The Phantom of the Opera - The New US Tour

This past weekend I had the fantastic opportunity to usher at one of my favorite theatres for my all-time favorite show, well musical. (There is a difference between a show and a musical.) Friday night I worked in the second dress, giving me a decent view of the entire show (although I did have limited view because of the new staging and sets, more to come later). Saturday night I worked first dress, about twenty feet from the edge of the balcony. I was able to see expressions better, and notice quite a few light cues that were magnificent and gorgeous to behold.

Without further ado, here are my thoughts and notes on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s re-staged, re-costumed, re-imagined, re-whytheheckwouldyoudoallthiscrapwhenitwassellingoutalready, tour of:

The Phantom of the Opera

I will take it scene by scene, so bear with me on our Journey to the Lair across the Lake. I will say off the bat though, that some of the dialogue from the original (and subsequent productions) has been changed. This happens throughout the entire performance. I will add a few examples at particular scenes later on.

Now, shall we begin?

The Prologue.

This scene takes place ten-fifteen years after the events of the phantom. The new set up shows you the main stage of the opera house, now covered with boxes, costumes, posters, and anything that wasn’t nailed down that can be sold. Yes, there is an auction going on. We get introduced to old Raoul, now without his flying nun nurse, and no longer confined to a wheelchair. He buys a poster, then the infamous monkey box.

The Monkey Box – before it was a cute little box with a monkey sitting atop with a triangular head. This new one takes the film into consideration in the form of the monkey. It also looks like a triangular contraption which, when you wind it up, opens like a flower and the monkey sits up and chimes. It was an interesting new prop for the new production.

The chandelier is no long on stage beneath a tarp. Instead it hangs above the orchestra pit with a “dust” covered cloth hiding its former splendor. There is no rising during the following scene either. This was disappointing. It is also smaller than the original, without the traditional lyres adorning the sides.

The Overture

As stated before, there is no dramatic rising of the chandelier. Instead we are left watching old Raoul standing on the stage as the auction is taken away and we are taken into the past. Madame Giry comes onstage, Carlotta stands on the edge of Stage Left in her Hannibal gown with the severed head, and a few ballerinas slowly dance by him. It gives a great illusion that we are being taken into the past events of what transpired. The top of the proscenium no longer has the exquisite statues, instead opting for a drape that can be removed for the other set pieces.

Hannibal

Carlotta. She has so much more diva attitude in this version that it’s impossible not to love her. The new tour gives her some of the best moments, far outshining the rest of the cast more often than the original. Her sass has no end.

While she is singing to the severed head, a male ballet dancer dances on with a casket for the head, which after kissing it, Carlotta drops inside.

The ballerinas have a longer “slave girl” dance. The added minutes give you time to appreciate the hard work the men and women go through. And it’s lovely to watch.

The elephant is now a cardboard cutout, rather than a larger set piece. I did not notice whether or not there were men drinking when they took it off (if anyone else has seen it, did you notice this?).

Think of Me – Carlotta

I think this is where I fully fell in love with Carlotta. As she’s preparing to sing M. Reyer gives her a few notes, which she freaks out about. She goes full blown Italian diva and yells at him, saying it’s the wrong key and to start again. I wasn’t prepared for this, but it gave her more character depth. When she prepares to sing, she flicks her skirt out, smacking a few unsuspecting ballerinas in the process. The fact that she doesn’t care, and glares at the girl who was “in her way”, is priceless.

Think of Me – Christine

The entire staging from this has been changed. She spends the first half of the song dancing around the stage. About halfway through two ballerinas sorta dance out carrying it; then they drape it over her shoulders. There’s a slight, not really “tug-of-war”, in which Christine gently pulls it away. Raoul’s part seems . . . less. The lines are still there, but it just seems to go by rather quickly. Though instead of being seated with the managers he gets his own box, which is neat.

There are some amazing lighting choices done with this scene as well.

Backstage

After the final note, it transitions to behind the stage. All the ballerinas flock around Christine, this time wearing either shawls or dressing robes. When Giry Senior tells them to go and change for more rehearsal some of the girls actually start crying.

This transitions into –

Angel of Music

Christine and Meg’s lines take part in front of at least twelve other people. Instead of having her own dressing room, Christine shares it will all the ballerinas. Which begs the question, if OG was giving her private lessons in that room, how come no one else heard him? And does this mean he was spying on all the other ballerinas too? That’s some super stalker syndrome, if you ask me.

