#Anna O’Byrne

[sakkarose]

Anna O’Byrne’s Christine from the Australian production of Love Never Dies!

[littleeliza-lotte]

Moral of the story… Don’t be a French Performer in a love triangle and fall in love with a musician

[ashadeintheshade]

City of Angels, headcanons

Listen, I’m really bored. Really, really bored. So even though I always think an author sharing headcanons can mess with the way the readers imagine them (don’t! Imagine them however you like, and then tell me about it!), I’m bored enough that I decided to make a super self-indulgent post with my personal COA headcanons.

I warned you, I said it was super duper self-indulgent.

Christine Daaé

Anna O’Byrne, Oklahoma!

I’ve always thought Anna was so gorgeous after seeing her in LND, so I was delighted to find her in blonde when I was writing blond Christine in COA.

Raoul de Chagny

Is this a stock photo of a blond college-age male? Yes, yes it is.

Erik

Photo source

It’s hard to imagine what he may look like in his mask, although I think it’s important to point out that I am imagining he is wearing a hyper-realistic mask (one of these- so creepy check it out), one that really, really seems just almost real. I think if you could get both sides of Josh Piterman’s face in the Aussie version of Phantom in his wig and makeup, then you’d have what I might imagine him to be with a mask.

It’s the hair for me, guys.

And what does our friend look like unmasked?

Well… this was the most pivotal thing for me in writing this story. I wanted to have a really good idea of what Madeline saw, of what Campbell saw, of what Erik sees in himself. And it’s nearly impossible to imagine. I spent a very weird amount of time looking at pictures of skulls and trying to imagine them alive. The best I could do in the end was Egyptian mummified faces. Try to imagine them animated, speaking, looking, breathing.

If I had to pick something though, this video is a pretty excellent Erik.

[bluebellss1]

A while back I remember reading a couple of posts by @operafantomet detailing the makeup and various lipsticks that different Christine Daae’s wear onstage for Phantom of the Opera. I’ve recently found some more info about the lip makeup that the Christines use and thought I’d share my totally-not-weird findings with everyone who didn’t ask for it.

Having finally seen the show live, I excitedly hopped onto the tiktok of the actress I saw as Christine, Amy Manford. She had many comments asking her for her lip combo as Christine, and said she used two MAC lip pencils, the shades being Soar and Edge to Edge.

I believe she used Soar on the outside for definition and applied Edge to Edge in the centre for her pinky-mauve lip.

Also as a bonus, I saw that Anna O’Byrne was following Amy on Instagram and I decided to look at her profile where I stumbled upon this.

So Anna O’Byrne wore the Kryolan lip colour in LC010 for Love Never Dies. I couldn’t find any swatches of it online but I feel like MAC Diva would look quite similar.

[operafantomet]

CHRISTINE + FAVOURITE COSTUME: The Aminta costume

ANNA O’BYRNE: “Aminta FTW! The detailing and tailoring on my West End Aminta dress was particularly gorgeous”

OLIVIA BRERETON: “I like the Don Juan dress the best, I think"

KIARA SASSO: “Throwback Thursday with Christine in Phantom of the Opera! “Past the point of no return…” This was my favorite costume!❤️“

KIMILEE BRYANT: “Three of my fave Christine Daaé costumes from The Phantom of the Opera” (the others being the Rooftop costume and Wishing dress)

CELINDE SCHOENMAKER: “My favourite costume is this one, the Don Juan dress, because it’s kinda fun, it’s shorter than the other ones, and I love the colour (especially when you’re tanned), and… it’s sexy”

EMILIE KOUATCHOU: “p.s. this is my favorite dress in the whole show :):)“

KRISTI HOLDEN: “My favourite costume is the "Don Juan” costume. It’s the flirty costume; I love the peach color. Christine gets to be a completely different person in that scene. She gets to play someone outside of her character and out of my character, too.“

LISA-ANNE WOOD: “This is my favourite Christine dress, the Don Juan. Just because I feel really sexy and feminine in it, I just love it… the lace, all the vintage bows, so pretty, and the roses… And I’m actually the only Christine with the black epaulettes on the shoulders. I love it!”

SANDRA JOSEPH: “My FAVE costume was probably the Don Juan dress, for a number of reasons. It was the most flattering dress for my figure; made my pear-shape look more hourglass. It was comfortable, though I let them nip in the waist until I could barely breathe. (...) But I think the main reason it was my favorite dress was because putting it on meant I was in the home stretch. “Wishing” was over… whew! That song always left me feeling like a wrung-out wash cloth. Don Juan was a fun, sexy scene to play, and there was only one more costume change. I think I loved the dress as much for its beauty as for what it symbolized: I’d crested the mountain. It was all downhill after that”

[twistedtummies2]

Top 15 Portrayals of Christine Daae (ALW’s Phantom)

