Another Hallow's Eve Has Come

Greetings once again, Phans!

It's that time of year once again, and I just couldn't let it pass by without a post here. I wore my ALW!Phantom outfit once again, and it was a big hit during class. I do wish Halloween lasted longer than just one day a year, but alas, we must make do.

A bit of POTO news, since that's what this blog is for, after all... The new UK Tour now has a new Phantom; John Owen-Jones left the production around the end of September and was replaced by Earl Carpenter. The Broadway production is also having a somewhat major cast change; Trista Moldovan will soon be leaving the production and Marni Raab will be promoted to principal Christine while a completely new performer, Samantha Hill, will be the alternate. Later on, Marni will also leave the cast and Sierra Boggess will take over in time for the Broadway production's 25th anniversary celebration next January.

In other news, the Broadway production's official Facebook page has said that the show is back on tonight after a 2-day hiatus due to Hurricane Sandy. I'm glad to know the actors, crew, and theater all got through the storm safely, and hopefully, the rest of the areas affected by the hurricane will soon be back in action as well.

Oh, and I've a bit of personal news, as well. I've started up another Blogspot where I can post about stuff besides Phantom -- check it out here. Don't worry, though; I'll still be updating this blog as often as I can, as well.

In any case, Happy Halloween to all!


I remain your obedient servant,
I.A.E.

New Concert Production in Vienna

Happy 10/11/12 to you all! Assuming your dates are arranged in that format; otherwise, you may have to wait about a month.

A new concert production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s POTO has been announced in Vienna, Austria. The announcement was actually made a few months ago, but yesterday, a casting announcement was made on Facebook. Christian Alexander Müller, who had played Raoul and then the Phantom in the Essen, Germany production in 2006, returns to the role of the Phantom for the concert. Lisa Antoni, who previously starred in the Viennese production of Frank Wildhorn’s musical Rudolf, will play Christine. And Raoul will be played by Oliver Arno, who previously starred in the popular European musical Elisabeth, featuring a book and lyrics by Michael Kunze (who also did the German translations for the lyrics to POTO) and music by Sylvester Levay. The concert will run from November 29 to December 9 at Theater Ronacher, where the Viennese production ran in the early 1990s.

I’m quite interested in this production; I really liked what I heard of Christian Müller’s Phantom when he played the role in Essen, and I’m looking forward to seeing how his portrayal has evolved. I haven’t heard a whole lot of Lisa Antoni or Oliver Arno, but I look forward to seeing how they play their characters as well, so I hope there will be some sort of recording of the production.

I’m also looking forward to this concert because I’ve always enjoyed the German-language productions of the show. The productions in Vienna, Hamburg, Stuttgart, and Essen have had some of the best casts I’ve heard (though I’ve never seen the show live in German). Alexander Goebel and Ernst Dieter Suttheimer from the original Vienna cast were two of my favorite Phantoms, and I’ve also loved performers like Peter Hofmann, Thomas Schulze, Shuler Hensley, Dale Tracy, Roy Weissensteiner, Ian Jon Bourg (occasionally), and Ethan Freeman (who, in addition to the Vienna and Essen productions, was also superb in London and Toronto). Now they just need to cast Chris Murray in a production someday, and all will be complete.

In any case, I don’t know yet whether there will be an official video or audio recording of this concert. I’m hoping there will be, but as with all things, we’ll see, and I’ll post here with the relevant info when I find out. In the meantime, I encourage you to look up the performers I mentioned; most if not all of them can probably be found on YouTube.


I remain your obedient servant,
I.A.E.

Another Loss for the Phantom Community

Happy October, all!

This post is a bit late... but for anyone who was not yet aware, another classic Phantom has passed away. On September 27th, Herbert Lom died of natural causes. He was 95 years old.

Filmgoers likely know Herbert Lom best for playing gangster Louis Harvey in the 1955 film The Ladykillers, and also Chief Inspector Dreyfus in the Pink Panther film series (beginning with 1964's A Shot in the Dark). But to Phantom Phans, he will always be Professor Petrie, the Phantom of the 1962 film by Hammer Film Productions. The film was directed by Terence Fisher and also starred Heather Sears as Christine Charles, Edward de Souza as Harry Hunter, and Michael Gough as Lord Ambrose D'Arcy.