I digress.

As the ballerinas are changing back into their tutus, they do a few “pause” moments, depicting Degas paintings. It’s a wonderful nod to the painter. (Though seriously, how does Christine manage those one-on-one lessons when there’s the possibility of twelve or so ballet rats bursting in on her? HOW?!)

Madame Giry’s lines have changed, and after she gives Christine the letter she stands right outside the door listening in. Ever heard of space woman?

Also, after Raoul tells the managers that he wants to meet Christine alone, as they go off one of them snarks, “You – you are a naught boy!”

Little Lotte

So Raoul bursts in, startling Christine who was adjusting her clothes in front of the mirror (which I have to wonder now if OG was watching her). She’s startled, which I get. So after the initial shock of “There’s a Man in My Dressing Room!”, she’s more responsive. They have their childhood chat, and Raoul acts more ‘adult’.

I’m still not sold on the locket she wears, but knowing that it carries a picture of her father, eh, I can let it pass.

Angel of Music Reprise – Through the Mirror

When the phantom comes on his voice is literally in the entire theatre, all the speakers. You are surrounded by his voice. On “I am there inside”, it switches to directly behind the mirror. As the song goes along you get a beautiful silhouette of Christine on one of the walls. When the mirror opens she’s far too eager to get through, there’s no hesitation or caution, and just full out “I’m coming!” The mirror quickly closes behind them.

Raoul comes back in and spends a few minutes looking around, inspecting the walls. He finds the one rose he gave Christine on the floor (movie nod). The set rotates around him as he continues playing detective. He calls her name once, or twice, but there is no reference to the angel.

The Phantom of the Opera

As much as I loathe the set for having extreme limited viewing on the sides, I do love this set. (Begrudgingly.) They start at the top of the set piece, then the phantom opens a door and stairs emerge from the sides. It makes me nervous each time I see anyone walking down them, because the only support is from the wall. There are a few stops where they make poses reminiscent of the 1925 film, which are awesome! The boat is only on for one verse, quick, brief, and gone. The use of real flames is awesome.

At the end instead of yelling, “Sing!” a bajllion times, he changes it up with other things, like “Breathe!” This is a fantastic nod to the teacher/student aspect.

Also I have a little beef with the fact they don’t use the fedora. It’s used in the shadow scenes, but never when you see him. What. The. Heck.

The Music of the Night

Derrick Davis as the phantom has a unique and wonderful tone to his voice. I thoroughly enjoyed his version of this song. Throughout it he’s trying to show off his music, and acts like a love-sick kid. 

The giddy way he sort of runs around is adorable.

I do not enjoy the blindfold. I get that it’s a way to force Christine to listen to the music and not focus on the sights around her, but I still think it’s dumb. At some parts during the song it’s this awkward, “look at all the wonderful things!” And she seems distracted by the music he sets out that I don’t think she’s fully listening to him sing – she’s reading the music.

The back of the lair looks like a tree, with the lights coming down like vines. The first night I saw it, I thought there was a skewered teddy bear as part of the set – though the second night I figured it was something else.

Instead of using the boat to sleep in, there is an actual bed now with various blankets and pillows. 

The organ is smaller too. And instead of waiting until the end, Christine passes out right after “Floating . . .”….. Okay, she doesn’t “pass out” more as, gently leaps into the phantom’s arms and falls asleep. This is weird. He puts her on the bed, she nestles in, and he tucks her in.

Another fun aspect of the lair is that there is a little nook to stage left where he keeps his Punjab lasso. (Which I thought was a fun, cute nod.)

Stranger Than You Dreamt It

SERIOUSLY! LOUD FREKIN ORGAN DOESN’T WAKE YOU UP BUT THE SMALL MUSIC BOX ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LAIR DOES!

AND WHAT THE EFF HAPPENED TO THE ORIENTAL JACKET AND HAT?!!? WHY DID 

YOU HAVE TO ABANDON THIS PART OF THE COSTUME? IT WAS AWESOME!!!

Excuse me.

So, instead he just takes off his jacket and tosses it.

