#poto Brazil revival

[operafantomet]

Hello. Can you make a photoset of Lina Mendes's Christine wardrobe, please? I love that she got to wear many vintage costumes

VERY MUCH THIS. I am still so pleasantly surprised about some of the choices made for principal Lina Mendes and alternate Giulia Nadruz. That they resurrected the old Dutch costumes instead of making lots of new stuff, OMG! My inner Phantom costume nerd exploded with happiness. So yes! As a general note, all costumes were flewn in from Germany, which is also where they had the Dutch one in stock. This is also why the mix is German/Dutch. Here goes:

Hannibal 'Slavegirl' costume: Looked like a fairly standard recent German (Essen era) bodice, complete with wristbands and the distinct German Christine tiara:

The Elissa skirt: OMG THE RED SKIRT. Red skirts originated in Stockholm and Scheveningen; I wanna say this is is one of the original Dutch skirts due to the specific tab decorations. But it has been used in Germany for many years too; first appearing on Janine Kitzen in Stuttgart, and last on Michelle van de Ven in Hamburg and Elizabeth Welch in Oberhausen. Still, a rare one so yipee hooray on another principal wearing it!

The dressing gown: A very big-patterned skirt and fitted look. Another Essen costume that's been in the loop for some years, I wanna say this was first made for and worn by Beatrix Reiterer in Essen, and last used by Elizabeth Welch and Annemarijn Mandaag in Oberhausen.

Maid / Serafimo: The German maid skirt has typically been white, and the breeches typically mint green, from the original Hamburg production to the most recent Oberhausen production. So also here, worn by Lina Mendes in Sao Paulo.

The Rooftop costume: O... M... G. That is the wildest Rooftop dress ever made. Electric blue brocade covered with spray-painted contured lace, and with blue and purple decorations. Made for the original Dutch production, is a costume I never thought I would see on stage again. The costume looked quite overwhelmingly bad backstage. This is a good lesson in COSTUMES ARE MADE FOR THE STAGE, because it looks good under the lamp lights, and especially paired with a calming mint cloak.

The Star Princess: This is another good lesson in COSTUMES ARE MADE FOR THE STAGE, as this skirt also looked rather bad backstage. Plastic-like overlayer, with thick pink silk ribbons attaching the big silver stars. It looked like a children's version of the costume. But look at it on stage! Also nicely paired with a classic bodice with discrete beading and rich ruffles.

The Wishing dress: Oh yes they did! Paired that truly vintage Dutch Wishing bodice with a larger German skirt. The bodice can be recognized by the larger appliquées and the stripy cuffs, very typical for the first European versions of the costume. Me like.

The Aminta costume: No huge surprises here. One of the new Hamburg dresses, made in the style of the old Hamburg dresses - but with the addition of the Dutch aprons, just to keep that Dutch flair no? Nice combo.

The wedding dress: AAAA OOOOOHHH OH MY!!! Those bodices. Words can't express how much I love the earlt European bodices, with their exaggerated lines, long bodices, defined waistlines, rich silvery fabric and DECORATIONS. It was paired with a more unambitious recent German skirt, but with its long lines the whole costume reflect rather well on Maria Bjørnson's design. The old Dutch skirts had much more sparce lace.

Also bonus that the other Brazilian Christines wore the same type of bodice, which meant lots of photos of them in use. Here's alternate Giulia Nadruz:

So yeah... the saga of vintage Dutch costumes as worn by principal Lina Mendes in the Sao Paulo revival, and as originally designed by Maria Bjørnson.

[glassprism]

Hello! I'm in Brazil I watched on youtube a decent bootleg of the poto brazil production from 2005 and it made me so nostalgic. I was 8 years old back then. I kinda remember seeing something about it on television it was right after the movie which is very popular here. I don't care about the movie (love Patrick Wilson though) but the production was very nice and a gorgeous cast, which it surprised me because I dislike the brazilian revival they did some years ago, did not like the cast at all. I know Saulo Vasconcelos and had no idea he played the phantom I know him from his work on tv. I think he was a good phantom but I do wish they had also cast an actor who look and sound like John Owen-Jones, I love him sm it hurts. Sadly I don't think there is someone like him here, at least I haven't see it. I loved Nando Prado as Raoul, very charming and he has "the Raoul look". He is pretty famous here he has done many musicals as well his work on television which it's also where I first saw him. I feel like the early 2000s were the last golden age of poto, I dislike the way things went since ALW came up with lnd and then the 25th anniversary. I wish I could travel to United Kingdom to see JOJ in concert I'd cry a lot and probably pass out... he's huge and I'm pretty short girl 😭

