News about Phantom sequel

Kristen · Guru

News about Phantom sequel

Bumble Bee · Veteran Member

Can't wait! Thanks Kristen! biggrin

Eris · Guru

This is a train wreck waiting to happen.

FonZuko · Veteran Member

anyone remember Grease 2?

Kristen · Guru

FonZuko wrote:

anyone remember Grease 2?

I think it's good though that Andrew Lloyd Webber is involved. I saw his "The Sound of Music" in London last December, and it was amazing. The sets were like nothing I've seen before. You never know with sequels, but most of the shows he is involved with are high-quality.

Shadi Ladi · Guru

I'm sure it will be nothing like Grease 2...

Bumble Bee · Veteran Member

Shadi Ladi wrote:

I'm sure it will be nothing like Grease 2...

Yes, and I think Andrew Lloyd Webber knows what he is doing!

Eris · Guru

Part of the plot is that the Phantom has sex with an automatron of Christine. It's loosely based on the book The Phantom of Manhattan only ickier.

DogsandBirds · Guru

Bumble Bee wrote:

Shadi Ladi wrote:

I'm sure it will be nothing like Grease 2...

Yes, and I think Andrew Lloyd Webber knows what he is doing!

Mr. Webber has had his share of flops. Bombay Dreams did not last long, also The Woman in White. Along with these, there was a show called Jeeves, one called Whistle Down the Wind, which never opened and a few others.

He is great, but hardly perfect. This one doesn't sound wonderful for sure!

Shadi Ladi · Guru

DogsandBirds wrote:
Bumble Bee wrote:

Shadi Ladi wrote:

I'm sure it will be nothing like Grease 2...

Yes, and I think Andrew Lloyd Webber knows what he is doing!

Mr. Webber has had his share of flops. Bombay Dreams did not last long, also The Woman in White. Along with these, there was a show called Jeeves, one called Whistle Down the Wind, which never opened and a few others.

He is great, but hardly perfect. This one doesn't sound wonderful for sure!

Yes, that is true, but he has had more successes than failures. Phantom has grossed over $700 million dollars. That's amazing! The most successful show in Broadway history! I guess we will just all have to wait and see.

Read below: This is astonishing!

"Its internationally success - equally staggering - is represented by a total worldwide box office gross of more than $5 billion, making PHANTOM the most successful entertainment venture of all time, surpassing not only any other stage production, but also far surpassing the world's highest-grossing film Titanic (at $1.2 billion) and such other blockbusters as The Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park and Star Wars. Worldwide attendance is over 80 million people, having played over 65,000 performances in 25 countries and 124 cities. It's won over 50 Theater awards including 7 Tonys, and there are currently 8 productions around the world. The next international opening will be Perth, Australia in February 2009."

-- Edited by Shadi Ladi at 03:31, 2008-12-30

Kristen · Guru

Shadi Ladi wrote:

DogsandBirds wrote:

Bumble Bee wrote:

Shadi Ladi wrote:

I'm sure it will be nothing like Grease 2...

Yes, and I think Andrew Lloyd Webber knows what he is doing!

Mr. Webber has had his share of flops. Bombay Dreams did not last long, also The Woman in White. Along with these, there was a show called Jeeves, one called Whistle Down the Wind, which never opened and a few others.

He is great, but hardly perfect. This one doesn't sound wonderful for sure!

Yes, that is true, but he has had more successes than failures. Phantom has grossed over $700 million dollars. That's amazing! The most successful show in Broadway history! I guess we will just all have to wait and see.

Exactly, Shadi! That is amazing! And I'm sure that he has learned from past mistakes. I have faith in him! smile

DogsandBirds · Guru

Time will tell. Also why he can afford to fund the flops.

-- Edited by DogsandBirds at 03:40, 2008-12-30

Shadi Ladi · Guru

DogsandBirds wrote:
Time will tell. Also why he can afford to fund the flops.

-- Edited by DogsandBirds at 03:40, 2008-12-30

I, for one, will travel to New York to see it!

DogsandBirds · Guru

If it stays open that long!

Know someone in the cast? Don't think there has been any auditions for it as of yet.

Shadi Ladi · Guru

DogsandBirds wrote:
If it stays open that long!

Know someone in the cast? Don't think there has been any auditions for it as of yet.

No, don't know anyone in cast. No auditions yet from what I hear.

Kristen · Guru

DogsandBirds wrote:

If it stays open that long!

