June 6, 2026 will mark my 300th and final evening as the host of Saturday Streams.
It’s been an incredibly difficult decision to make—one I’ve flirted with multiple times over the last few years—but it does, ultimately, feel like the right one. I’ve experienced both an increasing burnout and an increasing need to focus on more local community and relationship building, especially given the current political climate, and I think the Saturday-night crowd deserves someone who's all in.
That someone is Deb (@from-aldebaran), who has enthusiastically attended almost every stream since they became a weekly fixture in March 2020. She has so much respect for Saturday-night traditions, and she’ll also bring new ideas to the table. We’ve already done a successful trial run, and I'll of course be around to help with the transition as necessary (though I have full confidence she'll handle it just fine!). And I'll still pop in here and there to hang out!
As always, @glassprism continues to make streams possible by regularly sharing her video library, and we wouldn’t be able to do it without her! There are so many individuals I'd love to thank, really, but it would take too long and I'd inevitably forget someone. So just assume that if you're reading this, I'm so grateful for you.
It’s hard for me to talk about, but it's incredibly emotional to step away from a role that has come to feel like it’s intrinsically a part of me (but is also much, much bigger than me). I didn’t expect to host as long as I have, or to have gained so many friendships and meetups and experiences as a result, and I’m forever grateful for those opportunities.
The fact that so many phans have passed through the streams and continue to do so after all this time is a testament to how important these gathering spaces are. I’ve been reading a lot about community building lately, and the most important thing any one person can do is show up. So thank you for showing up, every week, after all of this time, and thanks in advance for continuing to show up just as enthusiastically for Deb.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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This week's stream is another all time fan favorite, featuring John Cudia wielding his Red Death cape like a wet towel in a locker room. Also a former Christine (on the same tour in fact), Kimilee Bryant, following the Christine to Carlotta pipeline with her appearance as Carlotta in this performance. And, of course, Jackhammer Meg!
Each week I try to post a bit about where each production we stream fits in time, in space (location) and in Phantom history. In the eight streams I have hosted so far, we have stuck firmly to the 2000's, and our locations have been London, Broadway, Copenhagen, France, China (current World Tour stops), various US city stops on past US tours, and actual Hell (Spiritual Twist). With the exception of Spiritual Twist (the only way in which that production is exceptional) all the versions we have watched since June 13, 2026 have been versions of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.
London/West End: In ALW Phantom history, we are presently in the 40th anniversary year of this iteration of Phantom of the Opera, which had its first preview September 27, 1986 at Her Majesty's Theatre in London, England. The official opening night at Her Majesty's was October 8, 1986.
New York/Broadway: First preview on Broadway was on January 9, 1988, with an official premiere date of January 26, 1988.
With both the London and Broadway shows running, a series of tours was launched. This stream note discusses what are referred to as the US National Tours (although I am still not certain if there may have been a few Canadian stops here and there, still trying to find this out.)
First US National Tour: Christine Tour or Christine Company. Launched May 18, 1989. Final Performance January 3, 1999. Although billed as a national tour, it played in two cities only, Los Angeles and San Francisco. 3,092 performances. Replica of original staging.
Second National Tour: Raoul Tour or Raoul Company. Launched May 22, 1990. Final Performance November 15, 1998. Played major markets for a total of 3,364 performances. Replica of original staging.
Third National Tour: Music Box Tour or Music Box Company. Launched December 13, 1992. Final Performance October 31, 2010. Played major markets for a total of 7,284 performances. Replica of original staging.
This whole post started with attempting to answer the question of why the Third National Tour was called the Music Box Tour. In an article from the LA Times, July 22, 1994, "O.C. Theater: 'Phantom' Flexes Its Muscles" by Jan Herman, I find an answer:
You know the show that opens Sunday for a six-week stand at the Orange County Performing Arts Center as “The Phantom of the Opera.” But the troupe for this national touring production thinks of itself as “The Music Box Company.”
