#poto estonia

[operafantomet]

Following up the post about the most original non-replica productions, here's a photoset on moments I thought rather original in the POTO Kristianstad production (2020-2023):

Apart from the tiny tweak of the auctioneer being a woman, the auction scene itself was rather traditional. But the moment the chandelier came to life and started rising, some columns started tipping over, drapes were removed, and the set was slowly transformed into Hannibal. The original moment was having Raoul stumble around in this set, as if he was reliving some painful memories from his youth. Surprisingly touching staging.

The title song was another original take on a familiar view. For the first half a gate separated the misty stage into two areas. The Phantom and Christine - and a set of doubles crossed the stage, mirroring eachother's moves, which created a sense of a fascinating fairytale world.

Come the actual boat scene, the boat was as simple as two gates rising from the floor. The actors stood more or less still while rocks crossed the stage at irregular intervals, making it look like the boat was moving. Another super simple and super effective trick.

The Phantom's lair had some surprises in store. Whereas the floating candles reminded of the Restaged Tour, more or less, the amount of "spare masks" the Phantom had stacked up on each side was downright impressive. Extra cred for the creepy doll at the floor, which at one point got up and danced a violent waltz with Christine, making her faint...!

As for the Phantom himself, creating a horizontal half-mask instead of the usual vertical one felt more original than say making the mask grey or golden. It felt like a proper reinterpretation of the look (moreso than the leather coat, which Estonia and Serbia had also proudly featured). Extra bonus for a flawless mask fit.

Fast forward to the Masquerade scene, having Red Death 1. Crash through a giant mirror wall, and 2. Disappear in a twirl, just leaving his cloak / costume behind was the definition of magic tricks. Alas I only ever found photos of the in-between action, but it gives a glimpse of the mirror wall and the skull head costume.

In the same vein, the Phantom disappeared in a similar manner, walking through the scattered back wall, lit up by bright yellow light as it happened. I'm not quite sure what to read into that. Flames of hell? Redemption? Anyhow...

(for more of my thoughts of the production, have a look at this sort-of-review from when I saw the production in 2023)

[doctor-octiddius]

phantom of the opera hyperfixation is going crazy today !!!

found out that there is an Estonian translation of the book and we actually have a copy of it !!!! so soon i will have three different translations of the book because i am getting my hands on the david coward english translation as well! the estonian one says that it's translated from french but it looks very much like the first english translation so i have no clue if the first translation is just that accurate (though i don't see people recommending it as the best translation so i kind of doubt that) or the estonian one is actually translated from the first english one.

i have been through well over 10 adaptations of the story at this point, this is insane. I'll probably get the 90s point and click game too and someone in estonia is selling an LP of the walter murphy album (WHICH IS JUST BANGER AFTER BANGER) so i have my eyes on that too. also recently watched the 1925 film (which was somehow my first silent movie) and it's actually so fucking good, erik looks fucked up in the best way and i think it's the only version of the persian (though here he is just an undercover policeman) that I've seen with an astrakhan cap ?

basically i will get my hands on any poto adaptation i can get, no matter how good or bad (sorry to the susan kay book tho, i don't think i'll be reading that), the 1989 movie is next on my list >:) and eventually i want to maybe rank or just ramble about my fave adaptations

[fitzrove]

Estonia poto reference???

[phantomchristinesuk]

Christines around the World: 2021

Japan

山本紗衣 (Sae Yamamoto), 海沼千明 (Chiaki Kainuma), 久保佳那子 (Kanako Kubo) & 岩城あさみ (Asami Iwashiro)

West End

Lucy St. Louis, Holly-Anne Hull, Anouk van Laake & Beatrice Penny-Touré*

Broadway

Meghan Picerno, Emilie Kouatchou, Julia Udine & Elizabeth Welch*

Estonia

Maria Listra

Finland

Marjukka Tepponen

Sanna Iljin, Hanna-Liina Võsa & Iida Antola

Hungary

Mahó Andrea, Fonyó Barbara & Krassy Renáta

Czechia

Monika Sommerová, Michaela Štiková Gemrotová, Natálie Grossová* & Kristina Růžičková^

