it's too late. And no, the 25th anniversary event doesn't count; to me it's nothing like the show."

Word. Like the musical or not, that production, even as modified for Las Vegas is a classic, and to not have it documented is frustrating.

[ChiChi]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 1:55pm

I like to have as many authentic versions of a musical as possible. So I would love for this to be one more. Since Lloyd Webber really seems to enjoy putting his stuff out of DVD.

[Wildcard]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 2:02pm

I would love it if they filmed the Vegas production but just for this DVD, reinstate the cut songs. However, I'd keep the chandelier disaster towards the end so we can also have the facade and fireworks at the end of Act 1. If they do this though, I'd hope they don't use Anthony Crivello. Fly in John Owen Jones for this.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 2:07pm

For myself, I didn't mind, or miss, any of the cuts to Act I in the Vegas production, but I did miss some of Act II, particularly Carlotta and all in the manager's office after "Masquerade" as well as the rehearsal scene that leads into the graveyard.

And I thought the fireworks and facade of the opera house during the shortened entr'acte was a wonderful way to cover that scene change from the rooftop to the staircase for "Masquerade."

And that chandelier, well, needless to say we will probably never see anything like that in any other production for a very long time.

[ChiChi]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 2:17pm

Does it actually fall in the Vegas production, or is it just an explosion?

And they really cut the notes scene after Masquerade. I thought I'd read that nothing but the entr'acte had been cut. I haven't seen it at all, so I really don't know.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 2:21pm

There's certainly much more cut than just the entr'acte.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 2:28pm

Act II really received the lion's share of the cuts, mainly because they made sure to keep the major songs, the majority of which do occur, and make up a good chunk of, Act I, so there was less to cut.

The Act II notes scene is still there in a very truncated form, i.e. no Carlotta, Piangi, or either of the Girys, so it clips along very quickly and then segues directly to the cemetery for "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again."

The entr'acte is still there, though, again, edited down, as it is used to help cover the scene shift from the end of the "All I Ask of You" reprise into "Masquerade."

The chandelier falls, quite dramatically, at the end of "Past the Point of No Return," in the same scenario as Schumacher did for the movie (which was probably the only smart choice he did make for that schlock-fest).

I'm actually a touch surprised that a few of the "enhanced" moments have not been incorporated into the Broadway production, especially some of the moments that would not be incredibly hard to do, such as Buquet's death.

[ChiChi]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 2:33pm

Thanks for the details AEA. Like I said, I haven't seen it and now it looks like I never will. Which is why I would like a DVD, but I am sure that won't happen.

It's interesting to hear you detail all of this, because I was just reading through some articles I had saved where Lloyd Webber was interview about the Vegas run and he certainly was vague regarding what and how much was cut, only saying "I don't suppose anyone will really notice the cuts."

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 2:53pm

My guess is, for the large majority of the people seeing the show, he is right about not missing the cuts. Especially since the majority of what was cut was stuff that was also cut from the cast recording. My guess is that was where the first cuts were made, going through and making the show sound like the cast recording (which does give a pretty complete play through of the show) and then seeing what, if anything, had to be re-inserted, and what further could be cut or truncated into a shorter form.

No matter how judicious you are there are always going to be at least a small handful of people who notice when something is cut. For instance, I noticed the cuts that Arthur made to the last revival of Gypsy while I was sitting there watching the show for the first time. Some didn't notice that those cuts were made until later, a few didn't notice until it was pointed out, and I even know of one person who had no idea/completely forgotten those sections even existed, despite the fact that I know they had seen the show before (i.e. I went with them when we saw the revival with Bernadette).

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 3:02pm

Oh, the chandelier falls at full speed, right into the audience, stopping only about a few feet from my head when I saw it last month.

Just as I thought it was going to smash into me, the lights blacked out.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 3:13pm

And what was just as impressive was that when the lights came back up just a moment later the chandelier had already been lifted pretty much fully out of view (I don't remember if it was completely inside the ceiling or if you could still see a bit of the bottom).

I was in the mezzanine when I saw it and even there I was a bit startled at the speed at which it fell. I'm kind of glad that I was not sitting right under it, I'm sure some people are probably ready to crap themselves when it happens.

[ChiChi]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 3:15pm

That would be awesome!

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 4:13pm

Yes, when e lights came back on, the chandelier was already back it's its original position. And it was dead silent...

[ChiChi]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 4:16pm

So then how quickly would you say that all happens. The putting back together before the lights come up?

[ChiChi]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 4:17pm

So then how quickly would you say that all happens. The putting back together before the lights come up?

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 8/21/12 at 5:27pm

About 10-11 seconds from the blackout to lights coming back up.

Updated On: 8/21/12 at 05:27 PM