The name, chosen by producer Cameron Macintosh [sic], suggests a delicate object tinged with nostalgia and romance. It refers to one of the most evocative elements in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s pop opera: the Phantom’s papier-mache music box with its little monkey on top and “Masquerade,” its haunting little tune, inside.
The box becomes a poignant symbol of the disfigured Phantom’s obsessive love for the beautiful young opera singer Christine, who is torn between him and the handsome Viscount Raoul de Chagny. The reason for the company name, however, is more practical than poetic.
According to Bill Miller, a spokesman for the show, Macintosh [sic] wanted to distinguish this production from his two other road versions now playing in the United States. The “Phantom” in San Francisco, which opened last Christmas after running for 4 1/2 years at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, is called “The Christine Company.” The “Phantom” in Boston, on a 19-city tour that began 4 1/2 years ago in Chicago, is “The Raoul Company.”
(Still not sure why the first two tours were named Christine and Raoul though!)
Fourth National Tour: Commonly referred to as the Restaged Tour. Launched November 27, 2013. Final performance February 2, 2020. Played major markets, including at least one stop in Canada (Toronto). I was unable to locate the total performances number for this tour. It is called the Restaged because it is not an exact replica of the original London/Broadway staging. More forthcoming on this tour and staging.
Fifth National Tour: The Box Five Tour or Box Five Company. Launched November 7, 2025. Currently ongoing. Called on the official site a North American Tour, but has not as yet played any cities outside of the US. Celebrated 300 performances August 6, 2026. West End (London) Revival staging. More forthcoming on this tour and staging.
And there you have a brief history of US Tours of Phantom, in preparation for watching a performance this Saturday from the Third US Tour as performed by (say it with me) the Music Box Company!
As always, the stream will be on cy.tube and shy anons are welcome!
⭐Link and password will be posted here at 8:45 the day of the stream.
⭐For more info, please see the Saturday Streams FAQ
⭐Remember to follow @from-aldebaran for stream posts going forward.
⭐PFPs featured on the Saturday Streams banner are left to right Streams Founder @operaofthephantom, 300 Club Streams Host @wheel-of-fish, new host @from-aldebaran, and our Phantom Founder, Gaston Leroux. Massive thanks to @opera-ghost for the PFP additions to Fish's original banner design.
Saturday, August 8, 2026 • 9 p.m. EST: Hugh Panaro/Elizabeth Welch/Jeremy Hays(Broadway 2014)
After last week's diversion--a Gaston Leroux "The Phantom of the Opera" musical adaptation (decidedly NOT the Andrew Lloyd Webber version) from Spiritual Twist Productions--we head back to Broadway and the world of ALW POTO with a performance featuring one of the all time great Phantoms, Hugh Panaro, who just ended (for now) a run in the most recent ALW immersive Phantom adaptation "Masquerade".
Mr. Panaro has played the role of the Phantom on Broadway over 2,000 times. Adding in his Phantom performances in Masquerade results in an unofficial total of somewhere in the neighborhood of 2500-2700 performances in this role. (He has also appeared on Broadway as Raoul.) If there are any Hugh Panaro scholars out there with more exact numbers for his turns as the Phantom and Raoul in Phantom of the Opera and as the Phantom in Masquerade, please let me know!
He is a huge fan favorite, bringing a smug and unhinged playfulness to the role, and he seems to delight in changing it up for every performance. In a 2024 interview for Musical Theater Review, when asked what advice he would give to young performers he said "...I would say bring as much of your authentic self to every role as humanly possible. Every artist is unique and has to be “captain of his own ship”. My acting teacher called it your “special self”. You cannot do anyone else’s work but your own. If I tried to do Michael Crawford’s performance as the Phantom, it would merely be an imitation, it would not be authentic to me, Michael Crawford, or the audience. It’s tremendously scary to be open and vulnerable but I truly believe it is also our greatest “super power” as an actor."
So come enjoy Hugh's special self with the wonderful Elizabeth Welch as Christine and Jeremy Hays as Raoul. While during Fish's 300 Stream Run Hugh and company have been streamed nine times, this particular performance makes its first appearance on Saturday Streams.
