PHANTOM will be the next ALW musical to stream for free- Page 2

[Fosse76]

Posted: 4/18/20 at 12:44pm

16 Years Later said: "I was fairly excited for this, but it went above and beyond my expectations -- so much so I think I will rewatch it before it goes away Sunday."

You know you can always buy it,  right? 

[dadaguza]

Posted: 4/18/20 at 12:48pm

Also wanted to add the Masquerade scene was absolutely stunning.

[jpbran]

Posted: 4/18/20 at 1:03pm

Yup. It's on BroadwayHD and the DVD or Blu-ray have been available for purchase for a few years. (can get the Blu-ray for about $8 used on Amazon)

 

[Wick3]

Posted: 4/18/20 at 1:36pm

I just finished watching it on youtube and wow it really made me miss watching live theatre. It was great to see the eye-level closeups. I've seen Phantom at the Majestic theatre several times throughout the years but I'll admit I want to see it again! I understand most of POTO's clientele tend to be tourists but I still hope it will reopen on Broadway. 

 

[cab83]

Posted: 4/18/20 at 6:00pm

I really enjoyed seeing this; it has been a long time since I've seen Phantom of the Opera, so it was nice getting to see it again.  I have random question though; it appeared that Ramin Karimloo (the Phantom) was wearing two mics, but the other actors just had one.  Can anyone explain this?

[Tag]

Posted: 4/18/20 at 6:08pm

Leads generally are double mic-ed for back-up - although that doesn't seem to be the case here as Sierra isn't.  

Ramin's double mics most likely have something to do with the mask.  ie. One mic used when the mask is on, one mic used when the mask is off.

Updated On: 4/18/20 at 06:08 PM

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 4/18/20 at 6:22pm

I know this might have been answered before but ...how does Phantom disappear into the chair?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/18/20 at 6:32pm

poisonivy2 said: "I know this might have been answered before but ...how does Phantom disappear into the chair?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJmEzXcVoec

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 4/18/20 at 6:34pm

poisonivy2 said: "I know this might have been answered before but ...how does Phantom disappear into the chair?"

Tumblr user Operafantomet explains it very well in this post:

Well, basically, the seats sinks into the chair when he pulls a handle hidden at the arm rest. When the seat (and the actor!) is inside the chair he pulls a curtain down to simulate the throne’s back, and one to simulate the seat. The back and seat of the throne is made of for example a watery silk or thick velvet, and the false cover match this. It’s hard to tell the difference even close up, except it looks flimsier. 

The arm rests of the throne are hollow. There’s 1-2 spare masks (without the metal wire) in here. When the false seat and back is in place this is put on the fake seat. 

The throne has a massive box in the back for the actor to sink into. But technically, if you tried to sit down on the throne, you’d basically sit on the actor’s lap. 

In cases where technique fails, it’s usually the mechanism letting the seat sink in that malfunctions. But it can also be that the actor haven’t pulled up the cover in time. In these cases they try and alert Meg to not pull off the cloak, but instead just grab the mask and go to center stage. If she still pulls of the cloak, the Phantom plays dead. So some audience members have seen an alternate ending! 

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 4/18/20 at 6:43pm

imeldasturn said: "poisonivy2 said: "I know this might have been answered before but ...how does Phantom disappear into the chair?"

Tumblr user Operafantomet explains it very well in this post:

Well, basically, the seats sinks into the chair when he pulls a handle hidden at the arm rest. When the seat (and the actor!) is inside the chair he pulls a curtain down to simulate the throne’s back, and one to simulate the seat. The back and seat of the throne is made of for example a watery silk or thick velvet, and the false cover match this. It’s hard to tell the difference even close up, except it looks flimsier.

The arm rests of the throne are hollow. There’s 1-2 spare masks (without the metal wire) in here. When the false seat and back is in place this is put on the fake seat.

The throne has a massive box in the back for the actor to sink into. But technically, if you tried to sit down on the throne, you’d basically sit on the actor’s lap.

In cases where technique fails, it’s usually the mechanism letting the seat sink in that malfunctions. But it can also be that the actor haven’t pulled up the cover in time. In these cases they try and alert Meg to not pull off the cloak, but instead just grab the mask and go to center stage. If she still pulls of the cloak, the Phantom plays dead. So some audience members have seen an alternate ending!"

Thanks! That makes sense. It's a wonderfully effective way to end the musical. And I don't even like POTO.

[David10086]

Posted: 4/18/20 at 6:51pm

imeldasturn said: "David10086 said: "I wish they would stream the 1977 movie "A Little Night Music". It's worth watching solely for the superb performance by Diana Rigg - who saved this movie. (Taylor wasn't bad, but she wasn't good either - she was just 'there'."

Oh yeah, Andrew Lloyd Webber's famous A Little Night Music"

OOPS! I didn't realize this was just ALW's musicals. I thought it was all musicals. Sorry! 

[scripps]

Posted: 4/18/20 at 7:16pm

I might've just watched this on my laptop while on the phone with my friend who did the same ...

Is there more to the story about Crawford not singing in the encore other than having to preserve his voice? It was honestly kind of a tease.

And Hadley Fraser as Raoul is my quarantine boyfriend.

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 4/18/20 at 7:36pm

I guess this is what Phantom will look like, with all these projections, if it's ever forced to move theaters, or Cameron starts to take these people who say "the show needs to be updated!" seriously.  

