randyg88 Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 I have a question for all drum corps fans, because I don't know the answer to this and it is bugging me! I went to see the newly revamped production of Phantom of the Opera that opened in Las Vegas last weekend. Andrew Lloyd Webber has reworked the entire show, cutting almost one hour from the original running time and adding new special effects (spectacular!) and even trimming some of the songs, most notably "Past the Point of No Return". Here is the question: the show now ends with the Phantom sitting in a chair, drawing a cloth across himself, and then disappearing, after which a chorus line member runs to the chair, draws aside the cloth, revealing only the Phantom's mask, which she then picks up and poses with. Now, I have seen Phantom (probably 15 years ago) and I don't remember it ending like that before, but I do remember that the Santa Clara Vanguard ended their production of Phantom in 1989 exactly this way. So, the question is: did Andrew Lloyd Webber get that idea from SCV? Or was this ending something that SCV staff had seen in some previous production of Phantom? Anybody who has information about this, please let me know! Thanks, Randy Gardner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
decompressed Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 I doubt that ALW used SCV as inspiration. But...since he is the ultimate ripoff artist of other composers throughout history, it wouldn't surprise me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xmenjeffb Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 Great question . I do know this because Gail himself told me. When he heard about the musical he flew to London to see it in person. Is it possible that ending was the ending used in London ?? Does anyone know?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaylogan Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 It was in the original production of Phantom. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
decompressed Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 It was in the original production of Phantom. There you have it! Thanks for the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMBob Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 I wonder why he felt numbers needed to be "trimmed." "Past the Point of No Return" is one of my favorites from the show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randyg88 Posted July 1, 2006 Author Share Posted July 1, 2006 It was in the original production of Phantom. Thanks Jay...I doubted that ALW had gotten the idea from SCV, but you never know! Randy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeeWee Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 Yeah, this disappearing Phantom was in the original broadway production. And "Past the Point of No Return" was our field warm-up piece in 1989. It was on the original DCI video, but they cut it out on the Legacy DVD collection. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randyg88 Posted July 1, 2006 Author Share Posted July 1, 2006 Yeah, this disappearing Phantom was in the original broadway production.And "Past the Point of No Return" was our field warm-up piece in 1989. It was on the original DCI video, but they cut it out on the Legacy DVD collection. :( Hi Mike, I remember hearing this warm-up at Finals in '89, and it was hauntingly beautiful, bouncing off the backfield stands. Too bad the Legacy DVDs chopped it off. Randy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madalumni Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 Yeah, this disappearing Phantom was in the original broadway production.And "Past the Point of No Return" was our field warm-up piece in 1989. It was on the original DCI video, but they cut it out on the Legacy DVD collection. :( That was one of my two favorite warmups of all time. SCV 89 and Madison 95. Both haunting and powerful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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