Phantom Of The Opera: DVD
Boots
Phantom
of the Opera, 1987? Rehearsal Studio
Footage
Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman,
Harold Prince, and the rest of the OBC
RARE and interesting piece of theatrical history. About 40 minutes of
rehearsal.
DVD (B-)
Broadway, Early 1988
Michael
Crawford, Sarah Brightman, Steve Barton, and full OBC.
C+
May be the same
as the above video, but on DVD.
DVD
Los Angeles, 1990?
Michael Crawford, Mary D'Arcy (Alt?),
Reece Holland
DVD
Los Angeles, 1989
Cast Michael Crawford, Dale Kristien , Steve Barton.
B-
Obviously some generation loss but let's face it,
about as good as it gets for a video of this age. Crawford's Phantom is
wonderful as always, as is Barton's Raoul, and I've always liked Kristien's Christine. Not positive of the location . . . Barton
is playing Raoul which would fit better as being Broadway, but as it's Kristien (and not Patti Cohenour)
playing Christine – and I don't recall seeing any boots of her from Broadway
though I know she did play there as well. There is some disagreement among fans
as to Barton playing Raoul against Crawford's Phantom in LA.
DVD
Toronto, Canada, 1990 (?) (OCC)
Colm Wilkinson, Rebecca Caine, Byron Neese
C
Very choppy highlights, most of the Phantom's
parts (approx. 51 min.). Probably the only video of Colm from Canada.
For it's age, not TOO bad, but not really great
either. Glitches from age – the video "jumps and rolls" throughout
(where the screen blips, there'll be a line that cuts the picture in half, and
suddenly the bottom half of the screen is up top – then goes back to normal).
Whoever did the taping though obviously knew the show – there are some really
excellent shots in here, although the zooms are only about mid-stage (that's
more than likely the equipment – older equipment without higher zoom capacity.)
(I watched this video with two other Phantom
friends, one who is very PRO-Colm and one who is not
. . . so I'm editing their thoughts as well in here, because both are highly
critical.)
Anti-Colm Friend: I've
always had a difficulty liking Colm – he doesn't
really LOOK the part, but this tape made me like him quite a bit more. I LOVE
the way he whispers key phrases (past the point of no return . . . you try my
patience, etc.) He acts well, and he's a very sensual Phantom. Not his best
lair, however, and his ending was a bit hard. (Personally, I agree
. . . and add – he clips his words too much for my liking, ESPECIALLY during
the Lair . . . it just doesn't work for me, but most of her other notations
were dead on to my reactions.)
DVD
Vienna,
Austria 1991
Ernst-Dieter Suttheimer
(alt), Colleen Besett (alt), Timothy Breese (alt),
Dietrich Hergt, Horst Reeh
(u/s), Linda Healy (alt.), Claudia Rose Golde (u/s),
Sergio Lombana, Eva-Maria Weber (u/s)
Shot from right box, and some of the stage left action is blocked but it’s
saved by great close-ups. Some flickering into b&w
but otherwise, gorgeous picture and color for its age. Sound is fed in through
the soundboard so some of the Phantom’s voiceovers as well as the monkey music
box are inaudible. Last show for some performers (Suttheimer,
Breese, Golde) they get
flowers in the end. Performances…Suttheimer
has one hell of a voice, smooth and delectable, but his acting does
absolutely nothing for me. His performance is stiff overall, he takes twice as
long as necessary to sing some things, and he is over the top at all the wrong
moments (his little temper tantrum dance during Final Lair had me laughing out
loud). Besett is non-expressive; Breese is the
strongest of the trio. Besett does do something
interesting though…during AIAOY, *she* is the one who first kisses Raoul and
then pulls him into an embrace, perhaps a parallel to the final lair kiss
later.
NTSC DVD (B+)
Vancouver (Canadian
Tour) 1991
Jeff Hyslop, Patti Cohenour(?),
Byron Nease
EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS. MOST of Act I, missing Prima Donna, the Il Muto Ballet and
the Rooftop but includes part of the Reprise. Resumes immediately before
Wandering Child, then jumps to PONR, missing Down Once More, but has complete
Final Lair. Better quality than I expected. Details and facial features are
quite good for its age and there doesn’t appear to much gen
loss. The only thing is that the video is basically black and white and
sometimes jumps. Filming eternally trembles but is very watchable.
No obstructions. Christine invents her own (excellent) ToM
cadenza. Not sure on her identity either, her voice sounds too smooth to be Caine and her acting’s different. She is excellent. Hyslop is okay.
DVD (B-)
Philadelphia June 25-26, 1992
Detroit
1993 2NT
Kevin Gray, Teri Bibb (1991)/Dodie Petit (u/s - 1992), Nat Chandler (1991)/Keith Buterbaugh (1992), David Hunerjaeger
This DVD contains *THREE* performances on ONE
digitally enhanced DVD with beautiful menus, chapter selections and special
features (interviews, news clips...etc)
Philadelphia videos: Obvious generation loss, but no where *near* what I was
expecting to see from a video of this age – obviously who ever put this to DVD
found a lower generation video than some of the ones floating around. Filmed
from the upper balcony, I've watched part of the June 25 video thus far – there
is a head, but it's not too much in the way. Good zooms for this time period,
but there's a bit of spot-washout. Taper obviously knew the show rather well. I
was surprised to see hoe clear the AIAOY reprise was – you can make out quite a
bit of Gray's facial features. Contrary to popular description these are *NOT*
complete. They are Phantom-heavy highlights running about 80 minutes for 6/25
and 45 minutes for 6/26. 6/26, unfortunately, is missing a few chunks of MOTN.
They were filmed from the balcony, but still in full color. PRICELESS
FLUB in the 6/25 video where the noose breaks during Final Lair. There
*is* one thing though that I seriously wonder about in the 6-25 video . . . you
have to watch closely, but at the end of Why So Silent, when the Phantom
disappears – he goes through a trap door. Did this *Ever* happen on tour???
Detroit video: Wow. That's all I
can say. Definitely loads better than the VHS copy I had previously which this
replaced. If I were grading that one on a sliding scale with age factored in,
I'd have to call it an A because there's almost NO generation loss . . . only a
little. And some of the best zooms I've seen in a video – it gives some of my
early vids a run for their money. And
the AIAOY reprise . . . lordy. Shot from a
rather odd angle in the orchestra – but I like it. Facial features are niiiice and clear throughout, although there are points
where the shot will go a little blurry, still, no worse than some newer videos.
The DVD is worth it for this performance alone. Highlights, mostly the phantom
parts running about 35 minutes
Gray’s Phantom is great, a wonderfully smooth
tenor voice that swings from seductive to hysterical in a split second. He nearly
flips over the Angel during the Reprise from his fury.
TRADES AS 2:1.
DVD – A/B-
Vienna, June
30, 1993,
Raimund Theatre
Alexander Goebel, Luzia Nistler, Thorsten Tinney
B+
Final performance of the
show in Vienna. Astonishing quality for
its age, the slightest bit saturated, but really not that noticeable. Facial
features are easily visible on close-ups, and there are a lot of them. The
zooms seem to “jump” sometimes, from very far to very
close, and vice versa, as if the taper had presets on his camera. Very steady hand, probably shot from a tripod. Goebel is a great
Phantom, capable of going from heartbroken to vengeful in the blink of an eye. Nistler has a good voice but her acting is rather bland. Tinney is a sweetheart, I love him. The cast in this show
seems way more dynamic than many I’ve seen before, as if they can still channel
the freshness of the show even though the run reached its end. Some extra
ornamentations in the flute part during Il Muto, very impressive stuff. Another
ad lib occurs during Don Juan rehearsal, when Reyer
says to Piangi, “Once more…like the last 1364 times,”
which was the number of performances the show played in Vienna. The dancing during
Masquerade is also much more elaborate than Broadway. During PONR, they must’ve
not made the hood correctly, cause the Phantom’s mask
is quite clearly visible through the cloak. Cast and orchestra get flowers and
a good ten minutes of applause at curtain call.
DVD
Rare!
Limited Trade
Los Angeles, CA, August 29, 1993 (Matinee)
Davis Gaines, Dale Kristien Michael Pointek, Calvin Remsberg, Norman Large, Leigh Munro, Barbara Lang, Gualtiero Negrini, Elizabeth
Stringer
B
Filmed from the
house camera. Excellent video and sound, but all in wide
shot, no close ups. The only time there are any heads is when the crowd
gives a standing ovation for Gaines as he appears for curtain calls. Next to last performance of the Los Angeles Production.
DVD
Rare.
Los Angeles, CA, August
29, 1993
(Evening)
Davis Gaines, Dale Kristien Michael Pointek, Calvin Remsberg, Norman Large, Leigh Munro, Barbara Lang, Gualtiero Negrini, Elizabeth
Stringer
B
Filmed from the house
camera.
Excellent video and sound, but all in wide shot, no close
ups. The only time there are any heads is when the crowd gives a standing
ovation for Gaines as he appears for curtain calls. For its age, I really
should give it an A because it's in such excellent shape, VERY low gen.
However, the DVD does pause at times so I'm keeping the grade as is. Final LA performance.
