How is Phantom these days?

[lovebwy]

Posted: 6/15/18 at 6:58pm

I'm visiting NYC for the first time in years. I'm going to see Dolly with my mom.

But I also have a younger friend who lives there now. He used to profess hating theater, but he saw Waitress and of course LOVED it.

I was thinking of grabbing a couple of half price tickets from TKTS. Has anyone been to Phantom of the Opera lately? Last time I saw it was 29 years ago! Might that be a good one to take him to?

If anyone has other suggestions, let me know. They should be on the "cheaper" side. Thanks guys!

 

 

 

[icecastle]

Posted: 6/15/18 at 7:07pm

Haven't been in a while, however Ben Crawford sounds great. Luckily the awful guy (in more ways than one) who was there before Jöback is gone. Personally the best Christine there is the understudy Elizabeth Welch. She came to be the principal Christine here in Germany for a little under a year and really should be the principal. Actually I heard she's on for every show besides the matinee this week!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/15/18 at 7:07pm

If you are trying to keep him in love with theater, I would suggest staying away from Phantom.  (Not trying to diss it, but it can be overwhelming - and often what I think many people do hate about musicals.)

 

Try Once on This Island!  Contemporary and wonderful.

[Ben_Platt_Out]

Posted: 6/15/18 at 7:15pm

That audience though

[lovebwy]

Posted: 6/15/18 at 7:18pm

"If you are trying to keep him in love with theater, I would suggest staying away from Phantom.  (Not trying to diss it, but it can be overwhelming - and often what I think many people do hate about musicals.)"

Funny. Yeah the things he said he hated about musicals are all there in Phantom.

Thanks icecastle. And Drama- that's a good suggestion. I will check that out too.

 

 

[Impossible2]

Posted: 6/15/18 at 7:23pm

I went last year, it's just as terrible as it's always been.

Take him to Once on This Island x

[lovebwy]

Posted: 6/15/18 at 7:26pm

Thanks for your perspective, Impossible2. I was hoping to hear from people who liked it originally, to see if its holding up. But good to hear all points of view.

[Gizmo6]

Posted: 6/15/18 at 7:38pm

Phantom is the most successful musical of all time. I have brought many people over the last 20 years who cannot but be won over by the theatricality.

For Maria Bjornsons design alone and the overture Phantom is worth the price.

[Impossible2]

Posted: 6/15/18 at 7:38pm

lovebwy said: "Thanks for your perspective, Impossible2. I was hoping to hear from people who liked it originally, to see if its holding up. But good to hear all points of view."

LOL

If you like it, it hasn't changed, it's exactly the same.

I just think there are better shows for someone who doesn't really like theatre.

Once on this Island has lots of great stuff in it and it wonderfully staged, so at least if you don't like the show at least theres lots of cool stuff to watch.

Phantom is just very dated and has never really been updated in any way.

[Gizmo6]

Posted: 6/15/18 at 7:49pm

lovebwy said: "Thanks for your perspective, Impossible2. I was hoping to hear from people who liked it originally, to see if its holding up. But good to hear all points of view."

Also just to add Prince directed it in episodes in the small black space so the action and pace is good for people not particularly interested. I brought a friend ast year, he had never been at a musical and I love now catching him humming the title tune totally unprompted. 

Today tix gets some good Phantom Seats by the way get the app 

[lovebwy]

Posted: 6/15/18 at 8:35pm

Love it, Gizmo! Thank you.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 6/15/18 at 8:38pm

I have nothing new to contribute, but that while the show hasn't changed at all, the audience is truly the worst on Broadway. Phones, chattering, food unwrapping... horrible.

[labellaragazza1]

Posted: 6/15/18 at 8:45pm

Phantom is in great shape (to me, a huge fan). It’s such a classic that I’m of the opinion that everyone should experience it at least once. It’s much better without Barbour. Ben Crawford is wonderful vocally, and he carries the role well. The three Christine options are excellent, and the new Raoul is quite sweet.

I think people like to hate on Phantom because if its longevity, especially if it isn’t their style. It’s not for everyone. Doesn’t mean it’s bad.

I think Maria Bjornson’s designs are splendid and for me, there’s nothing like watching the chandelier rise up during the overture. I find it a welcome relief from all of the projection design that seems prevalent these days. Yes, some of the sets are a bit noisy to move, but the journey to the lair sequence still stands out as chill inducing, even after seeing dozens of other shows.


I just front row side seats for $45 recently- they’re usually the lotto seats, which is relatively easy to win. Box seats are also a cheap $45 option, which I’d recommend for being farther away to get the whole scope. TKTS tends to be around $80-90. I loved the front row, but I’ve seen the show many times and it can be hard to watch from there if you don’t know where you should be concentrating.

I also wouldn’t begrudge a Once on this Island trip, that show is wonderful as well and Phantom will certainly outlast it, so your friend could still see it.

[lovebwy]

Posted: 6/15/18 at 9:10pm

Thanks labell! I think I might just take a chance on Phantom!

