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Post by bellboard27 on Jun 21, 2016 15:54:36 GMT
The "Carre d'Or" (Golden Quarter) is generally what Premium Seats are here. My guess is that those "Prestige" packages are more aimed at the gentlemen taking their mistresses or even wives out or some business partners. I've never been at the Mogador as it's owned by Stage Entertainment who use it to recycle the same shows that are done all over Europe, but judging by the photos it's a nice theatre. And obviously it will have a stage door, where else would performers and crews enter. If you want to ask for it, it's "L'entrée des artistes". One thing you should be aware of in Paris is that ushers expect a tip. When entering the auditorium you will be led to your seats and 1 Euro (per person) is expected as a thank you. If you don't cough up, you'll get pretty rude stares, so have a coin or two ready. It's one of the big mysteries in Parisian theatres but as they say "when in Rome..." That's so funny about the ushers. Thank you so much for the tour link (and everything else)- I see it doesn't book until Dec. though  I looked at the pictures again- it doesn't look that big, but I do think I'll treat myself to a nice seat upfront for 90 eur. Do you have any tips for the Garnier? i'm thinking of maybe seeing an opera or a ballet there too (to complete the phantom trip ha) and I see they have tickets for 40 eur and under- have you ever been?
If you are interested you can do a good self-guided tour of Opera Garnier. It is a stunning theatre, so well worth spending time wandering around. You do get a chance to peer into the Phantom's box (not enter it!).
If you do want to go to a ballet or opera, tickets do go and booking in advance is advisable (earlier the better depending on how popular the show is), especially if you want to snap up the cheaper tickets. For example, it is already booking into December, but not yet for Christmas at the Bastille (the site covers both Garnier and Bastille).
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Post by ShoesForRent on Jun 25, 2016 17:37:34 GMT
Apparently a French actor Bastien Jacquemart is cast as Raoul: http://instagram.com/p/BHDHqZEhv0W Like I've actually found the money (a million extra shifts) to do this and fly to Paris for the preview week, my only worry is Sierra's schedule. I mean I won't complain seeing the alt. I just wish we had more info- there are very few tickets left for the first previews.. But in other news- I'm jumping up and down about 5 days in Paris- I've never been!!  If anyone has any suggestions for the first week of October- please share! |
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Post by musicallady on Jul 5, 2016 19:08:06 GMT
^ Yes on her weird accent. I guess it's her way of doing a classic period accent? My favorite Christine is Claire Moore. Gorgeous singing and extremely overlooked. I agree with you. My favourite was Maria Kesselman. I think she was something like 2nd understudy. |
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Post by viserys on Jul 5, 2016 19:15:36 GMT
Bastien Jacquemart was in StarAcademy, a French casting show on TV and played Moritz in a French production of Spring Awakening. I'm sure he'll do a fine job as Raoul (but it's still not enough to get me to buy a ticket).
There's a rumour going around that Gardar Thor Cortes will leave Love Never Dies in Hamburg early to play the Phantom in Paris... Not sure if it holds water.
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Post by indis on Jul 6, 2016 19:50:34 GMT
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Post by ShoesForRent on Jul 6, 2016 19:56:45 GMT
Just bought my tickets for the 5th and 6th of Oct. That's that second and third preview. Really excited! |
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Post by viserys on Jul 6, 2016 20:03:52 GMT
Yea, "Le rôle du Fantôme sera joué par un... Islandais" means it'll be played by a Icelander. Thus Cortes probably unless one of the Icelandic footballers stayed behind in France and took up singing.
So utterly unexcited by all of this.
