Why Andrew Lloyd Webber Only Wants to Hear Sarah Brightman Sing Wishing You Were Here Again.

Concluding dark, Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, was broadcast live to cinemas beyond the globe as part of its 25^th anniversary celebrations. Especially staged in London's Royal Albert Hall, this incredible event brought people out in their droves to see the about anticipated theatrical event of the year. (The screening I attended was a complete sell out). The atmosphere in the hall must have been electrifying, yet the cinema streams had their advantages. Attendees got to see everything in high definition, up close and personal, and came away having seen something better than Joel Schumacher'southward 2004, Hollywood version starring Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum. The credits began to curlicue, and I stepped out of our screen thinking I had been there in person. The Phantom of the Opera at the Purple Albert Hall was something special, and something all fans, or equally the die-hards call themselves, 'phans', should encounter.

The stream kicked off with a trailer for the Phantom sequel, Dear Never Dies. Equally much as I like the London version, the quick flashes we saw of the Melbourne production were fantastic, particularly on the large screen. (And by the manner, 'Beneath A Moonless Sky' sounds epic in surround sound). Later on a quick voiceover announcing the prove would shortly be available to purchase on DVD and Blu-Ray subsequently a stint in cinemas, the stream cut to another trailer advert the recordings of the Royal Albert Hall production and a new Phantom tour in 2012. Andrew Lloyd Webber never misses a trick; god knows how many people were viewing this stream across the globe! After a short documentary detailing the genesis of Phantom, which lasted around xx minutes, a title bill of fare emerged announcing that the testify would begin 'in five minutes.' Cue final minute toilet trips for everybody. The live feed somewhen flickered to life, and we were greeted with a stunning view of the Royal Albert Hall, which looks considerably bigger on screen than it is in real life.

The show began. Immediately, information technology became articulate that those who had opted for the cinema screening had the all-time seats to the testify. The close-up shots of the actors made this wait more like a film, yet somehow, information technology never lost the magic that makes Phantom the theatrical experience that information technology is. The emotion, the clarity, the sheer brilliance of everybody's acting ability was visible for all to see. I can't imagine what it was similar for those opposite the stage, across the other side of the Albert Hall. It's piece of cake to be carried away past the magnitude of such an event. Aye, information technology has the flashy special effects and the pyrotechnics, yet its brilliance lies in the two main actors: Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom and Sierra Boggess as his obsession, Christine. Their performances were nothing brusque of breathtaking. Our screening came with German language subtitles, a potential annoyance, yet they were soon forgotten and I institute myself so immersed in what was happening on screen that there were moments when I would question whether the subtitles had appeared on screen for a scene that had simply occurred.

Karimloo joins the cast one time once again as The Phantom.

Whoever follows Karimloo'due south Phantom is going to accept a tough job. I was lucky enough to run across him twice in the title role at Her Majesty'south where the original show has been playing for 25 years, and saw him twice in Dear Never Dies at the Adelphi before it (criminally) close. How wrong I was to presume that Karimloo'due south performance would be a 'rehash' of his earlier days as the iconic grapheme. Karimloo brought an entirely new interpretation to the role, a renewed energy that actually congenital upon the tertiary dimensional aspects of such a character. The tears on his face in moments of silence, the anguish in his optics, the yearning in his body language: these subtle still powerful moments could only exist appreciated by those in cinemas and the first few rows of the Albert Hall. Obviously I cannot annotate on the show from the perspective of those 'in the Gods' equally I was not there, all the same I hope they can appreciate Karimloo's achievements. The concluding lair sequence from 'Down Once More…' onwards can be described as nothing short of devastating. You lot could have heard a pivot drop in our movie theater. The idea of a live phase stream to cinemas could have resulted in a disaster, simply information technology was anything simply, something which bodes very well for the forthcoming Dear Never Dies DVD.

Boggess and Karimloo in 'Dear Never Dies.'

Boggess, in her function equally Christine was also phenomenal. Karimloo and Boggess have existent chemistry, something which has been allowed to develop through Dearest Never Dies. It pays off hither. The graveyard sequence where Christine sings 'Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again' was spooky, and rightfully earned Boggess a rapturous round of applause from the audience at the Albert Hall, and I imagine, right beyond the globe. Hadley Fraser as Raoul was too brilliantly cast to consummate the perfect trio for such a spectacle.

The staging, as was to be expected, was pretty simple, relying heavily on projections, with the odd prop or ii, yet this did non backbite at all from the experience. In fact, it probably worked better than information technology would have done had every prop from the original production made an appearance. The boat sequence was played out almost exactly how information technology is in the original, and the chandelier, although already raised, was revealed in spectacular fashion. The projections, in a style, enhanced the show. For instance, Christine reads a letter from the Phantom and we see him writing information technology, on the screen in the groundwork. The Phantom's sharp appearance at the end of the 'Masquerade' sequence is enlarged by the screens, and as such, impose a 18-carat threat upon all of us. His skull mask was pretty creepy! My favourite use of projections was at the finish of 'Remember Of Me.' In the original, Christine turns her back to us and faces back stage, as if she is facing the audience of the Paris Opera House. Hither, she does the aforementioned thing, although the audience at the Albert Hall was projected onto the screens to brand it look equally if she was singing to them, before the 'back phase scene.' It was a prissy touch, 1 in which the audience was physically brought into the show itself.

Favourite scenes for me had to include 'The Music of the Night', the boat sequence, the finale from 'Signal Of No Return' and 'Masquerade.' 'Masquerade' is a large number anyway, only nothing compares to three, total companies singing it and blasting off the roof in the process. It'south zippo brusk of epic, specially confronting the orchestra which stretched the length of the stage. Perhaps this was i let down of existence in the movie house. There was so much going on in the 'Masquerade' sequence that the cameras didn't know where to await. A series of quick cuts were frustrating at times.

The merely trouble we had with our stream was a short break where the betoken dropped. In the mean time, we received quick flashes of 'The Gospel Channel' (much to the humour of the audience) as the cinema tried to regain the picture, which they did within a infinitesimal, and thankfully, it was during a part where no one was actually bothered. (the 'Don Juan' rehearsal scene, if I'm non mistaken).

The Phantom of the Opera at the Imperial Albert Hall really was a phenomenal upshot and one which can be watched over and once more. Phantom has survived the West Finish for 25 years now and shows no sign of abating. The nigh successful piece of entertainment ever keeps going strong and it's no wonder why. Andrew Lloyd Webber's score has entranced generations of people, and will, I'm sure, entrance generations to come.

You tin purchase The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall on DVD here and Blu-Ray here. The CD recording is also available here.

Yous can buy the Melbourne product of Love Never Dies on DVD here and Blu-Ray hither.

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