#LND Denmark

[operafantomet]

Hello, it’s me again. I’d love to know your opinion on the Italian production costumes. At first I didn’t like them, but after seeing the show live, I really enjoyed them.

I think they have many cool things going on, a nice period nerve, nice colours, cool references... but sometimes a bit campy. This is however solely judging from photos and video clips, and as always this is not primarily what they are designed for. They are designed for movement and light on stage, and from a distance. So if I ever get to see the production I can give you a much fairer judgement than what I can now. But some favourites and not so favourites!

ELISSA: I love the Elissa costume. Keeping the colours turquoise and golden corresponds well with the set design and chandelier, it looks rich and elegang, and it is also a cool match to the dark blonde wig. Regal and cool, and also somewhat recognizable as an Elissa costume.

DRESSING GOWN: Another recognizable look is Christine's dressing gown. Now... yes I do secretly wish a non-replica production would go a totally different route.. a pink one, a green, something completely different. Kinda like the heavy red one they did in LND Denmark. Just to be creative. But a good ol' delicate white dressing gown is always a welcome look for the First Lair. Hence... beautiful. Bonus for tucks at the hem (not depicted here) and the overall golden touch of the wig, the Hannibal costume underneath and the belt:

THE PHANTOM'S MASK: The Phantom's mask for this production... is not my cup of tea. I've never understood the "angry eyebrow" in any production, or an overall too bulky look. It also feels a bit overdimensioned? But again, this is probably an issue in photos and videos more than when seeing the show live.

DEGAS: I enjoy the "everyday look" of the Degas costumes. They really look like rehearsal costumes, and they look wonderfully period. Cool touch with the diamond-shaped underbust corsets.

CARLOTTA IN MANAGERS: A classy and period-looking bustle dress, but not a very exciting one? Not sure what I'm missing, but more... ooomp, more of an exclamation point. But I like the green towards her red hair.

MASQUERADE: Even if giving a hint of Venetian carnivale, and even if probably adding nicely to the chaotic atmosphere, I don't particularly care for the all-cloaked Masquerade. I feel I lack a focal point in some way. Yes, I know Christine and Raoul is especially featured at times, but as a general design look I'm wanting more. Not sure what. Wackier headgarbs? More distinct costumes? Something.

RED DEATH: I do however enjoy Red Death within this design philosophy. And especially that they picked up on the original idea of Paul Daniels, magic consultant for the original West End production: “My best idea was not accepted by the director (he had his image, fine), whereby the Phantom would come down, singing Masquerade, and then the whole costume and his stick would twirl up into the air, and he would… not be in it, despite the fact that he’d been singing." (as told in the Behind the Mask documentary in 2004). And this is more or less what they're doing here. When the ensemble grabs on to his cloak, it's empty, he's gone, and the cloak just falls to the floor. Should of course mention they did the same in Kristianstad, Sweden. But it's an awesome trick and I love the different takes on it. Here's the full costume before Red Death disappears:

CHRISTINE IN MASQUERADE: Christine wears a beautiful, if boring 1870s-esque bustle dress - much in the vein of Carlotta's Manager's dress. I don't think it adds anything, but at least it's pretty, as is the turned-view set and lowered chandelier.

MAUSOLEUM: I like the mint colour of the Mausoleum cloak, and the bow details. Subdued, yet visible. Bonus: The red lining of the Phantom's cloak (which I think he wears in the Mirror scene, to good effect). I will cherish the day a non-replica production does NOT push the red rose as a theme/prop, but anyway... at least the red rose look good towards the green on stage.

THE DARK ANGEL: No. Just no. I'm not on board. Don't camp it up like this. It feels like an idea that worked better on paper than on stage. Especially when he flies up in the air. I just... no.

POINT OF NO RETURN: In large I'm thinking WHY? Why the humongous hat? I think there are better ways to hide the face. Why is the Aminta skirt such a perfect nod to the Lon Chaney movie's Marguerite costume, but then the top is just a generic corset? Why the wildly clashing colours? It feels like they started with some good ideas and then it just... collapsed.

FINAL LAIR: ...and this is where you loose me... Albeit in hindsight I guess I am glad it's Raoul that is topless and not the Phantom. I mean, they COULD have done that. Or both, for that matter. I thank then for resisting the thought.

All in all, I think the costume design works within a recognizable look - to the point where MOTN, Madame Giry and the two managers could might as well have been Maria Bjørnson's design. But then with some creative touches here and there which either works very well, or moves over to the campy side. I think the Phantom is constantly balancing on camp, while Christine overall has a good wardrobe. As for Raoul, not really anything new or memorable apart from the shirtless thingie in the Final Lair. As far as the others go, a very consistent look throughout.

To me this is one of the most thorough and appealing non-replica productions out there, as far as costumes go. I would rate it in the vein of the Czech Republic (which is jollier but also sticks close to Maria Bjørnson), Hungary (ditto) and Norway/Greece (more blue and more 1905, and more of a roller-coaster, but what is good is really good). I like that they keep it Victorian-esque and recognizable, and a bit creative. And yes, I would love to see it live. Always.

#phantom of the opera #poto italy #poto spain #non replica #costume nerding

[marleneoftheopera]

1400 Followers Audio Gifts!

To thank you all for following me, being so wonderful, and just surviving a pandemic, here are some gifts from me!

I know I originally said I was going to do 10, but I got a good amount of requests and wanted to add in a few extra favorite audios of mine too. So you get 20! Sorry if I did not post your request; there were many!

If any need to be taken down, do let me know!

Here is the link to all of the audios, cast info is below!

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/a3xda9hu7mu3u/Gifts

The Phantom of the Opera

Michael Crawford, Rebecca Caine, Steve Barton October 10, 1987; London Listed as being Michael Crawford and Steve Barton's last before heading to New York to start rehearsals for Broadway. Beautiful soundboard audio. This is the complete version; there has previously been an incomplete one traded out. 

Eiji Akutagawa, Kyoko Suzuki, Kanji Ishimaru September 22, 1991; Osaka Always here for Japanese love.

Hans Peter Janssens, Susanne Duwe, Michael Shawn Lewis, An Lauwreins, William Lynn Dixon, Marc Meersman, Arnst van Looy, Stephanie Tscheppe June 2, 2000; Antwerp, Belgium Final show in Belgium. Very nice cast all around.

Hugh Panaro, Adrienne McEwan, John Cudia, Patricia Phillips, Jeff Keller, George Lee Andrews, Marilyn Caskey, Larry Wayne Morbitt, Heather McFadden June 16, 2003; Broadway Hugh in his second Broadway run. Adrienne has become a favorite of mine and I think she never gets the credit she deserves, especially having been in the show for so long.

Hugh Panaro, Susan Owen (u/s), Kyle Barisich February 20, 2012; Broadway A lovely audio. Susan has such a sweet, light quality to her voice.

Hugh Panaro, Samantha Hill, Kyle Barisich, Michele McConnell, Greg Mills (u/s), Tim Jerome, Nathan Patrick Morgan (u/s), Carly Blake Sebouhian (u/s) April 6, 2013; Broadway More Hugh. You can never have enough Hugh.

Peter Joback, Emmi Christensson, Anton Zetterholm, Karolina Andresson, Glenn Kjellberg, Rolf Lydhal, Sindre Postholm, Sanna Martin, Tehilla Blad, David Ingham, Samuel Jarrick, Martin Kagemark, John Martin Bengtsson February 1, 2017; Stockholm I loved this production so much.

Ben Forster, Celinde Schoenmaker, Nadim Naaman, Charlotte Vaughan (u/s, last Carlotta show), Sion Lloyd, Mark Oxtoby, Paul Ettore Tabone, Joanna Strand (u/s, last Madame Giry show), Daisy Hulbert August 31, 2017; London A few days before cast change. One of my favorite audios as of late.

Fred Johanson, Hanna Liina Vosa, John Martin Bengtsson, Hanna Leena Haapamaki, Dardan Bakraqi, David Lundqvist, Anders Wangdhal, Lana Zuzic, Gisela Sjostedt, Lars Hijertner, Marco Stella, Tobja Halsell, Peter Loguin January 26, 2018; Gotheborg From the non-replica production. With John as Raoul this time!

Scott Davies, Kelly Mathieson, Jeremy Taylor, Lara Martins, Sean Lloyd, Mark Oxtoby, Jacinta Mulcahy May 31, 2018; London This is labeled as having Ben Lewis, but if you listen it’s really Scott.

Tomas Ambt Kofod, Sibylle Glosted, Christian Lund, Martin Loft (u/s), Monsieur André, Anna Vaupel (u/s), Rasmus Jupin, Elisabeth Halling, Imogen-Lily Ash, Jesper Paasch, Kim Hammelsvang, Paul Frederiksen, Paul Frederiksen (u/s), Mia Karlsson (u/s) February 13, 2019; Copenhagen Compared to other audios, you can tell that Sibylle has really settled in the role and improved wonderfully. She sounds absolutely divine. An absolutely gorgeous cast.

Jonathan Roxmouth, Meghan Picerno, Matt Leisy September 3, 2019; Tel Aviv One of Meghan's last shows on the World Tour before she joined the Broadway company. Jonathan and Meghan sound particularly stunning on here, they keep getting better which is insane because they are already so good.

Tim Howar, Amy Manford (alt), Jeremy Taylor, Ross Dawes, Alan Vicary, Kimberly Blake, Paul Ettore Tabone, Jacinta Mulcahy, Georgia Ware September 7, 2019; London Amy Manford's last show, the last matinee for the 2018/19 cast. Just to be clear, this audio is different from the other that is NFT. Pretty nice quality too!

Love Never Dies

Ramin Karimloo, Sierra Boggess, Joseph Millson, Liz Robertson, Summer Strallen, Niahm Perry, Adam Pearce, Jami Reid-Quarrell June 2, 2010; London A gift for all my Rierra/LND London fans out there.

Tomas Ambt Kofod, Louise Fribo, Christian Berg, Oscar Diez January 18, 2013; Copenhagen, Denmark This is an overlooked and gorgeous production. Also, after 'Love Never Dies' someone in the audience shouts "wow" and I think that captures it perfectly.

Evita

Emma Kingston (Eva), Ramin Karimloo (Che), Robert Finlayson (Peron), Anton Luiting (Magaldi), Isabella Jane (Mistress) July 4, 2018; Tokyo Emma as Eva and Ramin as Che. Some great casting there.

Anastasia

Annakathrin Naderer (u/s Anya), Thomas Hohler (Dimitry), Thorsten Tinney (Vlad), Mark Roy Luykx (u/s Gleb), Theresa Holter (Young Anastasia), Patricia Nessy (Lily Malevsky-Malevitch), Masha Karrell (Dowager Empress Maria), Katja Hentschel (u/s Tsarina Alexandra), Kirill Zolygin (Tsar Nicholas II/Count Ipolitov), Helena Thordal Christenson (Olga Romanov), Alexandra Yoana-Alexandrovna (u/s Tatiana Romanov/Dunya), Laura Robinson (u/s Maria Romanov/Marfa), Mariana Hidemi (Anastasia, age 17/Paulina) August 10, 2019; Stuttgart I have yet to listen to this one yet, but I always love spreading love for foreign productions of shows.

Les Miserables

Kyle Jean-Baptiste (u/s Valjean), Earl Carpenter (Javert), Erika Henningsen (Fantine), Chris McCarrell (Marius), Samantha Hill (Cosette), Brennyn Lark (Eponine), Max Quinlan (u/s Enjolras), Gavin Lee (Monsieur Thenardier), and Rachel Izen (Madame Thenardier) August 13, 2015; Broadway A really great cast and Kyle deserves to be heard. He was brilliant and it is such a shame he passed so early on in his life.

John Owen-Jones (Jean Valjean), Michael Ball (Javert), Carrie Hope Fletcher (Fantine), Matt Lucas (Thenardier), Katy Secombe (Thenardier), Bradley Jaden (Enjolras), Craig Mather (Marius u/s), Shan Ako (Eponine), Lily Kerhoas (Cosette) Earl Carpenter (Bishop/Bamatabois) October 16, 2019; Staged Concert, Gielguld Theatre Gorgeous.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Sheridan Smith (Narrator), Jason Donovan (Pharaoh), Jac Yarrow (Joseph), Femi Akinfolarin (Brother), Casey  Al-Shaqsy (Wife), J.R. Ballantyne (Brother), Thalia Burt (Wife), Richard Carson (Reuben), Michael Cortez (Guard), Vanessa Fisher (Wife), Matt Krzan (Guard), Kelsie-Rae Marshall (Wife), Emily Ann Potter (Wife), Georgina Parkinson (Wife), Michael Pickering (Simeon), Harriet Samuel-Gray (Wife), Carl Spencer (Brother), Joshua Steel (Brother), Jack Wilcox (Brother), Blythe Jandoo (s/w Wife), Hannah Taylor (s/w Wife) July 17, 2019; London Jason coming back to the show as Pharaoh this time!

#Eiji Akutagawa #audio gift #poto audio gift #phantom audio gift #The Phantom of the Opera #evita #evita musical #joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamcoat #les miserables #love never dies #ramin karimloo #sierra boggess #sheridan smith #jason donovan #john owen jones #michael ball #Carrie Hope Fletcher #kyle jean baptiste #chris mccarell #erika henningsen #earl carpenter #samantha hill #emma kingston #Annakathrin Naderer #anastasia #joseph millson #lnd copenhagen #lnd london #tomas ambt kofod #louise fribo

[glassprism]

Hello. I got a little something for you if you're bored. List all the Ben's and rate them on acting, voice, talent and what else you can think of. At the end name your fave and least fave of them.

Sure! Though in an effort to differentiate myself from Operafantomet’s answer to the same question, I am going to take you very literally when you say “all the Ben’s”. So here are very short reviews on all the Ben’s:

BENgt Nordfors - Original Swedish Raoul. Unusually big, dark voice for a Raoul; I can easily envision him singing as the Phantom. Absolutely nothing to complain about in a Raoul, the right mix of confused and caring, but let’s be honest, the highlights here were Elisabeth Berg’s Christine and Mikael Samuelson’s Phantom.

BEN Cramer - Phantom in the Dutch production. Cool old-school Phantom with a grand voice and a commanding presence, all about the hand movements and the restraint, with just the right touch of craziness.

Leila BENn Harris - Christine in London. Feisty little Christine with a unique twist. Singing a bit on the squeaky side, but she made up for it with quite the strong belt (or is it chest voice?), which she would interject at just the right moments. Acted quite flirtatiously too, but with a certain coyness that made it come off appealing. Nice chemistry with Ramin Karimloo as her Phantom.

PreBEN Kristensen - Phantom in two Danish productions. Absolutely unique in singing and acting. Sounds like your typical Phantom, then would do something with his voice, make it thin and threatening, or light and hypnotic, that would make me sit up. Quirkiest acting I’ve ever seen, can’t describe it except that every time I thought I had a bead on his Phantom, he’d go and do something completely unexpected. Absolutely a man who has lived isolated from society his entire life and has developed an entire code independent of it. Had a very responsive Christine in Mia Karlsson too. Kept me interested in his ‘Music of the Night’, which is high praise indeed!

BEN Jacoby - Original Raoul in the US restaged tour. Oof. Take the worst aspects of Hadley Fraser’s Raoul, turn it up to eleven, and remove all redeeming qualities. Kept grabbing Christine’s ears. A lot was down to directing, but I disliked his Raoul intensely.

BEN Forster - Phantom in London. Got some flak because he was in Jesus Christ Superstar and apparently did not sing well in it, plus as the Phantom was a bit on the campy side. I never listened to the former and don’t mind the latter, and I like the twists he brought. Played Phantom a little nuttier.

John Martin BENgtsson - Has been Phantom and Raoul in Denmark and two Swedish productions (Stockholm revival and Gothenburg non-replica). Giant voice, full of emotion, whether rage or sadness, and so effective at the right moments. Also, holy moly his “You try my patience”. Lovely details, when I could see them. Made me want to listen to ‘The Mirror’ over and over and over...

BEN Lewis - Played the Phantom in the filmed version of Love Never Dies in Australia and in the original in London. In LND, I appreciated his mature presence but found his facial expressions a bit humorous. In Phantom, I liked his volatile, childish take (which also effectively differentiated his portrayal in the original from the sequel), but did not like his more violent tendencies (which was also down to directing).

BEN Crawford - Current Phantom on Broadway. Voice is quite similar to Davis Gaines, though with more growling. I liked his acting in a 2018 video, nice dramatic hand gestures with subtler moments, though he was out-shone by Ali Ewoldt’s Christine. According to more recent reviews, he’s changed a lot though, apparently to be more sexual? Not sure how I feel about that.

Christina BENnington - Christine in the Guernsey concert. I heard she got great reviews in Bat Out of Hell (which I’ve never watched or listened to). Didn’t quite feel her voice was right for Phantom though; she struggled on some notes and was harsh in several parts. Still, won’t judge her too harshly for a role she’s never played before and did for just a few days with limited staging.

So overall favorites? Somewhere between Preben Kristensen, John Martin Bengtsson, and Leila Benn Harris, for their unique takes. Least favorite is definitely Ben Jacoby, for making me want to give his Raoul a good hard kick in the shin.

