Latest news with #PhantomoftheOpera
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Girvan Arts Festival brings diverse line-up this weekend
Journalist Brian Lavery, children's author Greta Yorke and businessman Jim English are all on the bill for the 2025 Girvan Arts Festival. Girvan Arts Festival kicks off tomorrow (Friday) and there is something for everyone in their diverse line-up of events. Journalist Brian Lavery recounts the tale of the Headscarf Revolutionaries, Ayrshire children's author Greta Yorke is on hand telling spooky tales as well as a special book signing and businessman Jim English, one of the men behind Kays Curling, talks about his passion for the sport. A number of free events are taking place over the weekend including a screening of Phantom of the Opera in Girvan Library on Friday night, an art exhibition in the McKechnie Institute and Arts, Crafts and Music in the Garden. Other events include Ian Skewis and Girvan's own Alan Jeans - or Alan Jones to use his penname - with a workshop entitled "So you've written a book...", Music in the Garden with the Bookshop Band and, closing out the festival on Sunday, Arias by the Sea preformed by The Scots Opera Project. Ahead of the festival, Ayrshire Live spoke to Brian Lavery who will be talking about his first book, The Headscarf Revolutionaries, on Saturday, June 7. Brian is a freelance journalist turned author and university lecturer who has written for a number of national and local newspapers in the UK. Brian said: "I've been invited to the festival to mark the tenth anniversary of my first book - The Headscarf Revolutionaries. "They invited me last year but I was very poorly so they were very kind, postponed it and asked me to come up again this year. "Girvan is a fishing port and the story behind the book is about the Hull fish wives' uprising in 1968 after the triple trawler disaster. "Although I'm Glaswegian, I live in Hull and, as a young man, I wrote the obituary for Lillian Bilocca - the woman who led the uprising - in 1988. "Years later, I went back to university and I did her story as my PhD thesis. The book picked up from there." The story will be relatable to many in Girvan as the changes brought about by the Headscarf Revolutionaries in response to the tragedy would transform safety in the fishing industry. Brian, 65, will also be taking part in the Words by the Sea event on Saturday evening - an hour of spoken words from local and visiting writers and poets - where, for the first time, he is set to meet his cousin's son Mark. Mark's family moved to Canada when he was young where his dad, Brian's cousin, served in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kennedy Center Revenue Crashes After Trump Hijacks Program
President Donald Trump's MAGA makeover of D.C.'s Kennedy Center is sputtering amid plunging sales. Revenue from subscriptions for the upcoming season of programming is down 36 percent from last year—dropping from $4.4 million in 2024 to just $2.8 million so far this year, The Washington Post reported, citing data shared by former Kennedy Center employees and confirmed by a current staff member. Single-ticket sales also dropped 50 percent in April and May, compared with the same period last year, according to The New York Times. The plummeting sales suggest Trump—despite boasting at a recent board dinner that he had 'eliminated DEI initiatives' and 'brought back family-friendly programming that will attract large audiences once again'—may have pushed an already struggling institution deeper into financial trouble. Revenue from theater performances, which Trump vowed to make 'non-woke,' took the hardest hit, dropping 82 percent in the first two weeks of the subscription campaign compared to last year. More than a dozen acts canceled their planned runs in the wake of Trump's takeover, including the wildly popular musical Hamilton—with creator Lin-Manuel Miranda stating, 'The Kennedy Center was not created in this spirit, and we're not going to be a part of it while it is the Trump Kennedy Center.' Trump, who in his youth dreamed of becoming a theater producer, has suggested bringing in musicals like Cats, Phantom of the Opera, and Fiddler on the Roof to replace 'woke' programming. One former Kennedy Center staffer who spoke to the Post said, 'If I am the new administration, I am certainly worried by these numbers, especially the theater dollars,' noting that theater is 'by far the largest driver of revenue for the center for ticket sales.' Richard Grennell, the MAGA firebrand whom Trump appointed as president of the center, has repeatedly sounded the alarm over the institution's financial health, accusing previous leaders of mismanaging its finances. In an effort to improve the center's finances, Trump will attend a gala fundraiser for the center next week. Invitations offer a gold sponsorship for $2 million and silver for $100,000 the Times said, and both include photo opportunities with the president. Following the fundraiser, Trump is set to watch a performance of Les Misérables—one of his longtime favorites, per the Times. However, at least 10 cast members are reportedly planning to boycott his attendance.
