Phantom 25

So... The concert to celebrate the 25 years of  The Phantom of the Opera in the Royal Albert Hall was last weekend and it was absolutely amazing, as I've heard. Sadly, I'll have to wait for the DVD to come out because I couldn't go to London and it won't be screened in my country. Until my DVD arrives I don't want to be spoiled (that much) so I won't post anything else related to it. If you want to read more and explore a great photo gallery go to whatsonstage.com :)

First night failures

Hello everyone!


Today I'm going to write about the closure of the London production of Love Never Dies and an idea that came to my head while I was thinking about it. In first place, I was really sad because this is one of my favorite musicals and I can't believe a production I considered so beautiful didn't last. But then I started thinking of how many plays, musicals and scenic works in general are not commercially successful. How many of them close every day? The energy and creativity that people puts in these projects is not always enough to gain success.  This is a hard to accept reality. But this post is meant to be positive so I'm going to include some examples of first night failures that, later on, achieved the category of classics:

• The marriage of Figaro: This beautiful opera (sequel to The Barber of Seville) composed by Mozart was a failure when it was premiered in Italy, because of the satire of the aristocracy but achieved a great success in Prague turning Mozart into the idol of that city.
• La Traviata (Opera composed by Verdi): When it was premiered, it turned out to be a failure in a large scale, because of the soprano chosen for the main role. She was obese  while the character she played is a woman who is dying from tuberculosis. At the end, the public laughed out loud instead of appreciate the tragic end. A year later, it was staged again and achieved great success. Since then, its popularity has been constant.
• Carmen (Opera composed by Bizet): It was premiered in the Ópera-Comique in Paris. Apparently, the first fragments were received enthusiastically. But as the story advanced Carmen's attitude caused the rejection of the public. She wasn't the stereotype of sweet, romantic heroine that they wanted to see. The composer died thinking Carmen was a complete failure.
• Swan Lake (Ballet composed by Tchaikovsky):   The premiere was not well-received, with near unanimous criticism concerning the dancers, orchestra, and décor. Unfortunately Tchaikovsky's masterful score was lost in the debacle of the poor production, and though there were a few critics who recognized its virtues, most considered it to be far too complicated for ballet. Critics considered Tchaikovsky's music "too noisy, too 'Wagnerian' and too symphonic"^. The critics also found fault with Reisinger's choreography which they thought was "unimaginative and altogether unmemorable’’.
• The Nutcracker (Ballet composed by Tchaikovsky): The first performance of The Nutcracker was not deemed a success. The reaction to the dancers themselves was ambivalent. One audience member described the choreography of the battle scene as confusing: "One cannot understand anything. Disorderly pushing about from corner to corner and running backwards and forwards – quite amateurish.
• Follies (Broadway classic by Stephen Sondheim) Follies premiered on Broadway on April 4, 1971 and closed on July 1, 1972 after 522 performances and 12 previews. According to Variety Magazine, the production was a "total financial failure, with a cumulative loss of $792,000." It was planned to present the musical on the West Coast and then on a national tour. However, the show did not do well in its Los Angeles engagement and plans for a tour ended.

These are the exaples I've found this far, but as soon as I find more (I'm sure there a thousands) I'll post them, :).

The music of the night

Hello everyone!

It is really surprising that I'm not writing a post about the closing of the London production of 'Love Never Dies' last Saturday. Those who follow me on twitter (@phantomima) know that I have been talking about it all the time. But I won't say anything else about it until my next week post, which will be very special, just wait and see.

This time I will talk about a song which is probably my favorite. I mean, of course, 'The Music of the Night' by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Charles Hart.

The song was originally written for Sarah Brightman and it was called 'Young Enough to Fall in Love Again'. It had different lyrics and, presumably, talked about the relationship between Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sarah.

Later, Andrew decided to use the song for his musical 'The Phantom of the Opera', adding the lyrics by Charles Hart. In the show, the Phantom sings it when he and Christine arrive to his lair and reveal his feelings for her and also the way he feels about music.