Features cast speeches and surprise appearance by
Andrew Lloyd Weber. Tons of bonus footage before the show
from various TV spots on the Closing night.
Crowd goes wild at times for the cast, you can tell it's one of those high energy closing
nights. Probably the best I've ever seen or heard Gaines.
DVD
Rare.
Toronto 1994
Peter Karrie,
Teresa DeZarn, David Rogers
HIGHLIGHTS, Phantom-heavy, runs about 45 minutes. Constant snow and some sound
issues in the first minute or so. Some gen loss, but
you can still make out facial features. The only known video of Karrie and he is wonderful, as I expected. His voice seemed
to be having a bit of an off-night until the second Act, where he truly shines.
Surprisingly, his performance is not nearly as aggressive as one would expect
from his voice. Includes a TV interview with Karrie (with a few minutes of a pro-shot MOTN and POTO).
NTSC DVD (B)
Toronto 1995
Chris Groenendaal,
Teresa DeZarn, David Rogers
60 minute highlights. Supporting cast seems to be the same as in
the Peter Karrie highlights, but I need to do some
more comparing. Good quality for it's age--other than a little snow at
the bottom and being a bit dark, there's little color washout, facial features
are clear, and the sound is good. I've wanted to hear more of Chris since
hearing his couple little parts from the Toronto 9th
anniversary, and he doesn't disappoint in this vid.
His voice is warm, he just floats those higher
notes. His physical performance matches his voice--he has a great build
for the role, nice and tall (cuts a dashing figure in his Red Death costume, I
might add ;-D ). Teresa is a pleasure to listen
to, and her acting is just as good. David is a pretty good Raoul, as
well.
DVD (A-)
London, 1995
Ethan Freeman, Jill Washington, Simon Bowman
C+
A RUG video. Faces are blurry and there are very few
close-ups, also spotlight washout, and slight color bleeding, likely from a PAL
to NTSC transfer somewhere along the way. Nevertheless, still
watchable. Freeman's Phantom surprised me, I
wasn't sure I was going to like him at first, but found myself enjoying his
rendition. Washington goes a little over the
top with her Christine though she has a good voice; her acting could be a
little more understated. Bowman's physical performance as Raoul more than lived
up to my expectations after having heard him on the March 21, 1996 London
audio, he has made his way into my very limited favorites list. Now I'd like to
hear his Phantom!
NTSC VHS, NTSC DVD (1 disk)
Scheveningen,
Holland August 2, 1996
Henk Poort, Els Bongers, Peter De Smet, Nico Schaap
(Firmin), Wiebke Goetjes (Carlotta)
Last performance in Holland open to the public, shot on a tripod by production
team, including curtain calls, speeches, end music and about 20 min. of another
performance shot from the left side of the stage. Quality of video is very bad,
no zoom, little color, very dark. Sound is decent.
PAL DVD (C)
Broadway, Majestic
Theatre; Summer 1998
Thomas James O Leary,
Sandra Joseph, Gary Mauer, Jeff Keller, George Lee Andrews, Patricia Hurd, Leila Martin, Frederic Heringues,
Geralyn DelCorso, Ted
Keegan (Reyer.)
B-
.
. . there's some gen loss and color
bleeding during the show, as well as some spot washout. Also more wide shots
than I would have liked. The close-ups that are there are good, though. Taped
from the far left balcony from the looks of the camera angle, and one of only a
few video's I've seen where there are no annoying heads in the way. All around
though, some excellent work went into this, the taper took shots from the front
of the theatre, and even added "credits" into the end, by taping the
playbill. O'Leary's Phantom is a little more brutal in some scenes than I would
have liked, most notably during the final lair, he throws Christine around
quite a bit, but he's rather good vocally, and I'd put him in my top ten on
that aspect. Joseph's Christine is very soft, if that makes sense, you don't
see as much of the harshness from Christine to the Phantom in this production,
and I admit, I rather liked that. Mauer's Raoul isn't
anything to brag about, once again, I felt cold watching and listening to him,
he's too harsh where he shouldn't be, even to Christine.
NTSC VHS, NTSC DVD
Various Locations, 1999
Ian Jon Bourg
(U/S)/Brad Little, Rebecca Pitcher, Richard Todd Adams, David Cryer, Ian Jon Bourg
B to B+
A
compilation HIGHLIGHTS video of Bourg as both Phantom and M Andre.
Brad Little’s voice is Phantom while Bourg is Andre. Video
flickers and goes from color to BW when Bourg is Andre and picture is dark when
he is Phantom. *Very* Bourg-focused, to the point where a lot of important
scenes are cut up or seen from the sidelines. Only
recommended for people familiar with the show. But still, the only known
videos of Bourg in the American production and definitely the best quality
English audio track of him as well.
NTSC DVD
RARE – Limited trade
Antwerp, Belgium, Unknown Date (between
October 1999 and July 2000)
Hans Peter Janssens,
Susan Duwe, Michael Shawn Lewis, Ann Lauwereins, Marc Meersman, Ernst
Van Looy
Mostly audio only until Think Of Me. Begins with Raoul's first
lines in the Prologue. Includes the "Making of"
special from Belgium at the beginning of the DVD. May not be Duwe,
I believe the same video has been listed as von Klinken as Christine
DVD
Rare
Hamburg April
1, 1999
Jerzy Jeszke, Lori Zeglarski (alt), Björn Olson,
Anders Sahlmann, Reinhard
Schulze
A great quality video - a little dark and saturated from the PAL transfer.
Balcony bars in the way, but this almost never matters since the camera is
zoomed in too far. Jeszke's Phantom is pretty
average, but Zeglarski's Christine is wonderful. A great tape.
DVD (A-)
Toronto, Canada July
13, 1999
Paul Stanley, Melissa Dye, Laird Mackintosh, Terry
Hodges, Paul Mulloy, Kim Stengel,
Kristina Marie Guiget, Brent Webber
B to B-
Slightly better copy than
my previous copy.
Also has the footage of Paul signing autographs, though more of that on this
one than on the one before, though both start the same. I'm not very fond of Stanley's Phantom, he lacks the
classical training, but he does have a few good moments. Dye's Christine is
rather good, I've grown rather fond of her voice, and Stengel's
Carlotta is excellent.
NTSC DVD
Hamburg, August 22, 1999
David Hunerjaeger
(u/s), Valentina Kozhanova
(u/s), Kyle Gonyea, Laurie Ann McGowan, Linda Bruske, Marcello Roncietto,
Sabrina Harper, Stephan Drakulich, Eberhardt Neitzel
Only boot known to exist of David in the title role (he was usually Firmin). The video's edges are fuzzy (especially on the
left and bottom) and there is the slightest bit of color bleeding. There are
lots of good zooms and the tape is remarkably steady. No cover-ups that I saw
and virtually no head obstructions. Occasional remarks from
either the taper or someone sitting quite near him/her. Scenes that are
often dark (example, the Phantom during Il Muto) are well-lit and quite
viewable. Starts at the auction scene. Cuts off after the chandelier crash mid-laugh. Blue screen
for several seconds before coming back with the Entr'acte music, ends with the
last note of the show (no curtain calls, unfortunately). The first act was
taped on the left side of the theater with the second act being taped on the
far right side of the theater (which results in a little obstruction, nothing
major). David - I had mixed feelings about him at first. His voice is quite
good but he lacks the grace and sophistication of many Phantoms - his movements
can be stiff and even awkward and he doesn't really seem to know what to do
with his hands (resulting in some weird poses). He really grew on me, though -
so much so that I was nearly in tears during the Final Lair when Valentina returns to give him the ring - he looked so...I
really can't describe it, but his dignified manner really stuck with me. His
makeup is really out of this world too, I'm not squeamish in the slightest but
even I had to say "ouch" when I saw his unmasked face. Valentina has a fine voice but her face is often rather
blank. Kyle is a decent Raoul but not a favorite, although he does an excellent
job in that noose. Meg is cute as a button. RARE.
1 PAL DVD (A-)
Broadway, September 20, 1999
Howard McGillin, Adrienne McEwan (alt),
Gary Mauer, Jeff Keller, George Lee Andrews, Leila Martin (Mme Giry?)
HIGHLIGHTS, runs 77min. Shot from the back of the balcony slightly off to the
right. Nice closeups. Color is a low with sporadic
sound and video distortions. The taper knows the show well and shoots steady. McGillin is AMAZING on this tape; his vocals and acting are
many times better than later in his run. The best video of
his Phantom. Also my first time seeing McEwan, and her acting is
impressive.
DVD (B+)
London, 2000
Scott Davies, Charlotte Page, Matthew Cammelle
A-
Most copies of this are in Black and White, but
this copy was taken from a very early PAL tape. Beautiful
close-ups throughout. I've re-evaluated the performers since first seeing
the not so great copy of this video. I don't think audios of Davies tell you
how much he really does understand the character, he's much better when you add
the visual element. Charlotte Page still steals the show. I'm warming up to Cammelle's Raoul more and more with each viewing,
he may make my top ten yet.
DVD
Mexico City, Jan. 14, 2001 (Final Show)
Act I: Juan
Navarro, Claudia Cota, Jose Joel;
Act II: Saulo
Vasconcelos, Iresema Terrazas, Jose Joel
Quality: Unreviewed.
Pretty-well shot video of the final
show of the Mexican production, can be very shaky at times. Some snow at the
beginning but disappears by Hannibal. Excellent, soundboard quality audio track. Gorgeous color, sharp video. Shot from extremely high in the
theater, the chandelier blocks much of the upstage action. A bar also wanders
into the bottom of the screen at times. Good following of the show. Some
chatter from the tapers and camera wandering during one part of Hannibal when taper
changed seats. The grade is lowered for two reasons: the aforementioned
blockage, and because after the camera started running out of battery it's very
chopped highlights starting at Wandering Child, Final Lair is terribly
butchered. Performance-wise, it couldn't have been better. Juan owns the first
Act, he is more aggressive than Saulo, with more
abrupt, deliberate movements, and he *runs* to cover Christine with the cloak
at the end of MOTN. Quirks: Piangi holds his high
note in Hannibal *forever*.
DVD
Rare!
Limited trade – restricted trade.
Hamburg, Spring 2001
Ian Jon Bourg, Valentina Kozhanova, Rob Pitcher, David Hunerjaeger,
Anders Sohlman, Evelyn Werner, Taylor Wilson,
Marcello Ronchietto, Kate Lawrence, Michael Nicholson
(Lefevre), Charlie Serrano (M. Reyer),
Peter Graham (Buquet), Eberhard
Neitzel (Auctioneer)
Quality: A
Beautiful video shot by
someone who knows the show very well. Wonderfully steady camera hand and shot
from the far right orchestra, but you can hardly tell because the theater had
stadium seating – except during Masquerade, where you can’t see the Phantom
coming down the stairs. The only detracting thing about this video is an almost
constant hiss in the sound, but this does not make any lyrics or dialogue difficult
to hear. Picture a little dark at times. First thing about Bourg, he is *tall*
. . . he towers almost a head and a half over Kozhanova,
and he has the voice that fits. Needless to say, he is exquisite, and his Final
Lair is heart-breaking. Kozhanova has a wonderful
voice, although she doesn’t quite look the part of a, um…youthful, Christine.
She also doesn’t have too many facial expressions. Ronchietto
makes a few funny flubs during Hannibal where he both
nearly falls over when striking a pose and drops his sword as he is climbing
onto the elephant (he covers very well though, yelling mercilessly at the
hapless soldier who hands it back to him). Werner acts a little too girly as
not arrogant enough as Carlotta.
DVD
Hamburg, June 30, 2001 (Final Afternoon Show)
Michael Nicholson, Olivia Safe, Christopher Morandi
A-.
Shot from the balcony. The rail gets in the way at times. I was rather surprised at the quality of this video, it was transferred to NTSC from PAL, but when I tested it through my computer it didn't lose any quality at all, I can only imagine what the original PAL tape looked like! Extraordinarily low gen loss considering, and very little color bleeding, as I said, a good job all around. Nicholson's Phantom is pretty impressive, and Safe's Christine is good as well. Surprisingly, I even liked Morandi, while he's not my number one; he's good enough that I didn't cringe every time he came onstage. In German.
I've recently re-mastered the DVD from a two disk set to a single disk. I've also included bonus clips from German TV (One is with Tim Tobin and Renee Knapp, the other two if you can name the Phantom/Christine I'd be most appreciative.) Moving menus and scene selection.
DVD
Hamburg, June 30, 2001 (Final Show)
Cast: Ian Jon Bourg, Colby Thomas, Kyle Gonyea
Quality: A- . . . A little saturated from the PAL to NTSC transfer,
but otherwise a good tape with good close ups. There is a part of MOTN missing.
Curtain calls and any post-show speeches are not included, unfortunately.
DVD
Broadway September 1, 2001, 2pm
Howard McGillin, Adrienne
McEwan (alternate), Jim Weitzer
B-
There are some great zooms. Also some gen loss and spot washout, general to any POTO video. There
is also some blockage of the far left stage. The only time it really detracts
from the performance are during "Stranger Than You Dreamt It (you can't
see her return the mask) and the Final Lair (You also can not see the kiss, but
it gives an interesting perspective to that scene because instead of focusing
on the Phantom and Christine as all other recordings do, the taper turns the
focus to Raoul's reaction to the kiss). McGillin's Phantom
is fabulous, beautiful visually as well as vocally, and among my top five. McEwan's Christine is good vocally, but she seems
physically stiff occasionally throughout the performance. Most Raoul's leave me completely cold, but Weitzer's
doesn't, I was actually surprised to find myself enjoying his rendition,
something I didn't expect to do.
I just upgraded this by getting it on DVD, but have
yet to review the DVD to assure myself that it is either better than or at
least the same quality as my VHS tape.
DVD
Madrid, Spain, 2002
Luis Amando,
Felicidad Farag, Armando Pita, David Venacio Murio, Enrique R del
Portal, Teresa Castal, Ana Argemi,
Carlos Fernández (u/s), Evangelina
Esteves
Beautiful PRO-SHOT video of this production. Picture and sound are
perfect, run in from the soundboard and so unfortunately Phantom’s voiceovers, which
cannot be heard unless you turn the volume all the way up and then it’s barely
audible. A few seconds of MOTN, the Rooftop, and Don Juan missing. A wonderful
and unique production of Phantom. First, the chandelier is pretty much free
falling. Second, both Carlotta and Piangi are *thin* (Piangi also doesn’t hit
his high note during Hannibal).
Third, Luis walks right into the boat during the end of the Title Song
(although I must say he covered admirably). Luis…has a great voice, but his
movements are somewhat feminine and not nearly grand enough. The scenes he has
alone (the Angel) are much better. Felicidad is a wonderful actress for Christine, she really gets across her childish nature,
especially when trying to pull off his mask. She has a tendency to go sharp on
her sustained notes, though, and I somewhat loathed the way she left the
Phantom at the end. Pita as Raoul is very easy on the eyes.
DVD (A+)
London, 2002
John
Owen-Jones, Celia Graham, Robert Finlayson
A
Original
master was digital. The only video of Owen-Jones's Phantom. Very well shot,
crisp and clear, and very little if any generation loss. Minor
head obstruction. Shot from the
rear orchestra section. Tight zooms, in fact, it's mostly zooms. Unfortunately,
at times, the taper does miss some of the action. End of Act I is cut right
before Chandelier crashes. Owen-Jones' Phantom is rather impressive, and
Graham's Christine is pretty good. Finlayson's Raoul is okay, but nothing
really to write home about. I wasn't impressed.
DVD
Broadway,
Mar. 27, 2002
Howard
McGillin, Elizabeth Southard, Michael Shawn Lewis, Jeff Keller, George Lee
Andrews,
Rebecca
Eichenberger, Marilyn Caskey, David Gaschen [u/s], Joelle Gates
A
Master
was Digital; replacement copy received in DVD format from a first generation
transfer. Video is full show, including curtain calls and McGillin's BC/EFA
speech. Can be very shaky at points (Taper's first video ever), but the
close-ups are incredible. One of the better tapes of the show on Broadway.
Southard was on for a short time while Sarah Pfisterer left for her second
maternity leave. McGillin is one of the better Phantom's I've seen, and
Southard's Christine blew me away even after seeing her live on the tour
earlier this year. (this was one of her earlier
performances on B-way.) Click on link below for screen caps
2 DVD set
Philadelphia, Pa. December
1, 2002
Third National Music Box Tour
Ted
Keegan, Rebecca Pitcher, Tim Martin Gleason, David Cryer (Firmin), D.C.
Anderson (Andre), Kim Stengel (Carlotta), Frederic Heringues (Piangi), Patti
Davidson-Gorbea (Mme. Giry), Erin Sacks (Meg)
A
The
person taping had to shoot around some heads which got in the way at some
rather inopportune times, but overall, one of the best POTO boots I have ever
seen. Keegan's Phantom is good vocally,
but I think he goes just a little over the top visually. Pitcher was definitely
off this night, she just didn't draw me in here. Gleason's Raoul is definitely
the best I've seen, he was the first Raoul who did not leave me cold either
visually or vocally, instead allowed me to warm to the character in a way I
never have before, and IMHO, he really steals the show. Cryer's and Anderson's Managers are a hoot.
There's an electricity with this cast that I have seen
very rarely, and it is one of my favorite tapes of the show.
NTSC
VHS, NTSC DVD, 2 Disk VCD set, or as MPEG files.
Madrid, 2003
Juan Carlos Barona (alt), Julia Moller (alt), Zenon Recalde (u/s)
Three-camera Pro-shot. Same incredible quality as the other Madrid pro-shot, but with a slightly less experienced taper, lots of noise of
camera adjustment. Hardly matters though, INCREDIBLE quality, beautiful sound
run in from the soundboard (you can hear the bells jingling on the Red Death
costume). Great performance. Barona’s voice is more
powerful than Luis’ but he can’t hold his notes for as long, a strange paradox.
His acting also couldn’t be more of a polar opposite, while Luis’ hand
movements are fluid and almost feminine, Juan Carlos’
are abrupt and abrasive. Can’t really say I prefer either on the acting
department, but Barona is definitely incredible from PONR on (he’s a heavy groper ;-D). Recalde is a pretty
good Raoul, very sweet and caring, but nothing on Armando. Julia Moller really steals the show though, perfect voice:
bright, youthful and innocent, and wonderful acting, and has shot up quickly to
the ranks of one of my favorite Christines. Her “Pitiful creature of darkness…”
is the most heartwrenching I’ve ever heard. She’s
also very pretty as well, looks like a cross between Elizabeth Southard and
Julie Hanson.
DVD
Broadway (Matinee) April 5, 2003
Howard McGillin,
Adrienne McEwan (alt), Jim Weitzer
(u/s), Jeff Keller, George Lee Andrews, Patty Goble (u/s), Sally Williams
(alt), Larry Wayne Morbitt, Joelle
Gates
1st gen VCR to DVD transfer. Additional ensemble
understudies. Shot from the extreme right balcony against the wall, right above
the exit stairs, so there are cover-ups (outlined below). Also
a railing in the way. The breakdown: Not many shots during the prologue
and overture, a complete blackout for most of Hannibal until just before Piangi climbs the elephant (about 3 or 4 minutes). Also a blackout during most of the 'Rooftop Scene' up until 'All I
Ask of You'. Some shots I could not get: During the Mirror and 'Why So
Silent' the Phantom is obstructed and partially obstructed for the 1st half, repectively. Il Muto and following 'All I Ask of You
Reprise': most of The Phantom on the proscenium because he is obstructed by the
Chandelier. The scene following Masquerade is basically a blackout because
there isn't enough light for the camera to focus (basically just Giry's lantern). Otherwise a very
well-shot video. Includes curtain calls and McGillin’s BC/EFA speech. The only
video of Williams covering Giry on Broadway (or
possibly at all), rare video of Patty Goble as Carlotta. All performers
were excellent, Howard was in great voice...WELL worth
having despite all of the issues. 10th to last for Howard.
NTSC DVD (A-)
Broadway, August 9, 2003
Hugh Panaro,
Sandra Joseph, John Cudia, Jeff Keller, George Lee
Andrews, Patricia Phillips, Marilyn Caskey,
Larry Wayne Morbitt
1st gen. Complete show including curtain call and pre-show announcement
forbidding recording devices of any kind. As with the 12/1/02 Keegan VHS, the taper does an excellent job of
shooting around heads in the way. Some wandering here and there when ushers got
too close. Other than that, astonishing good video quality and an extremely
steady hand, even on close-ups. Definitely the best performance by Joseph I’ve
ever seen, the close-ups really do her acting justice. The best performance by
Hugh that I’ve seen, he goes absolutely crazy during Final Lair. The rest of
the cast is wonderful as well.
DVD (A)
Broadway,
October 7, 2003
Cast:
Hugh Panaro, Julie Hanson, Jim Weitzer (?)
Quality:
A . . . First Generation. Very nice shots throughout. Panaro's Phantom is more
impressive than I would have expected him to be. Hanson's Christine has
improved since the MSU audio, and her visual performance is stunning . . .
she's now among my top ten. Weitzer is one of a few Raoul's that does not leave
me cold. Taped by PuppetMan.
NTSC
VHS
Los Angeles, CA November
18, 2003
Third National Tour
Brad
Little, Marni Raab, Tim Martin Gleason, David Cryer (Firmin), D.C. Anderson
(Andre), Kim Stengel (Carlotta), (?) Jimmy Smagula (Piangi), Patti
Davidson-Gorbea (Mme. Giry), Kate Wray (Meg)
B
Audio
is a little on the quiet side. Mic adjustment noise in the Overture.
"LeFevre" repeats a line in Hannibal (I'm not sure if it's an
overlap from the recording or if it really happened that way, I'll have to
check the video closer.) Reyer's mic goes out in Hannibal as well. Some of the
orchestration during Carlotta's "Think Of
Me" is so low it's almost inaudible. Also sounds like the Auctioneer is
played by a cover – it's not the same guy as on the tour audios I have prior
and after this engagement. I'm pretty
sure this is Smagula as Piangi, which would make it the first recording of him
after he took over the role. Little is an excellent Phantom, one of my top
five. Raab has improved once again since I last heard her. Gleason nails the
role of Raoul, as usual. There are some good shots here, but mostly mid-range
zooms, and there is pixilation from the digital zoom when the taper DID zoom
in. Also intermittent talking through out – VERY annoying, but for the only
known video of Raab's Christine, worth it.
NTSC
DVD
Los Angeles, CA, November
19, 2003,
Third National Music Box Tour
Cast:
Brad Little, Lisa Vroman, Tim Martin Gleason, David Cryer (Firmin), D.C.
Anderson (Andre), Kim Stengel (Carlotta), Patti Davidson-Gorbea (Mme. Giry),
Kate Wray (Meg)
Quality:
B . . . This was very tough to grade. I received it on DVD, first generation
taken from the digital master. However, the taping is what lowered the grade,
there are tons of cover-ups, and the camera is very shaky. The far shots are
much better than the close ups, and there are quite a few points where I could
hear the tapers talking. Cast wise, I couldn't get much better. Little is among
my top ten Phantoms, Vroman IS Christine. I'm glad I finally got to SEE her
performance, even if the shots weren't that great. Gleason of course, is my
favorite Raoul, and he's actually gotten better since I saw him in Philadelphia.
NTSC
DVD
Stuttgart, Nov. 28, 2003
Steve Lucas
(u/s), Maike Switzer, Carsten Lepper,
Stefan Müller-Ruppert, Marko Woytowicz,
Barbara Grey Nystrom, Anette
Kuhn, Marcello Ronchietto, Lara Glew
B+
Perhaps the
only video to come out of Stuttgart.
DVD
RARE – Limited Trade
Budapest, Hungary,
2003?
Zoltan Miller, Linda Kiraly,
Zsolt Homonnay
Sound
only audible from the right channel. Some other video problems where sometimes
a frame is dropped or repeats. Steadier by far than both of the other Hungarian
videos, looks almost like a tripod job, but not nearly as many close-ups. Same
grainy and blocky picture quality from the transfer. Faces not distinguishable
except on close-ups. Video cuts off before the last *note* of the show.
Performance-wise, this is one of the better Hungarian casts. Zoltan needs work
on his upper register but his vocal quality is so lovely that I could almost
forgive him that.
DVD (B+)
Budapest, 2004
Attila Csengeri, Renata
Krassy, Gabor Bot
A-
Beautiful
DVD of the first non-replica production of Phantom. The different sets from what
we're used to seeing, as well as different costume designs, make this video a
gem. Apparently filmed from center balcony. Many nice zooms. This production apparently
has read the Gaston Leroux original book and used it in some form – Christine
is a blond, and Meg a brunette instead of the other way around as all other
Lloyd Webber productions run.
Christine's dressing room is at floor level and on the opposite side of
the stage from any other production, and being floor level, you can see the
conductor in the mirror moving throughout the scene (Even when the Phantom
appears in the mirror.) The Organ in the Lair looks to be straight out of the
1925 Lon Chaney movie. "Music Of The Night"
was a bit of a shock with the staging differences. Also, the music box – it's
NOT a monkey! The Phantom's hair is LONG. Many, many delights for the Phantom
glutted who want to see a little something different.
Would
love to know the names of the rest of the cast – Meg is a gem. Krassy's Christine is absolutely beautiful. Csengeri has a
wonderful, rich full voice, but I felt he played MOTN on the wrong side of the
scale – not the dark seducer I'm used to.
DVD
RARE – Limited Trade
Orlando, FL, January
11, 2004
Matinee, Third National Tour
Cast
Brad Little, Elizabeth Southard (Alternate), Tim Martin Gleason, David Cryer
(Firmin), DC Anderson (Andre), Kim Stengel (Carlotta), Jimmy Smagula (Piangi),
Patti Davidson-Gorbea (Giry), Kate Wray (Meg), William Patrick Dunne
(Understudy, Bouquet)
B
Digital –
Master.
My first tape, so I was pretty shaky. The reason for the downing of the grade
follows Missing the Prologue. The Overture is mostly
audio only, as is the beginning of Hannibal up until mid-way through
Think Of Me. Most of the title scene and the Graveyard
scene are also audio only, I had trouble getting
shots. Quite a few more cover-ups than I would have liked due to ushers getting
too close. The audio is perfectly intact and in FULL except for parts of the
Prologue. The shots I did get however; are perfectly clear, though I did have
some problems with the optical zoom on occasion. I really can't think anyone
would want this other than a curiosity. *Shrugs*. Little was in rare form
onstage as the Phantom, and highly emotional. Southard's Christine was
excellent, I wasn't sure what to expect, but she succeeded in drawing me in.
She was very playful as she was about to take the Phantom's mask the first
time, I don't think I've ever seen that scene handled in quite that way.
Gleason's Raoul keeps getting better each time I see or hear him, and did not
disappoint me this time. Outstanding cast all around.