As always, the stream will be on cy.tube and shy anons are welcome!
⭐Link and password will be posted here at 8:45 the day of the stream.
⭐For more info, please see the Saturday Streams FAQ
⭐Remember to follow @from-aldebaran for stream posts going forward.
⭐PFPs featured on the Saturday Streams banner are left to right Streams Founder @operaofthephantom, 300 Club Streams Host @wheel-of-fish, new host @from-aldebaran, and our Phantom Founder, Gaston Leroux. Massive thanks to @opera-ghost for the PFP additions to Fish's original banner design.
Saturday, August 8, 2026 • 9 p.m. EST: Hugh Panaro/Elizabeth Welch/Jeremy Hays(Broadway 2014)
After last week's diversion--a Gaston Leroux "The Phantom of the Opera" musical adaptation (decidedly NOT the Andrew Lloyd Webber version) from Spiritual Twist Productions--we head back to Broadway and the world of ALW POTO with a performance featuring one of the all time great Phantoms, Hugh Panaro, who just ended (for now) a run in the most recent ALW immersive Phantom adaptation "Masquerade".
Mr. Panaro has played the role of the Phantom on Broadway over 2,000 times. Adding in his Phantom performances in Masquerade results in an unofficial total of somewhere in the neighborhood of 2500-2700 performances in this role. (He has also appeared on Broadway as Raoul.) If there are any Hugh Panaro scholars out there with more exact numbers for his turns as the Phantom and Raoul in Phantom of the Opera and as the Phantom in Masquerade, please let me know!
He is a huge fan favorite, bringing a smug and unhinged playfulness to the role, and he seems to delight in changing it up for every performance. In a 2024 interview for Musical Theater Review, when asked what advice he would give to young performers he said "...I would say bring as much of your authentic self to every role as humanly possible. Every artist is unique and has to be “captain of his own ship”. My acting teacher called it your “special self”. You cannot do anyone else’s work but your own. If I tried to do Michael Crawford’s performance as the Phantom, it would merely be an imitation, it would not be authentic to me, Michael Crawford, or the audience. It’s tremendously scary to be open and vulnerable but I truly believe it is also our greatest “super power” as an actor."
So come enjoy Hugh's special self with the wonderful Elizabeth Welch as Christine and Jeremy Hays as Raoul. While during Fish's 300 Stream Run Hugh and company have been streamed nine times, this particular performance makes its first appearance on Saturday Streams.
As always, the stream will be on cy.tube and shy anons are welcome!
⭐Link and password will be posted here at 8:45 the day of the stream.
⭐For more info, please see the Saturday Streams FAQ
⭐Remember to follow @from-aldebaran for stream posts going forward.
⭐PFPs featured on the Saturday Streams banner are left to right Streams Founder @operaofthephantom, 300 Club Streams Host @wheel-of-fish, new host @from-aldebaran, and our Phantom Founder, Gaston Leroux. Massive thanks to @opera-ghost for the PFP additions to Fish's original banner design.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
Saturday, August 8, 2026 • 9 p.m. EST: Hugh Panaro/Elizabeth Welch/Jeremy Hays(Broadway 2014)
After last week's diversion--a Gaston Leroux "The Phantom of the Opera" musical adaptation (decidedly NOT the Andrew Lloyd Webber version) from Spiritual Twist Productions--we head back to Broadway and the world of ALW POTO with a performance featuring one of the all time great Phantoms, Hugh Panaro, who just ended (for now) a run in the most recent ALW immersive Phantom adaptation "Masquerade".
Mr. Panaro has played the role of the Phantom on Broadway over 2,000 times. Adding in his Phantom performances in Masquerade results in an unofficial total of somewhere in the neighborhood of 2500-2700 performances in this role. (He has also appeared on Broadway as Raoul.) If there are any Hugh Panaro scholars out there with more exact numbers for his turns as the Phantom and Raoul in Phantom of the Opera and as the Phantom in Masquerade, please let me know!