While I wasn't personally a huge fan of that film (mainly due to the script and direction), I did like some of the cinematography in it. I also appreciated Herbert Lom's acting, particularly as Professor Van Helsing in the underappreciated 1970 film Count Dracula, directed by Jesús Franco and also starring Christopher Lee as Count Dracula, Klaus Kinski as Renfield, and Soledad Miranda as Lucy. Despite the film's minuscule budget (which resulted in some pretty poor-looking effects), I adore it; it's one of the most faithful to the novel of any Dracula film, and there are a lot of great acting performances in it.

In any case, rest in peace, Mr. Lom, and thank you for your many contributions to film, the arts, and the Phantom community.


I remain your obedient servant,
I.A.E.

The End Of An Era

Well, Phans, the time has come.

It's Sunday, September 2nd, 2012. Tonight, after six wonderful years, the company of Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular at the Venetian Hotel and Casino will take its final bow.

Six years. It's amazing to think about, isn't it? The production opened in June of 2006, and initially, a lot of Phans were skeptical that a production with some songs and scenes abridged would ever match the original, even with a custom-built theatre modeled after the Paris Opera House. I was one of those skeptics, and it took me a while to come to the party... but in the summer of 2011, any doubts I had were erased when I saw the show for the first time. Here's a comment I made on a Facebook post about the closing, in response to a question from a Phan who had never seen the production about what it was like:

I saw it 5 times, and every single time, the experience was wonderful. Because the theatre was made to look like the real Paris Opera House, as soon as you walked in, you felt like you were somewhere else; you were in the Phantom's world. Even the entrance outside the theatre was decked out in Phantom, and the energy from the people there (especially in the hour or so before a show when folks were lining up to buy tickets and go inside) was just amazing. What I also loved was that even when you weren't able to go inside and see the show, they played the audio from the current performance in the lobby. Once or twice, I wasn't able to get tickets, or it was a 2-show day and I could only afford to go once, but I still sat in the lobby and could listen to the show.

As for Anthony Crivello... If you're a fan of Leroux's novel, I think you'd really appreciate all the things Anthony did in the role. What really amazes me is that he hadn't read the novel, and yet he got so many details spot-on. And from a psychological perspective, you can see how his Phantom operated -- what set him off and made him violent, and what could pull him back from that. He's one of the few stage performers where I didn't feel like I was watching an actor playing a role; he WAS the Phantom, to the point where I was actually a bit nervous to meet him the first time. lol

But yes... It was an amazing experience, and I consider myself lucky to have seen it as many times as I did. The world of Phantom will never be quite the same after tonight.

So it ends tonight. After one final performance this evening, the cast will get together for one last party in the Phantom Theatre before going their separate ways. Then (and this is what really upsets me) the custom-built theatre that was made specially for this production and modeled after the real Paris Opera House will be gutted. While some features like the proscenium and the box seats might remain, all the things that made it the Phantom Theatre will be removed and either destroyed or sent to other productions of the show. The chandelier will become a fixture -- still beautiful, but never again will it assemble over the audience's heads and then come crashing down. It pains me to write that; all I can think is "How could they?!"

Yet, in my view, this cloud does have a silver lining. There are many performers in the Vegas cast who were there since the very beginning and will be able to perform in the final shows. Anthony Crivello (the Phantom), Kristen Hertzenberg (alternate Christine; started out as the Mirror Bride and Christine understudy), Larry Wayne Morbitt (Piangi), Danielle White (Ensemble and Carlotta understudy), Michael Lackey (Auctioneer and Phantom understudy), Brianne Kelly Morgan (Meg), and many others in the company were there at the start and will be there tonight at the closing. It always felt to me like the Vegas company was one big family, and so I'm glad to see that so many people who were there from the beginning will be able to close the show together. And naturally, I'm hoping all the performers, musicians, and staff will be able to find good work worthy of their talent afterwards. Hopefully, some will even make it back to POTO one day on Broadway, in a future touring production, or elsewhere.

