Review: PotO at RAH
Everyone else seems to be posting their reviews of the Royal Albert Hall concert, so why not jump on the bandwagon? Here are my disorganized thoughts, entitled:
PotO at Royal Albert Hall; or, 101 Camp Things to Do With LCD Screens
Before The Show: Arrive about 10 minutes beforetime to catch the tail end of the “gosh-how-amazing-are-we” pre-show documentary. Successfully avoid any mention of That Damn Sequel, which helps me maintain a frame of mind I’ve adopted for my own sanity: THERE IS NO SEQUEL. No such animal, anywhere. Anything that happens in the ensuing performance will be judged not on any potential relation to this nonexistent thing, but how well it fits within the context of the show as a stand-alone piece. Which is what any director worth their salt should be working towards anyway.
Prologue: Missing a little bit of the eeriness and mystery, but Earl Carpenter throws in some good moments (he appears to glance significantly at Raoul on the “mystery never fully explained” line). Hadley Fraser spends much of the scene staring kind of blankly into the middle distance, which does not bode well for his ensuing performance.
Overture: Ah PotO overture, how I love thee. Even with the drum part turned up way too high, you are still pure love.
Phantom playing the organ onscreen-nice concept, poor execution. A shot of a shadowy, cloaked figure drawing music from the instrument with fierce intensity would have set the proper mood. The full-front, well-lit image looked more like a guy giving a performance for Pipedreams.
Hannibal: Wendy Ferguson's vocal performance comes and goes, but she starts off well here-it’s a nice change to see a Carlotta whose behavior is not the result of deliberate diva airs but from a combination of nervous constitution (which, let’s face it, she has a right to with the stuff that goes on in that place) and trying to pretend she’s still twenty-something. Wynne Evans, who I guess is kind of the UK equivalent of that creepily cheerful lady on the Progressive ads, is an appropriately pompous Piangi, but not a very amusing or endearing one. He’s not very likable in the role, which unfortunately lessens the impact of his ultimate fate.
This is perhaps a good time to discuss the sets/LCD screens. Now, I’m not one of those people who think the use of video technology is the End of Theater as We Know It-I can see it being effective in the right show, especially ones with a rock sensibility (Jesus Christ Superstar perhaps, or Spring Awakening). And I can see why it would be the most practical choice in this particular venue with a semi-concert performance such as this. However, it makes it hard to establish the atmosphere necessary for a Victorian melodrama-some scenes, like the rooftop and the graveyard, work well, but in general projected curtains and backdrops are no substitute for the real thing. The lower set of screens also tended to have a distracting flicker on them from time to time, and the camera close-ups meant that the pixelation of some of the images becomes glaringly obvious (lair candles in 8-bit-not good). I suspect it might have looked better live, but the theater feed was a mixed bag at best.
Things I love: The dance, which is such a nice piece of music and has some neat choreography (I like how Gillian Lynne evokes the idea of chains and bondage without being overly explicit). Philip Griffiths kills as Reyer-you get the impression that Reyer sees himself as the only sane person in the madhouse (again, this is probably justified) and is exasperated by everything going on around him.
Think of Me: Sierra Boggess sings beautifully and, while I felt she seemed a bit too “happy” for a song that is essentially about wistful nostalgia, is quite convincing as a captivating, breakthrough diva.
Angel of Music: Liz Robertson has Mme. Giry’s stern icy demeanor down pat, but there’s not much going on underneath it-a shame, because the character is most fascinating when you catch glimpses of the real feeling behind that regal façade. Daisy Maywood as Meg has a sweet, high-spirited attitude that I like.
Little Lotte: Based on reports from other phans, I was not expecting to like Hadley Fraser’s Raoul, and sadly this expectation was not overthrown. Reminded me of that line from The Simpsons regarding Principal Skinner: “The rod up that man’s butt must have a rod up its butt!” Now, of course Raoul has his faults-he’s impulsive, hotheaded, occasionally tactless, and he fatally underestimates his enemy-but being a pompous stiff is not one of them; in fact, his unaffected sincerity is an important contrast to Erik, whose entire life is built around secrets, mystery, and deception. Despite this, Fraser sings well enough and as appropriately handsome-looks a little like John Barrowman, which was distracting because I had hoped/predicted Barrowman would play Raoul in this, and I couldn’t help but think how much the character desperately needed that easy charm and dazzling smile that makes Jack Harkness such a ladies’ (and man’s, and alien’s) man. Boggess, meanwhile, manages to salvage her half of the scene, giving some nice business with Daddy’s Daae’s picture when she speaks of him.