Know someone in the cast? Don't think there has been any auditions for it as of yet.

I'm sure he will have an excellent cast! What actor would turn down a role in an Andrew Lloyd Webber show? What an opportunity! And I would travel to see it too--I'm sure it will be worth it.

Eris · Guru

I don't know how people will take to it really. The kinky sex angle is well...creepy. And if he follows the book Christine gets shot and dies in his arms leaving their son alone with the Phantom. Would they really accept the death of Christine and the answer to the question of whether or not the Phantom and Christine slept together. The not knowing if they actually did anything adds to the mystique of the original show.

The story of the book isn't that happy. Christine and Raoul aren't that happy together, the Phantom moves to New York and opens a side show type thing, Meg is a cripple, Raoul was brutally maimed in a mugging, and Christine dies. Sure, let's all jump on this bandwagon.

The majority of the theatre community is shuddering at the thought of this. This show is pure ego - nothing less. He's throwing his money into this show when he could be backing something really worthwhile.

DogsandBirds · Guru

Kristen wrote:

DogsandBirds wrote:

If it stays open that long!

Know someone in the cast? Don't think there has been any auditions for it as of yet.

I'm sure he will have an excellent cast! What actor would turn down a role in an Andrew Lloyd Webber show? What an opportunity! And I would travel to see it too--I'm sure it will be worth it.

In this economic climate, no actor turns down very much of anything. But that doesn't make for a successful show.

Shadi Ladi · Guru

I haven't read the sequel. Do we know for sure that the Broadway sequel is based on the book?

Kristen · Guru

DogsandBirds wrote:

Kristen wrote:

DogsandBirds wrote:

If it stays open that long!

Know someone in the cast? Don't think there has been any auditions for it as of yet.

I'm sure he will have an excellent cast! What actor would turn down a role in an Andrew Lloyd Webber show? What an opportunity! And I would travel to see it too--I'm sure it will be worth it.

In this economic climate, no actor turns down very much of anything. But that doesn't make for a successful show.

Having great actors and actresses can help shows do well though. It's not the only element, but it is one of them.

Shadi Ladi · Guru

Nice to see that there is some conversation in here tonight.

DogsandBirds · Guru

Great actors help, but cannot save a show. For the current time, I think LaPone in Gypsy which is closing and James Barbour could not save a Tale of Two Cities. I could go on, but the point is that the material has to be there or the show cannot succeed.

Eris · Guru

I have read the book and don't really recommend it. Fredrick Forsyth and ALW were working together on this project but broke apart. The show was once called The Phantom of Manhattan but the name was changed after Forsyth and Webber went their own ways. But every sypnosis I've read has been the plot of the book only with the creepy elements of the doll sex.

And Gavin Creel is a great actor but that didn't stop Godspell from being cancelled.

Shadi Ladi · Guru

Well, I personally think that Tale and Gypsy would still be open through the Spring if the economy wasn't so bad.

Kristen · Guru

DogsandBirds wrote:

Great actors help, but cannot save a show. For the current time, I think LaPone in Gypsy which is closing and James Barbour could not save a Tale of Two Cities. I could go on, but the point is that the material has to be there or the show cannot succeed.

True, but I think we need to give the material a chance. Until it has opened and we know more about the material, we shouldn't assume that it isn't good.

Kristen · Guru

Shadi Ladi wrote:

Well, I personally think that Tale and Gypsy would still be open through the Spring if the economy wasn't so bad.

Good point, Shadi. I can't speak for "Tale" because I never saw it. But I know the "Gypsy" story and that show had everything going for it. It's only due to the economy that it is closing. I feel that the exact same thing is happening with many shows, "Grease" included.

DogsandBirds · Guru

When a premise for a show is bad, the show has issues. I am not assuming anything, I am commenting on the premise of the show as well as the fact that ALW is not infallible. He has had his share of turkeys.

Eris · Guru

The Phantom in Manhattan: Lloyd Webber Back at Work on Sequel to Musical

The Phantom of Manhattan

DogsandBirds · Guru

Kristen wrote:

Shadi Ladi wrote:

Well, I personally think that Tale and Gypsy would still be open through the Spring if the economy wasn't so bad.

Good point, Shadi. I can't speak for "Tale" because I never saw it. But I know the "Gypsy" story and that show had everything going for it. It's only due to the economy that it is closing. I feel that the exact same thing is happening with many shows, "Grease" included.