I'm thankful to everyone involved with the production -- everyone who had a hand in getting it started or keeping it running as long as it did, and that includes the cast, crew, musicians, ushers, gift booth folks, ticket sellers, and frequent audience members who spread the good word about this production. I'm especially thankful to the following people: Anthony Crivello, for being a truly frightening and compelling Phantom, but also one of the coolest and most giving people I've met. Kristen Hertzenberg, for showing me how well a Lerouxian interpretation of Christine can fit into the Lloyd Webber version, and for demonstrating how a performer can have all of their character's best qualities in real life. Danielle White, for being completely awesome, open, and honest, and for adding so many great phrases to my vocabulary (namely "Diva snooze"). Sarah Elizabeth Combs, for being my first Vegas Christine and showing me how a slightly modern twist can also work for the role. Brianne Kelly Morgan, for first getting me really curious about the show and for being so cheerful and energetic when talking to Phans online. Michael Lackey, for setting the bar higher for me when it comes to delivering monologues (especially those regarding music boxes and chandeliers). Daniel, a.k.a. BoBo, for taking me backstage so many times and telling me so many awesome stories about the show. And last but not least, my Vegas Phan crew for convincing me it was worth it, taking me there, getting me backstage, giving me a tour of the Strip, setting up a meeting and more with one of my childhood heroes (that would be our former Grantaire/Javert in Les Misérables, Mr. Crivello), and helping me find even more reasons to love this musical and story.

I'll conclude this blog entry with a letter I posted on the "Farewell" page for Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular:

Dear Company of "Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular,"

I've seen the show five times -- twice last year and three times this year -- and every single performance of this production I attended was one of the most magical events I've ever experienced. The venue is simply breathtaking; this was how "Phantom" was meant to be performed, and it's wonderful to know that there has been a production with such care and attention paid to every detail of the experience. The effects (and especially the four-piece chandelier) are a marvel to watch, and the care taken to make the theater look like the real Paris Opera House has, in my view, paid off superbly. I've ended up sitting somewhere different every time I've seen the show, and no matter where I was sitting, the view has been great and the experience amazing.

The visual aspect, though, is far from the only wonderful thing about this production. As with any update to a great and long-running show, the make-or-break aspect is the cast. I've seen and heard a lot of casts perform "Phantom," and I can quite honestly say you've consistently been among the very best. I don't know how you do it; none of the performances I attended of your production ever felt stale or halfhearted. Every single time, I've been moved to tears. The vocal and acting performances from the whole company have been astounding. This was one of the few productions I've seen of any musical, opera, or play where, in many cases, I didn't feel like I was watching actors playing roles onstage; a lot of you became your characters in my eyes. And the orchestra is also one of the best I've ever heard in a "Phantom" production; the power and energy the players bring to the score were always a treat for the ears.

One more thing I love about this production is how personable everyone has been. All the cast members, ushers, and crew I've met have been incredibly nice and easy to talk to, and I'm glad to be able to call myself a friend of several people in the company. I learned more about what it's like to be in this show and to have a career in theatre from my one-on-one chats with the actors than any video interview could ever teach me, and I appreciated those opportunities. I hope every single person working in this production will find great work befitting their immense talent, and that perhaps someday in the future, they'll get to return to the world of the Phantom. I know that the Phan community has benefitted greatly from having your production around, and I'm sure Gaston Leroux and Maria Bjørnson would be proud to know that their work has inspired such consistent and overall greatness.

In closing, while I'm sad to see this production close and wish it could play longer or be preserved somehow, I'm also glad for the opportunities I've had to see such a marvelous theatrical work, and to talk to such amazing people. Best wishes to all of you for the future. Please know that all of you will be missed, and I hope to see you all onstage again someday! Thank you for living up to your name and making every performance a spectacular one.

I remain your obedient servant,
I.A.E.

POTO at Palikū Theatre: Award Time!

Greetings, Phans!