South Wales Argus
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
Caerleon's Arts Festival celebrates its 23rd year in 2025
The festival runs form July 3 to July 13. Actor Joe Rooney, who played Father Damian in the priest parody, will present a Father Ted celebration at St Cadoc's Church on Monday, July 7. William Byrne, one of the festival's organisers, says the festival can only grow and help boost culture in south Wales. The festival is now in its 23rd year. Father Ted, a much-loved comedy show is famous for lampooning priests and the Catholic Church. A callow youth, Fr Damian is something of a parody of the Catholic patron saint of Lepers. Rather than avoiding life outside of holy orders, Fr Damian is a fashion-obsessed, shallow and naïve young man who has delusions of coolness. Father Ted was one of the biggest sitcoms of the 1990s. Other attractions at the festival include From Page to Stage, with various performers reprising musicals that were inspired by literature. The celebrations will include performances from Westside Story, My Fair Lady and Les Misérables and Phantom of the Opera. The musical tributes will also be held at St Cadoc's Church. West Side Story is based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Les Miserable is based on Victor Hugo's book of the same name, My Fair Lady is based on George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and Phantom of the Opera is based on Gaston Leroux's novel of the same name. There will be all genres of music from jazz and rock to male voice choirs. There will also be comedy, musicals and chats with local authors. Male voice choir and Shakespeare performances will be held at the Amphitheatre. Other venues include local pubs such as The Hanbury Arms. Events and ticketing information can be found at Caerleon Festival or From Page to Stage - Caerleon Festival
The Citizen
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
WATCH: World of Miniatures Fair brings cinematic charm and tiny treasures to Westville
THE biggest little show in KZN did not disappoint as vendors displayed scale models, fairy gardens, teddy bears, fairy houses, model trains, bonsai and doll houses. With the theme, 'Cinematography' the public were in for a treat as some of the displays were from films, TV series and theatre shows such as Minions, Jaws, Shrek, Phantom of the Opera, Star Wars, Mamma Mia, Little Shop of Horrors and My Fair Lady. The World of Miniatures Fair hosted by The Durban Association of Miniature Enthusiasts (Dame) was held on Saturday at the Westville Country Club. Radio presenter Dave Guselli was a special guest for the day. Dame is made up of a small group of creative miniaturists who are passionate about promoting the craft of building and creating miniatures. Also read: Step back in time: Durban's Old House Museum brings history to life Although making miniatures comes with a lots of challenges, for many members whether they create miniatures as a hobby or a career, 'it is a wonderful escape from all the challenges faced by the world today – it is a way to nurture that often-neglected 'inner child',' said one of the members. Every year the financial proceeds obtained through fees, collections and raffles go towards a worthy cause. This year proceeds will go to Reach for Recovery. The organisation has been active in SA since 1967. They have supported breast cancer patients for almost 60 years. Their aim is to provide practical and emotional support to breast cancer patients and their families throughout South Africa. One of the organisers, Priscilla Kleyntjies, thanked everyone who came through on Saturday to support the fair. 'We would also like to thank all our vendors that are non-club members. Everyone made the day special. Kleyntjies also thanked their sponsors for their generosity. 'To the committee members and Dame Club members, we are grateful for the unwavering commitment and hard work.' For more from Northglen News, follow us on Facebook , X or Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Nylon
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Nylon
The Phantom of the Opera Review: A classic musical that still haunts and captivates the soul
My fascination with the theatre started when I was a little girl, perusing my parents' library of CDs until I found the curious cover of the 1988 West End recording of The Phantom of the Opera; which later became the soundtrack of my 10-year-old days. While I never had the privilege of being amongst the first to watch its very first staging in Singapore, I did catch its subsequent run in 2007 at the Esplanade, and have since watched it more than four times — if you count the film version. Image courtesy of Base Entertainment Asia. For those unfamiliar with this classic, the Phantom of the Opera is based on the classic novel Le Fantôme de L'Opéra by Gaston Leroux which tells the tale of a disfigured musical genius who haunted the depths of the Paris Opera House. Mesmerised by the talent and beauty of a young female soprano, he makes her his protégé and falls fiercely in love with her. His obsession ultimately takes a turn for the worst