As many of you know, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera” is an important show to me. As well as being my favorite adaptation of the classic novel, it is perhaps my second favorite musical of all time…and given how many musicals I love, that’s saying a lot. It’s certainly one of the most popular pieces of musical theatre ever created; it’s had numerous tours worldwide, many productions in non-English-speaking countries, has been running for decades straight on the West End in London…and, of course, it currently holds the record for the longest-running Broadway musical in existence, with 35 Years Onstage under its black belt.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. That long-running streak of shows is about to fade away: on April 16th - three days from now - the original run of the Phantom of the Opera will be closing on Broadway. While it is possible the show could return in a revival production, and of course the show itself won’t be disappearing entirely, it is sad that such a long-lasting fixture on the New York stage scene will be coming to an end. In honor of this celebrated musical, I thought it would be good to present a few lists naming some of my favorite actors who have played the key three roles in the show: Christine Daae, our main character; the dashing Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny; and, of course, the Phantom himself, known in the book as Erik. I’ll be naming my Top 15 Favorite Actors to play each part between now and closing day for the Broadway production. There are only two rules in order for performers to count. One, I obviously have to have seen or at least heard their work, and heard it in good quantity; if I’ve only heard or seen a performer do one song, I don’t think it’s fair to give them a heap of credit, because I don’t know what the rest of the performance is like. Two, I won’t be counting JUST Broadway performers: actors from the West End, Las Vegas, Canada, Australia, and many others will be included too, along with cast members from the 2004 movie and the 25th Anniversary production at Royal Albert Hall. HOWEVER, I will be counting ONLY English-speaking performers. Why, you may ask? Well, primarily, it’s because I simply and honestly just haven’t seen or heard that much from non-English versions of the show. The ones I have heard or seen have been great, but the ones who perform in my own native language are the ones I know the best. With all that said, let’s begin with Christine. Christine is a more interesting character than I think a lot of people give her credit for. Her heart, her mind, and her will itself are all put to the ultimate test in this show, as she has to figure out where her loyalties and love truly lie. For her, the events she lives through are equal parts traumatic and exhilarating. It’s not an easy journey, and while Christine never swings a sword or gives great commands, she’s a much stronger and more layered character than many likely realize. The best versions of Christine find solid ways to blend her innocence and her maturity, and all have voices that truly match that of a person whom the Phantom considers “His Angel of Music.” This will be a description-less list, as will be the other two to come: just names and pictures. This is mostly because analyzing some of these actors and performances is honestly really, REALLY hard to do, at least for me. Having said that, I think I’ve prattled here long enough: allow me to present my Top 15 Portrayals of Christine Daae from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera!

15. Jennifer Hope Wills.

14. Kelly Mathieson.

13. Claire Moore.

12. Rebecca Caine.

11. Ana Marina.

10. Emmy Rossum. (Not sure how popular or unpopular this opinion is, but I’m sticking to it.)

9. Lucy St. Louis.

8. Sandra Joseph.

7. Sara Jean Ford.

6. Anna O’Byrne. (I should point out I am NOT counting or considering “Love Never Dies” with these lists. However, when a performer has been in both shows, I do find it interesting.)

5. Katie Hall.

4. Sarah Lawrence.

3. Kristi Holden.

2. Gina Beck.

1. Sierra Boggess.

Tomorrow: My Top 15 Portrayals of Raoul!

[symphony-in-a]

Your top five Christines, Raouls, and Phantoms?

Phantoms:

Geronimo Rauch (feeds my need for angst)

Hugh Panaro (inspo for dark fic)

Ethan Freeman (inspo for extra dark fic)

Earl Carpenter (a sweet, vulnerable, yet unhinged man)

Ben Crawford (just does a good job showing how exhausted the phantom is of living alone in a sewer, and how he’d rather die than go back to being without Christine)

Christines:

Julie Hanson (inspo for dark fic, so traumatized, she needs a hug)

Rachel Barrell (her voice is just so good, subtle acting choices)

Anna O’Byrne (very Leroux-Christine)

Emilie Kouatchou (that Wishing??? Best I’ve ever heard)

Meghan Picerno (fiesty, I love watching her)

Raouls:

Bronson Norris-Murphy (saw him in person, such a sweet, handsome opera nerd, needs Christine to protect him not the other way around)

Rhys Whitfield (his AIAOY smiles? 11/10)

Evgeny Zyatsev (just all around perfection)

Christian Lund (soft, handsome, perfect)

Hadley Fraser (fight me, he’s my grumpy eyeliner boy and I love him)

[phantomchristinesuk]

So I think Amy Manford is wearing a remodelled/redecorated bodice from Anna O’Byrne’s west end run.

Both have a white lace around the bodice side of the neckline (which I couldn’t find on any other bodice) and I feel the silver decorations mostly match, including the silver piece on the bottom point.

The pink rosettes and the pink pleated pieces have been redone as they are in a slightly different position and larger.

The neckline looks slightly different but that could be where they have adjusted it for Amy.

I assume Bridget will be wearing her west end bodice/dress and that her and Amy will share the skirt.

Pictures: Amy Manford Instagram and Anna O’Byrne Facebook

[alisoncooper]

are you normal about the phantom of the opera/anna o’byrne or are you me???