I found out some great news about the community theatre production of POTO I saw last fall... The Po’okela Awards, which celebrate theatrical productions done in Hawaii, announced their winners last week, and Palikū Theatre's production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera" by Tom Holowach and Ron Bright won big! It received 13 awards total, the most of any production this past year. Here's a rundown of the awards the production won:

* Leading Male in a Musical - Miles Wesley (The Phantom)
* Leading Female in a Musical - Lydia Pusateri (Christine Daaé)
* Featured Male in a Musical - Leonard Villanueva (Andre) and Johnny Reed (Piangi)
* Featured Female in a Musical - Jaime Craycroft (Carlotta)

* Director of a Musical - Ronald E. Bright

* Musical Director - Clarke Bright

* Overall Production of a Musical - "The Phantom of the Opera" at Palikū Theatre

* Costume Design - Yvette Tanouye Allerdings

* Sound Design/Engineering - Kainoa Jarrett

* Set Design - Lloyd Riford III

* Light Design - Lloyd Riford III

Congratulations to everyone who worked on this marvelous production! I think all these awards were well-earned.

I remain your obedient servant,

I.A.E.

Calling All Phans!

Hey, everyone!

I'm working with a couple of Phan friends to put together something special for the cast of "Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular." I'd like to ask that anyone with photos of themselves, family, or friends together with cast or crew members of the production, please e-mail me at iamerik771@gmail.com. Thank you!

I remain your obedient servant,
I.A.E.

POTO in Vegas, 2012 - My Reviews

Greetings, all!

It’s been a while, but here they are: my reviews of “Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular” from this summer! Rather than a scene-by-scene review of each performance, I’ll be giving my general impressions of the main cast members I saw as well as the venue, orchestra, and a few other things that made each performance special. As I’m sure most people reading this blog are aware, the Vegas production will be closing on Labor Day this year. I encourage you all to make arrangements to see it as soon as possible; I’m certainly glad I did!

Survey time!

Hi, all!

It’s been awhile since my last post (yet again), but I assure you that I’ve been keeping quite busy. Around the end of last month, I had another epic trip to Las Vegas to see the show there before it closes. I’m working on reviews of those performances, but in the meantime (and just so I can say I posted something in June), I decided to do a random POTO survey I found on Tumblr. And it goes without saying that everyone reading this is welcome to take the survey as well and post their answers here!

Respect for Performers' Personal Lives

Hey, all!

This is going to be a somewhat more serious post, inspired by something a friend of mine posted on Tumblr a few days ago. It seems that among certain Phantom Phans, there are a few who are more focused than they should be on how "sexy" or "attractive" the actors are, or who project the allure of the characters onto the actors who play them. My friend's post was mainly directed at a few fans of Ramin Karimloo who don't seem to understand or care about the fact that he's married and has children; they continue to post on publicly accessible forums or YouTube videos about how sexy he is and how much they want him. Apparently, some have even made nasty comments to his wife.

Certainly, POTO isn't the only fandom where this sort of thing happens -- not by a longshot. And don't get me wrong; I understand how it is to have a crush on a celebrity, and I've been there numerous times myself. But to go on and on about how you want to spend your life with a celebrity who's already in a relationship, especially when you go so far as to insult or threaten that celebrity's significant other, crosses a line. Like I said, I've had crushes on celebrities before, including some who were involved with POTO, but I'd never take it to that extreme. It's fun to imagine dating or marrying someone famous, but when all's said and done, I think it's much more satisfying to pursue a real relationship, preferably with someone you can meet and talk to without having to call their agent or get backstage at a show first.

A trend I've also encountered is "shipping" of actors with each other. "Shipping" generally takes the form of fans speculating that two fictional characters should date/marry each other, but apparently, that can also cross into real life. Some POTO Phans continue to insist, for example, that Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess should date, even though Ramin is (as I mentioned before) happily married, and Sierra is engaged to fellow stage actor Tam Mutu. And I remember that in the wake of the 2004 movie version of POTO, lots of Phans were saying Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum should date, even though there's a pretty huge age difference between them. Responding to those fans' notions, Emmy said that she considers Gerard to be more of an "older brother" figure, and not someone she'd consider dating.

A related (and rather troubling) thing I've noticed is when people start baseless rumors about celebrities. I once saw a thread on a POTO site that will go unnamed, where a few people were speculating that Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman were having an illicit relationship while rehearsing and performing in POTO. When someone else stepped in and asked them to either offer some actual proof or stop that kind of chatter, those members said they were only kidding around.