He is a huge fan favorite, bringing a smug and unhinged playfulness to the role, and he seems to delight in changing it up for every performance. In a 2024 interview for Musical Theater Review, when asked what advice he would give to young performers he said "...I would say bring as much of your authentic self to every role as humanly possible. Every artist is unique and has to be “captain of his own ship”. My acting teacher called it your “special self”. You cannot do anyone else’s work but your own. If I tried to do Michael Crawford’s performance as the Phantom, it would merely be an imitation, it would not be authentic to me, Michael Crawford, or the audience. It’s tremendously scary to be open and vulnerable but I truly believe it is also our greatest “super power” as an actor."
So come enjoy Hugh's special self with the wonderful Elizabeth Welch as Christine and Jeremy Hays as Raoul. While during Fish's 300 Stream Run Hugh and company have been streamed nine times, this particular performance makes its first appearance on Saturday Streams.
As always, the stream will be on cy.tube and shy anons are welcome!
⭐Link and password will be posted here at 8:45 the day of the stream.
⭐For more info, please see the Saturday Streams FAQ
⭐Remember to follow @from-aldebaran for stream posts going forward.
⭐PFPs featured on the Saturday Streams banner are left to right Streams Founder @operaofthephantom, 300 Club Streams Host @wheel-of-fish, new host @from-aldebaran, and our Phantom Founder, Gaston Leroux. Massive thanks to @opera-ghost for the PFP additions to Fish's original banner design.
My book-inspired version of Haymitch Abernathy from "The Hunger Games"
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I've been re-reading the first three books before I want to read "Sunrise on the Reaping" for the first time (before the movie comes out). So anyway, I'm super hooked on the story and its world again. So much even that I felt inspired to create my version of Haymitch who I think might actually be my favorite character from the whole series. Absolutely not perfect, but tragic and broken instead - just like I like my fictional men, lmao. Let's see if I'll render more characters in the future.
Saturday, August 8, 2026 • 9 p.m. EST: Hugh Panaro/Elizabeth Welch/Jeremy Hays(Broadway 2014)
After last week's diversion--a Gaston Leroux "The Phantom of the Opera" musical adaptation (decidedly NOT the Andrew Lloyd Webber version) from Spiritual Twist Productions--we head back to Broadway and the world of ALW POTO with a performance featuring one of the all time great Phantoms, Hugh Panaro, who just ended (for now) a run in the most recent ALW immersive Phantom adaptation "Masquerade".
Mr. Panaro has played the role of the Phantom on Broadway over 2,000 times. Adding in his Phantom performances in Masquerade results in an unofficial total of somewhere in the neighborhood of 2500-2700 performances in this role. (He has also appeared on Broadway as Raoul.) If there are any Hugh Panaro scholars out there with more exact numbers for his turns as the Phantom and Raoul in Phantom of the Opera and as the Phantom in Masquerade, please let me know!
He is a huge fan favorite, bringing a smug and unhinged playfulness to the role, and he seems to delight in changing it up for every performance. In a 2024 interview for Musical Theater Review, when asked what advice he would give to young performers he said "...I would say bring as much of your authentic self to every role as humanly possible. Every artist is unique and has to be “captain of his own ship”. My acting teacher called it your “special self”. You cannot do anyone else’s work but your own. If I tried to do Michael Crawford’s performance as the Phantom, it would merely be an imitation, it would not be authentic to me, Michael Crawford, or the audience. It’s tremendously scary to be open and vulnerable but I truly believe it is also our greatest “super power” as an actor."
So come enjoy Hugh's special self with the wonderful Elizabeth Welch as Christine and Jeremy Hays as Raoul. While during Fish's 300 Stream Run Hugh and company have been streamed nine times, this particular performance makes its first appearance on Saturday Streams.
As always, the stream will be on cy.tube and shy anons are welcome!
⭐Link and password will be posted here at 8:45 the day of the stream.
⭐For more info, please see the Saturday Streams FAQ
⭐Remember to follow @from-aldebaran for stream posts going forward.