[Wick3]

Posted: 4/18/20 at 10:55pm

scripps said: "And Hadley Fraser as Raoul is my quarantine boyfriend. "

I recall when I last saw Phantom on Broadway back in February, Raoul's shirt was halfway unbuttoned and even wet during that last scene with the Phantom and Christine. I was hoping it would be the same for Hadley but sadly it wasn't.

[Dave13]

Posted: 4/18/20 at 11:35pm

One of the best productions I have seen filming a live musical. The closeups were incredible. I bought the audio recording on iTunes. I love this recording.

[scripps]

Posted: 4/19/20 at 12:33am

Wick3 said: "scripps said: "And Hadley Fraser as Raoul is my quarantine boyfriend. "

I recall when I last saw Phantom on Broadway back in February, Raoul's shirt was halfway unbuttoned and even wetduring that last scene with the Phantom and Christine. I was hoping it would be the same for Hadley but sadly it wasn't."

I like a man who isn't afraid of guyliner, wet shirt or not 

 

[ggersten]

Posted: 4/19/20 at 12:58am

Wow! Better than I recalled from watching the live stream. Excellent editing and mixing! And the chandelier explosions were better! Each trip to London I think of seeing the original staging. Next time for sure

[Fosse76]

Posted: 4/19/20 at 4:19am

ggersten said: "Wow! Better than I recalled from watching the live stream. Excellent editing and mixing! And the chandelier explosions were better! Each trip to London I think of seeing the original staging. Next time for sure"

Definitely. The home video release was edited from various performers and different angles to make the best capture. The actual live stream was riddled with errors and bad shots. It shows a lack of understanding of the film director for the production's direction and focus.  The same errors can be seen in a lot of live streamed events,  including the NBC live events. 

[temms]

Posted: 4/19/20 at 10:54am

I was so into Phantom when it was brand new and I was in middle school and my chorus teacher gave me a tape dub of the cast album. It was everything I ever wanted in theatre and life. I saw the First National when it came through Chicago with Mark Jacoby and it was my fantasies come to life onstage, after a lifetime of school and community theatre. 

Alas time went by and I got more sophisticated and I just kind of let it pass by, lingering there in the background as a "show i used to love" but now didn't have much use for, eventually succumbing to the incessant "Lloyd Webber is a hack!" blathering and considering it a lot of pompous noise.

But then I watched the RAH and - this is a great show! Yeah, it's a lot of primary colors composition but there is some super-sophisticated and intricate musical writing in some sections. I'm still as bowled over by "Prima Donna" and "Point Of No Return" as when I first heard them. Yeah they're loud and cheesy but they're also effective. It's so weird to hear something again that you know every single note of but haven't listened to in eons.

That said - I never realized how creepy and awful a story it actually is. I was blinded by the candles and the mask and the fog and the boat and my lack of knowledge of the world but this time around I saw it as Christine's show and - that poor girl! What a f-in' creep! Tricking her into thinking maybe he's the g-d reincarnation of her dead father so she'd sleep with him?!?! Plus all the murder which for some reason I just kind of passed over as a plot necessity, but it never registered as a horror piece to me the way it did watching it this time. A lot of that may be due to Sierra Boggess who I thought was wonderful.

Anyway, glad I took the plunge and it's renewed my appreciation for a show that was once super important to me. Kudos to Lloyd Webber and Prince and Björnson and Mackintosh and all. It really is a seminal work.

[Chowd95]

Posted: 4/19/20 at 11:42am

This was a brilliant move on ALW and Cameron Mackintosh's part. Not only did they raise a ton of money but they also managed to make Phantom relevant. The broadcast was trending #2 on YouTube most of the day and based on the comments people who had never seen it are obsessed and those who have are smitten all over again.. me included. It's never been my favorite show but the music is undeniable. Suck it Riedel.

[ggersten]

Posted: 4/19/20 at 11:46am

With just a couple of hours to go, Phantom was over 11M views on YouTube. And, reportedly, the UK only had access for 24 hours - not 48 = as SkyArts was airing it on Sunday night and supposedly invoked some clause in its license to limit the internet streaming in the UK. 

[Flowerlovestage5]

Posted: 4/19/20 at 1:50pm

I've seen the show in NY three times over the years, starting 23 years ago.  Thoroughly enjoyed each viewing, a little older each time.  Most recent visit was two years ago.

That said, I just watched this live broadcast for the 25th and was stunned how much I loved it.  Superb production that was fortunately captured. I've listened to several tracks from the live album since this originally aired but I never felt the need to watch the filming --- I assumed it was the traditional "concert" display of the show.  That is all fine and well, and I think works for Les Mis as they have their tradition each anniversary but delighted that this phantom was literally the entire show.  Makes me wish I saw Sierra in NY.

 

[mcsquared]

Posted: 4/19/20 at 7:57pm

I can't seem to find it--did I miss it already? I thought it was going to be available the whole weekend...

[Tag]

Posted: 4/19/20 at 7:59pm

Nope, it's gone.

[ggersten]

Posted: 4/19/20 at 10:08pm

mcsquared said: "I can't seem to find it--did I miss it already? I thought it was going to be available the whole weekend..."

The shows are available 48 hours but starting at 7 p.m. London time - so that's. 2 p.m. Eastern time.