My Cabbage Patch Doll, The Phantom and I

When I was a kid, the basement of our house used to flood after every major thunderstorm.  Naturally, I would become paranoid that the Phantom of the Opera was going to kidnap me.  This fear was instilled in me at age three when my parents took me to see my first-ever musical, The Phantom of Opera.  Over the weekend, the Broadway production of Phantom celebrated its 25^th anniversary, a remarkable milestone for the show that embedded in me, along with so many others, a love for musical theater.

After the smashing success of Phantom on Broadway and in London, the producers decided to launch two America touring productions and a sit-down production in Toronto, Canada.  In 1989 my parents scored tickets to see the show with its original Canadian cast in Toronto.  Despite only being three, and ignoring the fact that the main character was a deformed madman, my parents decided to introduce me to live theater.  To calm my fears, they bribed me into good behavior by allowing me to bring my cabbage doll named Hannibal (ironically enough, that’s also the name of the first act opera in Phantom).

What my parents failed to tell me was that our seats were two rows from the stage, center orchestra.  Due to the proximity of our seats to the stage, my three-year old self was introduced to live theater by: having a chandelier rise and fall on-top of us, the stage get set on fire, fireballs shot at us from the Phantom himself, the Phantom taking his curtain call without his mask – thus waving at me with his deformed face, and the infamous gondola journey to the underground where he takes Christine to his lair.

Poor Hannibal, he got squashed that evening by me hugging him so tightly.  After that night, and after every rain storm when our basement would flood, I was terrified the Phantom would come and kidnap me, like he did Christine, in his gondola.  Growing up I had numerous sightings of the Phantom in our basement, although none were ever confirmed by my parents.

It wasn’t until the movie version of Phantom came out, when I started re-listening to the cast album and finally decided to revisit the show.  When the tour came to Pittsburgh the next year, my father scored two tickets for my mother and I (Hannibal stayed home).  Same seats, second row, center orchestra, and this time I loved every minute.

Prior to the show, Mom and I went for dinner at a restaurant near the theater.  Sitting at the table next to us was a young boy (age 3) and his mother.  We started chatting with them, and the boy proceeded to talk non-stop about the show, movie and cast album.  This was his first time seeing the show and he could barely contain his excitement.  Leaving dinner, I turned to the woman and said, “You’re not going to believe this, but that was mom and I 15 years ago.”  My mother and I got up and then proceeded to the theater.

I am so proud of Phantom’s 25^th anniversary, and even prouder that it was the first musical I ever saw.  Since originally opening in London in 1986 (three months after I was born), the show has been seen by more than 100 million theatergoers in 150 cities located worldwide in 25 countries.  In a world so wrought with division, Phantom’s success reminds me of the power of the arts to unify us.  We all may have seen the same show, but our takeaways are all different and this allows us to have a dialogue and forge relationships we might have otherwise passed up.

I was unable to attend Phantom’s 25^th anniversary gala in New York City, but could not be happier for their milestone.  With each year that passes, and each performance where the chandelier crashes, I am constantly reminded how special this show is as fellow fans return again, often bringing along their children and continuing the tradition.  The Phantom never did come and kidnap me with his gondola through our flooded basement, but as the years pass I have gone back to the Opera Populaire many times to revisit my old friend and remember how I fell in love with the music of the night.

For tickets to Phantom, please visit: http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com/

The Opera Ghost’s Special Day

This Saturday, January 26 2013, the Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera will celebrate its 25 anniversary.  Not only is the production the longest running show in Broadway history, but Phantom is also the first production in American theater history to be consistently playing for 25 years.

Phantom’s creative team likes to say, “It’s the Broadway musical all others are measured against,” and they couldn’t be more correct.  It was for a whole generation of thespians (including yours truly), the show that made them fall in love with Broadway.  On Monday, I’ll be posting my tribute to Broadway’s most haunting love story, but for now I’m posting several videos to remind us how we fell in love with the music of the night.

The Overture and Raising of the Chandelier – For sooooo many phans, it was that heart-stopping overture and the raising of the chandelier which forever hooked us to the show.  Below is a clip of both from the show’s 25^th anniversary concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

In All Your Fantasies, You Always Knew – What made Phantom great was that the show could be terrifying one minute, and intensely romantic the next.  Combined with the exquisite set design, and chemistry between lead actors Michael Crawford (Phantom) and Sarah Brightman (Christine), it’s easy to see why so many fell in love with the story of a disfigured composer and his muse.  Here’s a clip from the 1988 Tony Awards with Crawford and Brightman.  (Sorry for the bad quality, there was no HD in 1988.)

By The Numbers – This is a wonderful clip made by the producers to highlight the show’s success around the world.  One of my favorite scenes is of a young and beautiful Princess Diana receiving a red rose from the Phantom.

A WORLDWIDE Phenomenon –  A major part of Phantom’s success has been its ability to travel the world, literally.  Early on, producer Cameron Mackintosh made the decision that the same show which played on Broadway, would also tour the world.  This meant that the sets/costumes, special effects and orchestra would all be the same.  The show would not be scaled down.  At the time, this was a revolutionary concept for musical touring productions, and an expensive once.  However, it is safe to say that the show’s investors made their money back.

Below is a great clip from the Chicago Tribune taking phans behind the scenes to see exactly how Phantom tours the world.

Behind the Mask – People tend to forget the struggle to launch Phantom.  The show’s special effects, controversy behind the affair/casting of Lloyd Webber’s wife Sarah Brightman and unflattering coverage by the press almost doomed the musical before its London opening.  In 2008, the BBC did a great hour long documentary called Behind the Mask about the show’s creative process.  Below is part one, with all the other parts available on Youtube.

