I have a feeling it’s going to fashionable to knock the new musical “Love Never Dies” from certain quarters. Paul in London made an audioboo from the Adelphi Theatre during the interval at Love Never Dies.
Interval Comment at Love Never Dies
Love Never Dies Opens in One Week
Love Never Dies the new Phantom musical will open in London on Tuesday 9th March, just one week’s time.
So what will the critics and press reviews make of it? Well in many ways, it doesn’t really matter because, having seen one of the early previews and loved it all, especially the score, I’m certain that the great British musical theatre going public is going to really enjoy this musical extravaganza. It’s a modern production that builds on the language of musicals and delights the eye and ear, while twisting the emotions appropriately as the plot unfolds. There were one or two effects that didn’t work quite as well as others, but from all accounts the show had already improved considerably on the first preview, and it’s now a case of tweaking a show that is ready for the world rather than implementing any big last minute redesigns.
Maybe if you go and see Love Never Dies in three months time, for a summer theatre break, it will be a more mature production, perhaps with a new final ensemble or something to smooth over any slight disappointments, but the characters are set and most importantly, the music is a final piece that holds together very well. I’ll be throroughly recommending Love Never Dies as a new musical top choice choice for London theatre breaks.
Katherine Jenkins sings Love Never Dies (on ice)
As the build up to the official opening of Love Never Dies gathers pace, Andrew Lloyd Webber has been on TV promoting the new Phantom musical with not one but two soprano Divas over the weekend. On Friday Night with Jonathan Ross he accompanied Sierra Boggess, the leading lady from the Adelphi Theatre London where previews are currently underway. Sierra sang the title track “Love Never Dies” beautifully again, and then on ITV’s “Dancing On Ice” show, Lord Webber played the piano again but this time with acclaimed classical soprano Katherine Jenkins singing her own unique interpretation of the now more familiar “Love Never Dies” song.
The performance was also interpreted visually by none other than Ice dance superstars Torvill and Dean.
Erin Anna Jameson – Love Never Dies Handbalancing
Erin Anna Jameson is just one of the amazing people adding to the spectacle of Love Never Dies set in the Coney Island pleasure gardens.
Here she is displaying some expert handbalancing
Erin Anna Jameson Handbalancing
Love Never Dies South Bank Show
Well here it is, Sierra Boggess singing the theme song to Love Never Dies at the last ever ITV South Bank Show Awards on Sunday Night, January 31st accompanied by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Louise Hunt on two grand pianos.
So what did you think?
I was struck by the performance style of Sierra Boggess being reminiscent of the Sarah Brightman who was Andrew Lloyd Webber’s inspiration for the original Phantom of The Opera. The flourishing crescendo of that operetta style is a bit much for my taste just for a few moments but I did recognise a great show tune in there which will have a strong emotional appeal when seen live at the theatre in just a few weeks tine when Love Never Dies opens in London. I did actually start humming the tune the next day after only having heard it once.
Niamh Perry in Love Never Dies
More of the casting for Love Never Dies has now been announced and it includes one Niamh Perry from the BBC 1 TV search for a star to play Nancy for Oliver the Musical, “I’d Do Anything”. Since Niamh Perry left I’d Do Anything she starred in the West End production of Only the Brave and is currently in the London production of the highly successful musical, Mamma Mia!
Love Never Dies will receive it’s world premier on the 9th March 2010 at the Adelphi Theatre and Niamh Perry joins the already announced cast list which includes Ramin Karimloo as The Phantom, Sierra Boggess as Christine, Summer Strallen as Meg Giry, Liz Robertson as Madame Giry and Joseph Milson as Raoul.
Love Never Dies Spend Spend Spend!
Andrew Lloyd Webber launched “Love Never Dies,” his sequel to “The Phantom of the Opera,” at a press conference in London in October. While the composer pointedly refused to discuss the budget for the new show, It has been suggested the figure could reach £13 million, and that’s just for the London production, which will open on March 9th 2010.
