Please pass this on to all of the cast (company) and production team. All my friends are annoyed about me keeping going on about it and how they should see it . Sofia Escobar is a superb Christine, young and naive, and in fine voice. I have ended up with bruises on my knees due to no leg room at all very disheartening due to paying 60 for tickets. Nobody accuses "Madam Butterfly" or "Carmen" of being out of date because their musical styles are obsolete. I loved the chandelier, although it was literally centimetres above our heads, some lady in the audience screamed and many of the audience gasped as it was unexpected. You are close enough to the stage (there is no row A) to see most of the action and by sitting right at the side of the auditorium you didn't have to move your head from side to side too much to follow the action. The second time I saw POTO I realised I had missed so much the first time round, so knew I had to go again just in case I missed even more! Why? ____________________. the cast were magnificent. I would call them up so they can tell you what the viewing problem is. _____________________, After waiting over 20 years to see 'Phantom' I finally made it over to the West End last week (10th September 2008). I'm 5 foot 10 and my knees were several inches away from the start of the orchestra wall so that certainly wasn't an issue. '*** Thechandelier was amazing and just above our heads and I felt like I could almost touch it when it flew in front of me at the beginning of act one! We really felt the circle was best for a good view of the various elements of this show. The music was fantastic, and the singing was mind blowing. I have long-awaited for a discounted ticket to this show. The balcony seats tend to be pretty high up, but they might be the best choice for the budget-conscious. _______________. How he got such a prestigious part is way beyond me! He has a strong voice and I think he will make a good Phantom in the future. I went with my friend, who is also 13, and I loved it; sadly, she didn't. I hoped, given the intermission, he would have time to recover - but it was as if he had given up. He lacks charisma in order to allow us to build up empathy with the Phantom. Another limitation of Her Majesty's theatre is that it is acoustically bad and offers dismal views. I was worried about the legroom but needn't have been. Or am I missing something? They said Q1 in stalls for 25 but they didn't accept Visa Electron, so they said they would hold the ticket whilst I went to the cash machine. A "Must-See" indeed. I truly understand this statement now. Quite a poor view, I wouldn't want to sit there again. 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!!). It depends so much on the show. A small queue formed behind us from about 9.30am, and at 10am, the doors opened and we were first to the box office window. Haymarket, St. James's, London SW1Y 4QL 020 3925 2998. If tickets are marked as an obstructed or limited view, the venue has determined that those seats do not have a full view of the stage, field, court, ice, etc. Because of this - for the first time, I didn't care what happened at the end of the musical. There is nothing wrong with the first few rows of the stalls, but the dress is the place to be. It swivels when not in use and is flat on the stage. Also for this show we got Harriet Jones as Christine and she had such contrasting frightened and sexy sides! We agree with your view that the show is 'lame', although I personally enjoyed it having embraced that fact. here) that the Grand Circle isn't particularly high. The theatre was quite warm for a chilly night, only felt cold when side door near the seats was open. Brian McCann (named as swing on the website) donned the mask and was completely ill-prepared for the role. My partner really enjoyed the show and we both agreed that the staging is excellent. !LONG MAY PHANTOM RUN!!! I saw Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre around New Year's and it was amazing. Beware of their Best Available Seats offer. The first time I saw it was a xmas present and I wasn't too excited about it to be honest, I listened to the movie soundtrack that was also a xmas present and quite frankly thought that I was going to find the show quite hard going! Also, being the main theatre in Aberdeen all the shows are usually here so you don't have much choice. Being so close has some advantages. Glad I went to see it but must admit I wasn't totally blown away - will probably be another few years before I venture back to the lair. If I had my way, phones, crisps, sweets, food, drink and chatting during shows would be imprisonable offences!!! Synopsis. It had me in tears and goosebumps in parts. Okay, so Phantom is kitschy faux-Puccini with a sprinkle of mainstream rock but I like kitsch, Puccini, and Rock (not necessarily in that order), so Im fine with that. Her Majesty's Theatre Stalls. All very friendly, approachable and cheerful. The supporting cast frankly just seemed happy to be there. I did not think I would enjoy this, just booked it for my girlfriend's birthday as I know she likes musicals, however, I will be honest and say I thoroughly enjoyed the whole performance. A restricted view or side view means that you may be unable to see the entire stage from the specified seats. Got the full effect of the chandelier falling too without being directly underneath it! Sofia Escobar and John Owen-Jones were incredible as the two leads, both with a combination of astonishingly good voices and great acting. 2 March 2023. His voice is much too weak, his acting is poor and the way he reads Raoul and decides to play him is insensitive and irritating. Originally designed by John Truscott, it suffered from poor acoustics for years, but these issues were largely eradicated in the upgrade, and now even high up in the balcony, the sound is powerful. The Merlyns worst seats are really not that bad, and certainly shouldnt put you off if theyre the last ones left. As the climax approached I felt my eyes moisten and I was totally engrossed in the fine performances. Thank you to all the cast and crew of Phantom for unforgettable evenings and many happy memories - can't wait for the next time!! Will Barratt as Raoul was very good, if not particularly memorable. The grand circle is only good if you are in the front few rows, but the worst seats in this theatre are actually the back of the stalls. You may also get moved to a better seat if the auditorium isnt full! Highly recommended. Another flexible space, this one is rarely set up the same way twice, so choosing the best seats can be a bit of a crapshoot. read more. But no; I wouldn't say spacious, but my knees - when seated naturally - didn't hit the seat back in front, and there was a little room to move around. ______________. although we are both over 6ft tall, which no doubt helped. The legroom in E12 and E13 is very poor indeed and I would not sit in the Upper Circle again - although the view was acceptable, it wasn't brilliant (although you do get up close and personal with the Phantom when he's up to mischief way above the stage). Though properly portrayed as the