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roadtophantom · 7 months

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Let your S(e)oul take you where you long to be (iv) - Jeon Dong-seok

I didn't mean to write a whole section about CSW but now I'm gonna feel terrible if I say less about the other Phantom 'coz he was also phenomenal.

Jeon Dong-seok's show was the first one I got, I managed to modify my seat for three times to get a better view. It was so much easier to book for him that I got wary (did no one want him? why does he still have tickets available every night?) WHICH is an unfair assessment in the face of Phantoms with massive fanbases like Cho Seung-woo. It's still amazing that the tickets eventually sell out (or just leave very few left).

But I learned of JDS from his popularity here on Tumblr and I can definitely see how accomplished he is despite his apparent youth (I think he's the youngest of the 4 Phantoms?) That said, I haven't really listened to him, I wanted to be surprised.

So needless to say his voice blew me away. It took me 4 seconds in the Mirror scene to realize, this, exactly This is what Tumblr fandom was talking about. Because what the heck was that voice?? Like wow.

And he had Such a domineering presence too! His tall and slender physicality (186 cm tall) gave him the presence of a spook that was advantageous for a "larger than life" presence in the theatre.

He had Such an incredible vocal control and mastery too, this is a man who knows how to use his voice as an instrument, knows which part to stretch, which words to relish, which words to accentuate and expound with his vocal power. Practically effortless with the big notes. I can really believe he has the voice of a dark angel. He has been a real treat seeing in person AND watching (when he smoothed his hair *__*).

The impression I got of his Phantom is one who is definitely a young, musical genius, whose tragedy unfortunately is one that's long coming. JDS struck me as a very Byronic Phantom? I guess most Phantoms are Byronic, but I felt it more strongly for this tall, dark gent. He embodied the gloomy and broody persona but with such a passionate inner life. By inner life I mean his music and Christine who are his sole reasons for survival.

(One thing I can say for both Korean Phantoms that I love is how they created their character around Christine worship, like she is this unreachable goddess in their eyes. They are such fools for her).

What's sad about watching JDS's Phantom is how he doesn't seem to have a high regard of himself and even by the time the start of PONR was playing, he knew he was already bound to lose the girl. Jeon Dong-seok is great at playing an anguished Phantom. In the Final Lair, you make out his panic very plainly because he knows it was HIM who went past the point of no return and Christine will never forgive him and he doesn't know what to do with that information. He is so good in playing the character as a melancholic man who was bound to give everything up for Christine's freedom.

He gave me such massive emo tortured soul boys-who-cry feels. Not surprised that his roles tend to gravitate to this type 'coz he mastered it. (He has the most mournful 'Christine, 사랑해~') I feel like he could still figure out more nuances if he could play the character more. But he made such an excellent Phantom and I'm just so happy to have seen him before his Seoul exit.

Also it's so cute how he seems to be this awkward dork backstage who doesn't know what to do with his height or those poses kids do nowadays. I feel like that energy is also present in his onstage performances (I say this as someone who guiltily thinks it gives him crush-worthy material).

#jeon dong seok #rtp goes to seoul #pls when am i finishing the rest of the reviews #it's already october rtp #but i'm so happy some of you have been enjoying!!

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roadtophantom · 7 months

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Let your S(e)oul take you where you long to be (III) - Cho Seung-woo

(part three of my neverending travelogue, I thought I'll just write one but this already got long)

I think it didn't quite hit me that I was seeing Phantom even when I went in the theatre, likely because of travel adrenaline? I was still a bit dazed coming in and I didn't quite settle until the show started. But also it was so warm and tight that it's hard to get a semblance of personal space.

But it didn't take long because Charlotte Theatre is small and it kinda really wraps itself around the stage. At least that's how I felt.

Because when the overture started and the sparks came off, I was sucked right in.

But listen. Hearing the organ played in person and watching the chandelier make its steady ascent, coming from a lockdown of 3 or so years after fighting tooth and nail to be on that seat, were enough to reduce me to actual tears.

I was sobbing behind my face mask — a souvenir from the pandemic that is sadly here to stay— as reality finally hit me that I managed to live to see another Phantom show when such a possibility didn't exist then, and it's as real as the chandelier looming large before my very eyes.

Second was seeing the proscenium in its fullest glory. Unfortunately, 2delier and the stripped down World Tour revival stage cannot possibly hold a candle to the magnificence of a complete replica set. I haven't seen this setup since 10 years ago in Singapore (not counting HK coz that was an arena and it's a bit different).

