Phantom of the Opera disappointment

Tupins

I'm just back from London where I went to see Phantom of the Opera for the first time. I have been wanting to go to this for years and was really excited. We went to London specifically to see it.

But I have to say I was a bit disappointed by it. I know a couple of people who have been and all used the words "brilliant" "fantastic" etc to describe it so I really was expecting it to be good. The set was good and the costumes, and the singing was pretty good overall although there were one or two bum notes along the way (I did some singing training so I'd have a good ear for that kind of thing) - but I don't know I just felt that as a show it was only ok. I think it lacked energy or something. Also at one point the skin mask on the phantom (as in what was supposed to be his skin, as opposed to the actual mask he wears) was flapping off quite noticably which just really ruined the illusion. After 22 years running I wonder have the standards dropped? Perhaps it's inevitable. Maybe I was just unlucky and went on a bad night? Or perhaps my expectations were too high. I mean, I've been to Blood Brothers in Cork Opera House and I thought that was superb so I assumed that this would be even better or simply as good.

Has anyone else been recently? What did you think?

Hrududu

I went to see it a few years back and thought it was tired then. The spectacle was good, like with the chandelier etc. But at times it felt like they were going through the motions. And I had been looking forward to it for a while.

Tupins

Thanks for the response. I'm glad I'm not the only one. I thought that I was the problem because everyone else I spoke to thought it was outstanding!

Oh well...

Honey-ec

Sometimes you can just catch a musical on an off-night too. I saw Miss Saigon 5 times while it was in the Point, 4 nights it was excellent and one night (typically, the night I'd dragged a few workmates along), it was just really, really flat. Joanna Ampil seemed very tired and her voice wasn't up to its usual standard, and the whole show just seemed limp.

It's happened to shows I've been in too, and for no discernible reason - the cast are nearly always aware of it too, but it can be very hard to lift a show when you can't put your finger on what the problem is in the first place!

QuadLeo

I've seen Phantom of the Opera twice. In the Point years ago, and in London in April. I have to say I was a bit disappointed with the London performance. Don't get me wrong, it was a a superb show by all accounts but I felt it was missing something. There was no buzz in the theatre. I got the impression that the cast, crew and most of the audience were just going through the motions. I was very impressed with the performance in Dublin however.
It's a great musical but maybe it just needs a break for a while and then a fresh start in a new venue or something. It's been in the same place since 1986 I think.

JohnK

I've only seen it in Sydney, which I thought it was excellent, and I was going to see it in London to compare but I was told by a few people that the London performance would be a disappointment. They were mainly on about the age of the set, lighting and the layout of the theatre. Its put me off London anyway so I think I'll just stick with my last Phantom being Anthony Warlow rather than the current London guy.

Niamh-17

I saw Phantom in London last Easter and i have to say i thought it was amazing! I was blown away by everything, i thought the special techniques were great such as when they are going down to the dungeon while singing "phantom of the opera", and the chandelier was so good too, but thats just my impression of it!

Galvasean

Ive been told the Sydney Opera House do the best rendition of The Phantom Of The opera.

Due to relaxed Oz safety standards the chandelier bit is extra special

JohnK

Well I dont know about that as I saw it in the Lyric Theatre (StarCity Casino) but it was certainly very impressive there 8)

KarlBray74

I saw Phantom in London and in my opinion did not leave going "wow". I was disappointed but in hindsight was that because of the "hype".

To me the best musical is Les Miserables...but saw that years ago before all the ex or failed boy band cast members joined the cast.

Some great songs in Phantom but the cast just seemed to be going through the motions..maybe it is just too familiar and too hyped.

Tupins

Pity I didn't come across a thread like this before I spent all that money on going to see it!!

Oh well...glad to know it wasn't just me anyway. I nearly felt guilty for not liking it!

evil-monkey

in her Majesty's??

i saw it myself only a few weeks back and i have to say that i thoroughly enjoyed it.