era of 'Protestant Ascendancy' it embraces two phases - the eighteenth century when that ascendancy was at its peak; and the nineteenth century when the Protestant elite sustained a determined rearguard defence in the face of the . The head of the man in front of me obscured my view slightly and my partner (who is 6'4") found that the legroom was not sufficient for him and he was a bit uncomfortable and had to keep shifting in his seat. the theatre, the sets, the costumes, the effects, it was absolutely amazing from beginning to end. Delivering a range of family entertainment, pantomimes and musicals, it is one of the most prolific venues in the city. I first saw this magnificent production in December 2004 and in May 2006 will be seeing it again for the 4th time. Still, it was a relief to hear a non-American accent (both Patric Wilson and Emi Rosum needed voice coaching). John Owen-Jones was particularly great as the Phantom - his voice was amazing, and the finale where he tells Christine and Raoul to leave him was devastating! Also being further back meant I didn't have to look from side to side when the action was spread out, and I didn't have to look almost straight upwards trying to glimpse the Phantom in the chandelier. These seats are very good. Saw this last night (30th March 2005) and unfortunately we didnt enjoy this show. I had to read it up on wikipaedia afterwards, oops. for a total of only 50! Couldnt have asked for a better first experience of The Phantom of the Opera. ____________________________, Went to see Phantom again last week (June 2007) it must be 15 years since I last saw it. I hope to see Brian reprising the role in the future as Phantom himself, and not as his understudy. So, THANK YOU! I must say the seats were fantastic, I totally disagree with other reviewers who have said to avoid the stalls, by far the best seats we've had seeing this show. Despite its early implantation, the Papal Inquisition was greatly resisted within the Crown of Aragon by both population and monarchs. Slight block from the right and left side of the stage depending on which side your seats are on. ___________________________, I am demanding a refund for the two tickets I purchased through lastminute.com for the 14th February 2012 performance of Phantom. There are some poles in the way and as has been said below the view can be blocked by the balcony above. We have both seen the show four or five times before, going right back to the Michael Crawford days and the performance last Thursday was up there with the best. The show starts with an elderly Raoul (in a wheelchair) buying a music box at an auction at the old opera house that had being previously haunted by the phantom. DAY SEATS: A number of 30 day seats are released at 10am each day online at: https://uk.thephantomoftheopera.com/day-tickets/. Is the view actually restricted from the Restricted View sitting area or is it ok? This seat provided a great view of the stage action. We bought tickets for the show on-line, based on theatremonkey.coms comments. I phoned the See Tickets box office number the day before I went (as the theatre does not have its own telephone line) to check that you could purchase day seats like other theatres in London. I went to see this on Monday 5th January 2009, my first visit. Only problem was too high up, but managed to get shifted, which was thanks to the staff of the theatre, This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in Australia. John Owen Jones stole the show for us, his voice is unbelievable. 020 3925 2998. How much is it to Hi, What time does the Wednesday Matinee start for Kinky Boots please? So, without further ado, we give them to you. The leg room was very good, but the back of the seat wasn't very forgiving, it seemed a bit too straight. Kelsey R. She completely screwed up the last part of 'Think of me' which was already shorter than usual I think due to her vocal limitations. _____________________, Saw Phantom this week (December 2010) for the first time and was blown away! I thought these seats were a real treat, especially with with no seats in front so no heads to obscure the view. The main character's "Phantom" and "Christine" were excellent and put so much into their performances. But I had no need to worry at all! Very angry and very disappointed. > . The above two comments drew this reply from previous reviewer Will Cooper: I'd just like to counter some of your most recent and scathing phantom reviews. I really dont waste much energy crying over spilt milk. I had totally forgotten the background story (of course I knew the Phantom/Christine bit) and so it was like watching it all for the first time. I couldn't have been more wrong, from the very beginning I was hooked and when the chandelier swings into the audience with the spine chilling music the hairs stood up on the back of my neck. I did not expect to sob as much as I did, having seen the musical many times and knowing the storyline, but this man is exceptional. He made me cry at the end, he was just so incredible - especially when imitating the music box and when Christine gave the ring back. Loved it. Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox. He couldnt have been more out of his depth if the boat had capsized in Act 1! Now you're talking! To top all of this I had to look left towards the stage and needless to say I ended up with shoulder/neck ache!! Regarding the view from the seat, well I agree thoroughly with the Monkey's point about 'Phantom' being over melodramatic, and I'm not really a Lloyd Webber fan but found it a great experience largely due to good performances and staging, - particularly from the seat's location. Sometimes, sitting closer to the stage can be even cheaper than sitting a few rows back. It sits low, so you don't feel you are peering down on a show, and it is relatively close to the stage. BEWARE These seats have restricted viewing (although not sold as such ) the floor of the balcony cuts off the top of the stage. Ways to Experience Her Majesty's Theatre London, Sacred & Religious Sites, Churches & Cathedrals. Christina. The view from M is spot on otherwise the right distance and very central from 17/18. I actually started off really liking his performance. 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. The stage sets were fantastic, as was the whole production. Judy Harrison. I had no idea such incredible music could be ruined so easily. _____________________, I went to see the show in March 2009 and we sat in row C of the stalls, seats C11, C12, and C13. That said, they were perfectly adequate; and, of them all, I thought the role of Madame Giry was played brilliantly. . It delivered as only Phantom can and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Myself and three of my friends booked tickets to see Phantom for the 5th of January 2010, and should have taken the adverse weather as the first sign that we should have stayed at home. Was a pity but nonetheless a spectacular show! Opera is an extremely symbolised art form and Phantom manages to capture it's darkness and romanticism beautifully. 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