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Post by spathzthecat on Sept 9, 2022 15:00:51 GMT
Hi
ALW is renaming the theatre to His Majesty's Theatre
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Post by distantcousin on Sept 9, 2022 18:14:41 GMT
That's the spirit. Other events could take a tip and not decide for us we're too grief stricken.
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Post by mrbarnaby on Sept 9, 2022 21:12:51 GMT
I think if they are going to the effort of renaming the theatre and changing the signage- they should just get a new show in there.
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Post by Jon on Sept 10, 2022 10:42:18 GMT
Any chance of renaming the Duke of York's Theatre while they are at it? The Duke of York's isn't named after Andrew, it was named after George V before he was King, same with the Prince Edward Theatre, it's named the then Prince Edward, later Edward VIII. |
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Post by kyvai on Sept 10, 2022 17:13:22 GMT
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Post by aptheguy on Sept 11, 2022 0:55:58 GMT
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Post by sukhavati on Sept 11, 2022 9:27:12 GMT
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Post by kyvai on Sept 12, 2022 6:32:21 GMT
Oh dear? I think that sounds quite fun!
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Post by Figaro on Sept 12, 2022 8:48:24 GMT
Oh dear? I think that sounds quite fun! Agreed! |
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Post by ctas on Sept 12, 2022 11:24:35 GMT
See How They Sing? Count me in.
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Post by marob on Sept 12, 2022 12:58:50 GMT
Interesting to see he’s using TV to drum up publicity again. Are the long runners struggling? With this and the Mamma Mia TV show can’t help wondering if we’ll see closures.
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Post by inthenose on Sept 12, 2022 15:22:16 GMT
Interesting to see he’s using TV to drum up publicity again. Are the long runners struggling? With this and the Mamma Mia TV show can’t help wondering if we’ll see closures. Phantom is certainly doing no great shakes and is discounting consistently around 30-40%. However, it was doing this prior to closure and lockdown so I wouldn’t read too much into that. When I went it was around 2/3rds full - but the ticket was a steal, plus they do dayseats now. With the show being much, much cheaper to operate now the lack of tourist rebound post-COVID is offset. No clue on Mamma Mia, which frankly I’m astonished is still going at all. |
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Post by Being Alive on Sept 12, 2022 15:23:17 GMT
Mamma Mia doing remarkably well - not in any risk of closing to my knowledge
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Post by Seriously on Sept 12, 2022 16:17:38 GMT
I'm not sure the producers of a TV series asking to use Phantom as the backdrop for their show is a sign of ALW needing to drum up publicity.
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Post by sukhavati on Sept 13, 2022 2:58:26 GMT
Oh dear? I think that sounds quite fun! Agreed! I'm just remembering the Disney-fication of Darth Vader. He was supposed to be the scary villain until they started having Star Wars days at Walt Disney World and Vader was copying Michael Jackson choreography, or featured in a television advert watching the parade with popcorn or riding the Astro Orbiter or whatever it's called these days. It took Rogue One to make him scary again.
Considering how Phantom has already transitioned, not to mention the multitudes of fanart and fanfics of every ship available that make the character sweet and misunderstood, this is just one more step toward the official cutes...
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 13, 2022 5:52:25 GMT
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 17, 2022 4:59:07 GMT
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Post by inthenose on Sept 17, 2022 6:19:27 GMT
So *is* Phantom not long for the bong? Realistically, probably. What I will say is everyone is mum and knew nothing about Broadway’s upcoming “closure”.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2022 20:30:49 GMT
My gosh, well the news from NYC, whilst not that surprising in these tough times we are living through my Dears, has certainly made me stop to think. One sometimes imagines the shows one loves will run forever, but all good things must and do come to an end. This is life. This is reality. And through the sadness there can be positivity I think. Life is a journey. Events create change. Otherwise there would be no movement. No evolution. 35 years is amazing. Nobody could have dreamed it in 1988, Dears.
But my main conclusion - how truly lucky we are to have this glorious musical playing in London. I really shall appreciate it all the more now. I was there at the beginning and saw it in the 80's, 90's, 00's and 10's (my own position on the endless debate I have seen on here is that it had got very tired over the last two decades and now has new life). And now this fresh version which has risen from the ashes of the global hell of the coronavirus. And of which I am very fond.
So where NYC has sadly come to the end of the line, unviable in the current climate, London lives on. Personally I think ALW and CM have taken some brave decisions and I thank them for it - it has ensured, for now at least, the longevity of this glorious production. Bravo!
And so lovely to see 4 and 5 stars accounting for the majority of members here.
Will it stay forever? I doubt it.
