Love Never Dies

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Last night, I had the privilege to see Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom: Love Never Dies, and it was really amazing. Since I heard that Webber was making a sequel to Phantom, I was a little apprehensive and thought he was extremely crazy. That all changed when I heard Till I Hear You Sing from the Press Launch on youtube, and I instantly wanted to go. I was really excited that I was going to be in London when it premiered, and I straight away made plans to go see it. I first tried getting a group together to go, but that failed epically. So, on Tuesday after class, I went to the Adelphi Theatre and got my ticket. I left the theatre and was extremely excited.




The basic plot of this musical is that the Phantom has escaped Paris and gone to Coney Island. He opens a new attraction called Phantasma and invites Christine to sing there. Christine, along with Raoul and their son Gustave, accept the invitation and travel to America. For the rest of the musical, old friends are reunited, old flames are reignited, secrets are told, and tragedy happens at the end. I wish I could tell more, but I don’t want to give anything away.

As I said, the musical was amazing. The acting was spot on. Sierra Boggess and Ramin Karimloo, Christine and Phantom respectively, outshined everyone in the cast. They both got enthusiastic applause during their solos and even during their duets. They displayed so much emotion that I was extremely attached to both of them. This surprised me because I was not close to the stage at all. Granted, the Adelphi is quite small, but my seat was somewhat far back. By the end of the show, I was on the verge of tears.



The music was also really good. It was happier than Phantom, but it still had that haunting quality. The thing I liked most about the music is that there were little themes here and there from Phantom. The themes were not overused and were strategically placed throughout the show. There were also themes from Webber’s previous work. They were very slight, but would be recognizable by anyone who had listened to all his works. Surprisingly, this didn’t distract from anything. It actually enhanced the musical a bit for me because it is rumored that this is his last big musical.

Along with all of this, the set was probably the most amazing I have seen in awhile. Much of the perspective was a little skewed, but it just for some reason fit. The coolest thing about the set was the projector. Before I went to the show, I heard that they were going to use a projector as part of the set. This kind of bothered me because I thought it would be the dominate player. Yet, I was completely wrong. The projector was used quite wisely and strategically. The most ingenous use was in the overture. Like in Phantom, the overture is used for resurrection. Instead of the Opera House, it is now Phantasma. Also, it is Madame Giry’s recollection of Phantasma, which means she is in the middle of everything. For this part, the projector is used as Madame Giry’s memories swirl around her. It is very hard to describe, but it is basically a resurrection of the park. The projector was definitely the way to go with this.



The best scene for me in the whole show was the scene with the song Love Never Dies. In this scene, Christine is on stage and almost ready to sing. As the introduction to the song goes, the set revolves with Christine in the middle and the Phantom and Raoul on the sides. Before this scene, both the Phantom and Raoul try to convince Christine. The Phantom wants Christine to sing and Raoul wants Christine not to sing. As the set revolves, Christine is torn between the two and has no idea what to do. Then, she suddenly starts to sing, and you can hear the she is conflicted to continue. She continues and all her emotions come out. It was such an emotional scene and one that I will not forget.

As a fan of the original production, I was very pleased with the sequel. There were so many nuances in it that I was in Phantom nerd paradise. The only thing that I have a complaint about is the lyrics. They are just way too simple and straightforward for me. The ones in the original were at many times poetic and metaphorical, and that combination made many of the songs unforgettable. These lyrics pale in comparison, but they at least work most of the times. There are times when they don’t, and it is not hard to tell. Good thing is that it doesn’t distract from the actual show.



So, the question is would I recommend this musical? I would. I had a fantastic time and I was glad I went with an open mind. That is my one recommendation. If you are a fan of the original, go in with an open mind. This musical is definitely a stand-alone and should not be compared to the original one.
Besides Last Night, there is not much to report on. I had another fantastic day at practicum, and I mean that with much seriousness. I got to help out a lot of kids, and they are starting to open up a lot more.
My plan for today is to relax and just enjoy an empty flat. I’m also planning on going to the National Gallery for an hour or two to look at some art. I enjoyed it when I went with my art class, but I want to be able to walk around without any time limit.
Until Next Time,
Jefe

PS I stage doored last night and got pictures with the leads. Those pictures are on here and on Facebook.