Grinning yellows, spinning reds! New York City shines in honor of #ThePhantomoftheOpera's 30th year on.
COMPLETE: first of all, this is so far the most complete official English full recording of this musical I've ever heard (there were a few changes in the order of the lines, e.g. Firmin and André's entrance is after the rehearsal of 'Hannibal' instead of during the ballet; but there is more or less the full original text). A little modification was made in the ending of 'Whishing you were somehow here again', adding an orchestral climax where the original had an ending nearly a cappella (which, frankly, was better).
Better also the sound effects, especially the Phantom's fireballs, in the second act, where they sound as a blaze, whereas in Crawford's recording they sounded like crackers.
VS. THE ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING: while perhaps Sierra Boggess has not Sarah Brightman's purest voice, she studied as a soprano and it's rather evident, her top ringing somehow like Brightman's - even though it's fuller and warmer; Ramin Karimloo's nearly baritone-voice is doubtlessly better suited to the Phantom than Michael Crawford's lightest tenor.
VS. SCHUMACHER'S 2004 CAST (2 disc integrale soundtrack): Schumacher's movie's cast is quite opposite to the Original Cast recording: a baritone Phantom (Butler's rocky voice), and a Christine (Emmy Rossum) with a rather feeble voice (usually quite unsuitable for an opera singer, even though some professional sopranos - e.g. Kathleen Battle - do have a similar one). Schumacher's demystifying approcah is perhaps the most evident change from the original show (he shows us the Phantom's tricks, which are hinted but never shown as such in the theatre musical) - other than nearly full rewriting and (apparently reasonless) switching of diaglogues and 'recitatives' (see 'Think of it: a secret ingagement; look your future bride!' which is throughly sung in the musical, whereas the movie has just 'Think of it' sung by Rossum, then switching with no reason to spoken dialogue).
ORCHESTRA: the orchestration is quite rich, with the enormous orchestra they assembled for the event, and the acting is very good.
LIVE RECORDING: on the other hand, cheering and other audience noises are present, even if very few (just some cheering after two or three big famous numbers). Of course, you should own both this and the video recording in order to fully appreciate the performance.
LOVE NEVER DIES: moreover, the two leads link this recording to that of 'Love never dies' (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002S0OBMS?keywords=love%20never%20dies&qid=1441032212&ref_=sr_1_1&s=music&sr=1-1) (being the same in both recordings).
Better also the sound effects, especially the Phantom's fireballs, in the second act, where they sound as a blaze, whereas in Crawford's recording they sounded like crackers.
VS. THE ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING: while perhaps Sierra Boggess has not Sarah Brightman's purest voice, she studied as a soprano and it's rather evident, her top ringing somehow like Brightman's - even though it's fuller and warmer; Ramin Karimloo's nearly baritone-voice is doubtlessly better suited to the Phantom than Michael Crawford's lightest tenor.
VS. SCHUMACHER'S 2004 CAST (2 disc integrale soundtrack): Schumacher's movie's cast is quite opposite to the Original Cast recording: a baritone Phantom (Butler's rocky voice), and a Christine (Emmy Rossum) with a rather feeble voice (usually quite unsuitable for an opera singer, even though some professional sopranos - e.g. Kathleen Battle - do have a similar one). Schumacher's demystifying approcah is perhaps the most evident change from the original show (he shows us the Phantom's tricks, which are hinted but never shown as such in the theatre musical) - other than nearly full rewriting and (apparently reasonless) switching of diaglogues and 'recitatives' (see 'Think of it: a secret ingagement; look your future bride!' which is throughly sung in the musical, whereas the movie has just 'Think of it' sung by Rossum, then switching with no reason to spoken dialogue).
ORCHESTRA: the orchestration is quite rich, with the enormous orchestra they assembled for the event, and the acting is very good.
LIVE RECORDING: on the other hand, cheering and other audience noises are present, even if very few (just some cheering after two or three big famous numbers). Of course, you should own both this and the video recording in order to fully appreciate the performance.
