![]() ![]() Anthony Inglis leads the superb 200-strong orchestra from the tiered set with gusto.Īfter the curtain call, a beaming Lloyd Webber is joined by his “angel of music,” ex-wife Sarah Brightman, who sings the title song, with flailing arms. The chandelier does indeed look spectacular as it is unwrapped and rises to the ceiling after the opening auction scene. The producers did an impressive job of transforming the Royal Albert Hall into the Opera Populaire, complete with a multitude of large, gilded angels in the false proscenium. It’s reported that “Phantom” has a total box-office gross of an astonishing $5.6 billion and has played before 130 million people worldwide. Along with productions that continue in New York and London, the show has open-ended runs in Budapest, Hungary Kyoto, Japan and Las Vegas. ![]() “Phantom” was the last of the special effects-laden mega-musicals, featuring the famous scene with a massive chandelier plummeting from the theater ceiling to just 20 feet above the audience’s heads. Hadley Fraser plays Raoul with verve and passion. It’s a thrill to hear Karimloo’s seemingly limitless tenor and Boggess’ flawless soprano, and they give delicately emotive performances. In “Phantom 25,” the stars are tremendous. Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess, who originated the roles of the Phantom and Christine Daae in the “Phantom” sequel “Love Never Dies” at its 2010 London opening, repeat their roles for “Phantom 25.” While “Love Never Dies” flopped and was unanimously trashed (with one wag ridiculing it as “Paint Never Dries”), Karimloo and Boggess triumphed in the short-lived production. The cast is flat-out superb, and the opulent set eclipses the grandeur of the currently running Broadway and West End productions, impossible as that sounds. Mackintosh had said that he wanted “something special, above and beyond just another gala performance.” And “Phantom 25,” as the re-staging has come to be known, is indeed something special. The chandelier crashes to the stage once again - this time on public television.Īt the 25th anniversary of the longest-running theater production, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and producer Cameron Mackintosh last October presented “The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall.” The lavish celebration of the musical was broadcast live to 500 theater screens in Britain and the U.S., and the recorded program will air at 7 p.m. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |