____________________________, 9th July 2011. We disagree. When I arrived home to look at the cast list I thought Rachel Barrell was an understudy for the understudy. In fact, the only positive to come from such an abysmal evening was Rachel Barrell as Christine. She fits the part perfectly. Phantom never lets us down, another amazing experience in Her Majesty's Theatre from start to finish and is even better that the Las Vegas production of the musical. Grand circle may be better for these reasons than the rear of the stalls or dress circle where this action might be missed. Also if you happen to be tall or have any kind of leg issue the rows are very close together. Far better than the film version. Mark Lane, I actually started off really liking his performance. Now that it has, somehow, run for so long, it's going to run, and run, and run, isn't it? The spectacular staging always dazzles, and the score throbs emotion throughout. We paid 40 + booking fee for Seats B27 and 28 in the Grand Circle, and whilst I'd never usually choose seats this high-up, I'd read on good authority (i.e. Revel in the haunting beauty of Paris Opera House in Andrew Lloyd Webber's world-famous musical at Her Majesty's Theatre. The size and space of the seats is uncomfortable enough to start with, but the added discomfort of the heat made for a very unpleasant and painful experience. I never have a problem with legroom in the dress circle; I find the D/C my preferred place to sit in the theatre to the stalls. I will agree though on one thing. Overall, myself and my fiance both really enjoyed the show. Having read a previous reviewer mention the rather cool air-conditioning I came equipped with a warm cardigan - I should have left it at home, I was so warm and didn't feel any kind of cool air in the theatre at all - I left the theatre rather red-faced with the heat. No. He has a strong voice and I think he will make a good Phantom in the future. I sat in G2 and realised that the seat looked new and had obviously been refurbished. Yes view is restricted. A hideously deformed musician enjoys chasing a talented young lady singer around the stage. __________________. Edward Bernstone ____________________. Visited 25th February 2014: evening performance. Really enjoyed the show, Earl Carpenter as Phantom and Rachel Barrell as a superb Christine. This is the fourth time I have seen Theatremonkey's favourite show! BEWARE These seats have restricted viewing (although not sold as such ) the floor of the balcony cuts off the top of the stage. Even though I think you can tell that the show is now 20+ years old from a number of the effects, it still worked; but after hearing so many chandelier stories I must admit to feeling a little disappointed when the thing "crashed" down - Hmmmmm. The girl lead was very good, as was The Phantom although the same cannot be said for Raoul he had a very weak voice and was totally overpowered by Christina (not sure of the name of girl who played her - but the dark haired one). I saw Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre around New Year's and it was amazing. I wanted to experience a West End show as even at only 24, I saw it as one of those things you have to do sometime in your life. The Literary Theory Handbook introduces students to the history and scope of literary theory, showing them how to perform literary analysis, and providing a greater understanding of the historical contexts for different theories.. A new edition of this highly successful text, which includes updated and refined chapters, and new sections on contemporary theories I always though opera was amazing but this performance truly wins. Loved every minute of it. Port Talbot I'm sure you all wanted to know about that. The show started on time and approximately 5 minutes later, approximately 25 latecomers arrived separately in small groups and were seated in with ushers along the Grand Circle. Bang in the middle of the row; theres only one row in front and seats are suitable staggered so youre looking between heads; no neck strain as the stage isnt particularly high; seats and legroom are comfy enough. I will say it is hard to decide where the good seats are. Tickets left at the box office for collection may be picked up on the day, during the hour before the performance starts. It was a brilliant show and I want to see it again. ________________________________________, I went last weekend (November 2014) with the wife. We knew the night before via Twitter that John Owen-Jones would not be the Phantom due to illness but knew that we would be in safe hands with Scott Davies as the understudy. What Im not fine with is the kind of audience it attracts. THE C AMBRIDGE HISTORY OF I R EL AND The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were an era of continuity as well as change. Terrific view of the stage and actors, it was great to be close enough to see the expressions on their faces. Having now also sat in the Stalls, the depth of the stage is more visible from the upper levels, for example from the Dress Circle I could see the entire blanket of smoke covering the stage floor, whereas from the Stalls (F16, F17) the floor of the stage is at eye level so from that angle the blanket of smoke appeared