NTSC
DVD, MPEG Data disks, 2 disk VCD set.
Currently Unavailable
Orlando, FL, January
11, 2004
Evening, Third National Tour
Cast
Brad Little (Final Performance), Rebecca Pitcher, Tim Martin Gleason, David
Cryer (Firmin), DC Anderson (Andre), Kim Stengel (Carlotta), Jimmy Smagula
(Piangi), Patti Davidson-Gorbea (Giry), Kate Wray (Meg)
A-
Digital – Master. Missing the beginning of
the Prologue, the Entr'acte, and the first minute of Act Two before Masquerade,
everything else is there. Title scene is mostly audio
only as I had difficulty getting a shot. Wishing and Wandering Child are very
dark as well. Still a little shaky, but not as bad as the Matinee show. Little
was VERY emotional as this was his final show with the tour, in the final lair
scene after Christine returns with the ring, you can hear his voice starting to
choke up with tears. Don't get me wrong, he holds his notes well, but there's
that added emotionalism when he sings the final line "It's over now the
music of the night" and very heartbreaking. I started crying as well. He
was in EXCELLENT voice, and it shows. Pitcher has improved since I saw her in
Philadelphia; (This is the first video of her return to the tour), she was in
very good voice in this audio, and the screechy sound I generally associate
with her high notes seemed non-existent, you could also tell that the
emotionalism Brad was going through with it being his last night was affecting
Pitcher as well. Gleason was also in excellent voice, I've come to enjoy his
Raoul for the honesty, the more aggressive take he has in certain scenes and
tenderness in others he shows more than any other I've seen, and he did not
disappoint me on this night. You could tell he was pretty emotional himself!
DVD, VCD and MPEG Data Disk.
Currently Unavailable
Orlando, FL, January 13, 2004 Evening, Third National Tour
Cast: Tim Martin Gleason (US), Elizabeth Southard (Alternate), Peter Lockyer (US), David Cryer (Firmin), DC Anderson (Andre), Kim Stengel
(Carlotta), Jimmy Smagula (Piangi),
Patti Davidson-Gorbea (Giry),
Kate Wray (Meg)
A
Digital – Master.
Missing most of the Entr'acte, and part of the Prologue.
Nice clear shots, but mostly mid-range zooms. Occasional head in the way, but I
feel I did a good job of shooting around it. Slightly shaky in some points as
it was only my third tape. The only video I know of with Gleason/Southard/Lockyer. (in that order, that is.)
2 DVD's
Stuttgart, Germany, May 23, 2004
Thomas Schulze (alt), Maike Switzer, Carsten Axel Lepper, Ernst van Looy, Jonathan
Agar, Barbara Gray Nystrom, Gabriele Ramm, Marchello Ronchietto, Katie Wood
Final performance in Stuttgart. Sporadically shaky taping.
The color palette also seems rather limited to blues and greens but makes up
for it with the most amazing zooms I’ve ever seen with nearly no digital
distortion. Auctioneer’s speech skips from “Strange affair…” to “Illumination”,
a bit of Notes II, and most of “Wandering Child” (grrr)
missing. Constant head obstruction but does not block anything major except
Christine handing the mask back. No picture and sound gets muffled during first
half of title song, where taper apparently got tired of trying to find the
actors and stuck the camera under a jacket. Great closing night ad-libs
(contact me for al of them): Madame Giry compliments
the ballet girls after ToM, Raoul shouts “Mamma Mia!”
(the show that would replace Phantom) after “Little Lotte”,
Carlotta makes up a cadenza in Il Muto, Christine rows the boat at the very
end…and one very very special (and gut-wrenching) ad
lib following the Final Lair…I will say no more. Schulze is *incredible*,
intense and passionate as any good German phantom is with an effortless voice
moving from baritone to tenor with ease: I’ve decided I prefer Bourg’s voice
and Schulze’s acting. He also gets down on his knees during “Say you’ll share…”
I hadn’t heard many good things about Switzer before but I really liked her in
this performance. The only thing was she seemed too mellow for Christine, she didn’t get much of her childish nature
through. Her voice is incredible though, and she really shows off in the ToM cadenza. And I adore her final lair, such true
indecision. Lepper is a good but not incredible
Raoul…he also looks a little funny. Includes the longest curtain call I’ve ever
seen, 15 good minutes of applause, and Schulze’s speech.
2DVD (A-)
Salt Lake City, June
6, 2004,
Third National Tour
Cast:
Tim Martin Gleason (U/S), Sarah Lawrence (U/S), Peter Lockyer (U/S), David
Cryer (Firmin), DC Anderson (Andre), Kim Stengel (Carlotta), Jimmy Smagula?
(Piangi), Patti Davidson-Gorbea (Giry), Kate Wray (Meg)
A/B
.
. . from a digital master (Not sure what generation my copy is,) Reason for
split grade follows: There are some really good shots in here. And those are
nice and crisp and clear. That's the A. The B is for the not so great shots
within, and some obvious mess ups in the beginning, and around what looks to be
tape switches. Why on earth anyone would use two tapes for act one when one
will suffice I'll never know. Missing all but the very last word of the
prologue (on DVD, the last few lines are on the VHS.) When the chandelier
lights and begins its assent, there is video disturbance, as well as audio
disturbance. Video is non-existent in the beginning of the Angel Of Music scene, and there are a few cover-ups in Hannibal. Missing the beginning of
"I Remember" . . . picks up at Christine's line "Who is that
shape in the shadows?" (My guess is they switched tapes. As a taper I know
it's NOT necessary!) Magical Lasso has no video, and the beginning of the first
notes scene also seems to be a cover-up. During Il Muto, Piangi's voice is very
hard to hear. Also there are no shots of the Phantom on the Proscenium during
Il Muto – very disappointing! There's one point where you can tell the taper
tried to get a shot but was foiled by the chandelier. There's a disturbance in
both the audio and video portion at the beginning of the Rooftop scene. Also
the taper went for digital zoom about halfway through – only for a moment – but
there's pixilation in that moment. Missing the Entr'acte (not a big deal, if
you've heard it once etc . . . ) And almost all of
Masquerade up until the final portion with the cast on the staircase before the
Phantom comes down. *Sighs* And I really wanted to see
Lawrence and Lockyer in that scene! Portion of the scene between Giry and Raoul
is missing. The rest of the video is basically standard POTO . . . usual
darkness during Wishing and Wandering Child, etc, but nothing really to note
missing or badly shot. This was taped by the same tapers as the Brad Little Los
Angeles videos. However, it looks to be a sloppy transfer to VHS, even though I
know it was done on mini-dv. Not a shock as I know
the trader I got this off of is known for sloppy work.
Now
to the cast.
I
had to wonder what was in Gleason's head . . . he sounds
angrier than usual during the Cadenza to the title song. The graveyard
scene was electric, he gave off the angry energy there I've come to expect when
Raoul enters, and his Wandering Child was brilliant. He's also made a minor
change in his delivery of "You try my patience – make your choice!"
It's more menacing, and definitely very effective, as if you can see the point
where he breaks, begins to feel the remorse. It reminded me why he is one of my
favorite Phantoms! Another thing I liked about this video – they managed to get
a very good set of close up's during 'Stranger than you dreamt it.' Probably
the best shooting in that scene in any video I've seen of Gleason.
Lawrence reminds me a lot of Lisa
Vroman – something in the tonality of her voice, in the emphasis she puts on
certain words. In the rooftop scene though, when caught in profile, she almost
looks like Sarah Brightman. Astonishing. She's a very sweet, old fashioned
Christine all around. In Point of No Return, she almost becomes defiant at the
end. Also one of a very FEW Christine's I've heard lately who manage to finish
the phrase "When will the flames at last consume us?" (Most cut off
the 'us' or make it very panicked sounding . . . Lawrence was in total control
still as she moved, but did not give away her panic to the Phantom, a very nice
touch I thought.) She held that defiance right through to the end. Another
thing I liked was that when she returned the ring, she hesitated before leaving
again . . . held onto the Phantom's hand a little longer than normal.
Lockyer
has definitely been taking lessons. I enjoyed his rendition of Raoul when I saw
it in Orlando, but he's made some minute improvements.
He's much more forceful in the Manager's scenes now than he was previously.
Beautifully done All I Ask Of You, he and Lawrence
have a beautiful chemistry.
Anderson
and Cryer have an amazing chemistry together as the two managers – an almost
perfect balance. Kim Stengel's Carlotta is brilliant. Not fully sure it is
Smagula as Piangi . . . if it is either there was technical difficulty with his
mike, or he's having a really off night, no where near as good as I know he can
be. Wray's Meg is growing on me . . . she looks the part, dances the part, and
acts the part well. Still, her voice almost seems more suited to Christine than
Meg. Not QUITE as childish as I like my Meg's to be I guess.
DVD.
Broadway (Matinee), June 28, 2004
Howard McGillin,
Julie Hanson (alt), John Cudia, Kris Koop (u/s
Carlotta)
Howard filling in for Hugh while Hugh was on vacation.