The US Broadway production, set to open in November 2010, perhaps at the Neil Simon Theatre, will probably cost even more, almost matching the enormous $45 million budget spent on “Spider-Man”, the most expensive Broadway show of all time.
Here are a few examples of where some of the money is flowing out:
- The concept album of “Love Never Dies” used a 95-piece orchestra. Listening to it one afternoon, Andrew Lloyd Webber suddenly decided he didn’t like the orchestrations in the second act. So he brought all the musicians back into the studio and re-recorded half the album.
- There have already been several lavish workshops of the show, including one last month that was just to develop some special effects and cost almost £250,000.
- The first round of sets didn’t meet with the lord’s approval, so everything was scrapped. Designer Bob Crowley was brought back to redo the entire show.
Andrew Lloyd Webber on Love Never Dies
In this video Andrew Lloyd Webber talks about Love Never Dies, the twists in the story without giving anything away.
Coney Island was an amazing place, the great 8th wonder of the world. The Phantom has gone there and is now the big mogul, running the place. It’s there that our story starts. Andrew discussed the possibilities with Frederick Forsyth who came up with a book but the musical was abandoned. Three years ago he came back becuase here was a germ of an idea there. Working with Ben Elton on a project, he said the original chracaters neeed to be transported so we have all of the five – Raoul, Christine, Meg, Madam Giry and the Phantom they all appear plus we have one new character – Gustav the 10 year old child of Raoul and Christine’s. Ben unlocked it.
Who would be a great lyricist? Glenn Slater. Principals – Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess. The album has already been recorded. Love Never Dies was originally planned to be rolled out to three theatres at ate same time but casting was too difficult, so it’s going to be London in March, New York in November, Canada and the Far East already well planned. Love Never Dies all around the world.
Nicole Sherzinger in Love Never Dies
Nicole Sherzinger working on Love Never Dies
This isn’t quite confirmed casting news for Love Never Dies but it’s interesting because Nicole Sherzinger is a high profile lead singer from the band “The Pussycat Dolls” who has also been associated with Formula 1 hero Lewis Hamilton.
Nicole Sherzinger
The news is that Hawaiian born Nicole Sherzinger is to work with Andrew Lloyd Webber on some aspect of the new musical, “Love Never Dies.” MTV.com confirms the news, but also cautions that it is still unknown just how involved she is in the production. Andrew Lloyd Webber also made the announcement about Nicole Sherzinger in a statement about Love Never Dies on October 9th.
Love Never Dies – “Til I Hear You Sing Once More”
At the Love Never Dies press launch yesterday, Ramin Karimloo sang the song ‘Til I Hear You Sing Once More’ while Sierra Boggess sat on her golden throne, silently.
Andrew LLoyd Webber, Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess at the Love Never Dies press launch
** Book Love Never Dies Theatre Breaks **
Music by Andrew LLoyd Webber
Baritone Ramin Karimloo will play the Phantom in Love Never Dies, having already played the role in the Phantom of the Opera in London.
Soprano Sierra Boggess will play the role of Christine, having made her Broadway debut creating the lead role of Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
** Book Love Never Dies Theatre Breaks **
Love Never Dies – Till I Hear You Sing Once More – Lyrics by Glenn Slater
The day starts, the day ends
Time crawls by
Night steals in, pacing the floor
The moments creep,
Yet I can’t bear to sleep
Till I hear you sing
And weeks pass, and months pass
Seasons fly
Still you don’t walk through the door
And in a haze
I count the silent days
Till I hear you sing once more.
And sometimes at night time
I dream that you are there
But wake holding nothing but the empty air
And years come, and years go
Time runs dry
Still I ache down to the core
My broken soul
Can’t be alive and whole
Till I hear you sing once more
And music, your music
It teases at my ear
I turn and it fades away and you’re not here
Let hopes pass, let dreams pass
Let them die
Without you, what are they for?
I’ll always feel
No more than halfway real
Till I hear you sing once more