as a thin layer overflowing the stage. As a 45th birthday treat for my Wife we travelled from South Wales to see the Phantom ( for the umpteenth time!) I may only be 13 but I've seen 14 West End shows and Phantom Of The Opera is the best out of them all. The management pairing of Barry James (greatest Thenardier in my opinion) and Gareth Snook are the best I've seen, they work well together. The flares were startling and I could feel the heat from them, the chandelier was scary, I would recommend these seats anytime. _____________________, Seats: Royal Circle row C 25 and 27. When we got there, two seats next to us were empty, so we moved two seats closer to the centre. I had to read it up on wikipaedia afterwards, oops. Normally 67! The supporting cast frankly just seemed happy to be there. Alf The overhang from the circle also restricted some of the performance that was above the stage resulting in only feet being seen. I find it bizarre that you would attack the staging and fly work of "Phantom". Seat: Grand Circle C36. Whoever directs this show deserves to swing from the iconic chandelier for effectively muzzling the eponymous star of the show. Also with the notes at the end she was too late opening and closing her lips. If anyone in front of you leans forward, they completely obscure your view and you have quite an area of stage left cut off from view. I was aware my Husband was uncomfortable all night and it was a pleasure when it was all over. Thanks for subscribing! Love, love, love your website. I am only 13 and have seen over 20 musicals in the West End. I appreciate it is an operatic production, but when all the characters sang different lines at the same time it just came across as a cacophony of noise. The melodrama is what makes the story so interesting. South Wales Now getting excellent shows to the area coming further north than Edinburgh or Glasgow. I recently saw Phantom at Her Majesty's Theatre as an early 2008 Christmas present for a friend. How anyone can say 'he had no voice to speak of' is beyond me. Wishing You Were Here Again is a great favourite of mine. Here's my review for stalls O4: I didn't find the seat very comfortable. The story is fiction about a masked musical genius living in the catacombs of the Paris Opera! Some people have thought that the show dragged but I think that is par for the course with musicals when they are a couple of hours long, and actually I was eager for the second half to start as I was really enjoying the performance. Becky None put in a noticeable or commendable performance and didn't help to arouse any emotions within the audience for how we should feel towards any character. ___________________________, Went to see Phantom on Saturday 23rd September 2006. NOTE: Seat numbers and all Legacy reader reviews belowrefer to the production before it reopened in 2021. We actually had a full principle cast, with just one role (M. Firmin) being played by an understudy (he was excellent by the way) which makes a pleasant change! *** 'Alternate' An actor assigned to play a lead role on fixed dates when the lead actor is absent either on holiday or taking a 'rest' day each week.) It was impossible to not be impressed by many of the sets; I loved the opening of Act 2 on the grand staircase and what's not to like about a moving gondola, dry ice and let's-pretend candles! I just wanted to tell you that your site made an already great week in London positively awesome! I would definitely recommend this show. Despite what theatremonkey says, to see the theatre sold out on a Monday night in July proves how good the show is. Seats M17 and M18 35 from TKTS. A really great job. Thankfully British queue etiquette prevailed and we were allowed in first. This was incredibly disappointing too. But then they have been practicing twice a day for nearly a couple of decades so you'd expect it to have come together by now! I am 5' 11" tall and my knees where jammed against the seat in front. Even for someone slim you also have to get out of the row to let people get past to their seats in the middle. ________________________, I was on holiday with my family all the way from Brisbane Australia and me and my sister went to see "Phantom of the Opera". In fact, I think it's far preferable to have a ledge/bar below the view of the stage, than be behind a row of people who could be more of an obstruction. The cast were fantastic and the show certainly lived up to our expectations, so much so that we may go back again this Christmas for my birthday! Save your money for the tour, guys - at least they *have to* keep that one sharp. M It all seemed too loud to me and at times I found the level almost painful. The lavish sets and spectrum of colours explode onto the stage, especially at the start of the second act, and capture your attention and your heart. You lost the very front left corner if you sat right back, that was all. Saw the show for the first time on Monday 10th July 2006, absolutely loved it! _______________________. I had no idea such incredible music could be ruined so easily. I saw Phantom of the Opera on 12th July 2012 with a friend. Having loved the interpretation of the movie, I thought I should see the stage play, and I thought it was amazing! It