#poto norway

[operafantomet]

Big mirror / small mirror

The current Middle East / European Tour seems to alternate between two different mirrors. For the original production in Romania 2015 and the current revamped version premiering in Norway 2018-2019 they featured a big, round window/mirror with such a depth Christine could sit inside it. For the mirror scene she therefore sat there.

For the Greek premiere in 2020 they introduced a smaller mirror for the Thessaloniki stop, while Athens had the bigger one.

When the production continued to Riyadh, Dubai and Sofia in 2023-2024, they kept using the small mirror. But it looks like the big mirror had a comeback for the Sofia revisit in 2024.

Me? I'm "Team Big Mirror" all the way. As the stage is quite bare, apart from Christine's dressing room, it has a bolder visual impact. It also means Christine can walk through the mirror instead of crawl through it. A tad more elegant. But the smaller mirror makes the Phantom more visible, so I guess both versions has its merits.

(Photos from top: Bucharest 2015, Oslo 2018, Oslo 2018, Thessaloniki 2020, Athens 2020, Thessaloniki 2023, Dubai 2024, Sofia April 2024, Sofia September 2024)

[ballerinadellamusica]

Confirmed cast members for the Middle East tour:

Rachel Bird

David Burilin

Ester Cameron

Grace Chapman

Maria Conneely

Paul Erbs

Daniel Jagusz-Holley

Michael Kirby

Ebony Jayne Kitts

Rhidian Marc

Rebecca Ridout

Nikki Skinner

These people have been confirmed to be part of the tour by their agents or Spotlight cvs.

[liljakonvalj]

Things I find amusing; the Scandinavians wildly differing on which ages should get to see the 25th anniversary DVD of phantom of the opera

[Image description: a photo of the back of a DVD case. At the bottom the age restrictions for the different countries says in order from left to right

Sverige -Barntillåten (sweden -allowed for children)

Danmark- tilladt for börn over 15 år (denmark- allowed for children over 15 years old)

Norge- aldersgrense 11 år (norway- allowed for children past 11 years old)]

Since the countries are so uneven i come to you tumblr for guidence:

[glassprism]

What goes into the decision behind running a replica vs. non-replica POTO? Does it boil down to costs or contracts or is it related to artistic license? And even when they run non-replica, it still says ALW's Phantom, so how much still has to run true to his original?

For the decision-making, it just depends on the production! There are some versions that could probably afford to do the replica production, but choose not to because they want to explore other interpretations or because they have always done non-replicas. For example, musicals in Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Finland have traditionally always done non-replicas, so when they put Phantom on, it's no different. Within this category too are other reasons - for example, several of these productions are also in repertoire theaters, meaning they have multiple different shows cycling in the same theater across the year, so it's also about using the space wisely.

For other productions, yes, cost is a big reason. This is more the case in countries where musical theater is not as established, such as Italy, Norway, or Greece; here, it's easier to not have to pay the licensing costs or production to put on the replica and just make a version that is cheaper and likely to recoup the money back. But that doesn't mean artistry or creative license is not a factor, and creators of productions on a lower budget have still talked about how they wanted the opportunity to reinterpret the material.

As for the second question, the show has to use the same music, story, and lyrics (with some leeway for translations) as the replica, but the sets, costumes, choreography, and blocking can change. If you look at any non-replica of ALW's, they are still playing the same music, singing the same songs, and following the same general story; it's just the visuals and the blocking that changes, and even the latter has to stay within the boundaries of the story (no Christine going back to the Phantom at the end, for example). If everything changes, then you're not a non-replica, you're just a totally different version, e.g. the Ken Hill version, the Yeston/Kopit version.

Not that that's stopped some high school productions from trying to insert their new and improved lines.

[birdstooth]

OMG… I feel like Horatio in scene 1, act 1 of Hamlet when he sees the ghost of the king (recognizable by the apparently iconic armour he wore during a battle with Norway) he’s shook but knows he saw what he saw 👀

Or Macbeth when he’s like, “am I seeing dagger irl or is my heat-oppressed brain tripping rn 🤔”

Reblogs > Likes 😲

TY POTO FAM I vow to spend more time at work doodling in your honour 🫡 appreciate y’all 🙏🙏🙏

[fdelopera]

YOU GET IT!!! YES EXACTLY THIS.

Raoul abandons his ENTIRE family, his inheritance, all his connections, EVERYTHING he has ever known, and he escapes with Christine. He elopes with her. He goes with her to Scandinavia. (Leroux writes that they go to Norway.)

Raoul gives up everything to become Christine's husband.

He looks after her while she continues to sing in their new home in Scandinavia. And even if she doesn't continue to sing on a world stage, like she did in Paris (Leroux doesn't say), she still sings.