Србија (Serbia)

Мина Глигорић (Mina Gligorić), Мирјана Матић-Недељковић (Mirjana Matić-Nedeljković)* & Марта Хаџиманов (Marta Hadžimanov)*

България (Bulgaria)

Християна Лоизу (Christiana Loizu) & Теменужка Трифонова (Temenuzhka Trifonova)

*did not perform the role during this year

^possibly not in the cast

Pictures: Phantomopera, Ooppera Baletti, Madách Színház & fantom Opery social media. Teater Vanemuine (Gabriela Liivamägi). Musical.cz & Music Bulgaria Facebook. Shiki Theater Company (Akihito Abe). Performers instagrams (Manon Taris).

[marleneoftheopera]

10 Underrated Christine’s!

Was asked by an anon to do this and I absolutely love the idea! Figured I would give it its own post. I also made a companion podcast episode about this topic, which you can listen to here. 

Also put links to some audio/video of them, so those who haven’t heard of them can have a listen! There are definitely other clips of all of these Christine’s online, and on Tumblr some gifted audios. And of course, all of these Christine’s I have a recording of, so I am always open to trade for them.

There are so many I think are underrated, so this was a hard list. But here 10 I will put up for now (in no particular order).

1. Charlotte Page (London 1999-2000):

I wish she had stayed with the show longer. Stunning all around. Lush, full, operatic voice. Some great acting chops, with some little touches in there. She vocally was different from the Christine’s they had at that time, in the best way. While we only have 2 audios of her, we do also have a full video. Praise.

Here is her Wishing.

2. Sarah Pfisterer (US Tour 1991-95, Broadway 1999-2001):

Was Christine for quite some time, and yet there are no videos of her. Maybe 3 audios, and a handful of photos. i hear she was pregnant a few times, so her being out on leave might explain why. But has such a gorgeous, porcelain look. Beautiful voice, with a perfect balance of vibrato and operatic sound. I sometimes call her the Charlotte Page of Broadway because 1) they were in the show at the same time and 2) I think they had similar voices in terms of that bigger operatic quality. I always liked her vocally and look-wise, but I sat down a few months ago and really listened to her, and she has become such a favorite of mine.

Here is her Wishing, and here is the only video we have of her actually singing in the role.

3. Corinne Cowling (London 2019-2020):

Had a lot of shows as the understudy since the principal and alternate were out or doing too many shows. I would love to see her get a principal run, as it seems do a lot of other phans. Pull a real-life Christine. She reminds me a lot of Holly Anne Hull; this really strong voice full of emotion. She really proved that not only was she able to step into the role when needed, but that she could do it well. Her sister Morgan was Meg in the Restaged US Tour, and I dream of a world where they play Christine and Meg together.

Here is her Wishing, though I definitely recommend getting a full audio. It is well worth it.

4. Jan Hartley Morris (London 1988-89):

Another Christine I wish would have stayed with the show longer. But we do have a video of her, albeit being not of amazing quality. Looks so lovely in the part, and has an absolutely gorgeous voice. Full, lush, reminded me a tad of Amy Manford in how she seemed able to just twist each word out just the way she wanted to. Total control. 

Here is her Think of Me and Angel of Music.

5. Adrienne McEwan (US tour 1993-94 + 1996, Broadway 1998-2003):

Was in the show for some 9 years, including being the alternate for the 10th anniversary on Broadway. Had such a beautiful and unique voice, and not a ton of vibrato like some of the US Christine’s at this time had. So pretty in wig and costume. There are a few videos of her, and a decent amount of audio. And yet, we don't talk about her nearly enough.

Here is her Wishing.

6. Maria Listra (Estonia 2015-16, 2020):

A non-replica Christine! She just looks so lovely in the part and sounds gorgeous. There is a video of her in ‘All I Ask of You’, and she is wonderful in it. I would love to see her do the original version someday. A hidden gem.

Here is her Think of Me, but I would definitely watch the ‘All I Ask of You’ of her on YouTube in the part. She’s so good and the Estonian Raoul and Christine are adorable.