I'm reviewing both performances at once because I saw them in 24 hours and it will help me make (healthy) comparisons.

But I think I want to write about the Korean production as a whole first. I've read that it took a while for the local production to mount another POTO KR because of the scale and the demands of the show and the producers want to get everything perfect.

And I think they really did, or at least one that approaches sheer excellence in acting, singing, dancing, all that.

The ballerinas are in step with each other, the cast harmonizes so beautifully even in Prima Donna which tends to go messy and overwhelming...As a full company they are undefeatable.

And I've seen some of the most heartrending performances and heard the most exquisite voices in these two shows.

During my week in Seoul, I managed to catch a movie on cable TV led by Cho Seung-woo called Inside Men and he played this prosecutor who is smart, ambitious, and hellbent for justice. He was all suits, yanked neckties, and cigarettes. A cool hero you wanna root for. And in the first movie I've seen of him (The Classic), he plays a young Romeo with such pure ideals on love and friendship, again a good guy you can't help but love and feel hurt for.

The Phantoms - Cho Seung-woo

Those are barely a scratch on the surface of the veteran actor's stellar filmography and theatre work. His versatility is undisputed, and he's played everything from Hedwig to Sweeney Todd until he finally took on the challenge as the Phantom, which is still so mindblowing to me.

There was no hint of swagger, coolness, or goodness in Cho Seung-woo's Phantom. He is basically the anti-cute Phantom. This is the sewer rat, the stone gargoyle on the roof, the cantankerous old neighbor you don't wanna deal with. He made that especially clear from the mirror scene, as he openly sneered at Raoul's attempts at Christine.

The Phantoms I've seen would try to play up being angel, ghost or even just try to present themselves as an educated gentleman forced under very unfortunate circumstances, but Cho Seung-woo's Phantom is well frankly, truly what you'd expect of a creature living in an underground lake. He isn't shy or afraid to be menacing because that's...what's on the script anyway, right?

With one caveat, he can't bear to be ugly in front of Christine who is his weakness from the very beginning.

His Music of the Night gives a sneak peek of the kind of desolation and yearning he feels for her. He also peppers his performances throughout with whispers of "Christine" (even after MOTN) which I realized is his desperate plea of help.

Cho Phantom loses his temper quite easily, he's delighted like Rumpelstiltskin dancing around the fire when he plays tricks at Carlotta, unafraid to play up his monster persona to get his way. But this evil facade falls in front of Christine. Of course he tries to put up that mean act, but eventually he is just this awkward teenage boy with a first-ever crush. He is so hyperaware of his appearance in front of her. He practically worships her.

So imagine in PONR, he groans at Christine's advances and in AIAOY reprise he is almost on his knees begging her to please take pity and accept him.

In Final Lair, he recoils after Christine kisses him in a 'Why would you do that to yourself? Why touch a cursed creature like me with your perfect being? Please don't corrupt yourself' way. And when she goes back to return the ring, he really tried to wipe his hands on his pants, fix himself because he had to at least try to be less horrible as he already is in front of his idol.

As a singer, CSW can carry the notes, but he is not the best singer, not in front of actual tenors in the cast.

Yet his nuanced acting, the level of sensitivity and hyper-awareness he has, the kind of vulnerability he exposes to Christine at Final Lair is one of a kind. You can see he dug into the psychology of the character, imagined how it was like living miserably like him and how it's like to lose everything when he lets Christine, his only source of light and happiness, go.

You feel a lot of things when he's on stage, I truly felt so sorry for him, because his Phantom was such that the world truly let him down. So many realizations you'll see of his character. I think his was the most humanistic rendition of the role I've seen so far. It's a solid performance, and I understand he likes to change the details up every show, no wonder his shows sell out so fast.

#cho seung woo #rtp goes to seoul #Phantom of the Opera #gonna do my best and write the rest and finish this whole thing 😭😭#but the words they are not quite wording

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roadtophantom · 9 months

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holy crap i was here early and two hours FLEW, SO MANY THINGS TO SEE SO MANY PHOTO ZONES

more to the pt, im HOME

#phantom of the opera #Phantom of the Opera Korea #rtp goes to seoul

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roadtophantom · 9 months

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This thing is HUGE like A3? A2?? And so gorgeous wow

예, we are in Seoul, friends!