reaches off the stage, grabs you by the throat and begs you to empathise or at least sympathise with his plight. I noticed you also attacked the disco inspired title track. Anyway, only last week we plumped for two 40 tickets via See Tickets and rolled up to Her Majesty's on Friday night (29th January 2010). I thought these seats were a real treat, especially with with no seats in front so no heads to obscure the view. Whilst the current Christine is not the best, we have to remember that this is one of the most demanding roles musical theatre has ever created. His stage presence was good and he certainly had a haunting quality, but I felt that his singing was a bit too 'pop star'-esque for the role. Multiple emails bounced between me and a specific person, wanting to know the date I phoned, the exact time, who I previously spoke to, the number I phoned from.. (all of which I was unable to provide) This went on for a week, and finally they said they were unable to find any trace of my call, as I was unable to provide enough information, but they did not doubt that I had indeed phoned, and that i was told incorrect information, and that they would refund me the full price of one of my tickets. They were schlepping their oversized M&Ms World bags through the aisles, munching snacks, cheerfully commenting their favourite scenes, and exactly during the most dramatic final moments someones phone went off I dont want to sound elitist, but when I pay a lot of money for a Musical the only sound I hear should be from stage, and not the excited yelps of some middle-aged superfan in the row behind me. As we bent double to look at the action it was obvious that even one row forward in G the view was much, much better. So for a show which is all about the relationships between the characters it failed. ______________________________________________, Seats: P4 and P5 (I was in P5) Being on the front row, we were able to look down in the pit and thank the musicians in person at the end - WOW were they good and deserve appreciation! Vol. Political Philosophy Pierre Joseph Proudhon: One cannot give and keep at the same time Chapter 2: Start The leg room was very good, but the back of the seat wasn't very forgiving, it seemed a bit too straight. After one emotional rollercoaster of a show ('Ghost') I went on to my next, Phantom. I had only seen Phantom once and that was at least 20 years ago in London so I thought it was about time I gave it a go again. She had the voice of a goddess. I was also impressed with the leg room, I'm 6 foot and it was ample. Nadia Ansari However, the only part of the stage missing is the very bottom left, which includes the drawing room door. Otherwiseanywhere in the stalls up to row F (keeping in mind the numbering system is designed to trick you into thinking youre closer to the stage than you really are the first eight rows are AA, BB, CC etc) is always a good bet. Whichseats.com can't be held responsible for complaints arising from the use of this website. I was a little worried when I read about the huge cast overhaul that had been made a couple of days prior but I needn't have worried - I found the show magical, I sat mesmerised throughout the whole performance and had constant shivers running up and down my spine that started the moment they raised the chandelier at the auction house to the very end, it was wonderful! Also, being the main theatre in Aberdeen all the shows are usually here so you don't have much choice. __________________________________. Couldn't see half of stage from there. ________________________. Took a while for my parents to acclimatise to the altitude but once the show started they were fine. I think all the seats in the stalls at both sides at the back will be the same. That first row or two in the centre of the dress circle are hard to beat, although the middle of the stalls is pretty fine too. This is a Paris set, gothic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with Cameron Mackintosh in charge of the spectacle. The acoustics in this theatre are good anyway but the sound from the stage was very clear. Besides which, Phantom is a classic "OF IT'S TIME". We came out of the show on cloud 9, so emotional and uplifted by the sterling performances and still singing the music of the night! Not that there was much action coming from the unengaging acting and plot. Rachel Barrell played Christine and Andrew Thwaite was Raoul, and there was a stand in conductor as well. I'd been wanting to see the show for ages, but didn't fancy paying a massive amount for the tickets. As for his voice, I don't see how some can say it's weak. Wardrobe, lighting, the set and the orchestra were all very appealing but the cast and direction completely floundered. My cousin is only 5'5" and she said there was not much leg room either. And would someone please get rid of the dummies used to make the stage look busier than it actually is!! They join Matt Blaker as Raoul and Kelly Glyptis as Carlotta, Matt Harrop as Monsieur Firmin, Adam Linstead as Monsieur Andr, Greg Castiglioni as Ubaldo Piangi, Francesca Ellis as Madame Giry and Ellie Young as Meg Giry. Best seats are dress circle A 19 and 20. I do see the Monkeys point about overblown emotion: too overblown