POTO Las Vegas specialities
AUCTION SCENE: The whole auditorium had false boxes with dummies. The celing was a grand dome. The chandelier hung in four pieces; three around the room, and one down on stage. Majestic sight!
THINK OF ME: Since the auditorium had the false boxes at the side of the proscenium, it left an open space for the mock operas. In Think of Me it meant keeping the red curtain draped up:
MIRROR SCENE: The mirror had lamps at each side which started to blink at a given moment. The mirror plate also switched/slided only to add an opening in the shape of Christine’s silhouette. She walked through this, and the mirror slid back to normal. This in contrast to the regular version, where the whole plate slides aside.
MIRROR BRIDE: Usually Phantom unveils a mirror that is partly bare, with cracked sides, and the mirror bride can be seen. In Vegas the whole mirror had “glass”, with cracks, and this sprung open to reveal the mirror bride behind. One of my favourite upgrades.
MANAGERS OFFICE: Same, same, but different: An added grand door, to match the majestic manager’s desk.
IL MUTO SET: As mentioned, the false boxes were now at the side of the stage, instead of on stage. It gave extra room for extended sets. The Il Muto scene got a Disney like take on Rococo style, with French paintings and fake windows, and an added screen to the right, and chaiselongue to the left.
CHANDELIER: The chandelier didn’t crash at the end of act one, a the Vegas version was a one act show. The chandelier crash was moved to after PONR (in a FIERCE drop), but as a sort of substitute the Phantom (double) was appearing hanging from the chandelier when he mocked Carlotta’s singing. Usually he appears above stage at this point.
BUQUET’S DEATH: In Hannibal, Buguet can be seen on the travelator above the rehearsing cast. This as a foreshadowing to the Il Muto ballet, where you can see him fighting the Phantom, in silhouette. It ends with Buguet (double) being hanged. More graphic than in the original version, where a dummy drops from the ceiling.
GARNIER FACADE: To seamlessly edit act one and two together, the Phantom’s curse ended in pyrowork, which transformed into New Year Eve fireworks. From the floor the Palais Garnier facade rose, eventually parting to reveal the Masquerade staircase. Smart.
MASQUERADE STAIRCASE: The staircase had added stars/sunrays with bling in between the steps. The golden sculptures also had additional “diamonds”. It meant the set glittered like crazy, and it was awesome. In addition, some new dummies made an appearance; viewable in upper right is “Bee Woman” and “Napoleon”.
TWISTED EVERY WAY: The biggest libretto change in Las Vegas was that they had more or less cut 2nd Managers. Bits and bobs were sung by the managers, and then Christine sung her “Twisted Every Way” sitting at a staircase in stage front/side. She was joined by Raoul, still in his Hussar costume from Masquerade. I think this solution left a lot to desired, and that they should rather have cut the whole scene. But it leaves us with interesting photos like this:
MAUSOLEUM SET: Triple grave, a lot of pyrowork shooting from the Phantom’s hands, and more pyrowork at the end. Vegas indeed!
DON JUAN SET: A third mock opera set to be extended was the Don Juan one. An additional arch with side columns filled out where the boxes usually were, and the set in the background was now a mooresque castle with chandelier rather than a sturdy domestic interior.
CAGED RAOUL: Instead of the Magical Lasso. Yeah. Well. Apparently this was an early Maria Bjørnson idea she had skipped because of technical challenges. But it was re-introduced for Vegas. I never liked it, to be honest. The lasso leaves them all at the same level, in close up contact, and somehow that feels more dangerous than this grand metal cage with spikes, raised above stage. I guess the best I can say is that it has a distant echo of the torture chamber with the heated mirrored hall Leroux describes?
The design for the production was in large by Maria Bjørnson, but some of her ideas were expanded on. This in collaboration with her assistant Jonathan Allen, costume associate Sue Willmington and others. Directing was by Hal Prince.
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