<p>I am going to Las Vegas this week and I was wondering if any of you have seen Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian. I am travelling with my parents who are definitely not into MT, so we probably won't see it this trip, but it is one of my favorites. I have already seen it twice (on tour), so I was wondering how this one stacks up. Is it the same show or did they cut songs and change it up?</p>
<p>My son goes to a performing arts school in Vegas and he and I saw Phantom at the Venetian last year. He said that they had cut quite a few of the songs. I am not that familiar with the show so didn't know the difference. The overall show only lasted a little more than an hour. If you are familiar with and a big fan of the original, I think you would be disappointed with this version. I know he was.The sets and setting are spectacular though.</p>
<p>You might consider seeing a show at his school, LVA. They are doing Sweeney Todd at his school on the 10th and 11th of June. It's a great show and tickets are only $20 at the door versus almost $100 for Phantom. This school puts on top notch performances. The best kept secret in Vegas.</p>
<p>The Vegas production is a revised staging and runs for 95 minutes with no intermission. I haven't seen it but friends have and the venue is supposed to be pretty spectacular. It was built specially for this production and is supposed to make it feel as though you are actually in an opera house. I know that when it started, and I assume now, many of the roles were double-cast because it's a 10 show/week schedule. There is a lot of movement between this sitdown production and the Broadway cast so I"m guessing that you'd probably be happy with the cast.</p>
<p>I hadn't heard that they had cut any of the songs. It was advertised from the beginning as including all of the original songs.</p>
<p>I am going to be seeing the Vegas Phantom production for the first time in two weeks. The Vegas version is an hour and a half and there are some changes from the original.</p>
<p>The dialogue in the auction is shortened a bit.</p>
<p>The Hannibal sequence is cut down, there's no ballet sequence introducing Meg or Christine. Carlotta's "Think of Me" is only one verse and her little rant is shortened.</p>
<p>Magical Lasso was cut out entirely.</p>
<p>Notes I was shortened a bit so things happen sooner.</p>
<p>Il Muto cuts a few lines here or there to speed it up.</p>
<p>The chandelier does NOT fall at the end of the normal first act, since there's no intermission. It falls, as in the movie, at the end of Point of No Return.</p>
<p>Masquerade cut a verse or so and the Giry/Raoul exchanged was shortened.</p>
<p>Notes II suffered the most cuts, Carlotta and Piangi are not present in the scene. There is no reading of notes at all. Though Twisted Every Way is present and Raoul's response.</p>
<p>Don Juan Rehearsal is cut entirely.</p>
<p>The "Seal My Fate Tonight" bit was shortened.</p>
<p>Don Juan performance and "Point of No Return" were both shortened. And the chandelier falls when Christine and the Phantom run away.</p>
<p>The Final Lair scene is changed a bit with a cage instead of a lasso.</p>
<p>Everything else I didn't mention in detail is fully intact, so most of it is in there. It seems that many of the cuts follow the recent movie version.</p>
<p>I've seen the show 7 times on Broadway and know the entire show like the back of my hand and I'm really excited to get to see it in Vegas, especially because the special effects are supposed to be amazing. </p>
<p>I don't know how familar you are with the show but if you have only seen it twice then maybe a lot of the tiny cuts you might not even notice!</p>
<p>Thanks for your responses. I'm sure I won't get to see it this trip, but maybe someday I can take my D out there to see it. My 75-year-old parents are not interested in musical theatre. Maybe I can ditch them and go by myself, if tickets are available. ha ha. Fifty years old and still trying to ditch the parents....</p>
<p>We just returned from Vegas yesterday (and had stayed at the Venetian). We didn't see Phantom since we heard it was shortened and had seen it multiple times on Broadway. But the Venetian is a beautiful hotel - everything first class - so I will be interested to hear what you think ActressToBe. I do have to recommend Circque du Soleil's production of Love at the Mirage. It was simply breathtaking and the Beatles music was used in such a moving way.</p>
<p>Musicmom - "50 and still trying to ditch the parents" LOL!!!! That one made my night.</p>
<p>Baymom - Oh I'm already planning to see LOVE as well when I go! I'm a big Beatles fan! I can't wait!</p>
<p>Well, I got back from Vegas last night, but fooled around and did not see a show. We decided to see Jersey Boys Friday night, but I thought curtain was at 8:00 and it was at 7:00, so we missed it. We don't plan too far in advance so we had not bought tickets ahead of time (luckily), however if we had, I probably would have known what time it started! I heard nothing but wonderful things about JB and Love from other people while we were out there. </p>
<p>P.S. I will not go with my parents again. They bickered with each other like a couple of kids! Was only able to ditch them for a few hours before they found me! ha</p>
