With the Phantom galore I’ve had in Copenhagen and Oslo this last half a year, it’ll now be long until my next visit to the show… but what a great season it was! For your (or my own) enjoyment), here’s a sort of summary.
PHANTOM: Tomas Ambt Kofod, John Martin Begntsson (alternate), Espen Grjotheim
CHRISTINE: Sibylle Glosted, Isabel Schwartzbach, Mira Ormala, Astrid Giske (u/s, later principal)
RAOUL: Christian Lund, Carl Lindquist
CARLOTTA: Louise Fribo, Anna Vaupel (u/s), Solveig Kringlebotn
FIRMIN: Carl Christian Rasmussen, Hans Marius Hoff Mittet, Trond Teigen (u/s)
ANDRÉ: Sebastian Harris, Arvid Larsen
MADAME GIRY: Elisabeth Halling, Jannike Kruse
MEG GIRY: Imogen-Lily Ash, Charlotte Brænna
PIANGI: Rasmus Jupin, Markus Bjorlykke
(John Martin Bengtsson, Isabel Schwartzbach & co in Copenhagen)
OSLO: The sound was not just failing in the Phantom’s curse at the end of act one, but making an awful scratching noise. Horrific sound. The brave Phantom tried to sing acoustic over the sound, in a 1.400 seater theatre. Quite impossible. The chandelier fell without the music, or you couldn’t hear the music anyway, just the awful scratching noise and an explosion. The audience looked puzzled more than anything.
COPENHAGEN: A week later. The monkey musical box made a similar scratching noice in the auction scene, though not as loud. The poor Raoul tried to sing in between the scratching. A+++ effort. The monkey was finally taken offstage, whereupon the u/s auctioneer replied “well, maybe not so much in working order, then”. I was the only one in the audience laughing out loud. Very loud.
COPENHAGEN: The day after. Madame Giry telling Raoul she will take him down to the Phantom’s lair. The curtains goes up in the background, revealing the Phantom and Christine in the boat, at the lake. The three in front pretending there’s nothing behind them, nothing at all. The two in the boat putting up an epic sailor face, gazing at the horizon, as if they were crossing the Atlantic. That moment felt like an eternity. But also, I was happy they didn’t attempt to pull down the curtain again, as it would have been the ultimate mood killer…
(the monkey is now behind bars for bad behaviour)
The chandelier crash in POTO Oslo. Epic. Just epic.
As a response, the beefed up chandelier in POTO Copenhagen. The “blinking in sync” in the Overture, and the wacko disco blinking before the crash… I absolutely loved it. It was apparently due to some new LED light effects installed inside the chandelier.
The Phantom biting the quill pen in POTO Copenhagen in between composing music in the First Lair. You know what I mean:
(Tomas Ambt Kofod in the epic quill moment)
TOP 3 UNDERSTUDY MOMENTS:
As an “art imitating life” moment, the principal Christine in POTO Oslo, Mira Ormala, had to back out due to health. At a moment’s notice, with minimum rehearsals, her understudy Astrid Giske took over, and did it splendidly. A triumph. She ended up becoming the principal Christine in POTO Oslo for the rest of the run.
…but then, as a twist of fate, Astrid Giske lost her voice before the final performance in POTO Oslo, which in turn then was performed by HER understudy, Charlotte Brænna. Which must have been bittersweet, but also touching in its own way.
At a royal attendance performance in POTO Oslo the u/s Trond Teigen got to go on as Firmin. I think it was the first time he went on as Firmin, which is a nice if maybe nervous first spin.
(Astrid Giske as Christine)
The. Red. Elissa. Skirt. Got. One. Last. Spin. On. Stage. I will ask for no more. It was beautiful beyond words. The skirt is also pushed to the limit of what it can endure, with the main fabric disintegrating, so it might have been the final time. But what a joy to see it once more. (well, in Copenhagen, if anyone was in doubt)
The Copenhagen Aminta costumes. Every single one of them was impeccable in both details and silhouette. GOALZ.
When I don’t write about costumes I talk about costumes… I spent a day with the costume department at Det Ny Teater, trying to decipher what they do right, and why, and how they make things look wonderfully antique. The theatre did a short interview while I was there, and despite having been awake for 38 hours straight due to a book launch the day before (you will not believe the amount of black coffee I had digested) the result turned out well! Just ignore the overtired-and-slightly-crazy look I pulled off… ( LINK HERE )
(Isabel Schwartzbach’s Star Princess costume in the background, if curious)
The amount of awesome people I’ve met the last 6 months due to Phantom. US friends flying to Oslo and/or Copenhagen to see the show, and a dash of Scandinavia. I’ve done my best to stunt as their guide. And seeing friend Josefine more often (she is awesome, and has some fun upcoming Phantom stuff for y’all - stay tuned). And see her son meeting the Phantom and getting up and close with the chandelier. And talking to cast and crew about their take on the show, the story, the staging, the design, the world that is Phantom. It’s been interesting. It’s been educational. It’s been a blast.
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