LOVE NEVER DIES: moreover, the two leads link this recording to that of 'Love never dies' (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002S0OBMS?keywords=love%20never%20dies&qid=1441032212&ref_=sr_1_1&s=music&sr=1-1) (being the same in both recordings).
Cameron Mackintosh calls it “the 25-year itch.”
The producer of musicals such as “Les Misérables,” “Cats,” “Miss Saigon,” “Oliver” and “Mary Poppins,” feels the need to refresh some of his past successes about every 25 years as well as some classics. He’s recently redone “Miss Saigon” and “Les Misérables,” but also done classics “My Fair Lady” twice and “Oliver” three times.
“It’s something I love doing just as much” as creating original musicals, he says. “It’s a great challenge.”
One of his reimaginings is coming to Austin this week as part of the Broadway in Austin series. “The Phantom of the Opera,” which Mackintosh created with Andrew Lloyd Webber, first appeared on stage in 1986 in London and then as a fresh take in 2012. It comes to Bass Concert Hall April 19 through April 30.
Mackintosh says he doesn’t redo a musical just to redo it.
“Because I know it inside and out, I’m my own greatest critic,” he says. “Is something as good or just change for change’s sake, which I don’t agree with,” he asks himself.
If that’s the case, then he says he keeps at it until it is just as good, probably better.
While the script and music are essentially the same in this “Phantom,” the staging is vastly different in ways that will surprise audiences who saw the original.
“Anyone who has seen it, hasn’t seen it like this,” he says. “The material is exactly the same with a few little tweaks, but just the way the show works is very different.”
Audiences who saw the 1980s “Phantom,” won’t be disappointed by the change, Mackintosh says. “They are seeing something they may know, but as long as it’s good, they love the difference.”
For those who have never seen a “Phantom,” will feel like they are seeing something new, he says.
“The brilliant musicals can be re-examined by a different generation,” he says. “They will have a different viewpoint.”
For this reimagined “Phantom,” Mackintosh went back to the 1910 book by Gaston Leroux and thought about who this phantom was. He was an inventor.
This new version takes the hall of mirrors in the book and makes it an essential element. The whole stage opens and closes and becomes things. Mackintosh likens it to a giant Advent calendar. “We can go places that we could never go in the original,” Mackintosh says.
Doors open and the Phantom appears. We see a whole lot more of the backstage of the famous opera house the Phantom occupies. We watch the Phantom stalk Christine as parts of the stage move to show us the Phantom’s movement throughout the theater.
“The approach is more visceral,” he says. “It’s much more real world.” It also feels more dangerous, less high romance, Mackintosh says.
Many of the signature scenes of the original: the falling chandelier, the boat ride descent into the Phantom’s lair, are done completely differently.
“It’s more shocking what it does,” Mackintosh says of the chandelier. Scenes like the boat ride, he says, “are equally striking, but in different ways.”
The way the chandelier works would not have been possible 30 years ago. Advances in computers and lighting technology make it all possible.
“What I love about this show is it’s its own thing,” he says.
Mackintosh says he currently has 30 to 40 productions going on around the world at any given time. His newest work is a new version of “Half of Sixpence,” a little-known 1963 musical based on an H.G. Wells book “Kipps” that was turned into a 1968 movie. It’s now in London. He also is bringing “Hamilton” to London. This fall, he’s bringing a new “Les Misérables” to North American stages. His “Miss Saigon,” which is currently on Broadway, will be touring North America 18 months from now. Both, fingers crossed, will make their way to Austin.
“The Phantom of the Opera”
When: 8 p.m. April 19-22, April 25-29, 1 p.m. April 20 and April 22 and April 30, 2 p.m. April 22 and April 29, 7 p.m. April 22 and April 29.
Where: Bass Concert Hall, 2350 Robert Dedman Drive
Tickets: $30 and up.
Information:BroadwayinAustin.com, Bass Concert Hall box office, all Texas Box Office Outlets, 512-477-6060