These Things Do Happen

 

Well the life of our angel seems to have been fraught with great little stories.  Here's just a few to make you smile or cry.

 

 

He's There, The Phantom Of The Opera

In an old interview I looked at recently Michael said when he was in London in Phantom of the Opera his dressing room was on the first floor  and he had a window overlooking the street.   He often looked down on the lines of people waiting for hours,  sometimes overnight just in the hope of getting a return ticket.    He marvelled at how patient they were and how they endured the cold etc..
I bet they wish they had looked up!!!

When saying this Michael remembered one evening he was at his window desperately trying to attract the attention of one of the stage staff crossing the road below.  He wanted the staffer to get a milk shake for him .  After he mimed what he wanted he   glanced down at the traffic and at that  moment a lady in a passing  car looked up, caught sight of Michael  and promptly drove straight
into the car in front.  Michael said he felt really guilty about causing  the crash but he didn't blame the lady as he had on the Phantom make  up but no mask!!!


I would love to know what her Insurance Company thought of her explanation for the accident on her claim form...... "well you see I looked up and there was this Phantom"..........

by Marie Collins

A Very Special Visitor

During the Manchester run of Barnum in 1984 a lady who knew that Michael Crawford cared a lot for sick children  wrote to him about a little girl who was suffering from Lukemia and had just had her leg amputated.  She was  in a local hospital and the lady wrote to Michael because the
little girl, Vanessa, was a big Frank Spencer fan.

Michael went to visit Vanessa and made her a very happy little girl. He did not just visit once he became a regular visitor and even brought other members of the cast and they entertained not only Vanessa but the other sick children in her ward a number of times.

Vanessa wanted to see Barnum but was too sick to leave her hospital bed so Michael had three rows of seats taken out of the front of the Circle in the theatre to make room for Vanessa IN her bed complete  with drip and nurses in attendance.  During this matinee performance  Michael and all the company performed towards Vanessa so   she could see everything clearly!

Sadly not long afterwards Vanessa died.  Michael was at her bedside with her parents trying to keep her spirits up right to the end. She was just 11 years old.

Michael has said that when he told the cast that night they all went through the show as usual but backstage was quiet and at the end of the evening they were so upset they left the theatre  in silence. It must have been very difficult performing under those circumstances. He has also said he would never forget little Vanessa.

by Marie Collins

Drowning

I have read that when making Condorman in Paris Michael nearly drowned.

In the scene being filmed he had to crash land in the River Seine. Unfortunately they had miscalculated the strength of the current.  When he went into the water he was dragged under.  Hampered by the 22ft  Condorman wings he could not save himself.  He has said that he  was sure at that moment it was all over.   Luckily the safety  people reached him in time and he was dragged to safety. After this the producers refused to risk their star again and insisted he allow stuntmen do the stunt work!

by Marie Collins

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