The Mirror: Poor Ramin Karimloo. Lord love him, he really is trying. And there are times-mostly when he gets more into his head or chest voice-when his performance starts to sound haunting and commanding, and I start to feel the character come out. Then a line or two later, he goes too much into belt or throws in too much pop inflection, and the moment is lost. Someone (I think on Deserted Phans) said he could make a good Phantom when he grows up, and I’ll agree with that-but right now, he still feels miscast.
Using the screen for the mirror: I thought it worked in general, but people, please-when you’re projecting the image of a person who has a distinguishing characteristic over one half of his face, do NOT flip the image. People will notice.
Title Song: I don’t know who was doing the doubles on the catwalk, but I liked the tension and intensity they brought to the scene, qualities which unfortunately highlight the other major weakness in Karimloo’s performance: he just doesn’t have the necessary gravitas and power in his air. I hesitate to say his Phantom is “too human” because of course the character’s ultimate humanity is at the crux of the story, and yet I know no other way to describe the lack of mysterious aura and compelling presence important to captivating Christine, the Opera company, and the audience. Perhaps the single overarching weakness of this entire production is the lack of the spooky, supernatural air-the notion that something dark and dangerous is always close at hand. And while part of that is due to the reduced atmosphere of the set (again, pixilated candles are no substitute for the real thing), part of the problem is that Karimloo does not inspire that feeling, as the Phantom must.
MotN: It was halfway there. This is a scene that lives or dies by the conflict between the characters. And the conflict isn’t just external, it’s internal as well-the Phantom using all his arts to seduce Christine to his will while so intoxicated by her mere presence that he must fight to maintain his composure; Christine trying to reconcile the image of her Angel with the strange man before her, all the while tempted by the ecstasy his music promises if she will but surrender to it. Karimloo has the Phantom’s tenderness and anxiety, but not his masterful passion; Boggess effectively conveys Christine’s fascination but not her confusion or fear. Because of this the scene tends to stay on one level, and isn’t as exciting as it can be. (In his defense, Karimloo does an excellent “turn your face away” gesture-delicate and smooth instead of mashing his palm into Christine’s face as too many actors have done.)
And okay, WTF was up with the faint? In the absence of the mirror bride, what prompted it? Why not just have the Phantom guide Christine to the bed and sing her to sleep, as he does in the original novel? (I actually saw a concert performance-Colm Wilkinson perhaps?-that did just that; it worked very well.) Clumsy bit of staging, that.
I Remember/STYDI: Finally, Boggess acts seriously frightened by something that’s going on! And with good cause; Karimloo plays the rage of the character very well. But then…he just kind of stays angry. This scene isn’t just about seeing behind the Phantom’s physical mask, but his mental one as well-the revelation of the cringing, miserable, desperately lonely man he keeps buried inside him, the part of him so desperate for some good thing in his life that he drives himself mad trying to get it. Karimloo plays the Phantom’s vulnerability very well elsewhere; I don’t know why it doesn’t come across in this scene but it didn’t for me.
Magic Lasso: I like Buquet spooking the ballet girls from up on the catwalk, and also his dismissive laugh at Mme. Giry-it turns his fatal mistake from talking too much into simply not taking the danger seriously (something which is a bit of a problem with a lot of characters in this story, actually).
Notes/Prima Donna: I feel like Barry James was trying to come up with something different to do with Firmin, and finally just said “I know, he could be an alcoholic!” At which point someone should have said to him “Okay, that’s a good place to start, now what can we do with that?” It’s a good idea, but it doesn’t go much of anywhere. Gareth Snook is serviceable as Andre. Ferguson seems to drop some notes here and there-sound problems? Fraser still a pompous stiff, Robertson still an ice queen, Evans still not very funny. I do like the idea of Carlotta changing costume mid-song-nothing wrong with a little time compression in a musical number-but would have liked a better sense of her being in a separate place; as it was, it played out like “Oh hey, let’s just set up a screen in the manager’s office and switch outfits!” The use of the camera looking down from the upper level when the Phantom’s voice rings out is a nice touch, a good visual cue for his constant unseen presence.