I'm sorry, I would answer but I got hung up on this specific part:

I know Saulo Vasconcelos and had no idea he played the phantom... I think he was a good phantom but I do wish they had also cast an actor who look and sound like John Owen-Jones

I'm sorry, this Saulo Vasconcelos? This dude? Saulo "most expressive hands" Vasconcelos? And you want him replaced by JOJ or, barring unavailability, a JOJ-clone?

Where's @wheel-of-fish, these are fightin' words.

[phantomchristinesuk]

Elissa plain/gold patterned skirts:

1- Lina Mendes, Brazil 2018-2019

2- Sara Sarres, Brazil 2005-2007

3- Julia Möller, Spain 2002-2004

4- Elisabeth Berg, Sweden 1989-1991

5- Maria Kesselman West End 1986-1988

6- 野村玲子 (Ryoko Nomura), Japan 1988-1989

7- 苫田亜沙子 (Asako Tomada), Japan 2005-2018

8- 笠松はる (Haru Kasamatsu), Japan 2008-2014

9- 海沼千明 (Chiaki Kainuma), Japan 2020-current

Pictures: 1- A Broadway é Aqui/Luis Franco (edited by me), 2- Sara Sarres Facebook, 3- Julia Möller Facebook, 4/6/7/8- Operafantomet, 9- Shiki Theatre Company

[sewerik]

Lina Mendes & Thiagi Arancam |  O Fantasma da Ópera | Trailer Oficial

[marleneoftheopera]

Giulia Nadruz during PONR.

[ballerinadellamusica]

Christine doubles in Brazil:

Caru Truzzi, Isabella Morcinelli & Larissa Leão (swing).

Picture from Isabella Morcinelli’s instagram

[mysoulisfreed]

The new programme from "O Fantasma da Ópera" in Brazil is gorgeous. I wish I could get one, but, right now, it's exclusively being sold in the theater and it doesn't seem like it'll be sold online at all. 😭

[dani-dos-jardins]

Some pictures of Lina Mendes as Christine Daae in the Phantom of the Opera (Brazilian Revival)

[br0adwaybaby]

Thiago Arancam as the Phantom, by Pedro Dimitrow

[strength-to-try]

Hannibal Costumes in the Musical

I've received a couple of anonymous asks regarding the costuming in Hannibal, in response to one of the aims of this initiative being to determine how to make sure they're removed from the production.

The questions are:

a) Which costumes in Hannibal are problematic/offensive, and b) Are the costumes still being used?

Which costumes?

There are three costumes I would identify as problematic. The first, and most discussed one, is the costume usually worn by the one or two actors who bring in the elephant at the climax of the Hannibal rehearsal. For the purposes of this post, I'm going to identify the costume and role as the 'Elephant Handler', as the commonly used and credited name of the role has been used as a slur before. In the 25th anniversary at the RAH recording, the elephant is omitted but several actors in the costume still make an appearance near the end.

The Elephant Handler actors wear a brown or dark coloured baclava, and dark, sometimes skintight clothing sometimes matching the colour of the baclava on their arms. The rest of the costume sometimes involves 'fur skins' or animal print, and layered colourful scraps of cloth. They are somewhat hard to see, usually standing upstage (near the back), and one's eyes usually are drawn to the main cast, or, you know, the elephant being brought in. Recordings often do not focus on the back, and can be blurry as well, which may explain how the actors could be easily missed.

In short, the Elephant Handler costume is blackface, and a racist caricature. Why does it exist? People often speculate that it's used as a commentary and/or parody of racist productions that occurred in the 19th century. A more cynical assumption might also be that it was to portray such questionably 'accurate' productions of the time, without the intent to lampoon. Any commentary intended is not exactly obvious.

Hopefully, the description of the costume is on its face enough for the average person to conclude that it should be removed from the musical. It's essentially a variation of Poe's law at work (i.e. "without a clear indicator of [...] intent, it is impossible to create a parody of extreme views so obviously exaggerated that it cannot be mistaken by some [...] for a sincere expression of the views being parodied." It is perpetuating racist imagery, and for what reason?