#rtp goes to seoul #Phantom of the Opera #Phantom of the Opera Korea

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roadtophantom · 9 months

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The Phantom of the Opera Korea, August 8, 2023

#Phantom of the Opera #Phantom of the Opera Korea #rtp goes to seoul #UGH I'M FINALLY HERE

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roadtophantom · 8 months

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Let your S(e)oul take you where you long to be - pt 1

a.k.a. finally writing my phantom korea travelogue

Watching Phantom in Korea has been this big goal of mine since December 2012.

When I saw the vast spread of Phantom merchandise at the Blue Square theatre and how they decked the theatre with a Phantom tree and had all sorts of Phantom-themed food, it became crystal clear that Korea goes hard for Phantom like no other, and I wanted to be part of that action.

I planned to visit Seoul when the World Tour revival was slated to visit in 2020, but that one got axed and squashed as a pandemic would do to hopes and dreams.

Cut to October 2021, news of a new Korean production got out around, but I was pessimistic. The borders were still closed and who knew for how much longer. Even as they started reopening toward 2022, there was a quarantine / covid-19 test requirement upon arrival. Then our local Korean embassy started taking a hardhanded stance on applications that made it difficult for visas to be issued. Add to that, the fact that the embassy have limited slots every month.

The odds were wildly stacked against me, but travel restrictions eased up and nothing serves as a better motivator than watching people you know actually go to the place.

Months of mental prep, doing things for the first time, and many expenditures later, I was deemed worthy of a visa. The next step was a ticket to the show…which was an entirely different main quest on its own.

Buying show tickets in Korea is like a national sport

I witnessed this during the first waves of Phantom Seoul tickets sale. The moment the dates open, you would find most of the tickets are already gone. So you are left to buy what's left but even when you manage to click on one, another person is likely completing their purchase ahead of you.

I did manage to snag a Jeon Dong-seok ticket. But the Cho Seung-woo one, I didn't manage to get until a month later.

I have to pause and thank @fadinglandtragedy for actually answering my questions, providing valuable tips, and encouraging me when I myself have given up lol.

The beauty of tickets in Korea is you can actually cancel and if you are early, you can get your money back with minimal processing fee. That means cancellations peek now and then when the ticket vendors refresh their systems everyday. I was able to move to a better row for my JDS show, and I eventually managed to buy my CSW ticket (that no one fought me for 😭😭😭😭😭).

But it took extreme patience, nightly refreshes, and trying not to nod asleep. It was worth it in the end.

So I only had to find a decent airfare, accommodations, and wake up insanely early to catch the flight, and print out all the things to prove to the immigration officer that I'm not pulling a Valjean on his Javert. 🥲🥲🥲

Tip: Overseas fans can buy through Yes24 and Global Interpark, but I highly recommend Yes24 for the exclusive ticket sleeves and the fact that they have a mobile app that you can use to book, stalk last-minute tickets, and eventually claim them.

Tip 2: For faster purchase using Yes24, look into loading your cc info in Paypal so you'd just be one click away to everything. For some reason I found the native cc method a bit harder to deal with (and it charged me more for some reason).

Korea things and hopefully an actual review to follow!

#rtp feels #phantom of the opera korea #rtp goes to seoul

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roadtophantom · 7 months

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Let your S(e)oul take you where you long to be (v) - Christines, Raouls, and the last of this review

Finally finally fishing my reviews of August 8 and 9 shows (two months later, so embarrassing)

Christine

The first Christine I've seen is Song Eun-hye who showed herself to be a young wide-eyed Christine with a powerful belt (she gave an especially hair-standing Wishing). She was already fearful of the Phantom from the start and for most of the performance and it seemed being agape was her main play of the character until eventually becoming sympathetic to the Phantom (Cho Seung-woo) by Final Lair. It's a bit typical for me and I was looking for more variation, but from what I'm reading from her current performances, she's been even more emotive. I think she's still very much a work in progress but actually off to a good start.

Son Ji-soo reminded me of those 1950s/1960s film actresses with her physical features and the way she sang (very classical trained). That kind of presence hooked me in. At first she showed herself to be an excited Christine who was inspired by singing and apparently by her unseen mentor (giving her a joyful Think of Me and even POTO title song). I like how she uses her hands in her acting especially to reach out to her co-stars (from Carlotta in Il Muto, to Raoul in AIAOY/Notes reprise, and to the Phantom (Jeon Dong-seok) when he's commanding her to leave the lair), I like handy Christines in general. Overall, I find myself leaning toward SJS's Christine as having a more unique impression, but I would love to see how SEH is now.