Il Muto: God, I really love this scene. Even Schumacher managed to not screw it up. The juxtaposition between broad opera buffa antics and the horror that follows is just wonderful. Loved Ferguson’s reaction on the croak (“Did that SERIOUSLY just come out of my mouth?”) and Karimloo’s laugh-whatever else his Phantom shortcomings, he has a damn good evil laugh. Buquet’s death nicely done (yes, phangirls, the Phantom does actually kill people. On purpose, even).
Rooftop/AIAOY: It’s times like this I wished I could lift Sierra Boggess out of this production and put her in one with some really good male leads. Her terror, confusion, and love for Raoul were all right on the money. But Fraser isn’t up to her standard, playing Raoul like a father or big brother trying to comfort a child’s fears of a boogyman he doesn’t really believe exists. Again, the wrong tactic for Raoul, who is comforting not because he doesn’t take Christine seriously but because he truly believes in his youth and naiveté that there’s nothing their love cannot conquer. When he kneels down before Christine, he finally approaches a sense of sincere devotion and the scene reaches the right place-but by then it’s too little, too late.
Reprise: Karimloo has good sorrow and grief, and good fury-but the transition between the two is a bit odd; it’s like “sad sad sad sadOKANGRYNOW.” The chandelier, I’m told, was much more effective live and I’m willing to believe it-especially if the performance of the cast gave a good impression of the crash which, for various reasons, was probably impractical in this time and place. The camera was too focused on the pyrotechnics, though, so those of us across the pond just had to content ourselves with the fireworks show, which is never the same when you see it on screen.
Masquerade/Why So Silent: Nicely done, especially the dance break with Christine getting hemmed in and terrorized by the masked revelers. Again, Karimloo lacks menace as the Red Death, except for a brief moment at the end where he beckons to Christine-but the blocking isn’t doing him many favors here; it’s hard to intimidate people when you can’t move around much.
Backstage: Robertson finally shows us a bit of what’s going on inside Giry’s head and the fear which drives her, giving me something to do besides think about how much she looks like a Goth Christine Baranski.
Notes/Twisted: Okay, I admit, I actually giggled at “if you can call this sh-gibberish art.” Broken clocks, and all. More of the same from pretty much everyone, leaving Boggess to carry the scene on the strength of her performance-loved her hysterical, half-crazed sob on “Raoul, I’m frightened!” Very effective. And was that a note of genuine pity in Carlotta’s “She’s mad!”? Nice touch.
DJT Rehearsal: Yes, I definitely love Philip Griffiths. It probably doesn’t say much for the production in general that M. Reyer is my favorite character of the evening, but there you go. Mme. Giry’s “Can you be certain of that, Signora?” instigates a wonderful mood change-you could just feel the tension in the room ratchet up ten notches after that.
WYWSHA: Boggess’ best performance of the evening, probably because she gets the stage to herself instead of having to carry the scene around the lesser performances. This song and TEW are the ones where a good actress can really get inside Christine’s head, and she really makes you feel the sorrow and loneliness that has ultimately led Christine to this point (and her regret of it; you can taste the bitterness when she sings “her father promised her”). And of course, it’s sung beautifully.
Wandering Child: Argh, again Karimloo starts off nice and ethereal in his head voice-and then drops the ball in the trio by snarling out every line like he’s in need of a rabies shot rather than mesmerizing a vulnerable young girl. What do you call it when he keeps bringing out hints of the character then stops before you can be drawn in-Phantomus interruptus? At least his sadistic pleasure in toying with Raoul comes off well-again, great evil laugh-and the flashpots are a nice variation on the usual theme.
DJT/PONR: Do they always toss the wine goblet around like that? Seems like a bad blocking choice in-universe or out-it just screams “hey, there’s not actually any wine in this thing!”
