Hal Prince happy with new Phantom touring show?

We would love to know how Hal Prince feels about Cameron Mackintosh’s new touring production of The Phantom of the Opera, celebrating the show’s 25th anniversary.

Hal directed the original 1986 production of Lloyd-Webber’s show, which is still playing in London and New York and has grossed over $5 billion worldwide.

If you cast your mind back to 2010, Mackintosh suffered a very public falling-out with Trevor Nunn over the “re-imagining” of the 25th anniversary touring production of Les Miserables. Nunn, co-director John Caird and designer John Napier were said to be furious that new directors, Laurence Connor and James Powell, and designer Matt Kinleywere, hired to give the show a touring makeover, including ditching the revolving barricades as these were too costly and complex to tour. Presumably the same will happen to the falling chandelier in Phantom.

As with the Les Mis tour, Mackintosh has recruited director Laurence Connor to stage the new version of Phantom and has even cast his Les Mis touring leads, John Owen-Jones and Earl Carpenter, to share the role of the Phantom.

Mackintosh has been careful to suggest in the press that the tour has Prince’s blessing, with Variety in March revealing than an “agreement” had been struck with Prince for the all-new version. But a September interview with Prince in the Huffington Post asked him whether he would change anything about the show if he had the chance to revisit it. “No, I would leave it alone”, he said, “it works”.

The UK touring production, directed by Laurence Connor, will feature choreography by Scott Ambler, set design by Paul Brown and costume design by original designer Maria Björnson. The production will be overseen by Cameron Mackintosh and Matthew Bourne and will premiere at the Theatre Royal Plymouth in March 2012. In addition to John Owen-Jones and Earl Carpenter sharing the Phantom role, Katie Hall will play Christine.

LINKS

Book tickets to The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre

The Phantom of the Opera UK tour information

 

 

Phantom celebrates anniversary

Today, Saturday 9 October 2010, marks the 24th anniversary of The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s show, produced by Cameron Mackintosh, has been seen by over 100 million people worldwide and is Broadway’s longest running show.

The musical opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre on 9 October 1986 directed by Hal Prince, choreographed by Gillian Lynne and designed by Maria Björnson. Stars of the show included Michael Crawford as the Phantom, Sarah Brightman as Christine and Steve Barton as Raoul.

Michael Crawford is soon to return to the London stage in another Lloyd Webber project, this time playing the Wizard in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s multi million pound new production of The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium.

It’s a busy weekend for Cameron Mackintosh as the Phantom anniversary comes the day after the world’s longest-running show, Les Miserables, celebrated its 25th anniversary.

Earlier this year Andrew Lloyd Webber opened his sequel to the Phantom, Love Never Dies, at the Adelphi Theatre.

Book tickets to The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London

PHANTOM FACTS

• Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical version of The Phantom of the Opera  is the most successful piece of entertainment of all time, produced in any media, and its success is continuing all over the world.
• The Phantom started previews at Her Majesty’s Theatre, London on 27th September 1986, and opened on 9th October 1986. It opened at the Majestic Theatre in New York on 9th January 1988.
• The Phantom of the Opera became Broadway’s longest running show ever when it overtook the record set by Cats with its 7,486th performance on January 6th 2006. It is the only Broadway show ever to reach 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st birthdays with the 22nd fast approaching in January 2010.
• The Broadway production played its 9000th performance on 17 September 2009.
• It is estimated that Phantom has been seen by more than 100 million people worldwide having been played in no fewer than 14 languages.
• The show has won over 50 major theatre awards including three Olivier Awards, the most recent being the 2002 Oliver Audience Award for Most Popular Show, an Evening Standard Award, seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, seven Drama Desk Awards and three Outer Critic Circle Awards.
• The Phantom of the Opera has been produced in 149 cities, in more than 25 countries around the world, including UK, US, New Zealand, Japan, Austria, Canada, Sweden, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Holland, Switzerland, Belgium, Korea, Denmark, Spain and Russia.
• The original cast album of The Phantom of the Opera was the first in British musical history to enter the music charts at number one. Album sales now exceed forty million worldwide and it is the biggest selling cast album of all time.
• The cast album has gone six times platinum in the US, twice platinum in the UK, nine times platinum in German, four times platinum in the Netherlands, 21 times platinum in Korea and 17 times platinum in Taiwan.
• Joel Schumacher directed a big screen version of the show which was released worldwide at the end of 2004. It starred Gerard Butler as The Phantom, Emmy Rossum as Christine, Patrick Wilson as Raoul and Minnie Driver as Carlotta.
• ‘Learn to Be Lonely’, a new song written for the movie, was nominated for Best Original Song at the 2005 Oscars. Beyonce performed the song at the ceremony.
• Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular opened in a purpose built theatre at the Venetian Resort Hotel in 2006.

Hal Prince to stage new show

New Menier Chocolate Factory season announced. Hal Prince to return to London to direct Mandy Patinkin musical

The new Menier Chocolate Factory season will see a strong line-up of new shows, many of which promise West End and Broadway transfers.

Most high-profile will be a jointly directed Hal Prince and Susan Stroman musical starring Broadway legend Mandy Patinkin, a major coup for the small theatre that has built up a sizeable reputation: its successful production of La Cage Aux Folles starring Douglas Hodge will open on Broadway in 2010.

The musical, Paradise Found, will run at the theatre from 19 May to 26 June before a possible Broadway transfer. Based on Joseph Roth’s novel The Tale Of The 1002nd Night, the show is about a visit the Shah of Persia made to Europe in 1873. Patinkin will play the Shah’s eunuch.

The show features music by Austrian waltz maestro Johann Strauss II and Jonathan Tunick, lyrics by Ellen Fitzhugh and a libretto by Richard Nelson. Composer Tunick is widely known for orchestrating many Broadway musicals, including the works of Stephen Sondheim.

Legendary director Hal Prince was responsible for the premiere productions of Cabaret, Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, The Phantom of the Opera, She Loves Me, Company, Follies, Candide, Pacific Overtures, Evita, Parade and Bounce.

Tony-winning director and choreographer Susan Stroman has created shows including The Producers and Young Frankenstein, and last collaborated with Prince on the Broadway revival of Show Boat.

Trevor Nunn directs Aspects of Love

Also in the new season Trevor Nunn follows his successful production of Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, which transferred to the West End and is now playing on Broadway starring Catherine Zeta Jones, by directing a new production of Aspects of Love.

The first major London revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical since Nunn’s original production, the show is based on David Garnett’s novel and originally starred Michael Ball. It tells the story of passion, love and loss across three generations of a family and their companions set against the background of 1940’s France and Italy.

The show will preview from 3 July.

Willy Russell double-bill

Also showcasing at the Menier Chocolate Factory will be a double-bill of Willy Russell plays Shirley Valentine and Educating Rita.

Both award-winning movies, the plays will provide a long overdue London tribute to Willy Russell’s work.  Willy Russell’s most famous stage work is Blood Brothers, which has played in the West End since 1988 and currently stars Spice Girl Melanie C.

Shirley Valentine will star Meera Syal, acclaimed comedienne and actress whose credits include Bombay Dreams and Goodness Gracious Me. The play will be directed by Glen Walford.

Larry Lamb and Laura Dos Santos will star in Educating Rita, directed by Jeremy Sams. Larry Lamb has recently enjoyed two high-profile TV roles in Gavin & Stacey and EastEnders. Relative newcomer Dos Santos appeared in Look Back in Anger at the Jermyn Street Theatre in 2008.

The productions run in rep from 26 March to 8 May.