⭐PFPs featured on the Saturday Streams banner are left to right Streams Founder @operaofthephantom, 300 Club Streams Host @wheel-of-fish, new host @from-aldebaran, and our Phantom Founder, Gaston Leroux. Massive thanks to @opera-ghost for the PFP additions to Fish's original banner design.
I won't publish the ask (they asked me not to), but I thought I'd still answer it publicly!
no, royalties are not a significant source of income for most authors. if you wrote something like Project Hail Mary, then absolutely, the royalties would be substantial! but that's like winning the lottery. Ryan Gosling is not starring in the movie adaption of most books.
when you sell a book to a publisher, you get what's called 'an advance against royalties'. it's usually split into multiple parts, so you might get one third for the initial sale, one third for the final revised manuscript, and one third on the publishing date.
an advance against royalties is the publisher saying "we believe you will eventually make X amount in royalties, so here it is ahead of time." and then you don't actually see any money from royalties until the advance is paid off. most books do not make enough in royalties to pay off the advance (I have two children's books and one fiction book, and have yet to see royalties for any of them).
advances are still great, but you need to make them stretch! for instance, last year my net income was about 30k Canadian (21k USD), which is fantastic when you consider that I mostly made it through writing. but I'm definitely not a millionaire. I can live off my writing (not trying to undersell that!) but I'll probably remain in a low income bracket for the foreseeable future.
this isn't meant to discourage anyone from seeking out writing as a career! however, there is a reason that many authors have alternate jobs with writing on the side. or, you know, rich spouses.
this isn't me making a fuss about pirating (I've pirated way too many shows to run my mouth on that lmao), but there IS actually a financial incentive to having people buy your books!
buying books shows the publisher that they can make money off you, which means they're more likely to give you advances for future books. and advances are what authors live off (if they don't have a side job). that's why I always push pre-orders so hard! you have to be a racehorse worth betting on, or else they send you to the glue factory....
if I can offer one alternative to pirating: asking your library to stock the book also helps authors, and doesn't cost anything. the only downside is the patience required.
OOPS yes, @stjohnstarling makes a good point! everything I'm saying is from the perspective of traditional publishing, but it's a very different game if you're a self-published author
I will also add that this is why pre-orders can make a HUGE difference to authors - because if there's enough hype, publishers can pull more levers to build that momentum and reach more readers to help authors earn out their advance faster.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
I don't see enough people mourning over the slow death of physical media. And I don't just mean TV shows, video games, or movies--which don't even get me started about how we don't really 'own' anything anymore. It includes notes, journals, and letters to one another...so much of our history is lost when we lose a password, a website goes down, a file/hardware is corrupted, or a platform disappears. History that doesn't seem important until you no longer have access to it. Physical media does a lot for memory recall. How many memories will we lose because we don't have something tangible to tie it back to? Something to hold in our hands and stir up those memories we thought were once lost? Sometimes I wonder what the difference between burning a book and losing access to physical media is when someone can pull the plug and remove your access so easily.
What if water didn't have surface tension and whenever you spilled some, the whole floor of your entire apartment was covered in a 2 micrometer deep puddle
What sort of Phantom content would you like to see from me in the future?
Ye Olde Classic ALW-themed Phan Art
Phan Art Based on Other Phantom Adaptations (aka Into the Phantom-Verse)
Original Phantom Art (re-imaginings or my own take on the Leroux characters)
Phanimation (I have some long-dormant projects. IYKYK)
PhanTunes (aka Phantom song parodies)
Screw the Phantom! We Want Little Meg!
Smut. Just Dirty, Nasty Phantom Smut.
Voting ended onAug 8
This year I attended several informative panels at San Diego Comic Con about the business side of art and came back with lots of great tips and advice from professionals. One of which was to keep your finger on the pulse of your audience -- so I'm trying out this Tumblr poll option for the first time to get some feedback from all of you.