I think I understand how the Phantom could fool people into thinking he’s Piangi by donning that cloak-because Karimloo seems like an entirely different animal with it on himself. His singing is much more consistent and his movements more fluid-finally this scene gives me the thrill I’ve been missing for most of the show. Boggess nice and sultry-but again, she doesn’t seem to feel the mask or anything, so what prompts her sudden fear? I’m not saying it has to be the mask, mind, but getting an idea of why she 180’s like that would be nice.
Final Lair: I liked that they did “Down Once More” on the catwalk-having the Phantom sing those lines while he literally drags Christine down into his own private Hell rather than doing them from the boat gave and added bit of punch, I think. Without the mirror bride, the wedding dress does seem to come out of nowhere-why does the Phantom have that thing around (and do we really want to know the answer)? Boggess’ “It’s in your soul…” comes off more pitying than angry; it’s not quite as effective but it still works.
Right, on to the first of the two major controversial bits of business in this scene: the choke-hold. I personally liked it. I do think it’s entirely possible for the Phantom to be physically violent towards Christine in this scene (Brad Little, one of my favorite all-time Phantoms, was notably rough)-he is, after all, what is clinically referred to in Next to Normal as “flat fucking crazy.” And the context really makes it work, with the Phantom intending to merely restrain Christine and then getting so pissed off at Raoul that he tightens his grip without realizing it. It gives the character the element of danger he really needs and which is missing from much of Karimloo’s performance. Less effective is the strangulation of Raoul, with Fraser being "choked" by a rope that's clearly nowhere near tight around his neck.
The staging of the ensuing trio is a bit flat, but the music carries it through, and the Kiss is well done. Karimloo saves the best for last with the Phantom's ultimate devastation (again, where was this vulnerability in Act One?), howling "GO NOW AND LEAVE ME!!" while the music thunders out with chords that always sound like his world crashing down around him. Controversial point number two: Christine's parting. I always knew the context would be key in this scene, and the result is...mixed. I like that she has regrets leaving the Phantom, that everything has led them to this ultimate conclusion. But as with so many things on this night, there is a key element missing: namely, the understanding that she and Raoul are going to be okay together (yes, they will be okay together, because Raoul isn't going to do things like flip his lid and nearly choke a bitch, and even if they aren't they fully believe they will be at this moment so why would they behave otherwise?). Unfortunately by this time my baby-compressed bladder was begging for relief, so I just barely manage to sit still long enough for Meg to come in and find the mask (having left the mob somewhere backstage, I guess?) before I dart out of the theater just as the curtain call is beginning.
Grand Finale: ALW acts like he always seems to when expected to speak in public--nervous and vaguely off-putting. Nice mentions of our dear departed. Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman brought on, both look rather awkward embracing ALW (especially Brightman, who ALW claws at in a frankly creepy manner when she goes to hug MC). SB's performance in the ensuing title song is par for the course for her: sung nicely enough (the parts that aren't lip-synched, anyway), but her physical performance is just odd (seriously, Sarah, all these years singing and you still don't know what to do with your arms?). Accompanying her are the Four Phantoms (with support from Karimloo, who has been adequately discussed already) and boy, talk about One of These Things is Not Like The Other:
Anthony Warlow: Good solid, powerful sound. Makes me want to know more about him--I can see why he has such a strong fanbase.
John Owen Jones: Whoa. Ramin, did you just hear that bell? Yeah, that was you getting thoroughly schooled by Her Majesty's reigning masked man. His "soar" on MotN was so toe-curlingly good it was worth the price of admission in and of itself.
Colm Wilkinson: Never been my taste for the role (I dunno, maybe I just think "Valjean" too much when I hear him), but in fine strong voice as usual.
Peter Joback: Oh dear. Very, very nasal timbre in a harsh, unpleasant way--he sticks out like a sore thumb amidst the rich full tones of the other three--even Karimloo has more depth. He may yet improve, but with the increasing tendency for this show to feature younger, more pop-sounding Phantoms I doubt whether he can earn my esteem in the role.
Much singing from all concerned, ALW gets some vocal ass-kissing, Ramin bows before Crawford like the Pope of Phantoms that he is. I swear I hear MC's voice soaring out above the rest on the final "night," which gives me a little smile.