No. Not okay. It's bad enough when there's gossip among high school students about who's sleeping with whom, but when that crosses over into people making up rumors -- on a public forum, mind you -- about celebrities having affairs, it can cause some very real trouble. It can cause some headaches for the actors who those "fans" claim to adore, what with the potential for awkward questions from the press or higher-ups taking those rumors seriously and not hiring them. It can also severely damage the online reputations of people who go around creating those rumors; remember, once you post something online, it may never truly vanish even if you delete it, and might affect your career or personal life in the future.

Well, that's my rant for today, although sometime later on, I may get more into the apparent preoccupation with "sexy" that some people (and not just Phans) seem to have when it comes to POTO.


I remain your obedient servant,
I.A.E.

A Frighteningly Fun Project

Greetings, Phans!

Well, I finished my latest semester of college, and this was an especially fun one for me. One of the main reasons why is because I took a class on horror literature. In that class, we studied some well-known and influential works of horror, from Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto (widely considered to be the first Gothic novel), through the famous ones like Stoker's Dracula and Shelley's Frankenstein, up to modern works like Stephen King's The Shining, and even some urban legends dealing with ghosts or spirits encountering people in Hawaii.

POTO, sadly, wasn't a part of the curriculum. However, for an end-of-semester project, all the students got to give PowerPoint presentations on the horror-related subject of our choice. No prizes for guessing what I picked. I presented a very brief history of POTO, from the novel to the many film and stage versions. It had to be brief, since every student had a 10-minute time limit for presenting.

I think the presentation went pretty well; my professor congratulated me on researching my subject so extensively. (I neglected to mention that most of that research had been done for fun, long before the project was assigned.) Also, I found out that one of my classmates had been in the technical crew for Palikū Theatre's production last fall. She shared some secrets, including the fact that the makeup designers were originally going to try an even more horrific disfigurement for the Phantom but couldn't get it to look right, so they settled for the "leprosy" look I described in my reviews (which, in my opinion, was still very effective).

A lot of the other students' presentations were also great fun. There were slideshows on just about every random horror-related topic you could imagine, from The Exorcist to doppelgängers. And now, the semester's over, and I'm preparing for a summer vacation that just might be even more epic than my last one.

Feel free to comment if you found ways to bring POTO into some of your school projects in the past! (I will say that this presentation certainly wasn't the first time that the Phantom's tale has found its way into my schoolwork. I even referenced the story in my SAT exam once, and from what I can recall, I got a pretty respectable score for it. Yay, I suppose!)


I remain your obedient servant,
I.A.E.

A Death in the Phamily

Greetings, Phans!

Just a short update today. Another round of sad news for Phans has come out -- actor William Finley, who played Winslow Leach (a.k.a. the Phantom) in Brian De Palma's 1974 cult classic film Phantom of the Paradise, passed away this past Saturday at age 69. Here's a news article about him.

Your obedient servant,
I.A.E.

Phantom 25th Anniversary Observations

Greetings, all!

Last night, my local PBS station showed the 25th anniversary concert for POTO. Even though I have the Blu-Ray, I decided to watch it, mainly to see if there were any weird issues with the broadcast (since when they showed the “Les Misérables” 25th anniversary concert last year, the music for the whole thing somehow ended up in a lower key), and also to see if there were any interesting conversations or guests during the breaks where they’d ask for donations to the station. Thankfully, there were no strange problems with the broadcast that I noticed. They had a great lineup of special guests to talk about their history with the show and with PBS, though -- they brought on Ramin Karimloo and Colm Wilkinson, and also the current Phantom and Christine from the Broadway cast, Hugh Panaro and Trista Moldovan.

Anyway, the reason why I’m posting about this is that I noticed a few interesting things while watching the concert for what was really the second time. The only other time was when I saw it in the movie theater last October; I had watched certain scenes from my Blu-Ray copy, but not the whole thing. Anyway, here are some of my observations from last night’s showing of the concert:

- I’m not sure if it’s an issue with the broadcast or with my speakers, but my TV didn’t seem to like Ramin Karimloo or Gareth Snook too much. There ended up being a really weird echo on many (but not all) of their lines and no one else’s. Or maybe my TV is haunted.

