Maury Yeston's Phantom coming to London in May 2013!

[bob8rich]

Just read this fantastic news! The musical "Phantom" (music & lyrics by Maury Yeston/book by Arthur Kopit) will be staged at YE Olde Rose And Crown Theatre in Walthamstow from May 14 to 31 next year! (It's a lovely intimate "above a pub" space - a bit like the Landor - and I saw a superb production of the revue of Howard Goodall songs, "Love And War", there in March this year.)

I LOVE Yeston's Phantom score (way stronger than ALW's score IMO) and I am also a fan of Kopit as a playwright. Fell in love with the original cast recording years ago & have been longing for a chance to see it on stage ever since.

So, to say I am over the moon about this news would be a huge understatement.

[Owen22]

I'm sorry...

[Nickhutson]

The rose and crown was one of the ugliest and most uncomfortable spaces I've ever had to sit in.

I hate all these rooms above pubs with seats in them being called theatres.

Will be interesting to see how the show gets along. Yeston is quite wonderful.

[bob8rich]

Well, I have a serious problem with my back and had no problem whatsoever with the seating at the Rose and Crown (while there are some West End theatres where I have considerable problems - and the Chocolate Factory is excruciatingly painful to sit in, as is the Circle at the Olivier - I had to take painkillers to be able to continue sitting there the last time I was there.)

I LOVE this kind of space - to me this is REAL theatre. Lush & lavish surroundings are not what make for great theatrical experience - the quality of what is being performed is what does that. And virtually all the most fantastic theatre I've seen over the past few years has been at places like the Landor, Tabard & Finborough (all above pubs!) plus the Union. It is spaces such as these that are keeping vibrant musical theatre alive in London - the West End has produced very little that has excited me for quite some time.

[songanddanceman2]

Nickhutson it's called fringe spaces you pompous snob, and without said spaces some of the best new plays around would never get seen. Also the most unique and interesting works go on in spaces like that....... We can't all settle for corporate musicals like Matilda, some of us want to see unique and diverse work in intimate and exciting venues. As for Phantom, I have only seen a DVD of the show but did not enjoy it much, some of the score is great but as a whole (like the Webber one) it watered everything down to almost dumb.

[bob8rich]

Just found out that the title role in Maury Yeston's Phantom at the Olde Rose & Crown will be played by the incredible Kieran Brown (Wicked, Love Never Dies). This guy's vocals are seriously awesome - so now even more excited about seeing this on May 17!

[stageybenny]

Kierans voice on a huge stage is amazing, in such an intimate space like Ye Old Rose and Crown its gonna be amazing.

Bob8rich I think its this year not next year

Owen22 what you sorry for? Have I missed something?

Nickhutson are you having a laugh? Your profile says your a producer of musicaltalk and you just came out with a comment like that, I know everyone deserves an opinion but mate that is a crappy opinion and very foolish.

[bob8rich]

Stageybenny - it was "next year" when I first posted this thread last December lol.

Further casting news:
Christine will be played by the lovely and amazing Kira Morsley, an Australian actress/singer now living in London. Kira was in the cast of the workshop of Chris Orton and my musical My Land's Shore a few months ago - she's going to be great in this role.

Philippe will be played by Sean Paul Jenkinson - currently playing Clopin in Lionel Bart's Quasimodo at the King's Head & previous roles include Isaac Tallentire in The Hired man at the Landor, for which he was nominated for an "Offie" (Off West End Award).

[stageybenny]

Not heard of Kira Morsley, she must be good though.
I've just seen it all on Twitter, lots going on about making an original London recording, not a bad idea to be fair.

Sean Jenkinson is fab in Quasimodo, is there any more news on the rest of the cast? Especially the role of Carlotta, she has a great solo and a demanding womanly presence, eek excited thinking about seeing this show!

[bob8rich]

Full cast here:

http://www.westendwilma.com/phantomroseandcrown/

[stageybenny]

Ya know what. The Fringe is the place to be right now, so much exciting projects going on!

[Phantom of London]

Go on.

[stageybenny]

Huh?

[Phantom of London]

What is so great about the fringe? what is great coming up? (I don't necessarily disagree with you on this, but want to hear why you think its great).

