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flagbridge · 1 year ago

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Shows I saw in 2023 Part 6: Phantom London (3 shows, 3 Casts, AMA)

Listen, originally it started with going once. Then another friend wanted to go another night. Then I thought if I gambled with matinee Rush seats I might get a different cast. Turns out I was right.

Tues 10/10: Jon Robyns/Eve Shanu-Wilson/Joe-Griffiths Brown

Weds 10/11: James Gant/Lily Kerhoas/Joe

Thurs 10/12: Jon/Lily/Joe

I hit the jackpot. Also shoutout to the whole crew on Thursday night when the stage lost power right before final lair and they had to pause the show for five minute to get the stage set.

Some overall thoughts after the cutline:

Lily is the best Christine I have ever seen live, hands down. She is also the strongest (even stronger than Emilie Kouatchou). She is damn near calling a lot of the shots. Some ways: she locks the door between "Things have changed, Raoul" and "Insolent Boy". She does NOT want Raoul coming back. She is seemingly delighted to hear the "voice" and is very willing going through the mirror. On the travelator during the title track she actually goes ahead of Phantom by several feet like "so we're going to your place, right?". During AIAOY, she pulls away from Raoul during her first verse and her body language is telling him "Say you love me" is her giving her terms and conditions. During PONR after she feels Phantoms' mask and he pulls away from her she's the one putting his hands on her waist and pressing herself against him like "ahem, you started this fire and now I'm going to pour some gasoline on it. "

Between Eve and Lily, Eve is very good but Lily is so exceptional that she's far and away better. The key difference is Eve's Christine is much more fearful and tentative. For example, during STYDI, once Christine is on the floor, Eve is turned away from Phantom the entire time. Lily is facing him the entire time. Both Phantoms briefly show his whole face again, and then she reacts, which is followed by the "Oh Christine". With Eve, she yelps. With Lily, they're so close it looks like they're about to kiss. Lily gasps. During PONR, Eve's Christine is much more tentative and fearful. Lily's is into it. In both of them, the Phantoms are taking Christine off the stage to get her out of danger (they both have two guns pointed at them right before this)

Jon vs James. Tough one. Jon by a hair BUT Gantom's chemistry with Christine is palpable and off the charts. They are both phenomenal. It's hard to choose. Gant is going on so much right now that he's basically an alternate at this point, so he's getting in the reps and sets to really make the role his own and develop chemistry with the Christines. I think I liked Jon just slightly more but he's also the last person I saw. If I saw Gantom again I might say he's my favorite.

Vocally, both of them manage to achieve the ghost-like, floaty phantom who brings the power when it matters, and make very subtle changes with their breath control to convey emotion (especially when pleading with Christine). They are both very sad and desperate Phantoms, but James Gant has a sweetness to his that I think is very interesting to watch. He's the only Phantom that has ever made me cry before final lair. He holds his heart during the AIAOY reprise and then does it again during final lair (the only thing I don't like is Gant is a "daddying gaze" Phantom, and I despise the fathering line--Robyns does far-reaching). Jon does this thing during AIAOY where he is hitting his ears (he does not do it during Final Lair). His crying during final lair is also exceptionally realistic and desperate.

Again on the combo: Lily and Jon both do a thing after the kiss where they are both touching their lips trying to figure wtf just happened and what they're feeling. Jon is the one to break the kiss and Christine damn nearly needs to be dragged out of the lair. But...Lily/James MOTN was so sensual I was like...do we need to ask the children in the audience to leave? I think she still has a father/daughter relationship with Jon from their time in Les Miz

Joe Griffiths-Brown is a wonderful singer and plays Raoul as a arrogant puppy. However, I wasn't really getting any chemistry between him and any of the Christines. He's still a little wooden but I think he's going to continue to develop in the role.

I had Grace Hume as u/s Meg. I hesitate to say anything negative here, but her singing is noticeably lackluster to the point that it's distracting. I hoped maybe she had a bad day on Tuesday but it was the same every time.

I stagedoored the last night and met Lily, Joe, and James. They were all kind and gracious!

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