- When Ramin first appears (on the projection screen) in the mirror scene, the mask is on the left side of his face. Yes, I know it’s a mirror, but the idea is that the Phantom’s behind the mirror, not that he’s showing up as a mirror image. You’d think after the whole thing with the ’04 movie poster putting the mask on the wrong side of the Phantom’s face, RUG would be more wary about that sort of thing happening in a venue where die-hard Phans would notice. XD

- Ramin Karimloo’s mask design in the concert seemed a bit odd to me, but watching the TV broadcast, I think I finally understand why they did it that way. The brow of the mask seems to have been made so that no matter what Ramin’s facial expression was in any scene, the mask would appear to reflect that. Then again, maybe that was the point with every production’s mask design, and it just took me this long to notice it. But in any case, it’s pretty ingenious if they did that on purpose.

- They unfortunately seemed to have used a different take for “Stranger Than You Dreamt It” where Ramin was more restrained -- in the theatrical showing, he was much more violent. What is it with Phantoms having to get their performances of this scene unnecessarily toned down? (See also: Brad Little, John Owen-Jones, and several others.)

- There was one thing that hit me as a possibly brilliant idea to use in the “Notes” sequences -- they didn’t do it in the concert, but I’d love it if a future production tried it. Basically, they could have the managers, Raoul, and everyone else who gets a note from the Phantom visibly struggling to read his handwriting. It would be a great, subtle nod to Leroux’s novel, I think.

- I forgot to check in the “Stranger Than You Dreamt It” scene, but when Ramin’s Phantom appears on the projection screen during “Notes,” it’s clear that he’s writing with his left hand. Yay!

- Colm Wilkinson’s normal speaking voice (when PBS interviewed him to ask about his experiences with the show and what PBS meant to him) was completely different from what I had expected after being so used to hearing him sing for so many years.

- The fire jets added to the Phantom’s escapes in the “Masquerade” and “Point of No Return” scenes, as well as their use in the graveyard scene, give the impression that Ramin’s Phantom is much more of a pyromaniac than other versions. Since I had some pyro tendencies when I was younger (and still kinda do), this intrigued me.

- Even though I still really dislike Hadley Fraser’s Raoul in the dressing room and rooftop scenes, I have to admit he redeems himself pretty well in Act 2 (especially from the graveyard scene onward). Maybe that’s intentional character development?

- The Phantom’s line “Let the audience in” was removed from the scene where Raoul was instructing the police on what to do if the Phantom should appear. This incredibly minor omission keeps the 25th anniversary Blu-Ray, DVD, and CD from being truly complete recordings of the show.

- I remember having to hold in a particularly loud ‘squee’ when I noticed while watching the concert in the theater that castanets were added to the orchestrations of “Point of No Return” -- I’d wanted them to do that ever since first hearing the song. Sadly, the castanets weren’t nearly as prominent in audio recordings of the concert, but they were back in full force for the TV broadcast. *fist pump*

- The editing team managed to cut the bit that occurred during the live theatrical showing, where a projection screen showed white noise for a long while during Andrew Lloyd Webber’s speech at the end. This means that either the editors were extremely thorough, or Lord Andrew was wearing the same blue shirt for two or more performances from which that part was able to be spliced together.

- I still get chills in the fourth verse of the title song encore, when Anthony Warlow and John Owen-Jones are singing together.

Those were some of the things I noticed while watching the concert. Feel free to comment with your own observations!

I remain your obedient servant,

I.A.E.

New Stuff, Ahoy!

Hey, all!

So it's been a while since my latest update... Sadly, the Las Vegas production is still slated to close. I'm hoping to get a chance to see it again before then. But there has been no shortage of other Phantom news lately.

A couple weeks ago, the 25th anniversary concert was released on Blu-Ray, DVD, and CD, and you can find it at pretty much any store that sells music or movies, including the iTunes store. For my money, though, the best deal is at Barnes & Noble, where buying the Blu-Ray edition will also get you a miniature replica of the souvenir program that was given to everyone who attended the live performances. It's small enough to fit in the movie case, but still, I'd say it's worth it.