Tomorrow I will watch the funeral of the Queen.
And I think on Tuesday I will get a ticket for Phantom London. My 7th since the lockdowns. I will see it while it's there my Dears. And long may the music of the night serenade our great capital!
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Post by FrontroverPaul on Sept 18, 2022 23:16:45 GMT
Just back from John Owen-Jones' concert at Her Majesty's Theatre tonight.
Highlight of a great show was was John and four other Phantoms performing Music Of The Night together on stage. Earl Carpenter, Ben Forster, Scott Davies and - I think - the current Canadian Phantom whose name I didn't catch.
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Post by thistimetomorrow on Sept 19, 2022 9:59:32 GMT
the current Canadian Phantom whose name I didn't catch. Tim Howar, although I don't think he's currently a Phantom anywhere. He was Phantom in the West End back in 2018 I think? |
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Post by Distant Dreamer... on Sept 19, 2022 19:38:34 GMT
the current Canadian Phantom whose name I didn't catch. Tim Howar, although I don't think he's currently a Phantom anywhere. He was Phantom in the West End back in 2018 I think? I don’t remember him? I think this may spell bad news for Phantom in London. Let’s hope not. |
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Post by FrontroverPaul on Sept 19, 2022 19:46:17 GMT
Tim Howar, although I don't think he's currently a Phantom anywhere. He was Phantom in the West End back in 2018 I think? I don’t remember him? I think this may spell bad news for Phantom in London. Let’s hope not. I think Tim Howar was announced as the " Canadian Phantom" which I wrongly took to mean that he was playing the role now in Canada, rather than a Canadian who had played the Phantom here in London. |
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Post by anthony on Sept 19, 2022 20:53:02 GMT
Just back from John Owen-Jones' concert at Her Majesty's Theatre tonight. Highlight of a great show was was John and four other Phantoms performing Music Of The Night together on stage. Earl Carpenter, Ben Forster, Scott Davies and - I think - the current Canadian Phantom whose name I didn't catch. Carpenter is wonderful. I really hope we'll get to see him as Phantom again... |
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Post by inthenose on Sept 20, 2022 0:14:50 GMT
Just back from John Owen-Jones' concert at Her Majesty's Theatre tonight. Highlight of a great show was was John and four other Phantoms performing Music Of The Night together on stage. Earl Carpenter, Ben Forster, Scott Davies and - I think - the current Canadian Phantom whose name I didn't catch. Carpenter is wonderful. I really hope we'll get to see him as Phantom again... Earl’s a strange case. I’ve seen most of Earl’s major credits - Gaston/Beast in “Beauty and the Beast” (West End and tour), Joe in “Sunset Boulevard” (tour with Faith Brown), Bishop of Digne/Javert in “Les Mis” (West End and tour), Perón in “Evita” (tour with Abi Jaye), Khasoggi in “We Will Rock You” (tour) and of course Phantom (West End and tour). But I actually saw a very nervy Earl Carpenter’s debut as The Phantom (Monday 4th September 2003, with an equally nervous Katie Knight-Adams and a young Ramin Karimloo, if you’re curious). He was John Owen-Jones’s new standby, and was thrown in with the new cast all making their debuts. His voice was… very different to how it is now. Those who enjoy bloopers and such should check out his “Mirror” on YouTube from said performance, available on YouTube. Goodness knows who recorded that. ‘Tis all in good fun! Oh, and the boat broke down. His evolution as Phantom was really quite astonishing. I was able to watch him around 10-15 times in the show during his tenure. His voice started off very thin and nasal on his big notes (MotN, Final Lair) but over time, with presumably lots of ongoing vocal coaching, his voice rivalled JoJ’s in power and gravitas. By the time he had played it full-time for a while, he was vocally superb and his acting was moving and sincere. Then… something weird happened. I don’t know if Earl stayed a little too long or perhaps the show was being neglected by the RD, but his performances got very… “big”. His vocals were in his new, brilliant powerful tenor. His acting could be seen from Jupiter.One particular performance I remember was the 20th Anniversary performance in 2006 (the one where he came out at the end and did a Frank Spencer impression!)… his acting was downright hilarious. He was shaking, wildly gesticulating… He was back somewhat to form for the Connor tour (ugh) in 2010, but hindered by that production. So yes, I really, really like Earl and it feels like I’ve seen him run the gamut of roles, his voice markedly changing, his performances ranging from bored (Evita), pantomime (WWRY) to both the sublime and ridiculous (Phantom). I can see him coming back in the future - if the show makes it. He’s probably exactly what is needed for a few years. A steady pair of hands, professionally at least. |
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