For tickets to Phantom and more information on the show, please visit: http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com/

Go See Lincoln

Washington is abuzz this week with pre-inaugural festivities.  By next Monday, the Capitol will be aglow with the majesty of the inaugural ceremony, the pomp and circumstance of the inaugural balls and celebrations of America’s 44^th president, Barack Obama.  In preparing for the start of his second term, I hope the President will go see the movie Lincoln, hopefully learning that acting like a politician is not shameful behavior.  For if President Obama is to survive the second term battles that lie ahead, he will need to act like politician of the highest caliber.

Lincoln is principally set in January 1865 and centers on the passage of the 13^th amendment.  Having just been re-elected, President Lincoln is trying to pressure Congress to pass the amendment during their lame duck session (remember prior to the 20^th amendment, Congress didn’t start their session till March).   What may surprise moviegoers were the tools Lincoln used to get the amendment passed, many of which are still employed.

Lobbyists, federal appointments, political maneuvering and dodgy answers, were all used by Lincoln to get Congress to pass the amendment.  The film makes no secret of this, and neither does Lincoln.  At one point in the film Lincoln turns to his cabinet, raises his hand and declares, “I am the president of the United States of America, clothed in immense power! You will procure me those votes!”

In the next sixth months President Obama will have battles with the Republicans on: cabinet appointments, the budget, the debt ceiling, federal spending, gun reform and possibly immigration.  Furthermore, President Obama will also have to compete with the fact that presidents tend to get weaker as their second term progresses, remember they are lame duck leaders as well.  If President Obama is to cement his legacy on the debt and federal spending, he’ll need to wield a Lincoln-ian style deal that includes the Republican.

President Obama has long made it known of his admiration for our 16^th president.  In fact, at next Monday’s inauguration ceremony the President will be sworn in on the Lincoln bible, and his 2013 State of the Union Address is currently scheduled for Lincoln’s birthday, February 12^th.  The lesson thought that President Obama must take from his predecessor is that politics matters.  He can’t keep a pious attitude towards the professional, when he is the profession’s most notable leader.  Politics doesn’t always have to be nasty, it does however need to achieve results.

President Obama, congratulations on your second term.  The American people, of both political parties, are counting on you!

Movie Review: Les Miserables

The movie version of the hit musical Les Miserables can best be described as a traffic jam.  Why?  Because when the movie hits its stride and proceeds at full speed it reminds of you of how Les Mis can be brilliant and uplifting.  However, when the movie is slow, it’s painfully slow and loses focus on its message: man’s enduring humanity.

Full disclosure: Les Mis has never been one of my favorite musicals. Despite having some great songs, catchy lyrics and an uplifting message, I always felt the show was too long.  Regardless, having seen the show on Broadway, the 25^th anniversary tour and read the original Victor Hugo novel, I feel justified to be in a position to critique the movie.

The overall problem with the movie is it’s uneven pace and loss of focus on the story of Jean Val Jean towards the middle and end of the movie.  Director Tom Hooper did a wonderful job of not cutting any characters from the stage show, however many of the transition scenes/music/lyrics have been cut and that poses a great problem to the movie.  On stage those scenes helped to move the action along.  Part of the problem in cutting those lyrics is that those scenes now move at a glacial pace.

The biggest casualty of the film’s uneven tempo is the ultimate loss of Val Jean’s message: To love another person is to see the face of God.  In its purest form, the stage show and original Victor Hugo novel is about man’s humanity and struggle to do what is good and just.  Somehow, somewhere, Les Mis lost that message in its jump from stage to screen.

The production team behind Les Mis must be credited for not only translating this epic musical to the big screen, but retaining many of the set and costumes designs from the iconic original London and New York productions.  Further credit most also be given to Hugh Jackman (Val Jean), Anne Hathaway (Fantine), Sacha Baron Cohen  (Thernadier) and Helena Bonham Carter (Madame Thernadier) for being outstanding in their roles.

However, none of these big name stars can help the movie when it arrives at the slow parts (of which there are many).  Fans of the stage show and the book will not be disappointed.  Overall, the movie retains much of what made the musical an internal phenomenon.  Turning stage musicals into movies is hard and I don’t envy anyone who tries.  I just wish however that they would be more even in their pace, because while I loathe traffic on the highway, I especially loathe it in the theater.

Les Mis is currently touring the United States, playing in London’s West End and still in theaters.  For tickets to these productions please visit: http://www.lesmis.com/

Notes from the Stage Door – Fiscal Cliff Edition

Call the Fiscal Cliff the Grinch that stole Christmas in 2012 or the first Festivus grievance of 2013, but I can’t remember a time when politics left such a dark shadow over the holidays.  In politics, process maters, especially when it involves a policy that will affect every American’s taxes.   This week’s Notes from the Stage Door is dedicated to helping you understand the political process which saved the nation from once again avoiding economic uncertainty.  The underlining in all these stories is this: personal relationships matter…enter Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Mitch McConnell.

Politico: The fiscal cliff deal that almost wasn’t

Politico (a must read for anyone interested in politics) provides a great overview of everything that went down during the fiscal cliff negotiations.  This includes Speaker John Boehner telling Senator Harry Reid to f*ck off, and how Biden and McConnell were able to save the day.

The New York Times: Lines of Resistance on Fiscal Deal

The biggest conundrum of the entire deal is the Republican’s response.  A decade ago, the thought of  making 85% of the Bush tax cuts permanent was a pipe dream.   Now it’s a reality, and even more ironic is that this all happened under President Barack Obama.  Still, Republicans remains unsettled about the deal and unresolved about where they go to next.

Les Fiscal Miserables

Finally, a friend from across the isle, sent this to me last week.  I thought, with this being a blog about the arts and politics, a Les Miserable-Fiscal Cliff theme tumblr could not have been more appropriate!