So there you have it. It's not as terrible as I feared, but not as great as I hoped--something which puts this in the same boat as films like Rent and Sweeney Todd. I may or may not get the DVD, but I'm glad I saw it. It beats the movie, at least. :-)
~LCD
PotO at Royal Albert Hall; or, 101 Camp Things to Do With LCD Screens
Before The Show: Arrive about 10 minutes beforetime to catch the tail end of the “gosh-how-amazing-are-we” pre-show documentary. Successfully avoid any mention of That Damn Sequel, which helps me maintain a frame of mind I’ve adopted for my own sanity: THERE IS NO SEQUEL. No such animal, anywhere. Anything that happens in the ensuing performance will be judged not on any potential relation to this nonexistent thing, but how well it fits within the context of the show as a stand-alone piece. Which is what any director worth their salt should be working towards anyway.
Prologue: Missing a little bit of the eeriness and mystery, but Earl Carpenter throws in some good moments (he appears to glance significantly at Raoul on the “mystery never fully explained” line). Hadley Fraser spends much of the scene staring kind of blankly into the middle distance, which does not bode well for his ensuing performance.
Overture: Ah PotO overture, how I love thee. Even with the drum part turned up way too high, you are still pure love.
Phantom playing the organ onscreen-nice concept, poor execution. A shot of a shadowy, cloaked figure drawing music from the instrument with fierce intensity would have set the proper mood. The full-front, well-lit image looked more like a guy giving a performance for Pipedreams.
Hannibal: Wendy Ferguson's vocal performance comes and goes, but she starts off well here-it’s a nice change to see a Carlotta whose behavior is not the result of deliberate diva airs but from a combination of nervous constitution (which, let’s face it, she has a right to with the stuff that goes on in that place) and trying to pretend she’s still twenty-something. Wynne Evans, who I guess is kind of the UK equivalent of that creepily cheerful lady on the Progressive ads, is an appropriately pompous Piangi, but not a very amusing or endearing one. He’s not very likable in the role, which unfortunately lessens the impact of his ultimate fate.
This is perhaps a good time to discuss the sets/LCD screens. Now, I’m not one of those people who think the use of video technology is the End of Theater as We Know It-I can see it being effective in the right show, especially ones with a rock sensibility (Jesus Christ Superstar perhaps, or Spring Awakening). And I can see why it would be the most practical choice in this particular venue with a semi-concert performance such as this. However, it makes it hard to establish the atmosphere necessary for a Victorian melodrama-some scenes, like the rooftop and the graveyard, work well, but in general projected curtains and backdrops are no substitute for the real thing. The lower set of screens also tended to have a distracting flicker on them from time to time, and the camera close-ups meant that the pixelation of some of the images becomes glaringly obvious (lair candles in 8-bit-not good). I suspect it might have looked better live, but the theater feed was a mixed bag at best.
Things I love: The dance, which is such a nice piece of music and has some neat choreography (I like how Gillian Lynne evokes the idea of chains and bondage without being overly explicit). Philip Griffiths kills as Reyer-you get the impression that Reyer sees himself as the only sane person in the madhouse (again, this is probably justified) and is exasperated by everything going on around him.
Think of Me: Sierra Boggess sings beautifully and, while I felt she seemed a bit too “happy” for a song that is essentially about wistful nostalgia, is quite convincing as a captivating, breakthrough diva.
Angel of Music: Liz Robertson has Mme. Giry’s stern icy demeanor down pat, but there’s not much going on underneath it-a shame, because the character is most fascinating when you catch glimpses of the real feeling behind that regal façade. Daisy Maywood as Meg has a sweet, high-spirited attitude that I like.
Little Lotte: Based on reports from other phans, I was not expecting to like Hadley Fraser’s Raoul, and sadly this expectation was not overthrown. Reminded me of that line from The Simpsons regarding Principal Skinner: “The rod up that man’s butt must have a rod up its butt!” Now, of course Raoul has his faults-he’s impulsive, hotheaded, occasionally tactless, and he fatally underestimates his enemy-but being a pompous stiff is not one of them; in fact, his unaffected sincerity is an important contrast to Erik, whose entire life is built around secrets, mystery, and deception. Despite this, Fraser sings well enough and as appropriately handsome-looks a little like John Barrowman, which was distracting because I had hoped/predicted Barrowman would play Raoul in this, and I couldn’t help but think how much the character desperately needed that easy charm and dazzling smile that makes Jack Harkness such a ladies’ (and man’s, and alien’s) man. Boggess, meanwhile, manages to salvage her half of the scene, giving some nice business with Daddy’s Daae’s picture when she speaks of him.
