Phantom of the Opera Facts!

[Masked Shadows]

Here are some fun backstage facts:

- In between shows the Chandelier has to be charged.

-There were 3 USA Tours
Raoul Company (Now Closed)
Christine Company (Now Closed)
Music Box Company (Only one Still Running)

- Phantom must wear his make-up the whole show and on saturday and sunday they have 2 shows alot of the time the actor chooses not to take it off.

- The writers brought in real magicians to com up with the trick where the Phantom disappears in the end of the show

-In the back of the elephant, the actors eat the bread it's not just a prop.

-If somthing goes wrong during the show and the chandelier won't drop then they only flicker the lights.

- During the rooftop scene the Phantom rocks back and forth causing the Angel to sway.

-The Chandelier weighs 1,200 lbs & 10 ft. tall

-Act 2 staircase weighs 2.5 tons

-Tallest Candelabra 14 ft.

-15 Life size Manequins (Masquerade), they are stored backstage on wires hung up to the celing of the theatre backstage

-Boat is remote controlled not on a track

-181 Candles rise from the stage

-36 performers
32 orcestra members
37 scenery/electrical operators
60 crew members
In the Raoul Company National Tour

-281 candles in the whole show

-230 costumes

-479 Lighting instruments

-35,000 beads on the chandilear

-21 large winches

-54 total motors

-550 lbs of dry ice used EVERY show
that's 114.4 tons a year!!!

-24 large scale scenic props

-22 scene shifts

-11 control consoles
22 radio microphones
35 communication head sets
in the Raoul Company National Tour

-10 large victorian style drapes

-The Tours bring their own stage to the theatres so they don't have to drill holes into the stage. The temporary stage is about 1ft higher than the actual stage

-The preset for the show is so easy that a 4 year old could do it. Trust me I know. Haha

Just though I'd share!

[cinty]

Thankyou so much for posting! That is awful that the poor Phantom has to have his makeup on all the time. I konw a guy who is playing the phantom in a small production, and he says the makeup is horribley uncomfortable.
Michael Crawford said that he hated the Red Death scene, because he had to wear a mask and suit in which he could not see or hear properly and he had to be forklifted to the top of the stairs to enter. It was also difficult not to lose your balance.
Well, playing the Phantom would be great but it certainly has it's down sides!

[IamErik771]

Aye, it must be really tough. I remember once reading something online where Michael Crawford was in New York just before the show was due to open on Broadway for the first time. He looked out his window, and promptly caused a minor car accident because of the disfiguring makeup. Whoa! :eek: And with that rubbery thing on his lip, MC complained that he couldn't pronounce "p" properly. However, at least one actor (Anthony Warlow) thought the makeup wasn't enough as it was. So he decided to have the makeup artists disfigure his right ear as well.

On the plus side, phantom actors never have to go very far to get a really awesome costume for Halloween. :mask:

[IamErik771]

Yes, Christine's cadenza at the end of "The Phantom of the Opera" song is usually pre-recorded, so the actress doesn't ruin her voice by singing it at every performance. Some other parts are too, but I don't remember which ones at the moment.

[syioandthephantom]

Thanks all that was great to know!

[Masked Shadows]

Actually in the tour, all the singing is live. That's what the stage manager told me.

[IamErik771]

Yeah, I think the pre-recording is only in the show on Broadway, West End, and other non-touring productions.

[The Phantom]

Those are some very interesting facts! I would have never thought that the staircase for Masquerade would weigh 2.5 tons. Who could even imagine that the stage would be able to hold that sort of weight? It's almost unimagineable!

[The_Persian]

woah, those are some pretty cool facts, thatnk for posting them!
poor old micheal crawford hated all the make up he hade to put on with a passion! I saw an interview with him once and he was raving about the make up! It would certainly be frustrating to be the phantom!

[IamErik771]

I found a website called A Lamentable Mess, (http://www.freewebs.com/lamentablemess/) which talks about some highly amusing flubs and screw-ups that occurred in productions of the stage show all over the world. It also mentions a couple that happened during the making of the film. :D

[The_Persian]

Oh, those are so funny!

Everybodys hair seems to catch on fire! And poor old Crawford, I cant believe he got a Henia from playing that phantom... poor thing!

[IamErik771]

Fun Fact: Ian Jon Bourg, who is pictured in the "Germany" section of A Lamentable Mess, is from Hawaii! :)

Some of those flubs literally had me gasping for breath from laughing so hard. My favorites are the JOJ Pottymouth one, the one where Peter Karrie's pants split, and the Red Death Somersault. :D

[phantoms_nemo]

Those where good facts, I would never have guessed any of it. Must of taken a REALLY LONG TIME to do all of that! Bravo Phantom people bravo!

[phantoms_nemo]

I feel sorry for those actors. Crawfords cape catching fire. That must have been HOT!

[IamErik771]

Yeah, it's amazing how physically demanding a show like POTO is for the actors, and how many sets, costumes, and props have to be made. And I think it's one of the only stage shows where the actors are actually in danger of being set on fire! :eek:

[Reza Khan]

Originally posted by IamErik771
Yeah, it's amazing how physically demanding a show like POTO is for the actors, and how many sets, costumes, and props have to be made.
I would have to agree. Many stage shows are demanding, but I think a production as big as PotO would have to be one of the hardest to perform in. I've been in a few plays and musicals in high school that have been pretty crazy, so I can hardly imagine being in a Broadway show or something equally large.