2DVD (A)
London, October 15, 2004
John Owen-Jones, Rachel Barrell, Oliver Thornton, Anthony Cable (u/s), Sam Hiller,
Sally Harrison, Emma Edwards (u/s), Rohan Tickell, Claire Tilling
The good first: the best, and I mean the best, video quality I’ve ever seen in
a boot. Video quality could even give pro-shots a run for their money. These
people knew what they were doing. Now the issues: Shot from obstructed seats in
the right dress circle, so sometimes you can’t see some action on the right,
including the Phantom in the mirror, the Red Death on the stairs, and some of
the bench during PONR. Sometimes shaky and sometimes scratchy
sound. The performances are…eh. Barrell is
extremely impressive with one of the loveliest voices I have ever heard. JOJ
has a gorgeous voice, obviously, but he feels the need to throw in hand
movements to accompany every line and it detracts from what would otherwise be
a wonderful performance. Thornton is…it’s better that he remain as eye candy. The rest of the
cast is decent, but I just get the feeling that the show is very disjointed and
doesn’t flow at all. Some *very* nice moments though,
especially during FL when Christine hands back the ring and the Phantom holds
her hand for a very long time.
2DVD (A)
Ft. Myers, FL, February
11, 2005
Peter
Lockyer (U/S), Rebecca Pitcher, Tim Martin Gleason,
David Cryer, DC Anderson, Laureen
Vigil (U/S Carlotta), John Whitney, Patti Davidson-Gorbea,
Sarah Spradlin-Bonomo
A
Digital – Master. Highlights
Brand new camera and only one battery, so I had to select my scenes
carefully.
Breakdown follows:
No
Prologue. Overture is there, but is shaky. Hannibal cut out until when
Christine sings "Think of Me." Part of the Backstage
scene cut out. Angel of Music, Little Lotte, The
Mirror, POTO, Music Of The Night, and Stranger Than
You Dreamt It are all shot, though the title song is mostly audio only until
they come out on the boat. Cut out Magical Lasso and the Manager's Office
scene. Comes back in Il Muto as Carlotta comes on stage, and
filmed through the end of Act I.
Act
II – Comes in at the very end of Masquerade, just before Red Death comes out.
Cut the scene with Giry and Raoul. Comes back in
Note's II around Carlotta's line "Precious little
flower." Cut the Rehearsal scene. Comes back during
Wishing. Wandering Child is dark, but it's there. Cut the Before the
Premiere, and the beginning of Don Juan Triumphant. Comes
back in for Point of No Return through the end of the Final Lair.
Curtain calls were not taped – I was lucky the battery made it through the
lair. Some minor cover-ups, but nothing extensive, I'm amazed I was able to
film at all the way the ushers were.
Chock
full of close ups, even though it was taped from the balcony.
Lockyer is a very interesting Phantom. First off, I'll note: He's
SHORT. He's only got about an inch or two on Pitcher at best, and he's MUCH
shorter than Gleason, which makes for an interesting Lair (I'd wondered . . .
how he was going to get the noose around Gleason's neck!) His MOTN feels to be
too fast – he doesn't really hold the "Be", and just seems to almost
be rushing through the number. However, some of his movements make him a
wonderfully visual Phantom. As he sings "A mask
my first unfeeling scrap of clothing . . ." his hand comes up and covers
the deformity on his face. He flubs part of the AIAOY reprise after PONR –
stops singing, and then comes back with the proper second line. Also, another
thing that caught me off guard – in MOTN, most Phantom's are wearing a suit
jacket – Lockyer is wearing a white shirt and black
vest.
Pitcher's
acting has improved quite a bit from previous times I've seen her, though I
didn't quite feel her into the character in Wishing – I felt she was dead on in
the second Manager's scene.
Complete digital audio available of this performance
DVD
Phantom
Of The Opera
Ft. Myers, FL, February 13, 2005
Peter Lockyer (U/S), Elizabeth Southard (Alt), Tim
Martin Gleason, David Cryer, DC Anderson, Laureen Vigil (U/S Carlotta), John Whitney, Patti Davidson-Gorbea, Sarah Spradlin-Bonomo
A/C
Digital – Master - Highlights:
Brand new camera and only one battery, so I had to select my
scenes carefully.
Not only that, but I made the mistake of playing with the light meter in some
scenes: Breakdown follows:
Act one starts at Think of Me. Missing some dialogue between TOM and Angel of
Music. Short cut just before Little Lotte, then includes
the entire sequence from The Mirror to the end of the first Lair. Only the
Phantom's parts of Il Muto were taped. Includes the entire
Rooftop.
Act two starts at the last verse of "Masquerade" for "Why so
Silent." Cuts made in Notes II – begins at "Raoul I'm
frightened." Cut out the Rehearsal, and the Before the Premiere scenes,
and video picks back up at Point Of No Return. Mode switch
for DOM, and back to normal for the Final Lair. Curtain calls were not
taped.
Problems in Title song, Il Muto, AIAOY Reprise, Wishing, Wandering Child, and
DOM – I decided to try out a different mode on
the camera that supposedly helps with low lighting situations but have
discovered after reviewing the tape that it distorts the picture. Essentially,
everything is blurred when it moves. I can send screen caps so you can see what
the exact nature of the problem is. After the title song, switched back to
normal mode, so the problem doesn't exist through MOTN or I Remember scenes,
and I didn't use it for AIAOY, just the reprise. I also cut out the ballet from
Il Muto this time – good thing too because that night vision runs the battery
down quicker. This is the cause for the split grade – because these scenes ARE
so blurry, and do not deserve an A.
Some minor cover-ups, but nothing extensive, I'm amazed I was able to film at
all the way the ushers were.
Chock full of close ups, even though it was taped from the very back of the
balcony.
One of only two videos of Lockyer as
Phantom.
Lockyer is a very interesting Phantom. First off,
I'll note: He's SHORT. He's shorter than Gleason, which makes for an
interesting Lair (I'd wondered . . . how he was going to get the noose around
Gleason's neck!) He seemed to slow MOTN down a touch tonight – held the Be a bit longer than a few nights prior. Some of his
movements make him a wonderfully visual Phantom. As he sings "A mask my first unfeeling scrap of clothing . . ." his
hand comes up and covers the deformity on his face. No flub during the reprise
after PONR this time, and he was wearing the proper jacket during MOTN.
Southard – what can I say? She's definitely become my favorite Christine now.
Obviously, she was taking advantage of having a different Phantom to have a
little fun with the role – and it shows.
Vigil's Carlotta reminds me a bit of the Movie Carlotta – same strong accent.
1 DVD
Ft.
Myers, FL, February 17, 2005
Tim Martin Gleason (U/S), Rebecca Pitcher, Peter Lockyer (U/S),
John Kuether (U/S Firman),
DC Anderson, Joan Sobel (U/S Carlotta), John Whitney, Patti Davidson-Gorbea,
Sarah Spradlin-Bonomo
A-
Digital –
Master - Highlights
Act One: Begins at Carlotta's "Think Of
Me" and runs through the end of "Stranger" with only minor cuts.
In "Il Muto" Only the Phantom's parts are included. Rooftop runs from
"All I Ask Of You" through to the chandelier
crash.
Act Two: Begins at the very end of Masquerade right before the Red
Death comes out. Includes "Wandering Child", and everything from
"Point Of No Return" through to the end of the final Lair. Curtain
calls were NOT taped.
Shot from the lower left hand side of the Balcony. A few notes:
During Il Muto, the Phantom does not move around on the Proscenium - this is
because the ceiling at Barbara Mann is so low that the Phantom would have
literally had to crawl to get to his next cue - so they kept him stationary for
this venue (Gary Mauer had informed me of this earlier in the run before I had
access to the camera). Also, In the Final Lair, the Chair doesn't come out
until Raoul is already in the Lair – a little bit of a funny, but if you know
POTO well, you'll note that Gleason almost misses his timing getting the Lasso
around Raoul's neck because he's not quite in the right place – due to the
chair coming out, he's further downstage than normal.
What can I say about this performance? Other than I was blown
away. Gleason's "Insolent boy . . ." was so forceful that I nearly
dropped the camera. He truly becomes a dark seducer during Music of the Night,
much more smooth than I've seen him perform this scene previously. Pitcher
actually comes alive here – makes me wonder if she's taking acting/singing lessons.
A major improvement even over the Tampa run. Lockyer
is probably my second or third favorite Raoul. It was a little strange having a
different Firmin – but Keuther filled Cryer's shoes well (and right away I
recognized my favorite Don Attilio's voice lol!) Sobel's
Carlotta . . . I feel like she's over-doing the accent.
Complete digital audio available of this performance
RARE cast – probably the last video of Gleason's Phantom on tour
before he left to take over Raoul on Broadway.
CONTRARY TO WHAT IS ON OTHER LISTS, KATE WRAY DID NOT PLAY MEG!
THIS IS THE CORRECT CAST LIST!
DVD
Ft.