Le Rack

meant to be going to her majesty's to see this for valentines with my boyf, admittedly I've no massive standards for it, none the less couldn't wait but reading this is sorta a downer...

erm...this may be a stupid question but I gotta ask anyway, just to be on the safe side! it is formal dress right? like black tie and evening gown sorta job?

thank you

evil-monkey

Le Rack wrote: »

meant to be going to her majesty's to see this for valentines with my boyf, admittedly I've no massive standards for it, none the less couldn't wait but reading this is sorta a downer...

erm...this may be a stupid question but I gotta ask anyway, just to be on the safe side! it is formal dress right? like black tie and evening gown sorta job?

thank you

firstly - i thought it was fantastic so do look forward to it.

secondly - it's not formal, but dress nice. I wore a shirt and nice coat without a tie. Girlfriend wore a nice clothes (like i'd remember what she was wearing). there will be the odd person in black tie and evening gowns, but they are few and far between. nice smart dress is perfect.

Le Rack

cool thank you!

fergusm76

Myself and my OH went to see it in Marchin London. Actually had a musical extravaganza, did Wicked in the afternoon (that was fantastic) and Phantom that evening. I felt it dragged and our seats were awful. Very left of 2nd balcony, part of stage blocked (and wouldn't you know a lot of the action happened where we couldn't see). That certainly didn't help. I don't know if I'd ever rush to see it again after wanting to see it for so long.

Dublinstiofán

I saw it two years ago in London and it was fantastic, i think you were just unlucky.

Saw it a couple of months ago in Las Vegas too, it was amazing. I'd highly recommend the Las Vegas show to anybody. The Phantom played by Anthony Crivello was the best i've ever seen. It's still on at the Venetian i think.

The set cost Millions and something like €40 million in total to recreate it in the Venetian hotel.

athtrasna

Dublinstiofán wrote: »

Saw it a couple of months ago in Las Vegas too, it was amazing. I'd highly recommend the Las Vegas show to anybody. The Phantom played by Anthony Crivello was the best i've ever seen. It's still on at the Venetian i think.

The set cost Millions and something like €40 million in total to recreate it in the Venetian hotel.

Have to disagree with you I'm afraid. The script and the music has been butchered to make the show fit into the 90 minutes required for a Vegas show (so they can do 2 a night), even the amazing overture was chopped. I know the programme says that ALW was very proud of the adaptation but we all know he's gone off the boil with recent productions.

The set is SPECTACULAR in Vegas, I'll grant you that. The theatre was like an icebox and many of the performances mediocre.


I liked the London version, apart from Christine the night we saw it. The actress (understudy) was clearly a stretched mezzo rather than a true soprano and her upper range was a screech, and a weak one at that.

I like the show, but the Vegas production left me cold in more ways than one. God only knows what ALW is going to do for the sequel he's supposedly writitng!

Aoifums

athtrasna wrote: »

God only knows what ALW is going to do for the sequel he's supposedly writitng!

Don't mention that thing to me... We'rer talking about the Phantom, not some awful, quickly written, poorly planned attempt at a musical. There can be no sequel. A prequel, I can imagine. But not a sequel.

The three times I've seen Phantom in London, it has been amazing. But one of my friends saw it in New York and she said it wasn't that great.

JohnK

Anyone know which are the seats to avoid in London? I've heard the theatre has columns through the stalls that can block the view a bit.

athtrasna

for all London shows check out www.theatremonkey.co.uk - they have great seating charts showing seats to avoid and seats to book.

dave13

seen this last weekend in London. While I was very impressed with the production, I had the same problem with not been able to see a part of the stage where a lot of the scenes occur. We were in the upper Circle, but seats like that should be advertised as restricted view as I missed a lot of key scenes

davylee

i saw it last year in london and was blown away. the hype can be a terrible thing. expectations become enormous. there's some incredible acting and singing in it

coconut5

I saw it on Broadway last March, I loved it. I don't know which Phantom it was, but he was amazing. The chandelier stuff and the stairs and smoke are so cool. And the music of course.