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Post by ShoesForRent on Jul 7, 2016 9:04:54 GMT
The full casting, minus the Phantom: On savait que Sierra Boggess serait Christine Daaé et que Bastien Jacquemart serait Raoul. Aujourd’hui, on sait qui seront leurs partenaires. Il s’agit d’Anne-Marine Suire (Christine Daaé à certaines représentations), Christine Tocci (Madame Giry), Serenad (Carlotta Guidicelli), Patricio Paxton (Ubaldo Piangi), Wim Van Den Driessche (Monsieur Firmin), Jacques Rebaldi (Monsieur André) et Emmanuelle Guelin (Meg Giry).   (Anne Marine Suire- alt. Christine) (Manon Taris- u/s Christine) L’ensemble est constitué des artistes suivants : Edouard Akhmetshin Yoni Amar Robin Bailey Dounia Behna Louis-Héol Castel Pierre-Antoine Chaumien Maxime Cohen Loïc Consalvo Anne-Elisabeth Dubois David Eguren Romain Fructuoso Nahia Gil Laetitia Goepfert Laurent Herbaut Jonathan Kerr Florie Leclercq-Dory Lucie Louvrier Michela Mazzoni Eleonora Musumeci Elena Rakova Charlotte Ruby Irène Savary Asami Takahashi Manon Taris Claire-Elie Tenet Fabrice Todaro Gabriella Zanchi (Soure :http://www.regardencoulisse.com/la-distribution-quasi-complete-du-fantome-de-lopera-devoilee/) EDIT: from the look of the schedule they are only doing 7 shows a week. would that mean the Alt. would get 1 or 2 show I wonder. (I'm hoping to see Sierra and at least one of the girls) I'm curious viserys are you unexcited because he (Cortes) is not a good actor or because of their recycling from other productions? |
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Post by viserys on Jul 7, 2016 9:35:12 GMT
It's a mix of everything really. In my dreams I had always envisioned Cam Mack to rent the actual Palais Garnier for a short Paris run and a completely fresh design. But even in a "normal" theatre I would long for a fresh version. I really loved the original version way back then - I first saw Phantom in 1990 and then several more times through the 90's until my interest petered out and I stopped travelling to see carbon copies of shows I knew well and returning to see the same shows another time. When the movie came out, it felt like such a fresh breath to see the songs in a different and more opulent staging. When I then saw the original version again (on freebies) it suddenly seemed so dated and tired and dull. Take Miss Saigon for example - my personal misgivings about the show aside - when it came to London again, it was a completely fresh design, different from the original version (which I had also seen a couple of times in various places in the 90s) and that WAS interesting. So... when Phantom was announced for Paris, done by Stage Entertainment, the Kings of Musical-McDonaldisation in Europe, I just knew it would be the exact tired old carbon copy of the original AGAIN. So I was already meh about it. I did consider adding it to my Paris trip in early December to see the "Notre Dame de Paris"-Revival, but then the prices put me off as well. Notre Dame de Paris and other fresh French shows all charged around 60-65 EUR for very good seats whereas Phantom is around 90 EUR. So - nope. The casting was just the last nail in the coffin. If they had cast a well-known French performer as the Phantom, I might have been swayed. Instead we get an Icelander and an American who will sing French parrot-fashion in a city full of amazing local talent. Bastien Jacquemart may be interesting, but in wig and costume he'll just look like any cookie-cutter Raoul of the last 30 years, so I'll be happy to wait until a clip of "All I ask of you" turns up on youtube and catch him when he does another show some time (maybe). I don't MIND Cortes. In fact I was excited when he was cast for Love Never Dies in Hamburg as he was at least a step-up from the usual cheap foreign nobodies cast in leading roles despite not being able to sing a single line in comprehensible German. I was actually eager to see him on stage. But with Stage Entertainment's ludicrous casting policies with first casts, alternates, second and third understudies and what not, the gamble to not see him on stage was way too big to risk. Especially since Hamburg would require an overnight stay for me, so with train, hotel, etc. the costs pile up - and then I rather spend the money on a weekend in London. I think he'll be a doing a good job as the Phantom in Part I, too. I guess I'm just disappointed that they didn't hire French people for the two leads. With a recycled Phantom and Christine from other productions and the stale old designs of the original production, there's just nothing whatsoever that makes me want to part with a lot of money to see this live. Paris, the "home" of the Phantom, simply deserved better. Sorry, loooong rant but you asked  |
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Post by ShoesForRent on Jul 7, 2016 10:23:38 GMT
No, that's really interesting- thank you!
I wasn't alive for the earlier portion of the Phantom run (youngster here). Only got to see the show live first in 2007, as a 12 year old. So I'm probably not old enough to have gotten tired of it yet, nor have i seen it too many times since (about 4 times in total, all in London, all relativley boring casts though)
It's the show that turned me on to musical theatre- so it holds a dear place in my heart. It's the one show that every few months I'll hear it, and remmember why I've fallen for it. No it's not the best/ smartest/ most interesting theatre piece I've ever seen, but it's my favourite, even if for nostalgia alone.
I've never seen Sierra, other than the dvd- but she's sweet and has a voice I really enjoy, odd vowels and all, so I'm looking forward to seeing her live. And i don't speak any French- so even if theirs is really bad I doubt I'll notice lol.
And October is the only time I can travel for the next forsaeeble future what with Uni starting. And flying to London was considerebly more expensive than Paris, plus I've never been. So it made sense.
But I totally understand all your reasonings. I think it will be a long time before another completely new (not just watered down) version of Phantom is seen- simply because the original is working for them. Revivals are about taking the source material and renewing it in an exciting way. Unfortunatly in that sense- Phantom isn't really closing ha!
I do hope it does happen eventually. That ALW or Mckintosh decide it's time to try something new.
And your Paris trip sounds exciting! with Hunchback and 42nd street. I wish i could travel around that time to see them too!
