Phantom Tour Improvements

[AHLiebross]

Posted: 6/10/17 at 12:21pm

I originally posted this in the thread on decline in quality, but it seems to have killed the thread. Since I really do hope to get some information from the numerous experts on this Board, I thought I would give the post its own thread.

A few days ago, I saw the touring version of Phantom in Las Vegas. Not only was I blown away (in a positive sense) by Derrick Davis's performance, but I noticed that there have been major changes in the staging of the touring version since I last saw it at the Segerstrom Center in Costa Mesa. These changes, in my opinion, vastly improve the show, to the point that it is now every bit as wonderful as the original.

I am about to review the touring version of POTO for my Palm Springs area Broadway World readers. I realized that I should write about these massive changes because many people have read reviews saying that the touring version is darker than the original and that it isn't quite as good. Does anyone on this board know:

1) What (or who) triggered these major changes?

2) Is there a list available of all or most of them?

3) When did the changes take place?

Thanks for any help members of this board can give. 

Audrey Liebross (Phantom maniac)

[RippedMan]

Posted: 6/10/17 at 1:14pm

What are the changes? 

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 6/10/17 at 1:30pm

I am all interested in hearing about the changes. When i saw this new tour a couple years ago in Chicago it was a solid production, but it definitely paled in comparison to the original. There were some serious blocking issues and some of the costume redesigns were downright bad. I hope these are amongst the changes made.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 6/10/17 at 1:42pm

Have they finally gone back to the original Phantom mask and wig design? This whole "young and sexy" Phantom thing with the smaller mask and the wavy hair is so friggin stupid.

[AHLiebross]

Posted: 6/10/17 at 3:21pm

Regarding the changes, they're still using the silly wigs, including the side-parted Phantom's wig, but the costumes seem different from before, although they're definitely not the original designs. I think the Phantom is wearing the traditional mask, although he might have been doing so before. The main changes are in the staging and stage business.

During the overture, if I recall correctly, in the old version of the tour, there were people rushing back and forth with ladders and other equipment to show the backstage goings on. Now,while Raoul stands in the middle of the stage, reminiscing, Madame Giry conducts a dance rehearsal. Also, the chandelier did not rise previously during the tour's overture. Instead, it sparked, but it stayed pretty much where it was until it crashed. Now, it rises from its place over the audience. The chandelier's effects are quite spectacular. Also, when the chandelier falls, it used to spew streamers. Now, it throws out plastic pieces that look like glass shards. The people sitting nearby gathered them off the floor and kept them as souvenirs.

One of the things I liked least about the earlier touring version was that Christine actually threatened to jump off the roof, and Raoul grabbed her to stop her, during the AIAOY scene. Now, Raoul goes looking to see if someone (the Phantom) is hiding behind the statues, and Christine gets too close to the edge. I was watching Raoul, so I didn't see if Christine deliberately approached the edge, but it's at least ambiguous, and no longer a definite suicide plan. Now, Raoul shouts, "Christine" and she falls back and collapses.

Another major change is that the Phantom is back to appearing and disappearing without warning. Just before he killed Buquet, he previously pretended to do some kind of backstage work next to Buquet, and then turned and killed him. Now, another character does the backstage work, and then goes offstage. We know it's NOT the Phantom because we see him upstairs at the same time. Then, he disappears and pops onstage immediately to hang Buquet.

Previously, the Phantom was into throwing punches. That has been dramatically scaled back. He also no longer shoves Christine around, although he pulls her roughly into the lair from the boat at the beginning of the Final Lair sequence. One thing I HATED about the previous tour is that the Phantom shoved Christine onto the bed while Raoul was dangling nearby. The Phantom may be lots of bad things, but a rapist isn't one of them. Now, she goes over to Raoul to try to free him, fixing another plot hole that had him nowhere near the Phantom, with Christine near Raoul, and yet, she did nothing to help Raoul. As she's trying to help Raoul, the Phantom grabs her and pulls her away and she falls onto the bed -- a significant difference.

One of the nicest changes is that Derrick Davis sings MOTN, and doesn't "speak-sing" it, Henry Higgins style, which is what Chris Mann did. Why hire a performer who is primarily a singer, and then ruin his main number by not letting him loose? Derrick Davis, who does a fabulous acting job in the role, also has a heckuva voice, with a large vocal range. When he sang MOTN, the audience sat mesmerized, and burst into applause and cheers when he finished.  BTW, I saw the Christine alternate, Kaitlyn Davis, apparently no relation to Derrick. She is terrific, too, giving Katie Travis, the main Christine, a run for her money. Since Katie Travis is up there with the best Christines, and surpasses at least one who has gotten fame out of the role (IMO, of course), it's saying a lot that Kaitlyn Davis is up there with Katie Travis. The new Raoul, Jordan Craig, is fabulous, as are former Christine Trista Moldovan as Carlotta. Phumzile Sojola, as Piangi, has an excellent voice and does not play Piangi as a total buffoon, the way his predecessor did. I once got to meet Christian Sebek, whom I think of as THE Piangi. He told me that he believes Piangi tries to be a dignified man. The tour Piangi was previously anything but.