Myers,
FL, February
18, 2005
Stephen R. Buntrock (U/S), Rebecca Pitcher, Peter Lockyer (U/S), David Cryer, DC
Anderson, Joan Sobel (U/S Carlotta), John Whitney,
Patti Davidson-Gorbea, Sarah Spradlin-Bonomo
A
Digital – Master - Highlights:
Breakdown follows:
Act One: Starts with Christine in Think of Me (Missing I think the first line
or so – I almost didn't tape at all, there was an usher RIGHT beside me!) Short cut in between TOM and Angel of Music. Includes AOM,
Little Lotte, The Mirror, POTO, Music of the Night, I
Remember/Stranger than you Dreamt It, part of Il Muto (the Phantom's parts),
and the entire Rooftop. Title song is dark, of course (blurry through the
beginning with odd shots when I could get them until the boat comes out.)
Act Two: Very end of Masquerade and all of Why So Silent. Wandering Child
(though it's dark, and Buntrock
keeps going into shadow – the foot of the Angel getting slightly in the way),
Point of No Return through the end of the Lair.
Curtain calls were NOT taped. The overall shooting seems to have improved. I
had a lot more luck with the title song, the AIAOY reprise, and Wandering Child
than I've had on previous nights at this venue.
There's a malfunction with the Chandelier's lights on its way down at the end
of act one.
Buntrock . . . has got to be one of the whiniest
Phantom's I've ever heard. His MOTN is nice and smooth (He's also got some very
interesting movements during MOTN), but his Bravo Monsieur and parts of his
Final Lair make me cringe. He also flubs a few words in Point of No Return.
(I'm shocked I didn't notice it that night, but I noticed when reviewing the
tape.) After he says "Make your choice", someone near me in the
audience says the word "Jerk" . . . probably in reference to the
Phantom (Well, the Phantom is being a jerk at that point!)
Something good has happened to Pitcher at this stop – she's actually been going
good for all four shows I've seen her so far. I think,
however, Lockyer's Raoul steals the show.
1 DVD
Ft. Myers, FL, February
24, 2005
Gary
Mauer, Rebecca Pitcher, Tim Martin Gleason, David Cryer, DC Anderson, Kim
Stengel, John Whitney, Patti Davidson-Gorbea, Sarah Spradlin-Bonomo
A+
/ A-
Digital – Master. Highlights
Act
One: Begins during "Little Lotte" and continues through the end of
the first Lair. Parts of Little Lotte, however, are blind shot. Clears up by
the Mirror. Includes the entire rooftop scene
Act
Two: Begins during Masquerade, but most of the scene is blind-shot, until Red
Death. Also includes the entire Graveyard scene, and from PONR through to the
end of the Lair. Curtain calls were NOT taped.
Taped
from 13th row, center orchestra. A few cover-ups where I was nearly
sure I was caught taping. Absolutely AMAZING close-ups. Part of the right hand
side of the stage is obstructed by a head in the way. I did my best to shoot
around it, but it does block some otherwise good shots (The Phantom at the
organ, for example.) Split grade is for the few
shots the head made me totally miss.
Mauer
has REALLY grown into this role in the past year. The man does anguish and
anger like no other Phantom I can imagine, and has now tied for my favorite
Phantom (Shocking for a tenor, isn't it?) His AIAOY reprise and his final Lair
are absolutely heart wrenching with emotion, and he's rapidly becoming a dark
seducer during MOTN. His "Be" is simply sublime, and his PONR is
absolutely steamy. Also, I swear that in the final Lair scene, after Christine
hands back the ring and he tells her he loves her, as Christine runs away, I
SWEAR Mauer whispers "Stay". You have to jack the volume up VERY
high, but I swear it's there. Pitcher continues to improve little by little.
Gleason's Raoul is becoming inspired once more and loosing that
"bored" quality he had for a period mid-last year.
Complete digital audio available of this performance
CONTRARY TO WHAT IS ON OTHER LISTS, KATE WRAY DID NOT PLAY MEG!
THIS IS THE CORRECT CAST LIST!
DVD
London (Evening), October 26, 2005
John Owen-Jones (final), Rachel Barrell, Oliver Thornton, Richard Hazell,
Sam Hiller, Sally Harrison, Heather Jackson, Rohan Tickell, Claire Tilling
One of the best videos out there, shot from third row orchestra and therefore
has incredible close-ups, looks like a lap shot. Some heads as a result but
they almost never get in the way. No video during Overture or first half of
Title Song. Hard to see the Phantom during the Reprise because of the angle,
and first act ends before the chandelier falls. JOJ is on fire obviously,
especially his Final Lair. The most interesting person in the cast in my
opinion, though, is Rohan. Incredible voice and
presence and looks like his Phantom would be quite wonderful. Much better ensemble performance in general than 10/15/04, especially from Rachel who seems much more comfortable on stage
than before.
2 PAL DVD (A+)
Shanghai, March 13, 2005
Brad Little, Marni Raab, Jarrod Carland,
Jonathan Taylor, Anders Sohlman, Pauline Du Plessis, Jackie Rees, Marcus Desando, Jee-Hyun Noh
HIGHLIGHTS from final show in Shanghai,
about 37 minutes of the first act. Some songs sadly incomplete (Music of the
Night being one of them. Darn it!). Lovely professional looking menus and title
cards. Of the six videos of Brad in existence, this is without a doubt the
best, quality wise. The taper obviously knew the show, and I am left to wonder
if the camera was a professional grade (God knows I'd *love* to get my hands on
a camera of that caliber). Most of the video, the taper is very steady handed,
although he or she gets the jitters in what little there is of MOTN.
Performance wise? Very well done overall.
DVD
(A)
Boston MA, March 31, 2005 (3nt)
Gary Mauer, Elizabeth Southard (alt), Tim Martin
Gleason, David Cryer, DC Anderson, Kim Stengel, Patti Davidson-Gorbea, John
Whitney, Kate Wray
Master was digital. Taper says: "MOST of the show, starts at Carlotta’s “Think of Me”. On the shaky side,
because I had no armrests, but what is steady is incredibly so. Audio is fed in
through my MD recorder and is incredible quality surround sound (hear the
Phantom’s voice bouncing around before Don Juan). Unfortunately some synching
problems cause half-second late audio lags during the
second act. 2nd show and Southard’s first performance of the Boston tour stop. And
I have never seen her better than she is now; her acting and chemistry with
Mauer (they’re married) have to be seen to be believed. First known video of
Mauer and Southard to be released. Quirks: the curtain never goes up after
Think of Me for Christine to take her bows, and the curtain during curtain call
takes quite awhile to go up as well (you can hear the creaking as the
technicians raise it manually)."
DVD (A)
Broadway, April 2, 2005
James Romick
(u/s), Marie Danvers (alt), John Cudia, Jeff Keller,
George Lee Andrews, Anne Runolfsson, Marilyn Caskey, Larry Wayne Morbitt, Kara
Klein (u/s)
MOST of the show. Includes Romick's
BC/EFA speech. Starts when the backdrop falls in
"Hannibal" and missing Magical Lasso and Notes because of a faulty
battery. Filmed from the very last row of the front mezz on an aisle seat, so there are a few brief cover-ups
on the Rooftop and one each during Wandering Child and PONR because of ushers.
I can promise you that nothing life-threatening is missed. Obstructions: one
head in the center of the stage that was shot around well. Still
probably one of the best filmings of the show out
there. Taper knew the show like the back of her hand so it remains in
mid-zoom or close-up shots for the entire show. Adjusted the
light meter manually while filming, so very dark scenes are lit up nicely.
Performances-wise…Romick is an interesting
Phantom, he tends to be a bit vibrato heavy and his acting is a bit rigid
during Act One but his final lair is excellent. He has an odd accent which can
at times be annoying but you don't tend to notice it unless you're listening
for it. Danvers is pretty
good, her acting is excellent but her voice can be a bit shrill and piercing
when she goes up high. Rare video of her as Broadway alternate, though. Cudia remains an excellent Raoul. Klein is a cute Meg but
her voice isn't the greatest. I prefer her over the principal, though. Audience were electric.
1DVD (A)
Boston, April 3, 2005 (3nt)
Gary Mauer, Elizabeth Southard (alt), Tim Martin
Gleason, David Cryer, DC Anderson, Kim Stengel, Patti Davidson-Gorbea, John
Whitney, Kate Wray
From the DIGITAL MASTER. Taper says: "FULL SHOW, yay! A bit on the darkish side since my light meter messed
up. A brief cover-up for a few seconds during Hannibal. A *crazy*
audience that applauds at every available moment. Also a funny flub where the
monkey sits tipped over on its side for almost all of Final Lair. Mauer very
smoothly fixes it when he’s screaming at Christine and Raoul to go.
2DVD (A)
Broadway, June 6, 2005
Hugh Panaro, Sandra Joseph, Tim Martin Gleason,
Jeff Keller, George Lee Andrews, Anne Runolfsson,
Marilyn Caskey, David Gaschen (u/s), Kara Klein
From the DIGITAL MASTER. Filmed from left rear mezz, full show
including curtain calls. Act Two starts in the middle of Masquerade. Sporadic
blockage from spastic people sitting in front of me. Still, one of the
loveliest videos that I’ve made and one of the best boots out there. First
video of TMG on Broadway as well as Keller’s first show back from vacation. TMG
is much better than he was on tour but will never hold up to Cudia. I have new
respect for Joseph for the recent nuance she threw into the Final Lair, where
she stands caressing the Phantom’s face for several moments after the Kiss.