So the phantom takes the mask off, leaves it on the table. At first I thought this was odd, but after the second time I saw the point – he takes up a cloth to wipe the disfigured side of his face. So – I see the point now. Christie wakes up, sees the mask and picks it up. She literally turns him around to see and he flips out. (Although in all honesty, it was his fault for leaving it right there and not somewhere Christine proof.) Pitiful expression of sadness.

I do love the line when he’s mocking, “Think of me”, he gives this little head shake, full of snark. 

Then he falls to the floor like a boss and sort of crawls towards her. The only way she’ll look at him is after she hands the mask back.

Notes I

LIMITED FREKIN VIEW!

I have to have it out, but I had multiple people complain to me about it, including a woman from 

London who was extremely ticked.

I digress again.

The two men portraying the managers made the lines more comical than I’ve seen previously. When Raoul comes in he behaves more like an aristocrat, waiting for one of the managers to take his coat off (if this has been done in previous versions I have never noticed). When Carlotta and Piangi come in, their bickering and accusations don’t seem to faze him. Madame Giry makes more problems when she enters, eliciting an audience wide laugh.

It was rather nice when the phantom came onstage during the reading of the final note. He sort of hangs out at the top, being his usual snarky and mocking self. He walks off, then comes back to lean over the banister and snark, “Ideal”. I swear someone took notes on the Charles Dance snark – and added some of Panaro’s.

Prima Donna

Why bother with having the Giry’s and Raoul onstage when you can’t really hear what they’re saying anyway? They seem to be pushed to the background. More central focus on Carlotta, complete with changing into her Il Muto costume while onstage.

Ill Muto

The Baritone is full of win. It sort of feel like this part goes by quickly. Meg does not make an appearance with her, “He’s here the Phantom of the Opera!”

Instead Christine says it then her normal line. I guess this works . . . meh.

After the toad incident Carlotta makes one of the fastest get-always I’ve ever seen. I missed her exit both nights being distracted by the other happenings on stage.

The managers split up, and the one on stage does the best “the ballet . . .” And when the ballerinas come they run into him on accident, his response is “watch it!”

Ill Muto – the Ballet

For this they do a split scene. Half is the ballet, which is a little bit changed. The costumes are no longer cheap sackcloth’s, but pretty ballet-esq nymph deals, light green. Instead of the shepherds there are two fawns, which is pretty cool. This is all happening on stage right.

Stage left is ‘backstage’. We see Joseph Buquet looking at all the girls, doing his leering impression. Then the phantom comes dressed as a stage hand and kills him. As the body rises the ballerinas look over; he does a quick look and runs backstage. If you aren’t looking in the right area, then you’ll miss it entirely.

Why Have You Brought Me Here

No “No, to the roof, we’ll be safe there!”. Instead the set rotates and Christine is suddenly ‘on’ the roof. And if you’re house left don’t get your hopes up for seeing this particular scene.

Christine is walking back and forth while waiting for Raoul to show up. They have this fighting spat, in which Christine yells at Raoul for not believing her. Once the Phantom calls her name she just sort of looks at Raoul and sarcastically asks, “What was that.” She says it in such a deadpan manner that it’s almost a mock of Raoul. As in – you idiot, I told you he was real, if he’s not, who spoke? It’s as though she’s daring him to disagree with her. She goes down to the edge of the stage, looks over and there’s serious contemplation of her jumping. When Raoul realizes this you can see the genuine concern he has for her. He calls her name, and then slowly walks toward the edge of the stage.

All I Ask Of You

Christine crumples to the floor. Raoul is careful as he approaches her. He gets on the floor across from her, then sort of crawls over to her. At the end of the song they kiss twice, but nothing else. She leaves him on the roof while she runs back down for the performance. He follows about two minutes after.

An awesome lighting cue is how the moonlight comes out and shines through Apollo’s Lyre, casting a beautiful golden glow on the stage.

All I Ask Of You (Reprise)

The Phantom climbs up onto the statue. When Christine and Raoul sing their bit he goes to cover his ears. After singing his bit he disappears from the set and it changes back to the front of the ‘stage’. 

 He reappears in Box Five with his cane. After shooting fire and yelling, “GO!” the chandelier flickers, then goes down. No arch towards the stage, nothing else.

There are my thoughts on the first act of the restaged tour. Stay tuned for act two.

(NOTE: I do not own the pictures. They were taken from the 2014 souvenir program. No copyright intended.)