[Huss417]

Posted: 6/15/18 at 9:11pm

I know it has been running many years but the thrill of seeing it in London during first weeks of previews is something I will always remember. I loved it enough to skip another show that week and hit up a scalper for a ticket.

Broadway 88. At this point I think I invited 10 people to the first week and it was still thrilling. Also being at Michael Crawfords final is one of my top ten moments in 40+ years of going to the theatre.

I broke my nieces on attending a Broadway show when they were young and this was their first experience of Broadway. It has always been my recommendation for people who haven never experienced a Broadway show. The scale, staging  costumes were always impressive.

The only thing I have heard it the past couple of years is the not so well behaved audience members.

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 6/15/18 at 9:15pm

I saw Phantom a few weeks ago. I agree that Crawford is quite good. The audience was horrible.

The thing that bothered me most was the sound mixing. The orchestra is so overpoweringly loud that it makes it difficult to understand what the actors are singing. I have excellent hearing btw, and was seated about 12 rows back in the orchestra. The poor sound also actually made it sometimes seem like the actors weren’t singing live. I know they were and I don’t know if that makes any sense but it’s the only way I can describe it. The orchestra is overwhelming. I was visiting a friend who works backstage and mentioned it and he wasn’t surprised and said the people in the booth don’t care.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/16/18 at 9:23am

I love Phantom. I usually make 1-2 return visits a year, and the show is always in remarkable shape.

[Dolly80]

Posted: 6/16/18 at 9:25am

Can’t imagine seeing anything worse than this tired old show. Take him to something new like Mean Girls, or Dear Evan Hansen.

Heck I’d rather see Summer than Phantom.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 6/16/18 at 9:58am

ALW is really hot on maintaining the musical quality of his shows.

He should invest in the technology they have at Hamilton so he can switch into the house cameras remotely to spot check any performance.  That might keep the sound ops on their toes!

[ActorGuyIL]

Posted: 6/16/18 at 10:04am

Saw it Memorial Day. Ben is great and I think Ali is one of the best Christine's ever. We sat in the next to last row of the orchestra and there were annoying people around us - including someone singing softly behind us with every Christine song. Grrrr.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 6/16/18 at 10:11am

Dolly80 said: "Can’t imagine seeing anything worse than this tired old show. Take him to something new like Mean Girls, or Dear Evan Hansen.

Heck I’d rather see Summer than Phantom."

Based on that horrendous Tony number, if you take him to Mean Girls he may never grace a broadway theater’s front door again. Of shows that are frequently listed at TKTS, I echo Once on This Island. It just won best revival, but appears to still be popping up at TKTS sometimes although not as frequently or as discounted. I think it was at TKTS yesterday at 30% off, but so far not seeing it listed at TKTS today. I’m seeing it a week from tomorrow! 

Other frequent TKTS options might be: Hello, Dolly!, Kinky Boots or Spongebob (I’m seeing it for first time a week from today). 

Update: I recommended these shows because (based on OP’s earlier post) it would appear that  Phantom represents the things the OP’s friend detests about musicals. These shows (with possible exception of Dolly) might be more to the friend’s more apparent modern sensibilities. 

Updated On: 6/16/18 at 10:11 AM

[Fosse76]

Posted: 6/16/18 at 10:15am

The problem with Phantom, and other long running shows, is the tone of the show gets "lighter" as the years go by. Comedic lines are delivered more broadly, lines which aren't funny are delivered to illicit laughs, and the show's balance becomes uneven. The phantom is practically played as a Disney villain these days. Chicago and Wicked aren't faring any better (there an ever more drastic portrayal difference in Wicked).

[Lot666]

Posted: 6/16/18 at 10:20am

Everyone has their own opinion, and that's just what these posts are: opinions. Here's mine.

Phantom is still the best ticket on Broadway. The staging, effects, and costumes are timeless; they're no more "dated" than the operas of the composers to whom the show pays homage. The audience is transported to another place and time for 2.5 hours of glorious music and emotionally engaging storytelling.

I recently had the privilege of seeing a performance by Ben Crawford, the latest man to wear the mask. I've experienced countless interpretations of this role over the years, in New York, London, and in U.S. touring productions, and I can say that this Mr. Crawford (Ben) surpassed even the original Mr. Crawford (Michael) for me, a feat I never thought possible. The power of his voice is otherworldly, such that they could turn off his microphone and he could still rattle the chandelier. His physical presence is equally powerful, making it seem quite natural that the other denizens of the opera house would be terrified of him (not all of his predecessors have managed to make this dynamic believable). When he commands Christine to come to him, she has no choice; when he breaks down, he is totally vulnerable and painfully human. 

I've got a Saturday night ticket for late July, when we return to New York to see Harry Potter, and I'm almost equally excited for both shows.

Updated On: 6/19/18 at 10:20 AM

[Elfuhbuh]

Posted: 6/16/18 at 10:50am

I say take a chance on Phantom! It’s still my favorite show on Broadway, and they really do make sure to keep the production in topnotch shape.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 6/16/18 at 11:31am

One suggestion: have your friend listen to some of the music from Phantom, OOTI and other suggested shows. Maybe even watch a few Tony performance clips. Unless this is supposed to be a surprise.