(Also i think it would be SUCH a wasted opportunity if they don't do their photo shoots at the Garnier in costume for the advertisment)
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Post by viserys on Jul 7, 2016 11:59:39 GMT
Yea I understand that - I was like you in the 90s (albeit older... and now I feel ancient, lol). I first saw Phantom in Vienna from a bad seat in the back stalls and didn't enjoy it at all. Then I saw it in Hamburg from a very good seat and got totally caught up in it. I saw it again in Hamburg a year later, then in the Netherlands (Scheveningen), in London and once more for the 10th anniversary in Hamburg (when I didn't like it much again, as the two leads had been playing the roles for years and the Christine was WAY too old by then). So... yea, I had seen Phantom at least five times by then (LOL, perhaps even more, I can't for the life of me remember if I saw it a second time in London or more than three times in Hamburg). But just like you are now eager to travel to London and Paris, I did criss-cross Europe to see the same shows several times as well. Don't ask how often and in how many places I saw Cats So I hope you'll enjoy it in Paris. I'll make do with the cast recording and whatever turns up on youtube! |
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Post by fiyero on Jul 8, 2016 14:28:53 GMT
I am keen to see this when I have the chance in January (seen Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and Cats there on previous trips). I don't know if it is just because of the shows I saw or because I was obviously English but the ushers didn't expect a trip, even though I'm always bumped to better seats (I pick rear, side stalls) :-)
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Post by mtchairs on Jul 29, 2016 22:28:38 GMT
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Post by ShoesForRent on Sept 16, 2016 20:58:46 GMT
All I Ask of You rehearsal footage:
CUUUTEE!!
Would love to hear what it sounds like to those of you who speak French though!
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Post by zak97 on Sept 17, 2016 6:49:00 GMT
I like it, the only criticism I have is that the lack of mics make it slightly hard to hear Sierra, especially at the start for me, which makes it a challenge to identify her French at times. But by what I could hear I reckon she's got the vocal pronounciation and shaping of words, I just think she has to take care so that her vibrato doesn't overpower and confuse her voice when projecting and thusly lose the message of the lyrics.
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Post by thebearofwestend on Sept 18, 2016 1:48:08 GMT
I just find it hard to believe there were no French speaking actresses that were available for this production
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Post by ShoesForRent on Sept 25, 2016 17:12:51 GMT
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Post by catqc on Sept 25, 2016 21:10:49 GMT
He's here! The Phantom of the Opera...
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Post by ShoesForRent on Sept 26, 2016 18:49:54 GMT
Delayed until further notice- opening night cancelled... The lighting director posted on his Facebook that he doesn't think it will open this year..
Anyway- My flight and hotel are non refundable, so any suggestions for what to do in Paris now that all my nights are free- are VERY welcome!!!
Anyone been to the Moulin Rouge? is it worth the very high priced ticket?
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 26, 2016 19:27:25 GMT
Delayed until further notice- opening night cancelled... The lighting director posted on his Facebook that he doesn't think it will open this year.. Anyway- My flight and hotel are non refundable, so any suggestions for what to do in Paris now that all my nights are free- are VERY welcome!!! Anyone been to the Moulin Rouge? is it worth the very high priced ticket? What a terrible shame. Doesn't your travel insurance cover this? |
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Post by ali973 on Sept 26, 2016 19:36:16 GMT
How big was this fire? I wonder if any of the sets were damaged. I imagine it's a large enough theatre so that it's very possible that the entire auditorium is actually not affected by it but another section would require significant repair.
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Post by ShoesForRent on Sept 26, 2016 19:49:40 GMT
How big was this fire? I wonder if any of the sets were damaged. I imagine it's a large enough theatre so that it's very possible that the entire auditorium is actually not affected by it but another section would require significant repair. This was posted n BWW- link to FB pic it looks bad, and if you go on the guy's FB page (he seems to own the lighting company I think) he responds to some people saying he doesn't think it will go up this year/ at least some weeks of repair/ that the chandelier is fine but pretty much everything ese is bust etc.. Very sad.. What a terrible shame. Doesn't your travel insurance cover this? I haven't actually activated it yet- was planinng to today. But a brief reading of it makes me believe that it won't cover it. Talk about bad luck... |
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Post by ali973 on Sept 26, 2016 20:04:37 GMT
Too bad. But I'm sure it's insured and that the show will (eventually) go on. These things do happen..
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Post by mtchairs on Sept 27, 2016 3:57:43 GMT
Delayed until further notice- opening night cancelled... The lighting director posted on his Facebook that he doesn't think it will open this year.. Anyway- My flight and hotel are non refundable, so any suggestions for what to do in Paris now that all my nights are free- are VERY welcome!!! Anyone been to the Moulin Rouge? is it worth the very high priced ticket? I'm in the same position, but my ticket is not until 15 November, so maybe there's still hope? i have a non-refundable Eurostar ticket, hotel booking and international flight from Paris to Washington. I won't be back to Paris (from Australia) for a while after this trip, so rebooking for a later date once they get up and running is not an option. Maybe you could see something at the real Opera Garnier? That's something I'm considering if my date gets cancelled. |
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Post by Michael on Sept 27, 2016 4:18:45 GMT
Until you stop these things from happening, this thing does not happen! |
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If anyone has any suggestions for the first week of October- please share!
