This page is not intended to infringe on any copyright restrictions - I'm just a fan who thinks that, while Andrew Lloyd Webber and his Phantom of the Opera are all well and good, there is plenty of web space devoted to them already. Yeston & Kopit's Phantom is a worthy musical which deserves notice too. Most of the following information comes to you directly from the liner notes of the CD recorded on December 15, 1992. The candle illustration is copyright 1992, Yeston Music Ltd.
Credits
Music & Lyrics: Maury Yeston
Book: Arthur Kopit
Based on the 1911 novel The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux.
International Copyright secured. All rights reserved.
Music Selections Published By: Cherry Lane Music Company, Inc.
Stock and amateur rights are available through Samuel French, Inc., 45 West 25th Street, New York, NY 10010, USA.
The Premiere Cast
Christine Daae................................Glory Crampton
The Phantom (Erik).........................Richard White
Count Philippe de Chandon............Paul Schoeffler
Carlotta..........................................Patty Allison*
Joseph Buquet............................Allen Kendall
Gerard Carriere..........................Jack Dabdoub
Alain Cholet...................................Lyle Garrett
Inspector Ledoux..........................James Van Treuren
Ensemble.............Donald E. Birely, Stephen Brice Bodardus, Elaine Buegeler, Sharmane Davis, Sandra DeGeorge, Lyle Garrett, Jim Gricar, Allen Kendall, Kim Lindsay, Michael Mark, Melony Matthews, Helene Miles (Contractor), Bess Morrison, Tom Polum, Victoria Reed, Lenny Roberts, Marguerite Shannon-Clancy, Melinda Thompson, James Van Treuren, Ed Walker.
* Patty Allison was the original stage Carlotta, but Meg Bussert performed the role of Carlotta on the CD since Miss Allison was not available at the time RCA made the recording. (I'm informed that Ms. Bussert was chosen for the recording by Mr. Yeston himself.)
For more information about the original production, including cast biographies, see the website of Theatre Under the Stars, the original production company.
Original cast member Paul Schoeffler (Philippe) was recently spotted in the Broadway show Peter Pan (starring Cathy Rigby) broadcast on A&E, also available on video. He portrayed, if I may say so, an extremely brilliant Captain Hook.
The following comment about the recording comes from cast member Sandi DeGeorge.
"We had a great time making the Cd, though the process was a quick one (as the tempo of the Bistro and the Fugue would attest to!) We were told after each take, 'do it again, but faster!'. :-)"
Songs
For lyrics to most (maybe all) of these songs, visit this website or this one. Sound files of some of these songs (as well as songs from other versions of the story) are available here. There are also some MP3's from various Phantom Musicals (for evaluation purposes only) available at Erik's Page. I don't know about MIDI files; I'm fairly sure they exist, however; one production I saw was scored entirely with MIDI. It loses something in the translation.
News flash - as of mid-August 2000, I hear that Phoenix Production (related to super-touring company Trioka) is producing a major mounting of the piece, touring for 9 months around the US. Mr. Yeston is going to be rewriting some of the music.
Act I
1. Overture (Orchestra)
2. Melodie de Paris (Christine, Philippe & Co.)
3. Paris Is A Tomb (The Phantom)
4. Dressing for the Night (Carlotta, Carriere & Ensemble)
5. Where in the World (The Phantom)
6. This Place Is Mine (Carlotta)
7. Home (Christine & The Phantom)
8. The Music Lessons / Phantom Fugue (Christine, The Phantom, Carriere, Philippe, & Ensemble)
9. You Are Music (The Phantom & Christine)
10. The Bistro: Sing / Paree Is A Lark / Christine's Obligato / As You Would Love Paree / Finale (Carlotta, Christine, & Co.)
11. Who Could Ever Have Dreamed Up You (Philippe & Christine)
Act II
12. Entr'acte (Orchestra)
13. Without Your Music (The Phantom)
14. My True Love (Christine)
15. My Mother Bore Me (The Phantom)
16. You Are My Own (The Phantom & Carriere)
17. Finale: You Are Music - Reprise (Christine)
Recording Info
The writers of Phantom have also collaborated on the musical Nine (based on Fellini's "8 1/2"), winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical of 1982. Richard White, the first Erik (Phantom), is known as the voice of Gaston in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. This American musical was written entirely separate from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera, a British interpretation. Before being performed on stage, Arthur Kopit's book was made into a two-part NBC miniseries starring Charles Dance as Erik. The musical was first performed at the Theater Under the Stars in Houston, TX in January 1991. A Recording was made on December 15, 1992 in BMG Studio C, New York City.
Productions
I know this version isn't quite as well known as ALW's - leading to the question, are there current productions of this musical? Yes! But why don't we ever hear about them? I don't know! As a remedy for that, here are websites for a number of productions, past and present, as well as theatre companies which periodically perform the musical. This is by no means a comprehensive list; for more information on the musical itself, and more current productions, I suggest the Productions section of The Phantom of the Opera Nexus.
- A 9-month Phantom tour by the Phoenix Production theatrical group will soon happen the US. More information on this production can be found at Phoenix Productions Upcoming Shows, with more information (hopefully) at www.phantomontour.com.
- Theatre Under the Stars, Houston, TX: Dec. 28, 1996 - Jan. 17, 1997; the company which performed the original production
- Draper Historical Theatre Production, Draper, UT: Oct. 5-31, 2000
- Actorsingers,Nashua, NH: Apr. 30 - May 2, 1999
- The Bucks County Playhouse, New Hope, PA has staged several past productions
Sheet Music
There is a book available of sheet music from this play. It is published by Cherry Lane Music, and you can probably get a copy by ordering it through your local sheet music store. (Be sure to specify Yeston & Kopit, not Andrew Lloyd Webber, or you might not get the one you want!) The songs in it are: Home, You Are Music, Melodie de Paris, This Place is Mine, My True Love, and You Are My Own.
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