I know this is the least of S3’s problems, but…why did Usagi have to hit the “free space“ button at the top of the tower to clear the game? Why was there even a ”free space” button to begin with? Isn’t the point of a free space that you *don’t* have to do anything for it?
FWIW, I did like the bingo tower game overall (Bingo at the Match Factory wishes it were that cool), but that particular rule confused me.
I'm that nitpicking pianist from yesterday, back to give a complete review of Our Strange Duet. This sub seems to have mixed opinions on it, but no one's written out a full review yet.
Note that this is a review of the book, not the audiobook. Here goes -- specific plot spoilers are marked.
I liked it. 7/10.
Pros:
Cons:
There's really only one major con, and it's that the author is trying to do the impossible: reconcile the events of The Phantom of the Opera with the events of Love Never Dies.
To the author's credit, some of it did work. I liked how >!Meg's visit!< influenced Christine's decision to sing in Don Juan, for example. But as a result of the plot contorting itself to fit Love Never Dies, Christine's motivations change with the scenery, especially in the last seven chapters. Here are the two most egregious examples:
First, during the period between Wandering Child and Point of No Return, Christine >!convinces Erik to resume her lessons and appear to her in-person -- just by asking? First of all...that's weird, since he just declared war on both Christine and Raoul. Second of all, why not use that to set a trap for him before his opera?!< Christine herself says that she wants him captured so he'll stop haunting her and Raoul. In the ALW musical, this is OK because we don't see Christine's POV at this point in the story, but here, we're stuck with her nonsensical inner monologue for five chapters.
Second, in the last three chapters alone, she switches from Team Raoul to Team Erik and back again enough to give me whiplash. This is most apparent in Final Lair. That scene had some amusing additions (I see you, Devil Take the Hindmost reference), but...according to the author, >!Christine verbally and legitimately chose Erik during the kiss, got dragged away against her will by Raoul, ignored Raoul's protests and went back to return Erik's ring, and...did not use that as an opportunity to convince Erik to let her stay. Once they were out of the opera house, she chose Raoul despite knowing she really loved Erik...then switched back to Erik in literally the next chapter!<.
At least it ended on a high note -- which is to say, I had to laugh when we got four >!Beneath a Moonless Sky!< lyric drops in the last two pages.
Overall:
The author is trying to compile the entire ALW Phantom canon into one written work: the original stage musical, the 2004 movie, Masquerade, and Love Never Dies. In this regard, the book absolutely succeeds. Most casual fans of the musical (who are probably mostly E/C shippers) would enjoy it, and I liked picking out all the references.
But I think it's incorrect to say that people dislike the book because they disliked Love Never Dies. They dislike it because the book tries and fails to make Love Never Dies make sense.
I don't think the book is "reread"-level good, but it was an enjoyable read and it looks nice on my shelf. I'll check out the audiobook eventually, if only for the star-studded cast...but first I need to read some better post-canon E/C fanfic to wash out my eyes. Fraternité by Gondolier is looking really good right now.
I'd love to hear what others thought, especially those who listened to the audiobook first! Are there any pros that I missed? Or any issues outside of the LND-ification of it all?
I'm at Chapter 15, but I had to put the book down to write this out.
In Chapter 9 (page 80), Christine says that the high note at the end of "Think of Me" is a high E. It is not. It's a B♭5. (EDIT: It's a B♭5 in the original London cast recording and in most arrangements sold to the public. However, the 25th anniversary cast recording & the current US tour modulate to a different key, so most versions you'll hear today end on a C6).
I ignored it that time, but then in Chapter 14 (page 106), she says the "Think of Me" high note is the same note she sings at the end of the title song, and...no. The title song's high note is an E6. The "Think of Me" high note is a B♭5 (or a C6 depending on your version).
Then again in Chapter 14, Christine says the Phantom hits a high C in Music of the Night. The highest he goes is an A♭5.
This is obviously a licensed retelling of the Lloyd Webber musical, so someone could've taken a few seconds to check it against a piano-conductor score. I fully admit that I'm nitpicking, but I feel like 3 incorrect pitch identifications in 14 chapters warrants an editor's note. I guess Our Strange Duet!Christine does not have perfect pitch -- she's batting 0 for 3 so far.
Thank you for coming to my extremely autistic TED talk. Back to the book (which I am otherwise enjoying!) now...
Some shows will mail you a signed playbill if you write to the stage manager and enclose a receipt for a Broadway Cares donation. Has anyone done this recently for Wicked and gotten a response?
The last thread I could find on this topic was 2 years old and inconclusive, so I figured I'd ask again. Thanks!
*pokes head out of cupboard* I was waiting to post this because of the chaos around Hugh's last show, but it's been a week, so hopefully I'm good now.
I was fortunate to see Pulse 3 twice in the same week (different Phantoms, different Raouls, same Christine), and I noticed a small character interaction in the Stranger Than You Dreamt It room. Francesca approached it differently in both shows, and her acting in those few seconds perfectly captured the vibe of the entire show. So I wanted to post this in appreciation of both the (now-removed) automaton bride, and of Francesca as Christine.
