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USHE Press Release: The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall (Blu-ray)

post #1 of 22
12/6/11 at 1:23pm
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The Longest-Running Broadway Musical of All Time Celebrates 25 years of Romance with a Spectacular Live Production on One of the World’s Most Legendary Stages

 

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL

 

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience Available on Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand from

Universal Studios Home Entertainment on February 7, 2012

 

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Broadway’s longest-running production of all time celebrates a triumphant quarter century on stage with The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall, coming to Blu-rayTM – with perfect hi-def picture and perfect hi-def sound- DVD, On Demand and Digital Download on February 7, 2012 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.  On October 2, 2011, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and producer Cameron Mackintosh marked the 25th anniversary of their beloved musical extravaganza, “The Phantom of the Opera,” with a lavishly staged production at London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall that was beamed live via satellite to cinemas across the globe. The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall marks the first time a live performance of the blockbuster musical has been made available for home viewing, making it a must-have anniversary release for fans everywhere.

 

The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall stars Ramin Karimloo (2011 Olivier Award nominee for Best Actor in a Musical for “Love Never Dies”) as the lovestruck Phantom and Sierra Boggess (2011 Olivier Award nominee for Best Actress in a Musical for “Love Never Dies”)as the beautiful and gifted soprano Christine.  The show also features Barry James, Gareth Snook, Liz Robertson and Wynne Evans, as well as special guest appearances from the actors who originated the roles of The Phantom and Christine, Tony® Award winner Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman, in a memorable final curtain call.

 

“Phantom” aficionados will also be thrilled to know that “Love Never Dies,” Andrew Lloyd Webber’s spectacular follow-up musical will also arrive on Blu-rayTM and DVD for the first time on February 7.  With lush visuals and a mesmerizing score that rivals the original in power and beauty, this live production of “Love Never Dies” finds Christine and the Phantom reunited in turn-of-the-century New York City after a decade apart.

 

“The Phantom of the Opera” premiered at Her Majesty's Theatre in London on October 9, 1986. It has won more than 60 major theatre awards, including seven Tony® Awards and three Olivier Awards, and became the longest-running show in Broadway history on January 9, 2006 when it celebrated its 7,486th performance.   “The Phantom of the Opera” has grossed over $5.6 billion worldwide and been seen in 145 cities in 27 countries. Live productions of “The Phantom of the Opera” are currently playing in London, New York, Budapest, Las Vegas and Kyoto.

 

BLU-RAYTM AND DVD BONUS FEATURES:

·         The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall

o      “Getting Past the Point of No Return:” A behind-the-scenes “Making Of” feature starring the cast and crew.

·         Love Never Dies

o      “Making Of” Featurette:  Take a look behind the scenes at Andrew Lloyd Webber’s breathtaking sequel.

 

SYNOPSIS:  THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA LIVE AT ROYAL ALBERT HALL

Lurking beneath the glamor and spectacle of the Paris Opera House, the horribly disfigured Phantom, once a promising musician, now terrorizes the opera company.  Shamed by his physical appearance and feared by all, the Phantom is drawn to the beautiful ingénue Christine Daaé and begins coaching her secretly, as a tragic romance unfolds between the unlikely pair. This dazzling live restaging of the original production recreates the jaw-dropping scenery and breathtaking special effects of the original, set to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s haunting score.

 

SYNOPSIS:  LOVE NEVER DIES

The year is 1907. It is 10 years after the Phantom’s disappearance from the Paris Opera House.  He has escaped to a new life in New York where he lives amongst the screaming joy rides and freak-shows of Coney Island. In this new electrically-charged world, he has finally found a place for his music to soar. All that is missing is his love - Christine Daaé. Now one of the world’s finest sopranos, Christine is struggling in an ailing marriage to Raoul. So, it is with excitement she accepts an invitation to travel to New York and perform at a renowned opera house. In a final bid to win back her love, the Phantom lures Christine, her husband, and their young son Gustave from Manhattan, to the glittering and glorious world of Coney Island… not knowing what is in store for them.

 

CAST AND FILMMAKERS:  THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA LIVE AT ROYAL ALBERT HALL

Cast:  Ramin Karimloo, Sierra Boggess, Hadley Fraser, Barry James, Wendy Ferguson, Gareth Snook, Liz Robertson, Wynne Evans, Sergei Polunin

Producer:  Cameron Mackintosh

Music by:  Andrew Lloyd Webber

Lyrics by:  Charles Hart

Book by:  Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber

Based on the novel:  Le Fantôme de L'Opéra by Gaston Leroux

Additional lyrics by: Richard Stilgoe

Film Directed by:  Nick Morris

Stage Production Directed by:  Laurence Connor based on the original London Production directed by Hal Prince