[britishchick09]

ben lewis and anna o’byrne singing ‘angel of music’ ♥♥ @phandomoftheopera ♥♥

[phangirl2012]

Christine actresses with the same names part 3!

•Amy Nuttall (US Tour) & Amy Manford (Westend, Greece, Australian Tour)•

•Amanda Huddleston (Vegas) & Amanda Jane Callgan (Westend)•

•Anna O’Byrne (Westend) & Ana Marina (Westend, Australian Tour, World Tour)•

•Barbara Graham (Auckland) & Barbara Fonyó (Hungary)•

•Hanna-Liina Vósa (Finland) & Hanna Ulvan (Stockholm, Kristianstadt)•

•Kelly Jeanne Grant (Broadway, US Tour) & Kelly Mathieson (Westend)•

•Kristen Hertzenberg (Vegas) & Kristin Hoelck (Germany)•

•Lauri Brons (Hamburg) & Laurie Gayle Stephenson (Broadway, US Tour)•

•Lori Broderick (Hamburg) & Lori Zeglarski (Hamburg)•

•Michelle Rosen (Hamburg) & Michelle Van De Van (Hamburg)•

#amynuttall#amymanford#amandahuddleston#amandajanecallaghan#annaobyrne#anamarina#barbaragraham#fonyobarbara#hannaliinavõsa#hannaulvan#kellyjeannegrant#kellymathieson#kristenhertzenberg#kristinhoelck#lauribrons#lauriegaylestephenson#loribroderick#lorizeglarski#michellerosen#michellevandevan#christinedaae#phantomoftheopera

[angelofmusings]

does anyone have that interview i think with anna o’byrne where she mentions how the sheet music for the beauty underneath (?) kept getting reworked and there were different colored papers for different variations so each day in rehearsal there would be a set of sheet music to work from and it’d be on whichever color paper was for that take on the song. i need to prove a point

[9oodshots]

𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗔 𝗖𝗛𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗘’𝗦 ‘‘𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗣’’⁣ 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗥𝗘 𝗥𝗢𝗬𝗔𝗟 𝗦𝗬𝗗𝗡𝗘𝗬 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟯𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮⁣ ⁣ 🎬 𝗦𝗬𝗡𝗢𝗣𝗦𝗜𝗦 & 😎 𝗡𝗢𝗡-𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:⁣ ⁣ 🎬: On the 1st night of Monkswell Manor, a countryside guesthouse outside London, the friendly yet inexperienced innkeepers, Mollie [Anna O’Byrne] & Giles [Alex Rathgeber] Ralston, host 5 guests snowed-in by the inclement weather.⁣ ⁣ The abrupt arrival of Det. Sgt. Trotter [Tom Conroy] causes concern, as he informs everyone that there's a killer among them related to a London-based crime.⁣ ⁣ When someone is murdered, can Trotter act quickly?⁣ ⁣ 😎: The 4 main guests include quirky Christopher Wren [Laurence Boxhall] who is verbose when nervous, judgemental Mrs Boyle [Geraldine Turner] whom annoys everyone with her rude demands, Major Metcalf [Adam Murphy] whom appears friendly & helpful, while Miss Casewell [Charlotte Friels] has returned to the UK for unfinished business.⁣ ⁣ The late evening walk-in, Mr Paravicini [Gerry Connolly], is highly entertaining both in his manner & accent.⁣ ⁣ The ambitious Trotter is tactless & asserts control by his using his police authority rather than being diplomatic. His aggression adds to the tension.⁣ ⁣ In an ensemble cast of good performances, Laurence Boxhall’s portrayal of the over-sharing yet anxious Wren is noteworthy. Mollie likes Wren, but the others find him irritating & ludicrous.⁣ ⁣ Anna O’Byrne is strong as the fledgling innkeeper running the guesthouse with no help. Mrs Boyle is unimpressed with the lack of staff, yet fails to recognise how hard Mollie works to keep everyone happy.⁣ ⁣ Australian director Robyn Nevin does well to bring to life this iteration of Agatha Christie’s complex whodunnit. Is the murderer an obvious choice?⁣ ⁣ During Sydney's opening night red carpet, 25-year veteran journalist Tim Shaw [pictured] revealed that Bronwyn Bishop, the former Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives, was the murderer. The only problem is…she wasn’t in the show!⁣ ⁣ Thanks to @themousetrapau & @ippublicity_; ‘The Mousetrap’ will run until Oct 30, 2022 at the Theatre Royal Sydney. ©️ #TheMousetrapAU (at Theatre Royal Sydney) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjpF77Qvj-6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[archibaldscraven]

bi pride christine daae icons!

like/reblog if you use

[tomblr1895]

[operafantomet]

HMT terrace photos of the Aminta costume, though!

Ashleigh Fleming, c. 2013

Katy Treharne, c. 2012

Claire Doyle, c. 2012

Celinde Schoenmaker, c. 2016

Anna O’Byrne, c. 2012

Lucy St Louis, c. 2022

Emmi Christensson, c. 2016

Katie Hall, c. 2011

Lucy St Louis, c. 2022

(photos by dressers Chris Brown and Melaine Gowie)