In my own interpretation, 'The Music of the Night' is about aesthetic values, more specifically, about the love for the music. It begins talking about the creative process of composing music (Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation, darkness stirs and wakes imagination), the way in which music in enjoyed (Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendour, grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender) how a musician has to give his/her own life to the music (Let your mind start a journey through a strange, new world, leave all thoughts of the life you knew before, let your soul take you where you long to be! Only then can you belong to me) how the musician transmits his/her music to others (Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in, to the power of the music that I write, the power of the music of the night) and how someone can inspire you to write music (You alone can make my song take flight, help me make the music of the night).

Another beautiful song written by Lord Andrew.

The Phantom's 25th anniversary

Hello,

At last we've got official information about the event presented by Cameron Mackintosh to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Phantom of the Opera.

This finally confirms all the rumors about it. It will be a performance of the Phantom of the Opera in the Royal Albert Hall designed specifically for the occasion by Matt Kinley based on the original designs by Maria Björnson with an orchestra of over 200. I am very happy to see Love Never Dies people involved. 'The Phantom' will be played by Ramin Karimloo and 'Christine Daaé' by Sierra Boggess. They will be joined by Barry James as ‘Monsieur Firmin’, Gareth Snook as ‘Monsieur André’, Liz Robertson as ‘Madame Giry’ and Wynne Evans as ‘Piangi’. The roles of 'Raoul', 'Meg Giry' and 'Carlotta' are still to be confirmed.

Dates: Saturday 1st October at 7.30pm and Sunday 2nd October at 1.30pm and

7.00pm
Tickets: On sale Monday 4th July at 10:00 am
More info: Phantom 25th

The summer flies!

Hello!

Today I want to write about a lot of things.
First let me tell what happened to me the other day. I was doing my everyday singing routine, which begins with some exercises following some songs of musical theatre. But something was wrong with my voice. It was pretty strange because I wasn't sick and I wasn't tired but I was singing really bad. I was feeling (and I can't believe I am going to say this) bored. I decided to change the song but it didn't work so I decided to look up in my playlist for something else. Somehow I ended up singing songs by Apocalyptica, Emilie Autumn and My Chemical Romance. It was weird because I usually hear this kind of music but it was long time ago since I sang non-theatrical songs. It was liberating and I learned a lesson of great value. I can't always sing musical theatre songs because they are  beautiful but when you do this kind of songs you are not being yourself, you are acting. And when you sing something you feel you get to know the real power of music. It can reveal your most deep feeling to yourself and to others it releases you from the heaviest burden, it makes you love it. It's an emotion I can't describe with words.

....

Last Wednesday I went for first time to Uni. It was an induction course but I pretty tiring. Good news are that there are a lot of artistic courses that I can take for free! And I'm writing an article about Andrew Lloyd Webber for the school's magazine.

...

I'm also involved with some projects. I will sing at my cousins wedding in August and I may attend to an audition in 9th July (I haven't decided yet). But the most exciting of all is that I'll be in my first dance recital in 16th July (which I consider a very special date because I first saw Phantom in 16th July).

The only bad thing that it is very rainy in here, I would like a little bit of sun but whatever, lets enjoy vacations!

The summer is here!

Hello everyone!


It is already summer and I'm entering in a new stage of mi life. I finished high school and I was accepted in the University to study a Sociology degree and also in Music School to study singing. I guess it is going to be very tricky to deal with both at the same time but until that, I'm enjoying my summer vacations a lot. In
 have more time to practice so I sing all day long (I feel bad for my neighbors).  I exercise more and I also spent time with my family. I decided this summer is going to be amazing!

~ The future has many names: For the weak, it means the unattainable. For the fearful, it means the unknown. For the courageous, it means opportunity. ~

-Victor Hugo

Phantom's birthday

Images of the week!

Hi everyone! Look at this images, some of them are photos I took, the other ones are images I made on picnik.com:

It would have been great to have one of these when I was a kid

Me with masked friends

Team Christine

Team Meg

Opera!

My ALW tatoo

Me as 'Jemima' from Cats

Calling all the Phanatics! Special Phantom's birthday mission!

Hello, everyone!

As many of you know, 'The Phantom Of the Opera' musical in London will celebrate its 25th anniversary this October. It has been said that the Royal Albert Hall will host special performances of Andrew Lloyd Webber's famous play. Many Phans will go, and many others won't have the opportunity, but here is a chance to celebrate our beloved Phantom, and everyone can participate!