TOTC did not close due to the economy. It closed because the script was imperfect, the score was was flawed, although a few good songs in it and because it felt too close to Les Mis to be different. It wasn't good all in all.

Shadi Ladi · Guru

Thanks Eris...

The second article said the play was partially based on the novel. Hopefully, ALW will make it his own!

Kristen · Guru

Eris wrote:

The Phantom in Manhattan: Lloyd Webber Back at Work on Sequel to Musical

The Phantom of Manhattan

Thanks for the info! The one article says the show is "partially based" on the book. Hopefully, he'll take what's good and leave out the bad. As I said, I have faith in him. Everyone has failed at times, but we all keep trying. Hopefully, he will have another hit on his hands!

DogsandBirds · Guru

I don't understand the strong defense of this material by anyone here. Why are you so adamant that this will be successful?

Kristen · Guru

DogsandBirds wrote:

I don't understand the strong defense of this material by anyone here. Why are you so adamant that this will be successful?

I like to have positive thoughts and not assume things will be bad.

DogsandBirds · Guru

Maybe in the climate we are living in, you could turn your positive thoughts to something more constructive than ALW and what he does next. The cast for the most part will be middle aged people and not sure what audience there will be for it.

Eris · Guru

DogsandBirds wrote:
and not sure what audience there will be for it.

People who like automatrons?

DogsandBirds · Guru

ALW has not had a successful show since Phantom, but because of it, he is able to throw his money around. Not one show he has done since Phantom has made money or been a critical success.

Kristen · Guru

DogsandBirds wrote:

ALW has not had a successful show since Phantom, but because of it, he is able to throw his money around. Not one show he has done since Phantom has made money or been a critical success.

How do you define success? It's what we always go back to--do the critics decide or does the audience? As I said "The Sound of Music" was incredible. I would see all of his work based on the quality of that show.

Eris · Guru

When did Webber write Sound of Music? I must have missed that in musical theatre courses.

DogsandBirds · Guru

Yes, the Sound of Music is an incredible show. Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II were incredible composers/lyricists and the book is one of the best, as Maria Trapp was a contributing writer. The SOM was not directed nor written by Weber only produced by him.

-- Edited by DogsandBirds at 04:32, 2008-12-30

Kristen · Guru

Eris wrote:

When did Webber write Sound of Music? I must have missed that in musical theatre courses.

He didn't--he produced the show in London. It was really amazing! A great revival!

-- Edited by Kristen at 04:32, 2008-12-30

DogsandBirds · Guru

Producers put up the money and then sit back and watch. They have very little to do with the direction of the show if anything at all.

Kristen · Guru

DogsandBirds wrote:

Producers put up the money and then sit back and watch. They have very little to do with the direction of the show if anything at all.

There was a show to cast "Maria"--he was on every week. So, he was definitely involved in the casting. And he put his all into it--what an excellent production! Couldn't have been any better!

Shadi Ladi · Guru

Kristen wrote:
Eris wrote:

When did Webber write Sound of Music? I must have missed that in musical theatre courses.

He didn't--he produced the show in London. It was really amazing! A great revival!

-- Edited by Kristen at 04:32, 2008-12-30

Yes, heard that revival was wonderful! How lucky you were to be able to see it.

DogsandBirds · Guru

The casting was done the same way Grease was cast via the TV audience. He was involved in that way but nothing more. He put his all into it? All the money, maybe but how do you know what he actually put in?

Shadi Ladi · Guru

Kristen...

Did you see any other shows in London when you were there?

Kristen · Guru

Shadi Ladi wrote:

Kristen...

Did you see any other shows in London when you were there?

Yes, Shadi, I was also able to see "Grease" there. And a pantomine show of "Aladdin" with John Barrowman.

-- Edited by Kristen at 04:48, 2008-12-30

Shadi Ladi · Guru

very cool!

Broadway Dude · Veteran Member

Kristen, in your opinion, which "Grease" production did you determine to be the best? The New York or London Production?

Kristen · Guru

Broadway Dude wrote:

Kristen, in your opinion, which "Grease" production did you determine to be the best? The New York or London Production?

The London one was good, but I really think that the New York production was the best. I think that more money was put into the New York show--the sets were better in New York. The Broadway show just seemed more high-quality than the London one.

Linny4Ace · Senior Member

I heard on the news this morning that the new Phantom will take place in CONEY ISLAND. Uh - hello??? I guess we will have to see if ALW can make magic. And if so, I hope some of our Grease friends get into the cast!!