...during the Final Lair scene when Hugh Panaro and Sandra Joseph rushed onstage you could see that part of the wedding dress had come apart and there was a loop of lace about a yard or two long trailing along the ground behind her. It was very interesting to see Hugh and Carrington Vilmont (who was understudying for Raoul) trying not to trip over that piece of lace for the remainder of the scene.
Now that would be entertaining... :D

[MllePaula]

"In between shows the Chandelier has to be charged."

One of my most vivid memories of going backstage at the Majestic was seeing the chandelier like that. It was after a matinee, I was there to see Hugh, and the stage door manager told me to go ahead and wait for him on the stage (it wasn't my first visit, but the first time on the stage). The chandelier was on the edge of the stage where it would normally be for the Auction, but uncovered and with a massive orange power cord plugged in to recharge it for night show.

"If somthing goes wrong during the show and the chandelier won't drop then they only flicker the lights."

Sometimes, on days when nothing goes wrong, the lights on the chandelier flicker anyway. I was at a performance where the chandelier flickered on and off for much of Act I. Hugh later explained that the Secret Service was in the neighborhood and the radio frequency used by the Majestic to control the props is too similar to the one used by the Secret Service, causing interference with the chandelier controls.

As for the make-up, while a few of them chose to keep it on if they're not leaving the theatre between shows, I think most of them really hate it. I know Hugh used to remove it between most matinees and he didn't enjoy having it applied or removed. I think it was the one thing he really liked the least about the role.

[sweet_intoxication]

The make up sounds really painful!

[MllePaula]

The make up sounds really painful!

I think it's only painful if it's removed to fast...Hugh said it was rather like pulling a very large band-aid off his face. They had to use a lot of mineral oil to loosen the glues so the latex layers could be peeled off.

[PhantomonaBudget]

The problem with the makeup is the adhesive used to secure the various latex pieces and bald cap. It often depends on how the individual's face tolerates it. Some actors choose to leave it on between shows because it saves on the removal and then reapplication of the prosthetics, thus saving their skin a little bit of trauma. But for others, though, it may be worse to leave it on. Some understudies that are doing two shows in one day don't mind taking it off because they aren't usually subjected to the eight performance schedule. Of course there are principles (such as Howard McGillin) who typically remove the makeup between matinee and evening shows, so once again, it just depends.

As Paula already mentioned, they have to be extremely careful when removing the makeup, because if the skin is damaged at all, it won't have time to heal before the next performance. I can attest first hand that makeup can be very tough on a person's face.

[sweet_intoxication]

Imagine sleeping with it...then waking up. :s WITH IT ON YOUR FACE!! arghh...It'll be so uncomfortable, I mean...Doesn't that mean your pores in your skin can't breathe? o_0

[MllePaula]

Imagine sleeping with it...then waking up. :s WITH IT ON YOUR FACE!! arghh...It'll be so uncomfortable, I mean...Doesn't that mean your pores in your skin can't breathe? o_0

That reminds me of a comment Hugh made. He said that, sometimes, some of the glue was still on his face and, the next morning, he'd answer the phone and it would stick to him.

And, yes, with all those layers of glue, latex, and make-up, the skin can't breathe well. Hugh complained that it was very bad for his skin and made it "spotty."

[sweet_intoxication]

Do you know Hugh personally? You seem to know/have/own a lot of his stuff! haha

[MllePaula]

Do you know Hugh personally? You seem to know/have/own a lot of his stuff! haha

Yes, I do. :) I've known him since the summer of 2005...just before he left POTO. I run his web site and I guess I've gotten to know him well enough to say he's a friend...and he'll give me a look like a sad puppy if I don't say it! :D

[sweet_intoxication]

Oh wow!! That's soo COOL! How did you two meet? I'm so nosy! =p Was it at the production? So you mean you have his contact details and all? haha That's really cool! I like the collage banner on the site! Very cool! ;)

[MllePaula]

Oh wow!! That's soo COOL! How did you two meet? I'm so nosy! =p Was it at the production? So you mean you have his contact details and all? haha That's really cool! I like the collage banner on the site! Very cool! ;)

I met him pretty much the usual way...a fan at the stage door.

I'll PM you...it's a long story and I'd hate to hijack this thread.

The NY Times recently did some gorgeous backstage photos from the Majestic production:

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/01/01/nyregion/0102-LENS_index.html

Enjoy!

[sweet_intoxication]

Oh wow! Those are wonderful pictures!! Everything backstage! haha Great - Thanks for sharing with us! =]

[MllePaula]

I wish there were more photos in that set. It's pretty fascinating to look behind-the-scenes at a show like Phantom...to see how it all comes together.

[The Countess]

What interesting facts! And lovely pictures to boot by the way. My thrist for knowledge has been quenched!

Those flubs are also hilarious. I was rolling out of my chair practically.

Question: Are Phantoms prone to flamibility?

[Erik'sMusic92]

here's a few more cool facts:
'phantom' beat 'cats' with 7,646 performances
more than 1 million people saw the musical worldwide
the actual opera house is now a huge tourist atraction (duh)

[tiannangel]

OH god! That website is really funny :D I was cracking up for most of it, reading about all the bloopers.

nd the recording of John Owen-Jones swearing his head off at Christine when she took off his mask in PONR scene? PRICELESS :D
Got into character too much... hehe

JOJ: NOOO!! Noooo! No! F**k! God **** it! You lying… B***H!"

I couldn't stop laughing...imagine the surprise the actress playing Christine would have gotten!

[Queen of the Unknown]

Ah, I love A Lamentable mess. I think my favorite phlub would have to be JOJ cussing Christine out. That or, "We are REHEARSING! If you wouldn't mind mating a moment?" Hilarious!

Thanks for the facts! They're very interesting.