Phantom of the Opera- Playout (Oct 6, 2022)

Majestic Theater, NYC

[@disneydanny2]

sad to think that in less than 6 months we won't hear that in that theatre anymore. 😪

[@MattTexas]

Or any theater, probably. They’ve replaced most of the orchestras with keyboards now. It’s pretty sad.

[@PhantomOperaWickedTheaterPhan]

Amazing!!

[@marionmiddleton8140]

Awesome 💖

[@roberthollander4522]

I've seen Phantom on Broadway maybe 5 times. A few years ago I took my 13 year old daughter and we were making our way to the pit during the playout . . . she wanted to peek inside. The SECOND they stopped playing an usher came over and literally pushed us out of the theater. It was horrible.

[@Equus21]

OMG. That's so mean. :(

[@roberthollander4522]

@@Equus21 yeah it wasn’t pleasant.

[@jasonluckoff3880]

It is coming back to broadway and we are getting the phantom of the opera back on broadway

[@the_b737guy7]

Quite sure, but one must be very naive to believe that we will see an orchestra pit with 27 musicians again. The show is too expensive for the producers and if the show comes back then surely in the same scaled down version as in London. In that case, I'd rather do without the show completely.

[@commander901]

Who is the conductor?

[@dukeofrodtown1705]

I want to say that's Richard Carsey, but I'm not 100% sure. *As I recall, Phantom had four rotating conductors alternating each day of the week*.

[@commander901]

That is not Richard Carsey; I had my picture taken with him back in 2017.

[@dukeofrodtown1705]

@@commander901 Yeah... I could not tell at all. I still am unsure, but thanks a lot. (I know there are 4 conductors, but I only ever see David Lai, David Caddick, and Kristen Blodgette. Who the hell is he, then?)

[@MrPoochsmooch]

Dale Rieling?

[@AmintaDax]

It annoys me when the people don't sit on their butts, while the orchestra is still playing. God, YOU paid money for that, so sit and enjoy the playout.

[@dukeofrodtown1705]

As much as I think that's a great point, and I agree - in their defence, New York traffic is quite awful. And you've been sat there for 2h30m. Also, people have to go about their business (i.e go home and take care of their families), as do the theatre staff (as evidenced in another comment). These reasons and a few others are why playout music is short, and inevitably, the crowd will start to literally clear out the moment that curtain drops, at soonest. Again, I don't disagree with ya.

[@karl-johanankarblom1091]

These medleys are called Exit (!) Music (US) or, in Phantom/GBR: "Play out" . They are designed to play the audience "out" of the auditorium. Thats their whole purpose. To leave/give the audience with a last impression of the shows music. We the musicians in the pit dont get offended at all when the audience leaves - because thats what the music is for. Always lovely though, of course, when dedicated members of the audience stays and cheers.