[stageybenny]

Just the productions that have been on recently like The Secret Garden, A Class Act, Chess, Godspell, Spelling Bee, Spring Awakening, Cross Purpose.

And with productions coming up like Bare, Rent, ROOMS, Next Thing You Know, Billy, Phantom, Sleeping Arrangements.

So many exciting things! The comment earlier about places calling themselves theatre that have seats above a pub, well mate look at all the productions that are going on at these places with seats in a room above pubs!!!!

[Phantom of London]

Not forgetting Avenue Q, They're Playing Our Song and The Colour Purple.

I do disagree with you, in the most gentlest way possible and I am no expert on London's fringe, but there has always been a very healthy fringe scene, with some great shows to be had.

Spring awakening seems to of passed me by, where did it play?

[stageybenny]

Was at The Broadway Theatre in Cat ford.

Where The Colour Purple on at?

Will Avenue Q work at that theatre? There main audience is older people around the area of Highgate, they won't come to see Avenue Q. Plus it was on tour not that long ago right and done very well!

[Parsley]

Now I love some of the less obvious venues IF the production is done well and is staged with a real desire to entertain/educate/challenge and the like (qualities that are not, of course, mutually exclusive). And this show should be very impressive done on this more intimate scale.

But granted, sometimes some of these venues and productions can come across as too pretentious, too "wanky" and too self-indulgent - and I do tend to support companies where the main audience is NOT just made up if the cast/production team's families, oozing affected luvvieness.

[stageybenny]

I was just talking about Cross Purpose in an earlier post, the main thing that stood out for me was the set as well as the acting, just seen that its the same set designer from Cross Purpose that is working on Phantom, so promises to be a dark rich set with an outstanding West End quality cast, aaaagh I'm getting goosebumps thinking about it!

I know what you mean about cast/production teams friends etc, but look at the following the theatres have such as The Finborough, Union, Landor and the Tabard. Now they don't rely on the friends/family tact so I'm hoping Ye Old Rose and Crown don't. I saw there production of Flora and One Touch Of Venus which were both good especially the lead in Flora and the entire cast of Venus was very strong but a little let down by the set.

Anyone else booked/going to book tickets for this? Should organise a BWW night lol!

[bob8rich]

I don't think I've ever seen a pretentious, self-indulgent fringe production. Quite the opposite, in fact - fringe shows tend to be far more artistically credible and truthfully raw. I have, however seen many West End shows that are pretentious and indulgent!

[stageybenny]

I've been following this version of Phantom quite closely on Twitter, funnily enough they call it @otherphantom now that did make me chuckle! They seem to be having a ball and apparently tickets are selling fast already. My tickets are booked, if anything just to see Kieran Brown as the Phantom as I've followed his career quite closely. Nice guy too.
Anyone else booked yet?
I'd love to put on a show in the fringe in the fiuture, always seems so exciting and they seem to try a lot more than the bigger shows. Probably due to the fact there all on profit share lol.

[Princeton Returns]

"But granted, sometimes some of these venues and productions can come across as too pretentious, too "wanky" and too self-indulgent - and I do tend to support companies where the main audience is NOT just made up if the cast/production team's families, oozing affected luvvieness."

^^ This is one of the big reasons im not a fringe fan.

With regards to Nicks comments, whilst im not a fan of fringe theatre personally, and wouldnt make the trek to London for it, it is without a doubt still theatre!

[stageybenny]

I think you've been to some misleading fringe venues as places such as The Landor and Union and The Finborough usually sell out most evenings from people genuinely interested in seeing the production that arent friends or family. The same friends and family also go to the west end theatres but you just don't notice them as its a bigger theatre.

[Mister Matt]

Spring awakening seems to of passed me by, where did it play?

I don't know, but it seems to HAVE passed you by.

[mallardo]

I think Benny is talking about the fringe revival - not the original production.

[bob8rich]

Rehearsals for this are now in full swing and it's already selling well - some performances already sold out! So, better get your tickets soon - I think this is going to be something really special.

For those of you who have not already heard the awesome Kieran Brown, here are some links where you can hear him:

TILL I HEAR YOU SING ("Love Never Dies"):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHkL1DVHdNU

I'LL BE THERE ("The Pirate Queen"):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEqdeSjrBVs

BEFORE THE SUMMER ENDS ("Dracula"):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J914urnolbM