Musical Staging and Choreography: Gillian Lynne

Lighting:  Patrick Woodroffe and Andrew Bridge

Sound:  Mick Potter

Set Design:  Matt Kinley, inspired by Maria Björnson’s original design for the stage

 

CAST AND FILMMAKERS:  LOVE NEVER DIES

Cast:  Ben Lewis, Anna O’Byrne, Maria Mercedes, Simon Gleeson, Sharon Millerchip, Emma J Hawkins, Paul Tabone, Dean Vince

Composer:  Andrew Lloyd Webber

Lyrics & Book:  Glenn Slater

Book:  Ben Elton, Frederick Forsyth

Additional Lyrics:  Charles Hart

 

CAST AND FILMMAKERS CONT.:  LOVE NEVER DIES

Director:  Simon Phillips

Choreographer:  Graeme Murphy AM

Set & Costume Designer:  Gabriela Tylesova

Lighting Designer:  Nick Schlieper

Musical Supervisor:  Guy Simpson

 

TECHNICAL INFORMATION BLU-RAY™: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA LIVE AT ROYAL ALBERT HALL

Street Date:  February 7, 2012

Copyright:  2012 Universal Studios

Selection Number: 61121260 (U.S.)/61121766 (Canada)

Running Time:  2 hours, 40 minutes

Layers:  BD-50

Aspect Ratio:  1.78:1

Rating:  N/A

Languages/Subtitles:  English SDH, French, Spanish, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Portuguese, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, Turkish, Icelandic, Cantonese, Mandarin

Sound:  English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

 

TECHNICAL INFORMATION BLU-RAY™:  LOVE NEVER DIES

Street Date:  February 7, 2012

Copyright:  2012 Universal Studios

Selection Number:  61121301 (U.S.)/61121768 (Canada)

Running Time:  2 hours, 1 minute

Layers:  BD-50

Aspect Ratio:  1.78:1

Rating:  N/A

Languages/Subtitles:  English SDH, French Canadian, Spanish

Sound:  English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1/ Dolby Digital 2.0

 

TECHNICAL INFORMATION DVD:  THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA LIVE AT ROYAL ALBERT HALL

Street Date:  February 7, 2012

Copyright:  2012 Universal Studios

Selection Number:  61121259 (U.S.)/61121767 (Canada)

Running Time:  2 hours, 40 minutes

Layers:  DVD-9

Aspect Ratio:  1.78.1

Rating:  N/A

Languages/Subtitles:  English SDH, French, Spanish

Sound:  English Dolby Digital 5.1, English Dolby Digital 2.0

 

TECHNICAL INFORMATION DVD:   LOVE NEVER DIES

Street Date:  February 7, 2012

Copyright:  2012 Universal Studios

Selection Number: 61121300 (U.S.)/ 61121769 (Canada)

Running Time:  2 hours, 1 minute

Layers:  Dual Layer

Aspect Ratio:  1.78.1

Rating:  N/A

Languages/Subtitles:  English SDH, French Canadian, Spanish

Sound:  English Dolby Digital 5.1, English Dolby Digital 2.0

 

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The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall [Blu-ray]
post #2 of 22
12/6/11 at 8:50pm
Quote:
On October 2, 2011, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and producer Cameron Mackintosh marked the 25th anniversary of their beloved musical extravaganza, “The Phantom of the Opera,” with a lavishly staged production
I read this to mean that this is not a concert, but the full musical. Costumes, sets and all that?

I am not familiar with any of the performers (except the two obvious ones). Were there any reviews of this production?
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post #3 of 22
12/9/11 at 11:50am
I'm wondering the same thing -- getting kind of tired of concert "stagings" of musicals (although the most recent Les Mis was pretty cool). Tape the d*mn shows for real, please!
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post #4 of 22
12/9/11 at 9:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny Angell View Post

I read this to mean that this is not a concert, but the full musical. Costumes, sets and all that?

Correct. I have the UK Blu-Ray and it's the full show. biggrin.gif

The upcoming Love Never Dies disc is the full show as well. smile.gif
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post #5 of 22
12/9/11 at 9:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom M View Post

Correct. I have the UK Blu-Ray and it's the full show. biggrin.gif
The upcoming Love Never Dies disc is the full show as well. smile.gif

Well, do you like Phantom? Is it a good production and a good blu-ray?
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post #6 of 22
12/12/11 at 6:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom M View Post


Correct. I have the UK Blu-Ray and it's the full show. biggrin.gif

Awesome! I've been hoping there would be a release of the actual show. The movie was...OK; but the show is simply more vivid.
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post #7 of 22
12/12/11 at 7:11am

This is good news.  While I've always enjoyed concert performances of both B'way musicals and operas (because they lend themselves -- or should lend themselves -- to focusing on expert renditions of the score), there has always been a dearth of great staged productions on home video.  

