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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.

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The performance was also interpreted visually by none other than Ice dance superstars Torvill and Dean.

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Here she is displaying some expert handbalancing

Erin Anna Jameson Handbalancing

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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.

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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.

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Bluebird is a passionate new musical, set during World War Two and charts the story of ordinary people living in extraordinary times. It tells the heartbreaking story of Roberta Jones (Sarah Lark) as she comes to terms with her husband Pete (Stephen Weller) going off to war. Roberta, a nurse, soon meets the charismatic U.S. serviceman Ben (Ramin Karimloo) and a friendship grows, much to the disapproval of best friend, Jane (Abi Finely).

Ramin Karimloo remarked:

It was great to help out a new and up and coming British composer. (Gareth Peters) He has put his heart and soul into this project. I think he’s done a great job and was honored to be asked to take part in it and also have a song written for me. It was also a lot of fun to go back to singing with a rockier sound.

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According to an interview published in the Telegraph last month, Ramin Karimloo star of The Phantom of The Opera and Love Never Dies said he believed the Phantom showed clear signs of the condition known as Asperger’s Syndrome, which is a form of autism. Sufferers often have difficulties with communication and social relationships.

According to Ramin Karimloo, who joined the London production of Phantom of The Opera two years ago, the autistic spectrum and asperger’s in particular could explain the Phantom’s eccentric traits, his musical genius and his difficulty with social interactions which led him to hide away beneath the Paris Opera House for all those years.

It’s an interesting theory, which could also help to bring better public understanding of the increasing common condition of autistic spectrum symptoms but it seems to me that Ramin Karimloo is completely ignoring the effect of the Phantom’s facial disfigurement and hence the mask in the story which is set two centuries ago. But never mind,

“I saw a documentary on Asperger’s syndrome and it made a lot of sense to me,”

said Karimloo.

Ramin Karimloo was born in Iran and has been central to the launch of Love Never Dies, the long awaited Phantom story continuation which Andrew Lloyd Webber says “is not a sequel”

Love Never Dies with Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess opens in London in March 2010 at the Adelphi Theatre, and then later around the world.

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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.

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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.

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