Are bits of the show really pre-recorded?
Author profile: Christine Daae
A Phantom of the Opera fan who legally changed her name to Christine Daae.
She ran an international Phantom of the Opera fan club and published a Phantom fanzine, and put up the second ever Phantom of the Opera site on the web. She saw the show 83 times with 18 different Phantoms, in 4 countries.
She ran an international Phantom of the Opera fan club and published a Phantom fanzine, and put up the second ever Phantom of the Opera site on the web. She saw the show 83 times with 18 different Phantoms, in 4 countries.
Yes - here you can read which bits, and why.
Why does the show use pre-recording?
Pre-recording is used in a number of places in the show, most often for the practical reason that the cast members who need to be singing are busy moving about backstage - in the title song, doubles are used while the principals get in place, and the singing must therefore be recorded.
Which bits are taped?
It may be that not every production is exactly the same in this, but here is the usual list:
* The Phantom of the Opera, title song. All the singing is recorded, for reasons noted above. The Phantom's "Sing, my angel of music" etc are not recorded. One or two people have sworn that the San Francisco production switches to live singing once the Phantom and Christine are on stage, but I've no idea whether that's correct.
* The Phantom's notes, in the Notes scenes.
* The Phantom's laughs, when he drops the chandeliers and Buquet's body.
* The Phantom's lines as Red Death in Masquerade, while he is on the stairs. His lines to Christine ("Your chains are still mine...") are live (and the cue for the trap door).
* The Phantom's "seal my fate tonight, I hate to have to cut the fun short..." section. This is one that can vary - Peter Karrie chose to sing it live.
* The "I'm here, the Phantom of the Opera" lines, before the curtain up on Don Juan Triumphant. Also, the "Secure"s in response to "Are the doors secure?" in this section.
* The lines before "Il Muto": "Gentlemen, if you would care to take your seats?..."
* The lines before AIAOY: "To the roof..."
* The managers' lines in the chaos after Piangi's body is discovered: "Oh, my God, my God" and "We're ruined, Andre, ruined!"
It has also been said that much of the Overture is pre-taped, though I'm not sure on this; it could be pre-programmed synthesizers.
Why does the show use pre-recording?
Pre-recording is used in a number of places in the show, most often for the practical reason that the cast members who need to be singing are busy moving about backstage - in the title song, doubles are used while the principals get in place, and the singing must therefore be recorded.
Which bits are taped?
It may be that not every production is exactly the same in this, but here is the usual list:
* The Phantom of the Opera, title song. All the singing is recorded, for reasons noted above. The Phantom's "Sing, my angel of music" etc are not recorded. One or two people have sworn that the San Francisco production switches to live singing once the Phantom and Christine are on stage, but I've no idea whether that's correct.
* The Phantom's notes, in the Notes scenes.
* The Phantom's laughs, when he drops the chandeliers and Buquet's body.
* The Phantom's lines as Red Death in Masquerade, while he is on the stairs. His lines to Christine ("Your chains are still mine...") are live (and the cue for the trap door).
* The Phantom's "seal my fate tonight, I hate to have to cut the fun short..." section. This is one that can vary - Peter Karrie chose to sing it live.
* The "I'm here, the Phantom of the Opera" lines, before the curtain up on Don Juan Triumphant. Also, the "Secure"s in response to "Are the doors secure?" in this section.
* The lines before "Il Muto": "Gentlemen, if you would care to take your seats?..."
* The lines before AIAOY: "To the roof..."
* The managers' lines in the chaos after Piangi's body is discovered: "Oh, my God, my God" and "We're ruined, Andre, ruined!"
It has also been said that much of the Overture is pre-taped, though I'm not sure on this; it could be pre-programmed synthesizers.