Christine, Erik, Raoul, and the Daroga (Mohammed Ismael Khan) each have a journey of learning in Leroux's novel.

Christine leans that she is STRONGER than she ever knew possible, and yet she never gives up her kindness and compassion.

Erik learns that he is intrinsically LOVEABLE, and that he must let go of his righteous anger at the way the world has treated him if he wants to find peace.

Raoul learns that he is SELFLESS, and that he must not force others to live in his aristocratic world. Raoul learns this from the Daroga (a Muslim, exiled from Persia, who has sought refuge in Paris), and he learns it from Christine (a Swedish peasant, and recent orphan, who has sought refuge in Paris). Both the Daroga and Christine are outsiders to French society. And by the end of the novel, Raoul has been utterly changed by both of them.

And of course, the Daroga. Dear Daroga. He learns to be a FRIEND in every sense of the word. He helps save Erik from himself. He puts his very life on the line to help Raoul and Christine. He preserves Erik's belongings when he dies. He holds Erik's memory as living memory, and tells Leroux's narrator about Erik's life. (Just kidding. Erik faked his own death again and escaped to London to hang out with Sherlock Holmes and John Watson -- thank you to @tocktorn for this headcanon.)

In POTO adaptations (like ALW's) where Raoul is reduced to an aristocrat that STAYS an aristocrat, when he drags Christine into aristocratic society instead of giving up everything to be with her, it cheapens his journey. And it diminishes the journey of every other character, as well.

So, one thing that annoys me in the adaptations of The Phantom of the Opera is that Raoul, in the book, if I'm not mistaken, also abandons something. Christine abandons the opera, but also Raoul abandons his family so that they can both live their love in peace, because Raoul's family would not have agreed. (I read the book a long time ago so correct me if I'm wrong) but this aspect of Raoul completely disappears in the adaptations ! He can marry Christine without problem. And already I'm not a fan of the character, with this aspect of the adaptations it really gives me the impression that Christine simply becomes a trophy wife who abandons everything she is. Her name, her ambition, the singing, etc., to become Raoul's wife... Which is a horrible prospect. From a symbolic point of view, the phantom gave Christine a voice, but the relationship with Raoul takes away this voice. It's not cool.

[phantomchristinesuk]

70 shows & 20 Christines later, still in love with this show!

Picture credit to performers & shows social media accounts (hmt house photographer, danny_with_a_camera & My_photography_journal_)

[allthefights]

[wheel-of-fish]

Phantom of the Opera Oslo (x)

[tookmyflight]

POTO Oslo and POTO Copenhagen are closing this month and I'm sad

[a-love-poet-at-heart]

Better quality pictures of the new concept art for Phantom of the Opera in Olso, Norway from the designer’s, Andrew Riley, instagram.

It turns out they are changing Raoul’s masquerade costume from a clown to basically a fop. I love 1700s aesthetic and this is an upgrade, but I don’t think Raoul fits it. He already gets to much of a fop rap as it is. Although looking at, it might me early 1700s inspired look with how the coat and waistcoat is . Maybe a sort of hunting/riding costume with the boots? Or probably it was to mirror the Phantom’s costume like with both wearing a tricorn hat with a feather(s)

I actually asked Riley about the Phantom’s Mephistopheles’ looking costume on instagram and he said that he “imagined if phantom was going to dress like anyone for a masquerade ball it would be Mephistopheles [a devil like creature]” he also mentions that there is an angel/devil contrast with Christine, so this means that Christine will keep her Angel costume.

[operafantomet]

Arvid Larsen as Gilles André in Norway, Greece, Middle East Tour + European Tour (main feature: red bowtie!)

[ballerinadellamusica]

Round Chandeliers! (In Oslo & London)

My pictures

[andrewlloydwebber]

Trailer for Phantom in Oslo, Norway

[glassprism]

Hi GP! This might be an overly specific question, or isn't in your realm of knowledge. But do you know when did POTO Czech change it's blocking in MOTN (or scenes in general) after it's opening? There are a few videos around and they show different blockings of the scene. Or is it changed after the revival in 2018/ along with the dance choreo changes?

I'd assume that it was just a general tweaking of the production due to audience reactions or the people in charge wanting to improve it. Other non-replicas have done it: the Polish production, for example, made a number of changes to their costumes and wigs with their first revival, while the non-replica that was originally in Romania, Norway, Greece, and is now touring the Middle East and Europe, has undergone both blocking and design changes with every iteration at this point. For that matter, the original production has done it too, making minor changes to the design and lyrics and blocking.

So that's pretty much what I would say, and I think it's quite normal for almost any theater production to make some adjustments after opening.

[kimwexlers-brownhair]

Ladies of the Opera Populaire – Christine, Carlotta, Madame Giry, Meg.

(aka what I imagine formal portraits of them might look like).