The Mirror: Poor Ramin Karimloo. Lord love him, he really is trying. And there are times-mostly when he gets more into his head or chest voice-when his performance starts to sound haunting and commanding, and I start to feel the character come out. Then a line or two later, he goes too much into belt or throws in too much pop inflection, and the moment is lost. Someone (I think on Deserted Phans) said he could make a good Phantom when he grows up, and I’ll agree with that-but right now, he still feels miscast.
Using the screen for the mirror: I thought it worked in general, but people, please-when you’re projecting the image of a person who has a distinguishing characteristic over one half of his face, do NOT flip the image. People will notice.
Title Song: I don’t know who was doing the doubles on the catwalk, but I liked the tension and intensity they brought to the scene, qualities which unfortunately highlight the other major weakness in Karimloo’s performance: he just doesn’t have the necessary gravitas and power in his air. I hesitate to say his Phantom is “too human” because of course the character’s ultimate humanity is at the crux of the story, and yet I know no other way to describe the lack of mysterious aura and compelling presence important to captivating Christine, the Opera company, and the audience. Perhaps the single overarching weakness of this entire production is the lack of the spooky, supernatural air-the notion that something dark and dangerous is always close at hand. And while part of that is due to the reduced atmosphere of the set (again, pixilated candles are no substitute for the real thing), part of the problem is that Karimloo does not inspire that feeling, as the Phantom must.
MotN: It was halfway there. This is a scene that lives or dies by the conflict between the characters. And the conflict isn’t just external, it’s internal as well-the Phantom using all his arts to seduce Christine to his will while so intoxicated by her mere presence that he must fight to maintain his composure; Christine trying to reconcile the image of her Angel with the strange man before her, all the while tempted by the ecstasy his music promises if she will but surrender to it. Karimloo has the Phantom’s tenderness and anxiety, but not his masterful passion; Boggess effectively conveys Christine’s fascination but not her confusion or fear. Because of this the scene tends to stay on one level, and isn’t as exciting as it can be. (In his defense, Karimloo does an excellent “turn your face away” gesture-delicate and smooth instead of mashing his palm into Christine’s face as too many actors have done.)
And okay, WTF was up with the faint? In the absence of the mirror bride, what prompted it? Why not just have the Phantom guide Christine to the bed and sing her to sleep, as he does in the original novel? (I actually saw a concert performance-Colm Wilkinson perhaps?-that did just that; it worked very well.) Clumsy bit of staging, that.
I Remember/STYDI: Finally, Boggess acts seriously frightened by something that’s going on! And with good cause; Karimloo plays the rage of the character very well. But then…he just kind of stays angry. This scene isn’t just about seeing behind the Phantom’s physical mask, but his mental one as well-the revelation of the cringing, miserable, desperately lonely man he keeps buried inside him, the part of him so desperate for some good thing in his life that he drives himself mad trying to get it. Karimloo plays the Phantom’s vulnerability very well elsewhere; I don’t know why it doesn’t come across in this scene but it didn’t for me.
Magic Lasso: I like Buquet spooking the ballet girls from up on the catwalk, and also his dismissive laugh at Mme. Giry-it turns his fatal mistake from talking too much into simply not taking the danger seriously (something which is a bit of a problem with a lot of characters in this story, actually).
Notes/Prima Donna: I feel like Barry James was trying to come up with something different to do with Firmin, and finally just said “I know, he could be an alcoholic!” At which point someone should have said to him “Okay, that’s a good place to start, now what can we do with that?” It’s a good idea, but it doesn’t go much of anywhere. Gareth Snook is serviceable as Andre. Ferguson seems to drop some notes here and there-sound problems? Fraser still a pompous stiff, Robertson still an ice queen, Evans still not very funny. I do like the idea of Carlotta changing costume mid-song-nothing wrong with a little time compression in a musical number-but would have liked a better sense of her being in a separate place; as it was, it played out like “Oh hey, let’s just set up a screen in the manager’s office and switch outfits!” The use of the camera looking down from the upper level when the Phantom’s voice rings out is a nice touch, a good visual cue for his constant unseen presence.