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post #8 of 22
12/12/11 at 8:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom M View Post

The upcoming Love Never Dies disc is the full show as well. smile.gif

So, is that a *good* thing? smile.gif
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post #9 of 22
12/12/11 at 10:00am
I just ordeded the UK bluray version it says its region free and comes with a Reg 2 dvd copy. its also less expensive than the US preorder.
the reviews on amazon and amazon.co.uk say its pretty good, but the you should know that for some of the backgrounds they use lcd screens instead of props.
some say it looks good, but others say it looks really bad. Since its a live show they also have visible mics on there foreheads or side of their cheeks.
I like Seirra Boggess,the actress that plays Christine. She is actually American and played her in the Las Vegas production, then later went on to the Little Mermaid and Love Never Dies.

here's some samples from youtube, its looks really good. you could see the lcds and see what I mean.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65W1kmLITWY&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gwZdkjpPds&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-Uufj6YXMw&feature=player_embedded

I'm a bit disappointed by the use of the lcd screens though, they look really pixely for the closeup shots, but I'm willing to overlook that and give it a shot.

The shortage of broadway shows have been for 2 main reasons, I believe the creators are afraid that people would ask themselves, "why pay $ 75-100 for a ticket to a live show when I can buy or rent the dvd and see it upclose?"
also I understand that to create home versions of these live shows require a lot of royalties to be paid out to the actors, the stage crew, the set creators/designers past and present (maybe that's a reason they used the lcds for some of the sets/backgrounds) the original writers, and producers,etc.
After all is paid, there's not as much profit in it for the studios.
Edited by stephen la - 12/13/11 at 6:49am
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post #10 of 22
12/12/11 at 3:41pm
FYI, while this version of Phantom is staged, it is not the same production as one would see in the West End or on Broadway. Most of the actual sets are animated digital backdrops. With that caveat in mind, it is the entire script, there are still many practical set pieces, and the costumes are the same. Think of it as something in-between the original stage production and a concert performance, if that makes any sense. It is a really good production. Just don't buy it expecting an exact reproduction of the long-running stage show.
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post #11 of 22
12/12/11 at 8:59pm
Stephen La, thanks for those clips. While the backgrounds do not sound appetizing, it does remind me a lot of the stage show. I particularly liked the "Point of No Return" clip. That is one of the dramatic highlights of the show; but in the film, it was almost a throwaway number, with extraneous shots of dancers when the focus should be on the Phantom & Christine. The voices sound good as well. I just ordered the UK version.
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post #12 of 22
12/26/11 at 12:02pm
Anyone have further thoughts about this production after watching and listening to the blu-ray? I'm still thinking about it. Are there going to be any differences between the UK and US releases?

I watched the clips and there's one thing that takes me out of the show. Those mikes that hug the face, particularly on the phantom, distract me. I guess I would get used to them.

I was reading some user reviews on Amazon UK and one reviewer from the US says the blu is region free, but not the DVD. Regions 1 and 3 are locked out. The US is region 1 isn't it?
Edited by Johnny Angell - 12/26/11 at 12:16pm
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post #13 of 22
12/26/11 at 12:41pm

I should be receiving the US Blus of both Phantom and Love Never Dies for review.

 

I've never seen or heard Love Never Dies, but I've had the music for Phantom since 1988.  I know the songs but have never seen the play in the theater, so this will be a treat. 

 

Having seen the performance Blu-ray of Les Miserables, this sounds like it's a cross between that (which was just the performers standing at the microphones) and a full performance.

 

That curtain call appearance by Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman sounds like another treat - similar to the encore appearance of all the Jean Valjeans at the end of Les Miserables.

 

Should be a lot of fun.

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post #14 of 22
12/26/11 at 8:11pm
When do you think you'll be posting those reviews? Even though they'll be for the US release, I figure the quality of the performances and the disc ought to be the same as the UK version.
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post #15 of 22
12/27/11 at 2:05am

It depends on when I get the review copies. 

 

I agree that these should be the same editions sent to the UK.  The only question is when the US copies get to me.

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post #16 of 22
12/27/11 at 1:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny Angell View Post

Anyone have further thoughts about this production after watching and listening to the blu-ray? I'm still thinking about it. Are there going to be any differences between the UK and US releases?

I watched the clips and there's one thing that takes me out of the show. Those mikes that hug the face, particularly on the phantom, distract me. I guess I would get used to them.

I was reading some user reviews on Amazon UK and one reviewer from the US says the blu is region free, but not the DVD. Regions 1 and 3 are locked out. The US is region 1 isn't it?

I have the UK release. The Blu-ray disc wll play on region A players as well as region B. The included DVD is region 2 only, and will only play in the US with a region free player.