7. Astrid Giske (Oslo 2018-19):

Another non-replica Christine! And a blonde one too! The Oslo production remains a favorite in my book, and Astrid is one of the main reasons. She had a real-life Christine moment, being the understudy Christine, but having to take over for Mira Ormala, who had to depart the production early on due to health reasons. Astrid got a bunch of pictures, and a feature on a Broadway site, and did every show afterward until the production. Besides the very last show; Astrid herself got sick and could not go on. Looked so lovely in the part, and has such a strong and angelic voice. I wish someone would put her in another production.

There are quite a few videos on YouTube of her which you should all watch (including the pro-shot clips from the production), but I put her “soar” here because I just adore it.

8. Julie Goodwin (World Tour 2007-09):

One of the youngest Christine’s; I think she was only 19 when she did the part. Absolutely stunning voice; reminds me a lot of Claire Lyon. That full operatic glory. From pictures and one video we have of her, she seems to have been pretty nice acting-wise. Looks really pretty as well.

Here is her Wishing.

9. Elisabeth Berg (Stockholm 1989-91):

For a Christine who was the principal in the first ever Swedish production, and is featured on said cast recording, she is really not talked about at all. I figure it’s mostly due to her being in Sweden and not in one of the flagships in the pre-Internet days. But still, a Christine on a cast recording I would think would have a bit more notoriety. Anyway, absolutely stunning voice. Like, beyond amazing. I would listen to her sing the alphabet. Such control, so much emotion, I adore her. When they invent the time machine I am going back to see her.

Here is the Swedish soundtrack.

10. Isabel Schwartzbach (Copenhagen 2018-19):

I love how clear and light her voice is. To me, she is the perfect ‘modern’ Christine. Meaning she has that lighter, almost pop sound to her voice, but without the squeaky-ness that we sometimes get. I really wish she would have gotten some promo shots or something. But she looks really pretty in the role, and from what I have heard she was quite good overall. 

Here is her Wishing.

There you have it! I could add at least 50 more to this list, so don’t think that these are the only ones I think could use more love. But this is a nice way to experience other Christine’s with varying kinds of voices in different languages. Especially for newer phans, who have probably only heard Sarah, Sierra, Emmy, and/or their first live Christine.

Again, if you would like more clips of any of these Christine’s or some more actresses to have a listen to, feel free to message me!

[ballerinadellamusica]

Meg wigs/hair colour in non-replica productions

Picture credit: Nevena Đoković, Kaja Mianowana, Edyta Krzemień, Kamila Tell Aronsen, Micaela Sjöstedt, Andrea Gabrišová, Natálie Grossová, Irina Baianț, Enikő Lóránt & Teater Vanemuine social medias. Danny Kaan & Blesk.cz websites.

[mim70]

It's not good for Corona hysteria.

Tartu, Estonia

[thebrideinthemirror]

Sometimes I hink about how it’s the 21st century so it’s a lot easier for costume designers to design historically accurate costumes now that there’s so much information on the Internet and then I look at Phantom non-replicas and cry

[ange-de-la-musique]

Christine dressing gowns in non-replica productions.

(Oslo/Greece, Estonia, Czech, Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania, Poland, Finland/Sweden, Hungary)

Bonus! 2004 Movie, “real” dressing gown, “dream”’ dressing gown, and POTO Kristianstad:

[glassprism]

you say the estonian production was set in the 1940s but.... aside from the phantom's fabulous leather jacket the costumes definitely look more 19th century to me? am i missing something? are there two different productions and i'm just looking at the wrong one?

I was basically going off a comment on Operafantomet’s site here.

Of course, I should be clearer in saying that the auction scene was set in the 1940s, but since most of the show is a flashback, it’s set further back (so oops, mistake on my part). Productions seem to vary sometimes as to how long the time gap is, and I don’t know if the Estonian production ever says so, but usually there’s a gap of around 20-30 years?