#and I missed Benjamin Hale's Raoul but you know what... #tired #Anonymous #GP gets asks

[filthybonnet]

OOooooO! Now see, I didn't think there were that many changes from the London production to the US Tour (LND), but that would make sense! Today outside is very rainy and chilly (at least outside my window) - what do you like to do on days where you can't go outside? -

I could go on and on about all the changes between London, Aussie and US Tour LND. And don’t forget the Denmark production, which I think is closer to London in its script but its set and costumes are completely different. IDK for sure because I’ve only ever seen the production stills.

Rainy and chilly huh? So I guess you live somewhere where it’s not cold enough for it to snow? I personally don’t go outside much; I am much more an inside girl. I live in Florida where it is very hot and humid 80% of the year and I much prefer the air conditioning. I’m also on medications in which I am advised to stay out of peak sunlight. There have been times when I’m outside in the afternoon and people will ask if I am OK because I will get really red in the face. We are currently in our nice weather season but even today it is 80 degrees F.

When I do go outside most of that time is spent as part of a cemetery clean up group. I am certified to clean historical cemeteries and tombstones. It’s something I have always wanted to do and a couple years ago the Historical Village I volunteer at finally got the money and resources to get professionals to train volunteers and started a quarterly clean up group.

I guess this is the opposite of answering your question. I’m assuming you’re more outdoorsy, Santa? Here’s some pictures of my before and after cemetery clean up work:

#poto secret santa #poto secret santa 2019

[wheel-of-fish]

Do you happen to know which actors/actresses, if any, have played Erik/Christine in both Phantom and LND? Has there ever been a pair that did Phantom together as well as LND together? Would be super cool if there was- tho I know this is kind of a hard question so I totally get it if you don't know, you're just the only person I could think to ask

The person best qualified to answer this would be @glassprism, who is a compendium of all things actor- and production-related, but I can tell you what I know!

The only pair I’m aware of who have played the Phantom and Christine in both productions together are Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess, for the LND opening in London and then the 25th anniversary performance of Phantom. The latter is, of course, very popular; I’ve only seen the former once, but from what I recall, they had a similar chemistry there.

Here are the other actors I know of who have played roles in both productions, but not opposite the same co-stars:

Ben Lewis (LND in Australia, Phantom in London)

Anna O’Byrne (LND in Australia, Phantom in Australia and London)

Tomas Ambt Kofod (Denmark)

Mathias Edenborn (Hamburg)

Celia Graham (London)

Masachika Ichimura (Japan)

Meghan Picerno will also join their ranks, having played Christine in the US tour of LND and now rehearsing for the role in the Phantom world tour.

Hope that helps!

#I could very well be missing something #Anonymous #(in)box five #love never dies

[salutemag]