Raoul

Hwang Gun-ha has...the most unusual Raoul voice I've ever heard. In that it's way too deep. He surprises me each time he sings. Because he looks like this kpop idol but with such a low register, there was somewhat a disconnect. And when he's angry he gets ANGRY. Definitely kept me alert.

Song Won-geun played an ever-reliable Raoul and ticked the boxes of a conventional portrayal. He is the Raoul you'd expect to see, gentlemanly, protective, and heroic, but nothing that really jumps out, it's all by the label.

Notables

Kim Ah-sun (Madame Giry) - She looked the role and sang it well. (sorry kdrama geek out moment) she reminded me of Kim Seo-hyung in Sky Castle who was this tutor from hell, and that kind of gothic stern presence made her a very effective Giry.

Park Ha-rim (Piangi) - Loved this guy's enthusiastic portrayal of Piangi and he is always a crowd-favorite because of how he extends his notes. I like how his character fanboys over Carlotta and actually becomes quietly impressed with Christine during the Don Juan Rehearsals. His was such a dynamic portrayal.

Han Bo-ra / Lee Ji-young (Carlotta) - Han Bo-ra was the comedic Carlotta and Lee Ji-young was the elegant one. Both delightful in their own ways and both worked well with Park Ha-rim with LJY even lovingly coaching him during the Don Juan Rehearsals.

Shin Jae-hee (Buquet) - I like how his Buquet is natural and not exaggerated, he actually seems to be spooked out by the Phantom, too, which makes me feel sorry about his death. Also the corpse is such a deadringer of the actor it's legit terrifying.

Yoon Young-seok (Andre) - Last but not the least, our Phantom veteran is now a manager with possibly an anxiety disorder. It's funny knowing he was the terror who haunts the opera house now he gets easily spooked up and he has his hand to his heart. Such a poor guy, but also cute at times.

No doubt their performances are even better two months after I've seen them so definitely take these reviews as dated. I'm glad the show is going to Daegu but sad that not all cast members are going. This time I look forward to all your reviews!! And I sincerely hope everyone can have a chance to see this masterpiece of a production at the Charlotte Theatre to experience it yourselves.

Thank you so much for reading and apologies for how long it's taken!!

#rtp goes to seoul #i finished this at lastttt

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roadtophantom · 8 months

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Let your S(e)oul take you where you long to be - The Charlotte Theatre

pt 2 of my Seoul travelogue

August is high summer in Korea, actually a crazy month to see Phantom, but timings just lined up that way and also a part of me is just scared what if I put this off for so long and something comes up. 😬😬

Do check @fadinglandtragedy's very comprehensive ticketing and Korea travel post on what to expect, but I also will share some of my personal observations below!

About Charlotte Theatre

How to get there

Easy to find from the Jamsil subway station (just follow the arrows) but prepare for a maze if you are coming from the Lotte World Tower mall. The mall complex is HUGE. For the two days I was there, I had to go to the English-speaking info counter or ask the roaming guards — one of them was not even aware there's a theatre in the area. 😭 Actually, maybe the Naver maps app might provide more insight…

Where to eat

The Charlotte Theatre has an in-house fancy restaurant and a nearby Angel-in-us cafe, which sells cakes and sandwiches. But if you're looking for a warm, filling meal, you're probably better off eating elsewhere.

Tip: There's a Lotte Mart B1-B2 of the Lotte World Tower mall, and you can take an early dinner at their food court or take out their boxed foods to heat at your accommodations later. They also slash off the prices of certain food late in the afternoon, so yay discounts!

Note that after the evening show, you'll come out to a closed mall, and places in Seoul close early at night unless you're around the night market. I had to fend off with some ramen at the nearest convenience store on my first show day.

Ofc you can also eat at the mall proper, but the selections are not that wide. Also take note that Lotte World Tower mall is a luxury mall…

Where to hang out

If you've got time to burn and you just want to explore the area near the theatre, the Lotte World Tower area doesn't only have a mall, but also a famous amusement park, an aquarium, an observatory, a posh department store, underground shops, and a nearby lake (Seokchon Lake). The Lotte cinemas play the Phantom Korea ad on these gigantic monitors by the entrance - super impressive 👌. As for me, I shopped at Olive Young! As your girl would.