(I have librettos that put the auction scene at 1905, but others have seen it set at 1911. Meanwhile the rest of the show is usually regarded as taking place in 1881, but sometimes it gets pushed back to 1871 or earlier. And then you take into account that Daddy Daae’s gravestone might have dates that don’t correspond, and LND trying to screw with the timeline, and it becomes a mess. BUT LET’S JUST SAY 20-30 YEARS AND APPLY IT AS SUCH TO ESTONIA.)

So if the auction scene is set in the 1940s and there’s a gap of 20-30 years, this would mean that POTO Estonia takes place anywhere from the 1910s to 1920s, possibly even the 1900s? Which is not contemporary, but it can explain your perception that the dresses look more 19th century. In fact, it being set in the 1900s-1910s might be why the dresses look Edwardian, at least according to Operafantomet (definitely the more knowledgeable costume historian).

[operafantomet]

How would you rank each non-replica on a scale of creativity/original ideas?

That is a good question with many possible answers! Mostly because there are "good" creative/original ideas and "bad" creative/original ideas out there, and some of the most creative ones may also be the one I dislike the most... For example, if going by creativity and originality alone, Estonia would be very high on the list. But I'm not really loving the production overall, so I wouldn't say it's the best original take on POTO. If that makes sense. But if ranking the productions purely by how different they are and how hard they have worked on not looking like the original, I would say:

ESTONIA: Inter-war setting, rather bleak in its colour scheme and overall design, with one helluva mirror-discoball lair design, leather-coat Phantom, Vivienne Westwood-esque Il Muto, Moulin Rouge-ish Masquerade, 1990s Haute Couture Don Juan... There's so much to say. Definitely original, and not just giving "we had a low budget" vibe.

FINLAND / SWEDEN: 1980s costume vibes, gold mask, rock'n'roll, huge sets, tiny chandelier, gigantic orchestra, for the most actual opera singers in the leads. This one felt odd more than anything. But original? Very much so.

KRISTIANSTAD, SWEDEN: Definitely a production on a budget, but yet checking off all the boxes of what you'd expect of a POTO production. And with some super original ideas for some key scenes - Raoul stumbling around in the falling sets during the Overture, the elegant double staging in the boat scene, the rarities in the Phantom's lair, Red Death crashing through a mirror and later disappearing in mid-air... They had so many cool lil' details going on. In style fairly 1880s, and with a cool horizontal half-mask for the Phantom. I really appreciated this one.

SERBIA: One could maybe argue this was more low-budget than original...? At least the basic black set with few changes and the many low-key costumes didn't feel like the biggest effort out there. But different? Oh definitely.

BULGARIA: Pretty much the same comments as Serbia. However, the Phantom's fruit crown in PONR can never be unseen. Neither can the monkey musical box which seemed to have lost its will to live. Memorable for sure.

ROMANIA / NORWAY / GREECE / TOUR: Whereas the basic drum set was fairly similar to the Restaged Tour, it felt like an original production still. Some independent interpretations of the Palais Garnier (including featuring a huge window as a mirror substitute for Christine), more Edwardian flair of the costume design, and a kick-ass chandelier - grand, fun, and with some cool and independent directing ideas throughout. The idea of never leaving the opera house, for example, was interesting. Very enjoyable overall.

MEDITERRANEAN: Basing nearly the whole set design within a rectangular, turnable box on stage was a neat and cool idea. This, combined with oh-so-Victorian costumes and so many nods to Phantom history, felt original and clever. Also some stunning original visuals, like the Phantom's lair with the Piraniesi-esque labyrinth backdrop. Speaking of original, it probably looked very as expected with its heavy victoriana flair - but to me that's not a negative thing.

POLAND: One could argue this in large was a carbon copy of the 2004 movie. The costumes in particular, but also directing elements like including a sword fight in the Mausoleum scene. But the sets - oh, those beautiful sets! Also a wild chandelier crash.

SYDNEY HARBOUR: A really hard one to rank. The world's first outdoor production (ORIGINAL!), with sets looking like Bjørnson's design on steroids (not as original), with 1860s flair costumes (hello 2004 movie) with a dash of LND Australia (not as original), but then a flying gondola over burning water (ORIGINAL!), a huge cast (very RAH), and performing come rain or sunshine (ORIGINAL!). Something old, something new... But definitely a cool one for the Phantom portfolio!