New Post has been published on https://goo.gl/dkAYP3

Sounding OFF: Great Albums You Might Have Missed in 2017

Counting down 25 albums you might have missed Let’s face it. The year is slowly drawing to a close which means that soon we will be bombarded with “The Best of 2017,” a time when critics hand pick from the same basic pool of artists to determine what the public loved best. Well, if you’re hoping for something like that, then perhaps this column isn’t for you. Having the ability to access an unlimited amount of music is no longer a skill in this internet age, but a true audiophile’s way of living can always detect anothers, and while most critics adhere to the same basic principals of “what’s hot” and “what’s not,” they still have their own personal preferences, which albeit maybe a little less popular or more obscure than what you would expect on the surface. But what about these “bubbling under” musicians or independent artists who put out fire this year and won’t be getting the recognition? In that regard, Salute Magazine takes a look at 25 albums you might have missed in 2017. 25) Abstract Rude & Mikah 9 - AyeEm Ray-Dio Two out of three ain’t bad. Abstract Rude & Mikah 9 of Haiku D’etat return with their first collaboration album not to feature Aceyalone. 24) Benjamin Clementine - I Tell A Fly The 2015 Mercury Prize-winning artist made his first appearance on the Gorillaz inauguration day release of “Halleluyah Money,” but his latest solo album, I Tell A Fly, flew right under the radar. 23) Annie Hart - Impossible Accomplice Annie Hart, one of three members of the all-girl synth-pop group Au Revoir Simone, released her debut solo album, Impossible Accomplice... and it’s awesome. 22) Juan V. - Fear The 27-year-old Quad Cities rapper/producer was diagnosed with cancer and facing a bad breakup back in 2015 when he started to work on recording music as a way to heal. Now, with a clean bill of health and a newborn son to care for, rapper Juan V. felt the timing was right to drop his debut album, Fear. 21) Mutemath - Play Dead Despite almost spelling the end of the New Orleans alt-rock group, Mutemath stuck it through to put out what may be the most elaborate album to date. Play Dead took the band five years to record, in between which, they recorded their 2015 album, Vitals. 20) Oddisee - The Iceberg Washington D.C. rapper gets "into it" with his latest studio album, The Iceberg, which may have been his most well-rounded composition to date. Since its release in February, Oddisee has gone on to perform the album live with a full band backing him up. 19) Fekky - El Clasico UK Grime rapper Fekky has been on the come-up for some time now, after uploading his self-produced videos to YouTube. But his new studio album, El Clasico, shows he's a step above and features such noteworthy guest appearances from fellow-grime artist Skepta, Giggs, and Shakka. 18) Sleigh Bells - Kid Kruschev The mini-album from Brooklyn noise-pop duo Sleigh Bells picks up where their 2016 LP, Jessica Rabbit, leaves off—fusing together different genres, without using any filler. 17) H.E.R. - Vol. 2  H.E.R., short for "Having Everything Revealed," is an enigmatic R&B singer/multi-instrumentalist from California. Despite refusing to show or reveal H.E.R. identity, she continues to deliver soulful new music with a powerful punch. 16) Marco Pavé - Welcome to Grc Lnd Memphis hip-hop artist/activist Marco Pavé gives listeners an much more down-to-earth look at the Southern blues capital. 15) Steve Lacy - Steve Lacy's Demo Funk/soul musician Steve Lacy compares his "song series" project to the Netflix series Black Mirror, where each song tells a different story. His debut solo project may only be six songs long, but we look forward to hearing what he's working on next. 14) Gogol Bordello - Seekers & Finders The gypsy punk group's seventh studio album, Seekers & Finders, is a real hidden gem. Produced by frontman Eugene Hütz, the album features a special, uncredited guest appearance from singer-songwriter Regina Spektor. 13) IDK - IWasVeryBad Maryland rapper IDK creates an Adult Swim-themed project that features such heavy-hitters as Swizz Beats, MF Doom, Del the Funkee Homosapien, Chief Keef and Yung Gleesh. 12) Charli XCX - Number 1 Angel The third mixtape from English singer-songwriter Charli XCX features an all-female, power-packed lineup from all over the world, including Starrah (Delaware), Raye (U.K.), MØ (Denmark), Uffie (France), Abra (Atlanta), Noonie Bao (Sweden) and Cupcakke (Chicago). 11) Krept & Konan - 7 Days & 7 Nights Grime rap duo Krept & Konan master the double album with their commercial mixtape, featuring Skepta, Stormzy, J. Hus, Hudson East, Jhené Aiko, and Tory Lanez. 10) Afghan Whigs - In Spades Now, in their third decade, Afghan Whigs continue to release new fire, including their eighth studio album, In Spades. If you missed it, be sure to check out our review.

#Albums #featured #Missed #Overlooked #Sounding Off

[lndnews]

—LND Denmark (x)

#LND Denmark #Thomas Ambt Kofod #Louise Fribo #beneath a moonless sky

[kattrynna]

Scenes from LND Denmark

#LND #LND Denmark

[operafantomet]

The beautiful candle-lit hotel set in LND Copenhagen

Top and middle photos: Louise Fribo (Christine), Christian Berg (Raoul) and Bo Kristian Jensen (Mr. Y)

Bottom photos: Louise Fribo and Tomas Ambt Kofod (Mr. Y)

(design: Paul Farnsworth)

#love never dies #lnd copenhagen #lnd denmark #louise fribo #christian berg #bo kristian jensen #tomas ambt kofod #paul farnsworth #det ny teater

[operafantomet]

Character photos from “Love Never Dies” in Denmark 2012-2013

Mr. Y: Bo Kristian Jensen

Christine: Louise Fribo

Mr. Y: Tomas Ambt Kofod

Raoul: Christian Berg

Meg Giry: Camille-Cathrine Rommedahl

Madame Giry: Marianne Mortensen

Fleck: Kristen Norholt

Gangle: Simon Duus

Squelch: Kristian Jensen

(my scans, please credit if reposting elsewhere)

#love never dies #lnd denmark #bo kristian jensen #louise fribo #tomas ambt kofod #christian berg #camille cathrine rommedahl #marianne mortensen #kristen norholt #simon duus #kristian jensen

[operafantomet]

...caption this...