The Broadway production reached a couple of milestones in the past month -- they had their 24th anniversary performance, followed shortly afterward by their 10,000th performance (which was accompanied by performances on CBS's "This Morning" by stars Hugh Panaro, Trista Moldovan, and Kyle Barisich). Andrew Lloyd Webber also appeared on "This Morning" as well as ABC's "The View" to talk about POTO and other career highlights.

ALW's sequel, "Love Never Dies," will apparently be shown in movie theaters around the world this coming Tuesday, followed eventually by a Blu-Ray and DVD release of its own for anyone who does care to see it. As for myself, I might rent it on Netflix eventually... In the meantime, YouTube can satisfy any morbid curiosity I might have (which hasn't been much, really).

The big news in a lot of Phan communities, though, is that also this coming week, the new UK touring production of POTO will begin. It'll star John Owen-Jones as the Phantom, Katie Hall as Christine, and Simon Bailey as Raoul, and will feature new set designs and direction that will theoretically enable it to be performed in smaller theaters and make it easier to transport from one city to the next. Some Phans have been skeptical about the need to redesign the sets and worry that the new staging will rely too much on projections. Some have also expressed worries that the new version might be geared towards justifying the sequel by portraying Raoul as less sympathetic or making the Phantom less mysterious. I haven't really done much speculating of my own, though; my attitude is that we'll see what happens, and I doubt the story, characters, and music will be weakened no matter what the new sets are like. But certainly, once photos or videos from the new production come out, I'll offer my views on the new things they've tried.

To me, the beauty of theater is that unlike film, productions are always changing. Even seeing the same show twice with the same cast, you'll be seeing two completely different performances. In addition, plays, musicals, and operas are constantly evolving. I find new, redesigned productions of classic shows to be fascinating -- I've marveled at modern, reinterpreted visions of Shakespeare's plays and avant-garde productions of well-known operas, and I appreciated the creativity brought to them even if I wasn't fond of every aspect of their design. While I understand the reasons why Cameron Mackintosh has, in the past, tried to make sure that all his productions of musicals looked the same, I think it's limited the shows' potential as far as creativity and ability to reach new audiences. I once told a couple of my Phan friends that I would even be willing to watch a performance of POTO with no sets and with all the performers wearing t-shirts and jeans, as long as the music, story, and characters were communicated well. I stand by that view, although I certainly don't think the new touring production will be stripped down to that extent. People are certainly free to disagree, but I'd rather see the show able to continue performing well into the future and touching the hearts of millions rather than ending because nobody wanted to risk trying something new. I want more people to discover the joys of Phantom as I did -- randomly hearing about a production going on, being exposed to the story and music, and then getting to discover each version and imagine the possibilities of what could be done with such a brilliant and universal concept.


I remain your obedient servant,
I.A.E.

Sad News

Greetings, all.

Some really sad news came out last night... According to their official Facebook page, Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular will be closing down this September. The final performance will be on September 2nd. Words can't express how shocked I was to hear this or how sorry I am to see this magnificent production go. I'll definitely try to see it at least one more time before it closes. In any case, I hope all the performers in the Las Vegas company will be able to find work with other shows before too long, and that some of them might wind up getting to be in a new touring production or the Broadway cast somewhere down the road.

If you haven't gotten to read my review from when I saw the show in Vegas last summer, check it out here:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Also, here's a video clip of Anthony Crivello (Phantom) and Kristen Hertzenberg (Christine alternate) performing a shortened version of "Music of the Night" (and also doing a short interview) on Good Day LA. It was filmed and broadcast the morning of June 27, 2011 -- the same day I saw Tony in the Vegas show for the first time -- and was uploaded to YouTube by a close friend who saw the show with me that night and the next.

If you haven't seen the show in Vegas yet (or even if you have), catch it before it disappears! I promise you'll be amazed.


I remain your obedient servant,
I.A.E.

These are My Confessions...

Greetings once again, and Happy New Year! I hope 2012 will be a wonderful year for all of you.

To celebrate the new year and my third Phanniversary (having first seen the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical on this date in 2009), I thought I'd share some of my confessions, courtesy of a Tumblr page I discovered called Phantom of the Opera Confessions. Enjoy, and feel free to contribute some of your own if you wish. I should note that none of these images were created or posted by me; they were put up by various Tumblr users who follow the page, but I found myself agreeing with them as well.