The wife and I watched it last night and enjoyed it immensely. The mics were not as annoying as I thought they'd be. It is definitely a staged production. I've only seen it onstage once; and it is very similar. It is performed on a large stage with a huge cast. As mentioned earlier, they use huge projection screens for much of the backgrounds. The screens look fine in long to medium shots. In closeups, you can see the screens look sort of pixellated. Again, not as annoying as I thought it would be.

Some disappointments: the chandelier. It is explained in the bonus feature that the ceiling is too high in the Albert Hall to do any aerobatics with the chandelier. It does not rise to the ceiling in the prologue; and it does not fall either. Basically, jiggles and sparks and smokes a bit. During the Hannibal opera rehearsal, there is no fake elephant onstage.

The cast is very good. The principals sing their parts as well as I have heard them. I found it way more exciting than the movie.

---EDIT---

I am attaching some small screenshots to give an idea of the staging. These are from the DVD.

This is the Prologue. The chandelier hangs overhead. When it is illuminated, the cover is removed, and it lights up and sparks, etc.

338

The Hannibal rehearsal, with the screens depicting the stage set. Note how the stage is configured. At the bottom of the picture is the stage proper, with two flanking staircases. The orchestra is above the stage on the platform. Another larger screen is displayed on that level. Sometimes, that screen is used for other purposes. During the overture, they showed the Phantom playing the organ:

338

In this shot, you can see the pixellated effect when one is close to the screen:

338

They sometimes use overhead shots for a cinematic effect. This shot of the ballet from Hannibal shows the dancers onstage and gives an idea of the large cast:

338

This shot of the Phantom rowing Christine in the boat is very much like I remembered it onstage:

338

During the "Notes" scene, the Phantom is projected on the upper screen as he writes/reads his note:

338

The roof of the Opera is suggested by the background screen:

338

These screens are meant to give no impression of the video quality; but just to give an idea as to how it is staged. The melodies from the show have been swirling round my head all day; which is much the way it was when we saw it onstage 5 or 6 years ago. Lovers of the play should get this.
Edited by David_B_K - 12/27/11 at 2:24pm
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post #17 of 22
12/27/11 at 2:46pm

Those who enjoyed the play should also want it since the movie version changed some of the plot in the second act a bit.

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post #18 of 22
12/27/11 at 3:21pm

My primary interest is in the curtain calls.  Looking forward to hearing some of the material sung by the original cast...

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post #19 of 22
12/27/11 at 4:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin EK View Post

I should be receiving the US Blus of both Phantom and Love Never Dies for review.

I've never seen or heard Love Never Dies, but I've had the music for Phantom since 1988.  I know the songs but have never seen the play in the theater, so this will be a treat. 

I haven't seen Love Never Dies either, but I have heard the cast album. It is BORING! I had given copies to family members who love Phantom, and they found it boring, too. It's already opened and closed in London (or it will close soon), and a planned Broadway production was canceled.

My advice: Don't expect much Love!
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post #20 of 22
12/27/11 at 7:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick Thompson View Post


I haven't seen Love Never Dies either, but I have heard the cast album. It is BORING! I had given copies to family members who love Phantom, and they found it boring, too. It's already opened and closed in London (or it will close soon), and a planned Broadway production was canceled.
My advice: Don't expect much Love!


 Writing a sequel to a much loved stage musical is a slippery slope that few have ever been able to traverse. Ask the creators of Bring Back Birdie and Annie Warbucks how well their sequels turned out. Despite all of his success, even Lord Andrew couldn't pull it off.

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post #21 of 22
12/28/11 at 3:27am

Does that mean that Love Died?

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post #22 of 22
2/2/12 at 11:23pm

Just watched the review copy of the Phantom Blu-ray.

 

Absolutely a treat.   The highlight for me is still the two-part punch of the title song and "The Music of the Night".  I had forgotten about the moment of Christine launching the soprano notes at the end of the title song.  Chills went up my spine.

 

The encore was a little different than I expected, although it was still interesting. 

 

Not to spoil anything, but Michael Crawford does not sing.  (I understand that on the day he had performed in the currently running Lloyd Webber musical The Wizard of Oz.)  But there is something quite similar to the finale of Les Miz, and there are shots of Cameron Mackintosh looking very, very pleased with the proceedings.

 

The extras include a quick preview for Love Never Dies and the making-of featurette. 

 

The backgrounds do pixellate, but I was okay with them.  This is a fairly involved staging with multiple cameras getting different angles of the onstage action. 

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The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall [Blu-ray]
Home Theater Forum › Home Theater Forum › Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming Video and Digital Downloads › Blu-ray › USHE Press Release: The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall (Blu-ray)