Dress code

I saw a lot of casual wear, actually! Jeans, sneakers, and even shorts. They don't seem strict. Just be presentable and absolutely no harm if you decide to wear a dress and something a bit more formal. I did see at least one cosplayer with a Victorian-inspired look.

Floors

The theatre has two levels of seats but the building itself has four floors in all (the seating is at the third and fourth). Make sure to go through all four! There's so much Phantom to see.

Second level seating

I can't speak for the first level, but I sat at the second level and there was hardly any leg room. You will really have to squeeze in and ask the occupants to please give way. I just did as the Seoullites do and said 잠시만요 (jamsimanyo) whenever I have to pass through.

Restroom

There are washrooms at the third (or second?) and fourth floor of the theatre with numerous cubicles. The fourth floor tends to be less crowded by virtue of being at a higher level I suppose.

Photo zones

1st floor - The rose and mask background and a digital casting board (the pink bear at the entrance is leaving after August)

2nd floor - The whole casting board

3rd floor - The Ghost mascot

4th floor - Charlotte Theatre's restaurant and a smaller casting board

The stairs are lined with Phantom masks and roses.

Merchandise

First floor and third floor of the theatre, they charge 100 KRW for a paper bag, but it's not very sturdy. The brochure is thick and glorious and a MUST buy. If you're an enamel pin collector, there's a couple of Seoul exclusives. Then there's just phone stuff, shirts, towel, a mask, albums...idk I def preferred the ones at Blue Square 10 years ago.

Access

There's an escalator going to the second floor of the theatre but beyond that, you have to take the lift or take the stairs.

Waiting area

Just plop on one of the plush seats scattered around the theatre or chill by the tables.

Theatre etiquette

The usual, eating and drinking inside are not allowed and I wish I understand half of what the ushers are saying but you absolutely can't film the curtain call. The ushers will find you. (Not me, I saw someone did it).

Indoor temperature

Not sure what the weather is now but the theatre was like a sauna when I visited. I decided to go sleeveless on my second day (something that is not often seen among Koreans, they usually cover with a cute outerwear, but you do see it). Not sure how this will be in the fall months, but I def didn't need to wear a sweater or anything.

View from the second floor

People asked me why I didn't go for VIP tickets when I'm rarely in Seoul. It is because, my friend, I am a cheapskate and the tickets are really expensive. 😭😭😭😭 And I planned to see the show twice. There's also the fact that I'm not actually fluent in Korean, I pick up bits and pieces from watching Korean drama. 🤓 So I thought, I don't need to be close too much. I DID cave in and bought a set of binoculars, which I highly recommend if you wanna zoom in to the acting. The theatre does rent out binoculars but you'll need a Korean number. :/

That said, it's a great view even if you sit at the back and you can see the chandelier closely and make out Jeon Dong-seok's silhouette on the angel and think, "Good God he IS tall…This thing can hold his weight, right?"

Just be mindful of your height, if you are short like me, maybe don't take the first row of the balcony coz you'll have to tilt your neck to look over the railing or move in front and you might get called out for it.

When I saw my non-Phantom show, I was taking photos of the theatre (Seoul Arts Centre) before the show started and I think the guy behind me got concerned that I'd be doing this often ;_; so he asked me (in Korean) if I could please lean against my seat. Annnd ever since I tried to keep glued to my chair and got scared to even stretch my neck lol.

After the show

Just retrace your way to the subway or follow your maps app. Do not be like me and just blindly follow where the audiences are going coz that led me to an underground parking lot at close to 12 AM in the morning and I had to run back up the stairs to chase the last train. 👍

Bring an umbrella

It rains now and then and there's a bit of a walk to the station and not all foot paths are covered. Again, do not be like me.

Stage door

To this date, the closest to a "stage-door" experience (the 'way home') is after a Cho Seung-woo show (provided it's not stormy). Because the actor does come out to the parking lot to briefly greet and wave at fans before going home (by car or a motorbike — yes, he'll pass and wave at people even from a motorbike). That is the full extent of it - no signatures or selfies. I think it's understandable as covid is still a real threat. As for the other actors, I only see them rushing out, ducking, and bowing (and for Song Eun-hye's case, putting on a helmet and hopping on a kickboard 😄).

Prepare to wait for 45 minutes for CSW to come out though.

Any questions? I'd be happy to try to answer!

Actual review next!!

#rtp goes to seoul #rtp feels #phantom of the opera korea #charlotte theatre #cho seung woo

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