You alone can make my freelance business take flight. Help me make... thephanartthatgoesviralandgetsmybrandoutthereleadingtoasuccessfulcareerinmychosenprofessionusingmyactualskillssoIdon'thavetogobacktoanothersoul-suckingofficejobpleaseohpleasebabyJesusneveragain
Saturday, August 1, 2026 • 9 p.m. EST: The Phantom of the Opera (Spiritual Twist Productions, 2011)
Live from Newark, it's Saturday Streams! Yes, the announcement is late again but this time for a novel reason: my flight home from Newark, New Jersey was canceled Monday night and I have been stuck in a very grimy but available hotel for two days.
How does this relate to Spiritual Twist Phantom, you ask? Well, both embody a descent into hell!
Fish originally streamed this version (there are two!!) in March of 2022 and a year later in August of 2023 streamed the 2019 version.
And here I quote Fish herself: "In this particular adaptation, a regional Christian theater group decides to scrap the Phantom's redemption arc and pack the story with heavy religious metaphors."
The official synopsis reads: "Raoul, the Christ figure, and the Phantom, seducer of our souls who desires our love and worship, compete for the heart of Christine, who represents mankind. Whom will she choose?"
These were two of the most hilarious streams I have attended and I am very much looking forward to inflicting this on you sharing this with you all!
Can't wait! And since I have just boarded the plane, I will send this out slightly unfinished and edit for tomorrow's reblog!
Just corrected the date, August 1, 2026 (thanks Fish!)
As always, the stream will be on cy.tube and shy anons are welcome!
⭐Link and password will be posted here at 8:45 the day of the stream.
⭐For more info, please see the Saturday Streams FAQ
⭐Remember to follow @from-aldebaran for stream posts going forward.
⭐PFPs featured on the Saturday Streams banner are left to right Streams Founder @operaofthephantom, 300 Club Streams Host @wheel-of-fish, new host @from-aldebaran, and our Phantom Founder, Gaston Leroux. Massive thanks to @opera-ghost for the PFP additions to Fish's original banner design.
⭐ Modified Friday banner by @opera-ghost Thanks, friend!!!
Saturday, August 1, 2026 • 9 p.m. EST: The Phantom of the Opera (Spiritual Twist Productions, 2011)
Live from Newark, it's Saturday Streams! Yes, the announcement is late again but this time for a novel reason: my flight home from Newark, New Jersey was canceled Monday night and I have been stuck in a very grimy but available hotel for two days.
How does this relate to Spiritual Twist Phantom, you ask? Well, both embody a descent into hell!
Fish originally streamed this version (there are two!!) in March of 2022 and a year later in August of 2023 streamed the 2019 version.
And here I quote Fish herself: "In this particular adaptation, a regional Christian theater group decides to scrap the Phantom's redemption arc and pack the story with heavy religious metaphors."
The official synopsis reads: "Raoul, the Christ figure, and the Phantom, seducer of our souls who desires our love and worship, compete for the heart of Christine, who represents mankind. Whom will she choose?"
These were two of the most hilarious streams I have attended and I am very much looking forward to inflicting this on you sharing this with you all!
Can't wait! And since I have just boarded the plane, I will send this out slightly unfinished and edit for tomorrow's reblog!
Just corrected the date, August 1, 2026 (thanks Fish!)
As always, the stream will be on cy.tube and shy anons are welcome!
⭐Link and password will be posted here at 8:45 the day of the stream.
⭐For more info, please see the Saturday Streams FAQ
⭐Remember to follow @from-aldebaran for stream posts going forward.
⭐PFPs featured on the Saturday Streams banner are left to right Streams Founder @operaofthephantom, 300 Club Streams Host @wheel-of-fish, new host @from-aldebaran, and our Phantom Founder, Gaston Leroux. Massive thanks to @opera-ghost for the PFP additions to Fish's original banner design.
⭐ Modified Friday banner by @opera-ghost Thanks, friend!!!
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
Finally finished this work 🙏 Happy to draw some gothic literature stuff again. I've been doing art studies like crazy this month, and it's nice to see the first results.
little wisps of cyber mist @from-aldebaran - Tumblr Blog | Tumlook