The Moment
Christine stands on the platform, ushering audience members from the bedroom into the STYDI room. Across from her, the automaton bride does the same, so they're almost mirroring each other's movements. Once everyone has filed in, Christine approaches the automaton bride -- and that's the moment I'm talking about.
Take 1: Jeremy Stolle / Francesca / a Raoul understudy -- or, the promo trailer for an immersive Love Never Dies
Jeremy was a top-notch Phantom, but the Raoul was noticeably weaker (and I say this as a Raoul stan). Francesca played a Christine who was super into the Phantom, musically and romantically, for the entire show. She was so done with Raoul that I thought she was going to take that engagement ring off herself.
So in the STYDI room, Francesca approached the automaton bride, took her hand, and studied the ring on the automaton's finger with this wonderful expression -- she looked intrigued, excited, maybe a little apprehensive, but it's like she was thinking, "Could he really want me? As his bride? I don't know if I'm worthy!" Eventually the automaton took her hand away and left, and Francesca stared after her longingly, leading into her cue for "I Remember."
At the time, I thought this interaction was a nice touch, but it seemed redundant after the bedroom scene. But then I saw Pulse 3 later the same week...
Take 2: Hugh Panaro / Francesca / Saman de Silva -- the classic Broadway interpretation at its best
Hugh needs no introduction, and this time, we had a wonderful Saman de Silva as Raoul (not the same Raoul I saw previously). This time, Francesca was still entranced by the Phantom, but she also genuinely loved Raoul, and all of her illusions concerning the Phantom were well and truly shattered by the end.
In this show, as Francesca approached the automaton bride and reached for her hand, I was expecting the same interaction as last time. But this time, the automaton pulled her hand away, looked at Francesca almost reproachfully (big Madame Giry vibes), and left. And Francesca stared after her, looking a little freaked out. It's like she was thinking, "Did...did I really just see that? A ring? As in, a wedding ring?" Maybe she thought the bedroom scene was a harmless fantasy, but seeing the automaton bride "in real life" (or closer to full consciousness, at least) shocked her back into her senses.
And during STYDI, as she looked at the Phantom's mask in her hand, you could see her awe of the man withering away in real time. No way is LND happening after that pulse...though the moment when Hugh booped Francesca on the nose before draping his cloak over her continues to live rent-free in my head.
Conclusion
This is such a small interaction, and it wouldn't have stood out to me if Francesca hadn't changed it up between shows. Both times, with two different trios and totally different vibes, her acting summed up her entire dynamic with the Phantom in about five seconds. The six pulses are all unique, but Francesca is such a dynamic actress that I feel like I could see Pulse 3 a dozen times in a row without getting bored.
I guess this interaction won't exist anymore, since they cut the automaton bride track. And story-wise, it isn't necessary -- we already know that the Phantom has the hots for Christine and Christine is kind of into it, and that's where things stand going into STYDI.
But I'm curious, since I only saw this interaction in one pulse with the same actress -- is this moment standard across pulses? If so, how have other Christines handled it? And have you noticed any other small moments like this that some people might've missed?
Early in The Rise of the Dragon, we get a random mention of Argilac Durrandon allying with some of the Free Cities against Volantis. Apparently he led a ground army to defend Myr.
Aegon Targaryen fought in the same war, taking Balerion to burn a Volantene fleet.
This was back when Aegon was Lord of Dragonstone, and Argilac was the unchallenged Storm King.
Two questions:
And why aren't these reasons specified in the source material? Usually GRRM is very good about explaining the politics behind wars.
Corlys tells Rhaenyra two things in that dinner scene:
This left me wondering: no one contests Corlys' right to name his own heir. Alyn might not have the name Velaryon now, but if he inherits Driftmark, what the heck else would he be called?
Of course, if Alyn isn't legitimized, that does open the door for more distant Velaryon cousins to challenge his claim when Corlys dies -- which, amusingly, would put Alyn in a position very similar to Rhaenyra's.
But, at least according to the show, Corlys has used up all his options for heir, he's publicly acknowledged both boys, and Alyn's brother has a dragon. It's obviously not ideal, but who would realistically contest Alyn becoming Lord Velaryon, even if he isn't legitimized?
(Not trying to defend either Rhaenyra or Corlys here, just curious about the political implications. I know Ramsay Snow is legitimized at the same time Roose names him his heir, which suggests that legitimization is a requirement -- but this doesn't happen in the books, so I'm curious if there's any other legal precedents that might apply here).
Of all the characters who probably won’t be getting their F&B-accurate endings, I haven’t seen anyone mention Mysaria yet.
So…there’s no way she gets her book ending, right? Yes, it’s one of the more awful things devised by the Greens, but Mysaria is becoming the writers’ self-insert #1 Rhaenyra stan, so I’m half-tempted to guess that *she’ll* be the one to secretly flee to Essos with Rhaenyra in the end…
Speculation welcomed. I expect the comments to be dark and full of spoilers.