There are other changes, too. That's why I'm curious whether this was a total rewrite of the on-stage action, or whether it developed bit by bit.

Audrey

[Lot666]

Posted: 6/10/17 at 4:14pm

The Distinctive Baritone said: "Have they finally gone back to the original Phantom mask and wig design? This whole "young and sexy" Phantom thing with the smaller mask and the wavy hair is so friggin stupid."

^ This.

I was disappointed in a number of things about the "re-imagined" production, but this was by far the most egregious. In casting the show, they decided to have a hideously disfigured, middle-aged character with an other-worldly voice played by a young, pretty pop star with a pop star voice. It was utterly ridiculous. Please tell me that the powers-that-be have come to their senses.

[Lot666]

Posted: 6/10/17 at 4:22pm

AHLiebross said: "One of the nicest changes is that Derrick Davis sings MOTN, and doesn't "speak-sing" it, Henry Higgins style, which is what Chris Mann did. Why hire a performer who is primarily a singer, and then ruin his main number by not letting him loose? Derrick Davis, who does a fabulous acting job in the role, also has a heckuva voice, with a large vocal range. When he sang MOTN, the audience sat mesmerized, and burst into applause and cheers when he finished."

I thought Chris Mann was easily the worst - and most ridiculous - Phantom I'd ever seen/heard. He had nowhere near the vocal power or range to sing this role and he looked and sounded like a 15 year old boy jumping around the stage.

I'm not familiar with Derrick Davis; do you know what his background is, i.e., is he also a pop singer, or does he come from the musical theatre world?

Updated On: 6/11/17 at 04:22 PM

[cknick]

Posted: 6/10/17 at 5:32pm

I have not seen the tour "live" (thanks internet) but I find it kind of sad that something that works so perfectly as an entire unit was tampered with in any way.  Other shows like Les Mis and Miss Saigon don't rely as heavily on their set designs/staging, so a remount works.  Gilliane Lynne's brilliant staging, Hal Prince's direction, and Maria Bjornson's minimal but elegant design worked wonders for what would otherwise be a camp melodrama.  Not to mention it sucked the audience in by requiring them to fill in the blanks for themselves and emotionally invest in show.   

Thank goodness the original production is still running in NYC and London.  I think it is a wonderful piece of theatre and I'm glad it's still around for people to experience. 

[AHLiebross]

Posted: 6/10/17 at 6:19pm

Lot666, the powers-that-be have used their brains in casting Derrick Davis. He is younger than most Phantoms, but he has major Broadway credentials (e.g., Mufasa and Scar, in TLK). Here are some links:

https://www.broadwayworld.com/national-tours/article/BWW-Interview-Derrick-Davis-as-Phantom-in-THE-PHANTOM-OF-THE-OPERA-on-Tour-20170417

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McN0-wWBdh4

(He's actually better in person than in this YouTube video).

Audrey

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 6/10/17 at 7:42pm

That really doesn't sound all that different. I saw the tour early in its run.Even then the chandelier still went up a bit and it also exploded plastic rather than streamers. I didn't see Julia Undine, but I did see her alternate, and she certainly didn't threaten to jump, but she also got close to the edge and Raul pulled her back. Cooper Grodin as The Phantom sang MOTN beautifully- no speak singing there. Perhaps some of those changes you saw reflect changes in the cast and their acting choices rather than official changes to the production as a whole.

[AHLiebross]

Posted: 6/11/17 at 12:53am

JimmyCurry01, Raoul does not pull Christine back now. He calls to her from upstage, where he is searching for the echo, which, of course is no echo at all, but really the Phantom.

Lot666, you say that "Chris Mann was easily the worst - and most ridiculous - Phantom [you'd] ever seen/heard." For me, he's only the second worst. The dubious honor of worst has to go to Peter Joback, whom I saw only in the final, post-show number at the Broadway 25th anniversary. That was enough to convince me that he wasn't a good choice for the role. Next in line is Hugh Panaro, who lacked energy by the time I saw him on Broadway. I saw him play the role four times, and the only time he really shone was in the 25th anniversary show, where he seemed to have gotten his mojo back, at least for that performance. I wasn't too enamored of Tony Crivello (from the 95-minute Las Vegas Spectacular). I saw Ramin Karimloo in the London 25th anniversary video, and I didn't much like his acting performance. As a result, I didn't expect much when I saw him live in Les Mis a few years later, but he was superb as JVJ. Gerard Butler's singing was obviously not, ahem, of Broadway quality, but I think his acting performance in the movie was great. He would have been a much better choice for the role of Javert in the Les Miz movie than Russell Crowe, in my opinion.