Il Muto: God, I really love this scene. Even Schumacher managed to not screw it up. The juxtaposition between broad opera buffa antics and the horror that follows is just wonderful. Loved Ferguson’s reaction on the croak (“Did that SERIOUSLY just come out of my mouth?”) and Karimloo’s laugh-whatever else his Phantom shortcomings, he has a damn good evil laugh. Buquet’s death nicely done (yes, phangirls, the Phantom does actually kill people. On purpose, even).
Rooftop/AIAOY: It’s times like this I wished I could lift Sierra Boggess out of this production and put her in one with some really good male leads. Her terror, confusion, and love for Raoul were all right on the money. But Fraser isn’t up to her standard, playing Raoul like a father or big brother trying to comfort a child’s fears of a boogyman he doesn’t really believe exists. Again, the wrong tactic for Raoul, who is comforting not because he doesn’t take Christine seriously but because he truly believes in his youth and naiveté that there’s nothing their love cannot conquer. When he kneels down before Christine, he finally approaches a sense of sincere devotion and the scene reaches the right place-but by then it’s too little, too late.
Reprise: Karimloo has good sorrow and grief, and good fury-but the transition between the two is a bit odd; it’s like “sad sad sad sadOKANGRYNOW.” The chandelier, I’m told, was much more effective live and I’m willing to believe it-especially if the performance of the cast gave a good impression of the crash which, for various reasons, was probably impractical in this time and place. The camera was too focused on the pyrotechnics, though, so those of us across the pond just had to content ourselves with the fireworks show, which is never the same when you see it on screen.
Masquerade/Why So Silent: Nicely done, especially the dance break with Christine getting hemmed in and terrorized by the masked revelers. Again, Karimloo lacks menace as the Red Death, except for a brief moment at the end where he beckons to Christine-but the blocking isn’t doing him many favors here; it’s hard to intimidate people when you can’t move around much.
Backstage: Robertson finally shows us a bit of what’s going on inside Giry’s head and the fear which drives her, giving me something to do besides think about how much she looks like a Goth Christine Baranski.
Notes/Twisted: Okay, I admit, I actually giggled at “if you can call this sh-gibberish art.” Broken clocks, and all. More of the same from pretty much everyone, leaving Boggess to carry the scene on the strength of her performance-loved her hysterical, half-crazed sob on “Raoul, I’m frightened!” Very effective. And was that a note of genuine pity in Carlotta’s “She’s mad!”? Nice touch.
DJT Rehearsal: Yes, I definitely love Philip Griffiths. It probably doesn’t say much for the production in general that M. Reyer is my favorite character of the evening, but there you go. Mme. Giry’s “Can you be certain of that, Signora?” instigates a wonderful mood change-you could just feel the tension in the room ratchet up ten notches after that.
WYWSHA: Boggess’ best performance of the evening, probably because she gets the stage to herself instead of having to carry the scene around the lesser performances. This song and TEW are the ones where a good actress can really get inside Christine’s head, and she really makes you feel the sorrow and loneliness that has ultimately led Christine to this point (and her regret of it; you can taste the bitterness when she sings “her father promised her”). And of course, it’s sung beautifully.
Wandering Child: Argh, again Karimloo starts off nice and ethereal in his head voice-and then drops the ball in the trio by snarling out every line like he’s in need of a rabies shot rather than mesmerizing a vulnerable young girl. What do you call it when he keeps bringing out hints of the character then stops before you can be drawn in-Phantomus interruptus? At least his sadistic pleasure in toying with Raoul comes off well-again, great evil laugh-and the flashpots are a nice variation on the usual theme.
DJT/PONR: Do they always toss the wine goblet around like that? Seems like a bad blocking choice in-universe or out-it just screams “hey, there’s not actually any wine in this thing!”
I think I understand how the Phantom could fool people into thinking he’s Piangi by donning that cloak-because Karimloo seems like an entirely different animal with it on himself. His singing is much more consistent and his movements more fluid-finally this scene gives me the thrill I’ve been missing for most of the show. Boggess nice and sultry-but again, she doesn’t seem to feel the mask or anything, so what prompts her sudden fear? I’m not saying it has to be the mask, mind, but getting an idea of why she 180’s like that would be nice.