(Tomas Ambt Kofod and Louise Fribo in “Love Never Dies” in Denmark. Photo by Katrine Emilie Andersen/Ritzau Scanpix)

#love never dies #tomas ambt kofod #fantomas #louise fribo #lnd denmark #det ny teater

[operafantomet]

Some clips from LND Denmark, showing “Till I Hear You Sing”, “Beneath a Moonless Sky”, “Coney Island” and a hint of the title song.

All clips looks like Tomas Ambt Kofod and Louise Fribo, except the first one which looks and sounds more like Bo Kristian Jensen.

#love never dies #tomas ambt kofod #fantomas #louise fribo #bo kristian jensen #det ny teater #lnd denmark

[operafantomet]

...Anéa, nailing screencaps since 2008... 😂

#love never dies #louise fribo #camille cathrine rommedahl #dear old friend #hahahahahahahaha! #phunnies #lnd denmark

[operafantomet]

Do you think the Det Ny Theatre is going to do another production of LND in the future? Tbh I could care less about the show itself, but I hope those beautiful sets and costumes get another go on stage! I assume like with Phantom, the theatre has everything in storage ready to do another production... (Also, I'd recommend going to see Waitress there if you can next year! Can't wait to see what they do with that!)

Last I heard was that they were definitely heading for a revival in a couple of years, and everything is in storage out of town. In the mean time Corona struck the world, and right now I’m most interested in them surviving... :/

I agree that I would go see it again for the design alone. It was beautifully designed. I would see it for the sets alone, TBH.

(Costume and set design by Paul Farnsworth)

#det ny teater #paul farnsworth #love never dies #tomas ambt kofod #bo kristian jensen #louise fribo #lnd denmark

[operafantomet]

Which production of LND do you favor in terms of costumes? And are the costumes in general historical correct?

I dunno. I like them all, for different reasons:

I liked the low-key Edwardian look seen in the original UK production, with design by Bob Crowley. I also liked the many nods to Maria Bjørnson’s design. But I think a main complaint is that the costumes overall felt too plain? It’s like they didn’t dare follow up on the rich Lalique and Art Nouveau sets. It would have been cool to see a stronger Art Nouveau flair to it, with more extreme silhouettes and bolder fabrics. It felt overall a big beige/grey/black. And I hated most of Meg’s costumes.

As a contrast, the Australian design by Gabriela Tylesova was “all in” on colours, ornate details and with an independent nerve. All costumes felt more memorable, a stronger sense of fairs, circus, entertainment industry, fairytales. And... more beautiful too. Which is a wonderful combination. The costumes were also paired with monumental sets, so visually this production was a feast.

And yet as another contrast, the Danish design by Paul Farnsworth featured a totally different design. Much of the design was gaudier, bolder, Burtonesque. But it was also more... lyric, I guess. Strong Japonistic flair, flickering candles, pastels.

As for which one is more historical correct? Hard to say. They all pick from different historical sources. The UK costume design is the more formal Edwardian one. The Aussie costume design has sharper tailor-mades (suit-dresses), frillier frocks and more dapper men’s suits. The Danish design draws from historical styles like Rococo revival and Japonism. They’re all different expressions of Western fashion 1900-1915, and none of them miss the mark. They’re just... very different.

#love never dies #bob crowley #gabriela tylesova #paul farnsworth #lnd england #lnd australia #lnd denmark

[operafantomet]

Do we only have stage pics of the Danish production? I really wanna see more of those costumes, they're gorgeous!!

Assuming you mean of “Love Never Dies” and not “Phantom of the Opera”, there really isn’t a lot out there. Two or three audios, of both Tomas Ambt Kofod and Bo Kristian Jensen as Mr. Y. But videos, very little.

There are however some brief professionally filmed clips, showing “Till I Hear You Sing”, “Beneath a Moonless Sky”, “Coney Island” and a hint of the title song, in this feature: https://operafantomet.tumblr.com/post/623546251040915456/some-clips-from-lnd-denmark-showing-till-i-hear

And Louise Fribo singing the title song in costume at the Reumert Awards in Denmark some years ago: https://operafantomet.tumblr.com/post/616940817659183104/louise-fribo-performing-love-never-dies

#love never dies #lnd denmark