As far as the best Phantoms I've seen, Norm Lewis is at the top, but everyone I've seen other than the ones I mentioned above has also been excellent, including two covers, Greg Mills (on Broadway) and Allan Snyder (early in the tour). The others are John Cudia (whom I saw on tour in 200, Tim Martin Gleason (on tour in, I think 2010), and James Barbour (Broadway).

[Lot666]

Posted: 6/11/17 at 9:49am

AHLiebross said: "Lot666, you say that "Chris Mann was easily the worst - and most ridiculous - Phantom [you'd] ever seen/heard." For me, he's only the second worst. The dubious honor of worst has to go to Peter Joback, whom I saw only in the final, post-show number at the Broadway 25th anniversary. That was enough to convince me that he wasn't a good choice for the role."

I saw Mr. Joback in this capacity at both the Royal Albert Hall 25th performance and the Majestic 25th performance, and then I saw him again at the Majestic when he did a brief residency there. While his voice is admittedly not strong enough to sing the role as written, he was at least was more age-appropriate and, I thought, acted the role well.

AHLiebross said: "Next in line is Hugh Panaro, who lacked energy by the time I saw him on Broadway. I saw him play the role four times, and the only time he really shone was in the 25th anniversary show, where he seemed to have gotten his mojo back, at least for that performance."

I must completely disagree here! I have literally lost count of the number of times I've seen this show (including London, New York, Las Vegas, and multiple touring productions), and Hugh Panaro was consistently the closest thing to Michael Crawford that I ever experienced. Only Jeremy Stolle, one of the current understudies at the Majestic, can compete with Mr. Panaro in my book (I wish they'd move him permanently into the lead, because he sings and acts rings around James Barbour).

AHLiebross said: "I wasn't too enamored of Tony Crivello (from the 95-minute Las Vegas Spectacular)."

Meh.

AHLiebross said: "I saw Ramin Karimloo in the London 25th anniversary video, and I didn't much like his acting performance."

I saw Mr. Karimloo at the Royal Albert Hall and also in Love Never Dies at the Adelphi. His singing voice is fairly magnificent, with the requisite power and range, and I thought he acted it well, but he (at least at the time) was far too youthful for the role and he was - and remains - FAR too handsome.

AHLiebross said: "Gerard Butler's singing was obviously not, ahem, of Broadway quality, but I think his acting performance in the movie was great. He would have been a much better choice for the role of Javert in the Les Miz movie than Russell Crowe, in my opinion."

In my book, all of the casting choices noted above were colossal mistakes (like Ramin Karimloo, Mr. Butler is far too obviously handsome to be believable in the role). The 2004 Phantom film looked gorgeous, but the vocal performances were so woefully inadequate that it now pains me to watch the DVD. Ironically, the only suitable voice in the film was the role of Carlotta, and it was overdubbed.

AHLiebross said: "As far as the best Phantoms I've seen, Norm Lewis is at the top, but everyone I've seen other than the ones I mentioned above has also been excellent, including two covers, Greg Mills (on Broadway) and Allan Snyder (early in the tour). The others are John Cudia (whom I saw on tour in 200, Tim Martin Gleason (on tour in, I think 2010), and James Barbour (Broadway).

I saw Mr. Lewis on Broadway with Ms. Boggess and I enjoyed his performance, and I seem to recall seeing Mr. Gleason on a tour; I don't believe I've seen any of the others you mentioned.

Updated On: 6/21/20 at 09:49 AM

[Lot666]

Posted: 6/11/17 at 9:55am

AHLiebross said: "Lot666, the powers-that-be have used their brains in casting Derrick Davis. He is younger than most Phantoms, but he has major Broadway credentials (e.g., Mufasa and Scar, in TLK). Here are some links:

https://www.broadwayworld.com/national-tours/article/BWW-Interview-Derrick-Davis-as-Phantom-in-THE-PHANTOM-OF-THE-OPERA-on-Tour-20170417

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McN0-wWBdh4

(He's actually better in person than in this YouTube video).

Audrey"

He's certainly far better than Chris Mann; at least he conveys a bit more of the appropriate maturity and he has a more substantial voice. While he's strong in the lower registers, his voice thins and gets just a bit creaky when he has to go up ("silently the senses...". Also, he would be more convincing if he could eradicate the remaining vestiges of his American accent and fully commit to the required British pronunciations.

Yes, I'm a tough critic when it comes to casting choices for this particular show.