Please send a short video clip of yourself (accompanied by other Phans, if you like) wishing the Phantom a happy birthday; a photograph or artwork that you've made regarding the 25th anniversary to: phantombirthday@hotmail.com.
They will conform a video (or maybe more, depending on how much material I'll receive) that will be launched the day of the celebration (9th October)!
You have until September 30th to send your material!

Be creative, and spread the word! That's all I ask of you

Phantom and Christine video

Hello! here it's my first 'Phantom of the Opera' video, enjoy ;)

The song is 'Somewhere only we know' by Keane performed by Darren Criss.
The videos I used where the footage of the london productions of ' The Phantom of the Opera' and 'Love Never Dies'. I dont own anything.

Love Hardly Dies

I still don't understand why there are people in this world that didn't enjoy the marvelous 'Love Never Dies' by Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have read opinions of this kind over and over again but I still don't get the idea. I think it is because of the plot mainly but there is something I still don't understand. Why try to spoil a musical only because you don't like the plot? For example I don't like some parts of the plot of 'Aspects of Love' but still I recognize it is how the story goes, it has good music and lyrics and I really enjoyed it. Not in a hundred years I would do campaigns to put it down, even if it wasn't the plot I would have liked. Why? Because I appreciate other people's work; and if you have seen 'Love Never Dies' you shurely know that it's an amazing work, not only of the music, but also the performance, the costumes, the props, the whole design is beautiful. It is spectacular. Of course if you haven't go to see it you don't know what I'm talking about, so why don't give it a chance? 

Why am I writing this? Because I spent all my savings to go to London and see the original production and what I can say is that it was worth every cent. It was a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity; we have to bear in mind that this negative propaganda has taken its toll. Last Wednesday it was published on blog.musicaltheatrenews.com that Love Never Dies will close for two weeks in September from 5th-17th. It is presumably that they will incorporate elements of the Australian production. If we add this to the fact that the original show has been changed so many times before, we won't have anything of the original production anymore. Don't get me wrong, I've seen videos and photos of the Australian production and I think it's pretty good but I prefer the original. It was perfect, I wouldn't change anything of it. I have been very sad because now I'm sure I'll never see again the show I loved. But, at the end, I hope 'Love Never Dies' will become the smashing hit the producers expect and the people who have worked on it and the show itself deserve to be; even if we have lost the original production on the way. Because, after all, I was there. We were there. It has been seen and enjoyed by many people. It took tears from our eyes, received our standing ovation even if the theatre wasn't full, showed us brilliant moments that now we can only see in our memories. But it will remain there. And we know it was great. We know that, indeed, love never dies. 

A little bit about myself

Hello everyone! And welcome to my blog.

Just to start I want to say somethings about myself.

19th August, 2005

A 12 years old child is wearing her first pair of heels and waiting impatiently in the waiting room of a medical clinic. Her mother has taken her older sister to the doctor because of a heart disease. When they come out a car is already waiting for them. She can't stop the shaking in her hands, after all it is probably the theatrical event of the year. It has been commented on the radio, the TV and the papers since long time ago. Everyone is talking about it, about the expensive and beautiful costumes, the splendid music, the spectacular long-running production that has break records all around the world. The US tour of Cats coming to Mexico City. Everyone want to go. She has seen a musical only once in her life, when she was three. After all, she doesn't live in Mexico City, she lives in a 3 hour distance town where the only theatre host just one school production every year. She doesn't know what to expect. She doesn't know anything about music either, she has grown up listening to her parent's favorite bands: The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Pink Floyd and some protest songs. But she doesn't have a particular favorite music or anything like that. She used to dream that the lights from the bar in her old house were the lights of a stage, but she hasn't found out why yet. They arrive to the National Auditorium, it is the first time she's there. They took their seats and then the lights go out and a voice announces the security rules, says that the show has some visual effects, etcetera. Suddenly it begins. A mysterious, playful tune begins as thousands of yellow eyes appear all around.  Are you blind when you're born? Can you see in the dark? Can you look at a King? Would you sit on his trone?.   When Esther Stilwell appears as Grizabella on stage to sing 'Memory' the whole audience shudders. It has been a great evening for everyone. But for me was more than a good experience, it was the experience that changed my life forever.