Woke up this morning. Went to work. Lunch included leftover sweet and sour beef from the other night and some cucumber slices. Also brought a candy bar with me, but I didn't eat it all day. Also went to the post office. Felt less incompetent than last time by a lot. Guy was also friendlier. I think there's a correlation.
Left work about five minutes early because I finished my task and Pheobe said I could. Arrived in Piccadilly Circus, debated taking the bus to Haymarket, but why? It's right around the corner! So I walked instead. Ben bailed on the show, but two girls named Hattie and Melissa invited themselves instead. I didn't mind. I guess Americans are less polite when it comes to stuff like that. Last night, when Ben asked if he could come, he said "I know this is rude, but can I come too?" They learn manners differently over here. Or maybe I'm just really chill?
Ate dinner at a Pizza Express. Seen them all over and first time in one. Really good pizza.
Her Majesty's Theater is the perfect place for the Phantom because it has that 19th century, gaudy and extravagant look. The lighting isn't the greatest. Mel made the comment that it was kind of eerie. I loved it, though. Suits the show very well. The theater itself isn't very large, from what I saw. Reminded me of the Grand Opera House in Oshkosh in terms of size and style. Lots of red. Red carpet, red walls, gold details. The illusion of being rich.
As for the show itself . . . .
Of course it was amazing. I smiled when things were getting good because I knew what was going to happen and because I love the drama of seeing it live. I prefer the stage show to the movie, but I'm most familiar with the original London cast recording. With this in mind, I thought that some of the slower tempo'd music in the soundtrack was sped up slightly for the stage. But that could be because there's a bit more freedom with a recording studio in terms of what can all be pulled together than on stage, where everything is live.
Caught a missed line on Raoul's part. In the first act, after the "Music of the Night" number, when he bursts into the manager's office he repeated "I want an answer" instead of saying "I mean Miss Daae" and then saying "I want an answer". (Inner geek, meet world.)
The second thing was the woman who played Christine, an actress from Portugal. I knew English wasn't her first language because of the way she sang and spoke. It's a good accent, but you can just tell, you know? Also, her acting. There was a lot of bending over on her part, as if every time something bad was happening she was kicked in the gut. I don't remember Christine bending over in fear that often. Or it could be I want Christine to be afraid but not act like she was abused by this guy. You know? I want the fear, not the over dramatization. Otherwise, she was pretty decent. It took a bit for me to warm up to her voice.
Also, the audience didn't jump very high when the chandelier fell. I remember that happening at the PAC. Literally, the entire first floor jumped a mile when the chandelier fell. Had my heart going.
Our seats were on the ground floor below the higher levels, so we didn't get to see how high the theater reached. Only saw a bit of the chandelier's ascent as well. It was a bit of a strain to see the top of the proscenium, but you could still see it. Otherwise, they were really good seats for 40 pounds. Or maybe that's an average price? Not sure.
Also had a head block a portion of stage left for me. Grr.
And now I'm home and realizing that I have one day until I leave for the weekend. I don't plan on having free Internet access during the weekend, so tomorrow will be my last blog until Sunday night. I'll be sure to update my location in the corner for your convenience.
On a side note, I told Hattie that I think of the Phantom's title song "The Music of the Night" as being an orgasm in a song. She said she didn't expect that kind of comment from me. But really. It's the "Music of the Night". And the passion you see on stage. It's just so . . . beautiful. *swoon*
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