when he finds out that she is love with another; setting in motion a series of events where jealousy, madness and passions collide. As with every opening of the Phantom of the Opera, the chandelier scene remains one of the core highlights of the musical because it is one of the climatic moments that pulls you in to the story. Unfortunately, during my performance, the scene lost its magic due to the disjointed feel of the overture and the chandelier, especially when the chandelier was supposed to rise to the ceiling to begin the turn back in time. Instead of an immediate ascend, the chandelier was kinda awkwardly floating on stage for 30 to 40 seconds before it very slowly made its way to the ceiling, which instantly brought me back to reality instead of 1800s Paris. Image courtesy of Base Entertainment Asia. The awkward technical difficulty also seemed to have repeated itself during the boat scene in the song, 'The Phantom of the Opera', where there was an empty stage despite the actors singing. During that 30 to 40 seconds, I could see heads craning just to see if they had missed something on stage, and some even turned behind, thinking that maybe the actors were in the audience. This seemingly buffered event happened yet again at the climatic end of Act One, which could be attributed to the weight of the chandelier, but instead of a slow descend of the chandelier, it would have been great if an alternative setting was used to relay this crucial moment in the musical where the audience is already expecting something frightening to happen. So, instead of an at-the-edge-of-my-seat moment, I felt the anxiety and fear of a crashing chandelier dissipate as I waited for the lights to come on for intermission. Though the staging was slightly disappointing because of the hiccups I witnessed, the show redeemed itself in its performers who did a fantastic job. From the principal cast to the ensemble in their supportive roles, everyone was outstanding in their own ways, giving the audience something to look at in every scene, especially during Masquerade. Image courtesy of Base Entertainment Asia. The ones who stood out for me though, were without a doubt the two leads, Grace Roberts and Ben Forster, who played Christine Daaé and the Phantom respectively. As someone who looks to Sarah Brightman's portrayal as the golden standard of any Christine Daaé, I have never found anyone quite as similar to her until I witnessed Grace Roberts performed 'Think of Me'. Now, I've heard variations of this song which had been modified to complement the various performers' vocal range and it was always disappointing to hear as the song, to me, was a way to showcase the vocal prowess of Christine Daaé (but also I'm just a stickler for the OG version). So, when it came time for the vocal trills in 'Think of Me', Grace knocked it out of the park with an almost identical rendition of Sarah Brightman's performance, which turned me into that awestruck 10-year-old who was listening to the soundtrack for the first time. Needless to say, she impressed me even more when she easily tackled that insanely difficult portion of 'The Phantom of the Opera', which I dubbed the dolphin octave, and even gave me goosebumps during the process! When it came time for my favourite song, 'Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again', Grace performed it with such softness and emotion that it truly captured this profound longing in Christine Daaé for her father's support and guidance in this rather complicated time of her life. Image courtesy of Base Entertainment Asia. The first time we were introduced to Ben Forster as the Phantom, I am not shy to admit that I did not initially like his portrayal. This is largely due to the fact that I've been more accustomed to a calmer Phantom (shoutout to Michael Crawford!) that had more control in his voice, but Ben's Phantom came across more manic and emotional, especially during 'Music of the Night'. Instead of singing to Christine calmly and melodiously, I felt it came across a little frightening, almost like he was singing at her and not to her. I held on to my reservations about Ben's Phantom and only let it go when it finally came time for Act Two, when I finally understood why his portrayal came across so intensely. Though I may never know if this was a creative choice on his part, I definitely liked what Ben did with the Phantom; taking a more raw and human approach with the character that showcased the fragility of the Phantom and the desperation he felt to feel wanted and accepted by his muse. This was evident in the nuanced way Ben controlled his vocals, going from gentle to forceful, and in how he acted on stage, from belly-crawling on the floor like a crazed stalker to his shaking hands that mirrored his bursting emotions — all of which added a new layer to the Phantom that I have not seen before. With that said, I'm glad that the Phantom of the Opera is back on stage in Singapore again and despite the technical issues I experienced, this is definitely a good musical to catch and I hope it will help to entrance the next generation of Phantom fans.