The sight of the costumes may be enough to harm viewers/audience members on their own. It also likely has the distinct effect of making actors of colour feel unwelcome, which then creates a further vicious feedback loop of actors of colour not being cast. It certainly angers and shames me, and makes me hesitate to share the show with others.

The other two costumes, perhaps less overt, are commonly referred/credited as the Lion Man and the Wild Woman. The former is usually an actor in 'fur skins' or animal print who is often crouching/groveling and striking grimaces. The latter are actors wearing wigs of textured hair. There are usually several of each in the Hannibal rehearsal. Again, it's impossible to confirm intention, but I would hazard that it's to connote the 'barbaric' and 'exotic' nature of Carthage, common inaccurate tropes of the city and Phoenician civilization.

Are the costumes still being used?

Yes, the costumes are still used in all replica productions, including on Broadway and the West End. I haven't seen the production in person for a while, so this is based on combing through some recordings made within the last five years.

Copenhagen (2019)'s Elephant Handlers don't appear to be wearing balaclavas; the Brazil revival (also 2019) do. Notably, the Elephant Handler costume is not in the restaged production (nor is the elephant). The Lion Man and Wild Women still make appearances, however.

  Should all these costumes be changed/be removed?

I would say so. Definitely the Elephant Handler, I hope you'd agree. It would take very little to revise the other two as well. Certainly, there have already been many interesting non-replica alternatives used in lieu of each. Or, they could draw from historical accounts of Carthaginian dress as well. The sky's the limit here.

Is it blackface if they're wearing balaclavas and not painting their faces?

Yes. It continues to be derogatory and a racist caricature.

Do we have a hope of a chance in getting this changed even though Cameron Mackintosh doesn't seem to care about fan outcry?

Given that the issue is not "fans are dissatisfied" but "this is racist and offensive," yes. Specifically, I would wager that it would generate more public outrage and therefore spur change. It's somewhat surprising that the costumes and the musical at large hasn't been blasted publicly for this already.

And cynically, this doesn't cost Mackintosh much of anything, so I can see it just making financial sense to him as well.

Regardless of success, that an initiative to bring about positive change might not work doesn't mean that it's not worth it to try. That, too, I hope you'd agree.

  Links

I'm not an academic and the degree and depth of research many phans conduct are seriously quite impressive and beyond my skills. These links are definitely not that; they were articles I found interesting and/or feel like may be helpful as a springboard. Vox, writer Jenée Desmond-Harris on the offensive nature of blackface NPR, a short podcast clip featuring Gene Demby, with transcription, about blackface and intent

World History Encyclopedia article on Phoenicia (ancient Carthage was a city/settlement of) World History Encyclopedia article on Hannibal’s struggles during the Second Punic War (which the POTO play within a play is about)

Phoenicia.org article on Phoenician Dress (and the most 90s design for a website that I've seen in a while)

[phantomchristinesuk]

Giulia Nadruz in her Wishing/Blue Dress

Pictures from her Instagram

[ladyjess-oftheshadows]

This Brazilian production is lovely 😍 love the details!

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A post shared by T4F Musicais (@t4fmusicais)

OMIGAD, the Brazilian EPK video is beautiful. The same basic idea as the West End one, yet… the details…

Featuring Thiago Arancam, Lina Mendes, Fred Silveira and Fernanda Muniz

[marleneoftheopera]

Bringing this back from last year! Find the Easter egg!

[ballerinadellamusica]

Fred Silveira & Giulia Nadruz as Raoul & Christine.

Picture: O Fantasma da Ópera website

[glassprism]

After the Les Mis Brazilian revival closed a Mexican revival opened using the same sets and costumes. Do you think there's a possibility of the same happening to POTO?

It’s certainly a possibility; I don’t know if it will happen, but I would be quite happy if it did. In fact, didn’t something similar happen with Wicked, only in reverse (Mexico production from 2014-2015 followed by a Brazil production)? Not sure if they had the same sets and costumes, but it sounds rather like what happened with Les Mis. So yeah, it might happen, and that would be pretty cool, especially as the gap between the original Mexican production of Phantom and a potential revival is fairly long (it’s been, what, 18 years since it closed?), longer than the gap between the two Brazil productions actually (which was around 11 years).

[br0adwaybaby]

Feel like it’s my obligation to add a gif of Lina Mendes and her cloak flipping skills

Colby Thomas and her awesome wedding dress flip