Exceptional show all around…except for some asinine audience members who start
laughing during the Masquerade reprise.
2DVD (A)
Broadway, June 22, 2005
Hugh Panaro,
Julie Hanson (alt), Tim Martin Gleason, Jeff Keller, George Lee Andrews, Anne Runolfsson, Marilyn Caskey, David
Gaschen (u/s), Kara Klein
From the DIGITAL MASTER. Filmed from right rear mezz, full show including curtain calls. A cover-up during the Overture and about five minutes of Hannibal because of
latecomers being seated around me. A bit shakier than 6/6 because of more
heads to shoot through but I still knew the show like the back of my hand. Screaming standing ovation for Hugh after his final line.
2DVD (A)
Broadway (Matinee), August 10, 2005
Tim Martin Gleason (u/s), Susan Owen (alt,u/s), Stephen R. Buntrock
(u/s), Jeff Keller, George Lee Andrews, Anne Runolfsson,
Marilyn Caskey, Larry Wayne Morbitt,
Kara Klein, James Romick (Don Attilo)
Only video of Susan (she was bumped to alternate for this week but is
usually an understudy) or Stephen. Tim’s 2nd as Phantom on
Broadway. Shakier than taper’s other recent vids
because of the Evil Moving Head from Hell in front of her. Filmed
from center rear mezz. About
five minutes of cover-ups because of ushers, missing the first minute of Il
Muto, nothing life-threatening missing. Includes
curtain calls. One of the best performances I’ve ever seen, the audience
goes wild.
2DVD (A-)
Atlanta, September 10, 2005 (3nt)
Gary Mauer, Marie Danvers, Michael Shawn Lewis,
David Cryer, DC Anderson, Kim Stengel, John Whitney, Kate Wray
From DIGITAL MASTER; matinee; Taper says: "Begins at Piangi's
high note in Hannibal. Better filmed than 8/17 Wicked. Only video thus far of
the new touring cast, and it's probably one of the
best Phantom casts in a long while. The main trio is incredible."
2DVD (A+)
Broadway, October 1, 2005
Hugh Panaro (FINAL performance), Sandra Joseph, Tim
Martin Gleason, James Romick (u/s), George Lee Andrews, Anne Runolfsson, Marilyn Caskey, Larry Wayne Morbitt, Kara Klein
From DM. Taper says: "Full show including pre-show
announcement and Sandra’s curtain speech. Sound is a little wacky until the
show actually starts, and missing the screaming applause after MOTN. Shot from
second row front mezz, a head to shoot around and sometimes the bar gets in the
way, but usually not a problem. One of the best videos I’ve made, but the screencaps should speak for themselves. Not much to say
about this show except that it was one of the most magical nights I’ve
witnessed in theater history. Hugh and Sandra give electric performances, and
the audience is quite over-enthusiastic. Soundboard-quality
audio also available."
2DVD (A+)
Pittsburgh, PA 3NT, January 5, 2006
Gary Mauer, Beth Southard (alt), John Cudia, Kim Stengel (Carlotta),
David Cryer (Firmin), DC
Anderson (Andre), Patti Davidson-Gorbea (Mme. Giry), John Whitney (Piangi),
Kate Wray (Meg)
From DIGITAL MASTER. Taper says: "My very first video. First act
starts at the overture but is blind shot until Hannibal starts.
Cover-ups: half of Hannibal, first few lines of Angel of Music, the end of
Music of the Night (after it fades to black though), and from "all the
sadness of the world" to the beginning of All I Ask of You (an usher
walked down the aisle near me and scared me half to death - wasn't expecting
anyone to be there!). Slight flub in "Raoul, I've Been There" when
Beth says "filled my sorrow" instead of "filled my soul."
The second act's audio starts at the beginning of Masquerade but I started
filming steadily by the time Christine and Raoul make their appearance. Curtain
calls were taped. Pretty shaky at first but as I grew accustomed to holding the
camera it gets better (the second act is better in terms of non-shakiness) -
still some shakiness throughout because I didn't have armrests and my hand kept
cramping. Obstruction on the far left at times because of a head in the
way."
2DVD (A+)
Broadway, January 9, 2006
Howard McGillin,
Sandra Joseph, Tim Martin Gleason, George Lee Andrews, Tim Jerome, Anne Runolfsson, Marilyn Caskey, Larry
Wayne Morbitt, Heather McFadden
1st Gen from DIGITAL MASTER. Record-breaking
performance, number 7.486. A wonderful performance -
the most energetic audience in a long time. Includes
Act 1 (minus Il Muto and Why Have You Brought Us Here) and curtain call/act 3.
No act 2. A shaky video at times, but clear picture.
Some heads in the way as well and focus issues at times, but still very watchable.
DVD (A-)
Pittsburgh, PA 3NT, January 22, 2006
Gary Mauer, Beth Southard (alt), John Cudia, Kim Stengel (Carlotta),
John Kuether (Firmin, u/s),
DC Anderson (Andre), Patti Davidson-Gorbea (Mme. Giry), John Whitney (Piangi),
Kate Wray (Meg), Michael Gillis (Joseph Buquet, u/s),
Michael McCoy (Auctioneer, Don Attilio, Passarino - u/s)
1st Gen from DIGITAL MASTER. Taper says: “Shot from the third
row on the far left, so there is some obstruction at times from the set pieces
and the evil moving head from hell in front of me (although I tend to be zoomed
in too far for it to be a major problem). Lots of gorgeous closeups although the sound's a bit loud since I was so
close to the stage. The first act does not start until Beth's Think of
Me (part of it is blind-shot, from the transformation to John bravoing her, then her cadenza to "Father once spoke
of an angel" - I had never seen so many latecomers to a show before,
probably due to the Pittsburgh Steelers playoff game that evening). A brief blindshot moment during Music of the Night, nothing
essential missed. During Magical Lasso the ushers noticed that some idiot
behind me was using a flash camera, so most of Notes I and all of Il Muto was
shot blind (and not very well - about a 40% tilt on many shots and a major head
obstruction) while they searched for the person [public service announcement
time - do not ever use a flash camera! It's dangerous to the performers as it
can disorient/distract/confuse them.]. I was able to shoot steadily right after
the rooftop scene started until the end of Act One. Act Two's audio starts with
"you can fool any friend who ever knew you" but video does not start
until "what a blessed release," and the large dance sequence is shot
blind due to latecomers (again - bah). Because of my location you can actually
see Gary run off the stage after the fireball
after Why So Silent. Half of Seal My Fate was blindshot
(and rather poorly) since my arm was going numb. Poor Beth had some trouble
with Gary's hood after
Point of No Return, she had to try three or four times
to get it off. Once again, that's me sniffling during the Final Lair - hey, it
was my last performance with Gary and Beth, I was a
bit emotional about it. ;) Curtain calls were not taped. Also includes Point of
No Return and the Final Lair from January the 18th, shot by a friend from seven
rows back on the far right - the same cast except Marie Danvers is Christine
(curtain calls were blindshot that night). Gary,
Beth, and John were all incredible. John's Firmin
isn't at nearly as good as David Cryer's Firmin but he was much better on the 22nd than the 18th.
The audience was really great too, lots of applause.”
2DVD (A+)
London (Evening), February 4,
2006
Earl Carpenter, Rachel Barrell, David Shannon, James Barron, Sam Hiller, Wendy
Ferguson, Emily Harvey (u/s), Rohan Tickell, Heidi Ann O'Brien
HIGHLIGHTS running 80 minutes, focused on the main trio. Taper says: “Shot from
obstructed view seats, so the far left quarter of the stage cannot be seen,
this includes: Christine handing back the mask at the end of
"Stranger" and the kiss (I focused on Raoul's
reaction instead). Otherwise, a gorgeous video and a gorgeous cast, Earl is an
incredible actor and Rachel's voice is one of my favorites. Includes a rather
amusing flub, where Earl cannot get the robe on in time and so performs
"Stranger" in his shirtsleeves and a crooked collar.”
NTSC DVD (A)
Dallas, Texas 3NT April
6, 2006
Gary
Mauer (Final), Beth Southard (alt, Final), Jim Weitzer,
John Jellison (Final), DC Anderson, Kim Stengal, John Whitney, Patti Davidson-Gorbea,
Kate Wray
Digital – Master
Multi-cam
shot (Two tapers coordinated efforts and shots before the show to put together
this masterpiece. One from the orchestra, the other from the
balcony.) Amazingly well edited video with amazing
shots throughout. Beth tears up during both Think of Me and WYWSHA. See
Beth's shadow on the curtain during PONR. Gary has a heart-breaking
near-crack during MOTN (the emotion was obvious he choked juuuust
a little.) Amazing performances from all the cast members.
Curtain calls included in the video.
No
words could possibly describe the power-house of this performance. If you only
want one video of Gary and Beth, this performance is the one to go for.
DVD
(A+)