RESTAGED TOUR: I was a bit in doubt on how to rank this one. I mean, the costume design is in large not new, it's Maria Bjørnson's costumes. But then new set design, new directing and new choreography. With various degrees of success. To me the most original idea is the drum set structure, and also some new magic tricks and added moments. I'm not loving the directing choices, as it makes both the Phantom and Raoul rather unloving candidates for Christine - why would she pick either of them? Also felt too much like a nod to Love Never Dies to appear truly original. So yeah, mostly for the sets.

HUNGARY and CZECH REPUBLIC: Whereas the productions themselves may not look the same, they both feel like two similar takes, to loving interpretations of the original, sticking to the same colour schemes and with a heavy Victorian flair. Directing wise they also feel like the same landscape. I appreciate both a lot, and especially Hungary has some clever ideas going on. I also loved how they picked Palais Garnier as a base - but totally different areas or angles of the Palais Garnier than what Bjørnson did. But if going purely by originality they don't move too far outside the box.

NEW ROMANIAN PRODUCTION: Nearly impossible to rank. AI design with some tweaks, which has resulted in a sort of amalgamated combo of all the non-replica production set design, with a sprinkle of Maria Bjørnson design on top. With some playing-card-odd costumes. Some visuals are stunning, some are very traditional, some are way out there. Yeah, I have no idea how to rank this one.

(and of course this is just my impression of them - have in mind that I've only seen three of them live, and if I see more of them in the future I may feel different about this ranking)

[phantomchristinesuk]

Christines around the World: 2020

West End

Kelly Mathieson, Bridget Costello & Corinne Cowling

UK Tour

Holly-Anne Hull, Anouk van Laake & Lydia Gerrard*

Broadway

Meghan Picerno, Eryn LeCroy & Elizabeth Welch

US Tour

Emma Grimsley, Kaitlyn Davis & Jenna Burns

World Tour

Claire Lyon, Kaley Ann Voorhees, Clara Verdier, Caitlin Finnie & Megan Ort*

Sweden

Sara Ollinen

Japan

山本紗衣 (Sae/Sai Yamamoto), 海沼千明 (Chiaki Kainuma) & 岩城あさみ (Asami Iwashiro)*

Canada

Anne-Marine Suire & Lucie St-Martin*

Estonia

Maria Listra

Greece

Amy Manford, Celinde Schoenmaker & Glain Rhys*

*did not perform the role during this year

Pictures : Performers social medias (Sinéad Smith, Laird Mackintosh, Jory Rivera, Annie Éthier photographe). Kelly Everitt Associates, Phantom Kristianstad & Phantom Greece/People Entertainment Group instagrams. Teater Vanemuine (Gabriela Liivamägi) Facebook. Shiki Theater Company (Akihito Abe). Operafantomet on tumblr.

[marleneoftheopera]

Phantom productions that will still open in 2020!

The World Tour has continued to play to audiences in Korea despite Covid for the majority of the year, with only 2 Covid-related disruptions. They will continue onto Taipei and do a run there from November 19-December 6.

The Japanese production will return to Tokyo beginning October 24.

The non-replica Estonia production has a limited amount of dates in October.

Finally, the non-replica Bulgaria production has a limited amount of dates in November.

I sincerely hope that their runs are successful and that everyone stays safe!

[ballerinadellamusica]

Ooperifantoom Tartu/Tallinn Remaining shows: Tartu: 10.3 19:00 Koit Toome, Hanna-Liina Võsa, Kalle Sepp 11.3 19:00 Koit Toome, Hanna-Liina Võsa, Kalle Sepp 12.3 16:00 Koit Toome, Hanna-Liina Võsa, Kalle Sepp Tallinn: 17.3 19:00 Koit Toome, Hanna-Liina Võsa, Kalle Sepp 18.3 19:00 Koit Toome, Hanna-Liina Võsa, Kalle Sepp Subject to changes.

[andsculptedangels]

~Tyler Knott Gregson 

[lead-me-save-me]

Maria Listra and Koit Toome

All I Ask of You