I used to book all my flights through the CO portal to earn the 10x points. Then I had to change a flight at the last minute and got bounced back and forth between United and CO customer service. After that, I decided the extra ~$50 in rewards wasn't worth the hassle.
Has anyone had a similar experience with changing hotel reservations made through the portal? I know those are typically less restrictive than flights, so would it be worth it to book through the portal for this?
I know someone had described the vibes of the original six pulses, but since the casts have been reshuffled so much, can I get vibe checks for the below duos?
…and/or could someone drop a pic of the updated merch menu?
I’m planning my next Masquerade pilgrimage, but I’m on a budget and need to know exactly how many lattes I have to forgo to get that vinyl :)
The first time I saw Phantom on tour, I was listening for the orchestra as the bows started, and I was disappointed that they didn't have bows/exit music.
But when the curtain fell the second time, then the orchestra started up again.
This is hard to gauge since I've only seen a few shows live, but I thought it was standard to have combined bows/exit music -- the orchestra plays continuously during the bows, and it's timed so that there's a short playout after the curtain falls.
Was this setup (exit music, but no bows music) more standard for older '80s musicals? Or do some musicals just want the audience's applause to be the only accompaniment for the bows?
This occurred to me while reading u/nofunclubb's post about Hadley Fraser as Raoul. A lot of the comments boiled down to disagreements about what Raoul is "really" like, and it made me wonder -- what is his character arc in the ALW musical?
Whatever it is, it doesn't seem very well-defined. The best I can come up with is that he learns to respect Christine's feelings and opinions...mostly.
Here's my thought process, based mostly on the Broadway/US tour interpretations, with a bit of Hadley Fraser influence:
So in this interpretation, Raoul conceding to Christine's wish to return the Phantom's ring would be the end of his character arc. He's spent the whole musical ignoring Christine's opinions on how to deal with the Phantom, and it got her kidnapped and nearly got him killed. And ultimately, Christine was the one who got them both out of the lair alive. So if she thinks this ring is that important to the Phantom, well...fine.
The only issue is that this conversation happens offstage. To be fair, that's kind of a theme with this couple (see also: their childhood together, the First Lair to Il Muto gap, the months-long gap between Rooftop and Masquerade), but...really?
And we never see anything to confirm this interpretation either way, because the only thing we know about Raoul post-Final Lair is that he grows up to be a sad old widower. (Kindly leave The Musical That Must Not Be Named out of this).
So, what do you guys think? Is this really Raoul's character arc, and is it as badly paid-off as I think it is? Or am I missing something?
---
Two caveats:
I'm pretty new to the opera scene, and I've seen two operas live so far -- both touring productions at two fairly large venues (2,500+ seats).
During both operas, multiple audience members used their cellphones to take photos during the performance. I asked the ushers about it, and they said taking photos was allowed -- it's only video or audio recording that's prohibited.
This was jarring to me, since I came to opera from musical theater, and trying to take photos during a musical would earn you a stern warning and/or eviction in every theater I've visited.
Are cellphone rules actually more lax for opera than for musical theater (maybe due to copyright expiration)? Or is my experience non-representative of most opera houses?
I am a lifelong phan, but this has always confused me. In the stage musical, it's not like we're close enough to see the rings, but I always thought it went like this:
This would mean that Christine gets two engagement rings at different points, one from Raoul and one from the Phantom.
However, in the 2004 film, when we're close enough to see the rings, it LOOKS like the same ring the entire time:
Christine's engagement ring (2004)
...but if there was only ever one ring, this would mean that the Phantom proposed to Christine with another man's ring, and that Christine gives the Phantom Raoul's ring at the end? Um...why?
(The book also only features one ring, but that ring belongs to the Phantom originally. Christine wears it to symbolize that she's under his "protection," but loses it on the rooftop. The Phantom finds it and forces her to wear it again, and that's the ring Christine swears to bury him with. Thematically, this makes sense -- the ring was a symbol of the Phantom's control over her, which he relinquishes at the end of the story...but it was also a symbol of his love, which is why she promises to come back and bury him with it).
But if there's only one ring in the ALW story, and that ring originally came from Raoul, then I don't understand how this symbolism is supposed to work.
It's also possible that I'm wrong about there being two different rings in the stage musical...
Can someone make Christine's engagement ring(s) make sense? Thanks.
Does the 4th national tour (the restaged tour) have a name…other than the many epithets assigned to it by disgruntled phans?
I think we're past the point of needing spoiler warnings, but I shall err on the side of caution.
The Madame Giry actress in each pulse also plays >!Young Giry in the carnival scene!<, right?
This is either a shoutout to an ensemble member who was really good at imitating another actor's mannerisms, or a shoutout to Tia Karaplis, who was so good at playing >!a significantly younger version of her character!< (I think she even changed her accent) that it made me wonder if it was still the same person.
Please let me know who I should be complimenting here. Thanks!