Final Lair: I liked that they did “Down Once More” on the catwalk-having the Phantom sing those lines while he literally drags Christine down into his own private Hell rather than doing them from the boat gave and added bit of punch, I think. Without the mirror bride, the wedding dress does seem to come out of nowhere-why does the Phantom have that thing around (and do we really want to know the answer)? Boggess’ “It’s in your soul…” comes off more pitying than angry; it’s not quite as effective but it still works.
Right, on to the first of the two major controversial bits of business in this scene: the choke-hold. I personally liked it. I do think it’s entirely possible for the Phantom to be physically violent towards Christine in this scene (Brad Little, one of my favorite all-time Phantoms, was notably rough)-he is, after all, what is clinically referred to in Next to Normal as “flat fucking crazy.” And the context really makes it work, with the Phantom intending to merely restrain Christine and then getting so pissed off at Raoul that he tightens his grip without realizing it. It gives the character the element of danger he really needs and which is missing from much of Karimloo’s performance. Less effective is the strangulation of Raoul, with Fraser being "choked" by a rope that's clearly nowhere near tight around his neck.
The staging of the ensuing trio is a bit flat, but the music carries it through, and the Kiss is well done. Karimloo saves the best for last with the Phantom's ultimate devastation (again, where was this vulnerability in Act One?), howling "GO NOW AND LEAVE ME!!" while the music thunders out with chords that always sound like his world crashing down around him. Controversial point number two: Christine's parting. I always knew the context would be key in this scene, and the result is...mixed. I like that she has regrets leaving the Phantom, that everything has led them to this ultimate conclusion. But as with so many things on this night, there is a key element missing: namely, the understanding that she and Raoul are going to be okay together (yes, they will be okay together, because Raoul isn't going to do things like flip his lid and nearly choke a bitch, and even if they aren't they fully believe they will be at this moment so why would they behave otherwise?). Unfortunately by this time my baby-compressed bladder was begging for relief, so I just barely manage to sit still long enough for Meg to come in and find the mask (having left the mob somewhere backstage, I guess?) before I dart out of the theater just as the curtain call is beginning.
Grand Finale: ALW acts like he always seems to when expected to speak in public--nervous and vaguely off-putting. Nice mentions of our dear departed. Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman brought on, both look rather awkward embracing ALW (especially Brightman, who ALW claws at in a frankly creepy manner when she goes to hug MC). SB's performance in the ensuing title song is par for the course for her: sung nicely enough (the parts that aren't lip-synched, anyway), but her physical performance is just odd (seriously, Sarah, all these years singing and you still don't know what to do with your arms?). Accompanying her are the Four Phantoms (with support from Karimloo, who has been adequately discussed already) and boy, talk about One of These Things is Not Like The Other:
Anthony Warlow: Good solid, powerful sound. Makes me want to know more about him--I can see why he has such a strong fanbase.
John Owen Jones: Whoa. Ramin, did you just hear that bell? Yeah, that was you getting thoroughly schooled by Her Majesty's reigning masked man. His "soar" on MotN was so toe-curlingly good it was worth the price of admission in and of itself.
Colm Wilkinson: Never been my taste for the role (I dunno, maybe I just think "Valjean" too much when I hear him), but in fine strong voice as usual.
Peter Joback: Oh dear. Very, very nasal timbre in a harsh, unpleasant way--he sticks out like a sore thumb amidst the rich full tones of the other three--even Karimloo has more depth. He may yet improve, but with the increasing tendency for this show to feature younger, more pop-sounding Phantoms I doubt whether he can earn my esteem in the role.
Much singing from all concerned, ALW gets some vocal ass-kissing, Ramin bows before Crawford like the Pope of Phantoms that he is. I swear I hear MC's voice soaring out above the rest on the final "night," which gives me a little smile.
So there you have it. It's not as terrible as I feared, but not as great as I hoped--something which puts this in the same boat as films like Rent and Sweeney Todd. I may or may not get the DVD, but I'm glad I saw it. It beats the movie, at least. :-)
~LCD