<p>Musicmom - And here we were waiting for a free review and you didn't even make the show! Sounds like the way I plan, LOL. </p>
<p>BTW, was Vegas crowded? Wondered if the economy has had an impact on the crowds.</p>
<p>We were there in the middle of the week (Tues-Sat), and I wouldn't say it was crowded, but it wasn't "dead" either. I had not been out there in more than a year, and it was not as crowded as March of 2007, but that was during spring break for some schools and some NASCAR race, so the 2007 trip may have been more crowded than usual. I don't think there was anything going on last week.</p>
<p>Has anyone seen the Bette Midler show in Vegas? I am a big fan of hers and would love to see it.</p>
<p>ajsurfs, I graduated last year from your son's high school (as a dance major; I was in a couple of theatre productions though). I go to school out of state and didn't get to see Sweeney (nor did I get to see the revival, as I had rehearsals for a show I'm in), but I wish I could have. From what I've heard, LVA is kind of in a slump right now. Hopefully they get "back in gear" soon. Not just theatre, either; my department isn't doing so hot either. Hopefully next year the theatre department will realize that going into debt to pay for extravagant sets isn't the way to go. And maybe they'll stop charging their STUDENTS $20 to see their friends in a show. When I was a freshman, we paid $15 for the "big" musical, $10 for the "little" one and straight shows, and $7 for the dance drama. Maybe if they went back to that pricing they'd recoup more of their costs...</p>
<p>End rant. :-)</p>
<p>Anothermom, I haven't seen Bette (if I can't afford $20 for a high school show, you can bet I can't afford $100 to see a Strip show! haha), but I've heard great things about it. </p>
<p>For those who were wondering about the economy, I know that the hotels are offering heavily discounted rates right now. I work at a dance store and I was talking to a customer who was staying at the Orleans (off-Strip hotel) for a dance competition and he told me that he was paying $49 a night during the week and $79 on the weekend. Yes, it was an off-Strip hotel, but it's still fairly nice and that's a very good price. I think there are some show/hotel deals going on too.</p>
<p>I had a blast in Vegas! The Phantom show was great though it DID feel a bit rushed with the cuts. The special effects were great though and I loved the Buquet death much more in this version than the original actually. Though as a whole I still prefer the Broadway production.</p>
<p>We also saw LOVE which was absolutely incredible. One of the best shows I think I'd ever seen. I would highly recommend it to everyone!</p>
<p>The Cirque de Soleil show "O" is the most amazing thing I've ever seen. It takes place on, above and below a giant lake. Don't ask for an explanation!</p>
<p>dc89, my son came into LVA as a Junior so I'm not as familiar with the past years of the school (we live outside of the U.S.). He has attended 2 years and just graduated. Many of the staff and students have mentioned about the "slump" and politics of the place, so you are probably right. I was able to attend quite a few of their performances over the last 2 years and thought they were very well done, performance wise and technically. Sweeney was great! I'm probably biased though, as my son played Pirelli. I only got see the revival version because they put it on 1 day before the graduation ceremony (smart marketing). I know they spend a fortune on the sets as most come right off the Broadway shows. The main stage musicals are a bargain at $20 compared to the prices of most shows in Vegas but I agree that they should give students and alumni a discount. My son got very good training while he was there and got some leading rolls even though he came into the school late. He will be attending Hartt MT in the fall. I found it surprising that only a few of the students are continuing on in MT. Most are going into straight acting. I'm glad you stuck with your major.</p>
<p>I saw LOVE 2 years ago. It is a must see in Vegas. It's the type of show you could see 10 times and still find something new to look at. I paid over $100 for tickets and they were still nose bleed so save your pennies!</p>
<p>Oh, I totally know who your son is! I heard he was fantastic. All my friends who saw the show mentioned him. Good for him on Hartt -- that's very impressive. I know a couple of LVA dance alum there and I've heard good things from them. And I know LVA will get itself back on track soon. I heard rumblings that the principal is leaving, thank God, because things went downhill after he took over... </p>
<p>I'm actually not majoring in dance in college - I do it a lot but my school doesn't offer a dance major. :-) </p>
<p>And ditto everyone on LOVE - it's fantastic! We saw it for my mother's 50th birthday a couple years ago and I would love to see it again...</p>
<p>Thanks for the cudos on my son. I'm very proud of him. They are performing Sweeney thursday at the Nebraska Thespian Festival. Hope they pull it off one more time! </p>
<p>For those just visiting Vegas, getting tickets online well in advance for the most popular Vegas shows is advised. I've saved time by doing this many times because shows like Love and O sell out almost every night. The less popular shows are cheaper if you wait the day of when they discount unsold tickets.</p>