and you cease to care quite as much as you should about the characters I have to say I was more impressed than I was expecting. I have played the soundtrack every day since coming back, ha ha. Use our interactive seating plan to view 1352 seat reviews and 2662 photos of views from seat. Ashleah Skinner, Was a pity but nonetheless a spectacular show! Go and see it, if you're around and be sure you book good tickets to enhance the experience. Both the current London Christine's are also amazing; the passion with which they sing is brilliant. My partner really enjoyed the show and we both agreed that the staging is excellent. I was in the Grand Circle in seat F21. My biggest gripe is that the great singing that one would have every right to expect from an "opera-based" show is virtually nonexistent. All my friends are annoyed about me keeping going on about it and how they should see it . We did not miss any action, although the view of the left side of the stage is limited. Stalls P13: ridiculously good legroom in this row, thanks to the pillar placement. Saw this last night (30th March 2005) and unfortunately we didnt enjoy this show. I thought the voices of Christine and the Phantom were absolutely superb. We sat in the Stalls in row D, seats 9 and 10. the cast were magnificent. Synopsis. were used to very dramatic effect and quite simply worked. You're usually laughing so long as you don't have the last side seats in rowM in the dress circle. The theatre was quite warm for a chilly night, only felt cold when side door near the seats was open. I found the leg room really good for my 6ft frame, the seat padding seemed quite thin though but it was comfortable. Traditionally, these were concentrated in the stalls, as close to the stage as possible. Having said this, these low points do not take away from the rest of the musical that when they hit the mark are absolutely breathtaking (such as Music of the Night or All I Ask of You - all versions!). We were in row P which was just under the Dress Circle but in the middle, the only bit we missed was the chandelier going higher up than we could see; but we saw the Phantom on the top of the building. Paul Johnson The whole show is hidden behind a huge chandelier, and some very talented singers. I think all the Manchester Front of House staff should be sent to London to be trained! They are mainly surly or uninterested and as for policing the use of phones or disruptive patrons - well, they may as well not be there (can you tell I am not tolerant of people with no theatre etiquette!!). For the best experience, theres nothing like the centre of the stalls. I was tempted to have a word with the sound desk operator on the way out and tell him to turn Carlotta's mic up, there are lots of times when her mouth moves and not sound can be heard. So if anything is happening higher up the stage you cannot see it. In fact, I would say about a maximum of 10 minutes through the whole show is spent watching people lean. Book your tickets online for Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne: See 526 reviews, articles, and 132 photos of Her Majesty's Theatre, ranked No.27 on Tripadvisor among 781 attractions in Melbourne. It was great being so up close and personal to the actors and catching their eye on several occasions ;). If youre sitting in the first few rows of the stalls seats, you may even be able to touch the stage and see performers blink. Overall a superb show-see it at least once and DO NOT believe the review the monkey has given it. Rake is only slight but the seats are staggered - 5 foot nothing me had no problem seeing everything. Holly-Anne Hull as Christine is fantastic. It was made in the 80's.and it shows. ____________________________, Went to see Phantom last night, 2nd May 2007, after finding an excellent meal and a show deal on this site, ate well at the Mintleaf restaurant before the show. After nearly 8,200 performances in the same theatre, you would think the sound would be good. This obscured some of the action, but in the second half it wasn't there. Not to be put off from seeing the show, we ended up paying 62.50 each for seats 13 and 14 in Row J stalls, as having got there early, queued up etc, we weren't prepared to have second rate seats. I first saw 'Phantom' in the West End over 20 years ago and cannot believe I waited till November 2011 to see it again - twice! Kirsty Grand Historical Tour. Her character was a bit cold for my liking and sometimes quite aggressive, but still fab. My wife and I were very much looking forward to seeing John Owen-Jones as Phantom, after recently seeing his superb Valjean. During the first performance I saw Sofia Escobar in the role of Christine Daa and she was truly outstanding, with the most beautiful voice. Looking at, and listening to, those sitting around me, I rather got the impression that it has become nothing more than a tourist attraction that has to be seen on a visit to London, like Buckingham Palace or Piccadilly Circus. We checked on this site for seat info and had seats K23 and 24 in the stalls and found them very good, saw everything, my cousin is slightly taller than me so she could see the chandelier right to the top. 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