Customer Reviews

Love Never Dies

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Twenty years after the original smash-hit "Phantom of the Opera" (which knocked "Cats" off it's scratching post in 2006 as the longest-running musical in Broadway history), Andrew Lloyd Webber has finally come through with the long-awaited sequel, LOVE NEVER DIES.

LOVE NEVER DIES picks up the story ten years after the events of the original "Phantom". Following his mysterious disappearance in the underground lair, the Phantom was quickly spirited away to America by Madame Giry and her daughter Meg; and has now established himself as the most successful, albeit mysterious, impresario of New York's bustling Coney Island fairground. For his latest venture at "Phantasma", the Phantom--using the new alias of Mr Y.--finally manages to lure his beloved opera singer Christine Daaé, her husband Raoul and their young son Gustave, to perform in America for the first time...and the scene looks set for a dramatic confrontation...

Andrew Lloyd Webber hasn't had a hit new musical in years ("The Beautiful Game" was a forgettable mess, and "The Woman in White" failed spectacularly on Broadway despite a respectable, two-year London run); so the stakes were high for Lloyd Webber to extend the story for his most successful, beloved and most personal work. Does it succeed? Well, yes and no. Ben Elton's plot (loosely adapted from Frederick Forsyth's "Phantom of Manhattan") has enraged longtime "Phans", who have denounced it as nothing more than illogical, worst case-scenario fan-fiction, the characters bear little resemblance to how they were seen or portrayed in the original "Phantom"; and the score swings, almost wildly in places, from inspired to mundane.

Despite it all, though, Andrew Lloyd Webber has beautifully furnished the world premiere cast of his LOVE NEVER DIES with two performers who have also played their roles in productions of the original "Phantom". Ramin Karimloo is a particularly romantic Phantom with a voice direct from heaven; Sierra Boggess--who most recently originated the title role in Broadway's "The Little Mermaid"--is delightful as Christine. If there is one thing that slightly worries me about Karimloo and Boggess, it is the issue of their relative youth, which definitely plays against the reality of their characters being ten years older! As such, it would have been a dream come true to see Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman back in their trademark roles, but in light of the incredibly demanding score (and indeed, Brightman's reluctance to re-enter the musical theatre scene), I understand completely why this was perhaps never even possible in the first place.

All of the characters make quite dramatic transformations in LOVE NEVER DIES, but perhaps the biggest is Raoul. Ten years after winning the hand of Christine, Raoul (played by Joseph Millson) is now an embittered, drunken mess, resentful of Christine and Gustave, still haunted by his past battles with the Phantom (and, to top it all off, suspicious of Gustave's true parentage!). A far cry from the bright-eyed lad who once professed his undying love to Christine on the Paris Opera rooftop by singing "All I Ask of You". Summer Strallen is Meg, who has given up ballet to become the Phantom's headlining "Ooh-La-La Girl"; and Sally Dexter plays the ever-mysterious Madame Giry.

The best numbers in the show are those that Andrew Lloyd Webber wisely used in the official LOVE NEVER DIES press launch, namely "The Coney Island Waltz" (an eerie melody with shades of "Sunset Boulevard" in it's opening strains), and the Phantom's soaring ballad "'Til I Hear You Sing". Raoul and the Phantom's "Devil Take the Hindmost" duet harks back to their stormy vocal tauntings in the original "Phantom" score. The title song ("Love Never Dies", sung by Christine at the climax of the second act) is merely a re-tread of a piece that ALW previously slotted into "The Beautiful Game", entitled "Our Kind of Love", but apparently it always meant for the eventual Phantom sequel, according to the composer at least. Glenn Slater's lyrics serve their purpose.

The storyline will forever shatter the romantic dreams of diehard "Phans", the score is brilliant in some places but sketchy in others, and the overall tone of the piece wildly shifts during the course of events. It's never going to achieve the same level of success or adoration as the original "Phantom", let alone threat it's position as the longest-running musical Broadway has ever seen, but it's fine footnote if nothing else.

"The Phantom of the Opera" is a musical that holds a special place in my heart. It was my first introduction to musical theater, so I am of course biased. Andrew Lloyd Webber has revisited his most famous musical and created an interesting sequel.

The sequel takes place ten years after the events of the first musical. The show is set in New York on Coney Island. Mr. Y, an aloof masked man, owns Phantasma, the most famous amusement park around. Mr. Y is actually "The Phantom." He has been spirited away from Paris by Madam Giry and her daughter, Meg. The Phantom engages his love, Christine Daae, to sing at a performance given at the park. He longs to hear her "sing once more." Christine comes with her husband Raoul and her ten-year-old son, Gustav. What follows is a plot of surprising revelations and a climactic and unexpected conclusion.

The cast on this album is excellent! Ramin Koomiloo has a soaring voice that brought me to tears. I would love to hear his rendition of songs from the original Phantom show. Sierra Boggis is a superb Christine. Her voice is gentle and soaring. The other cast members are equally good, particularly the boy that portrays Gustav.

So, why only 3 stars? I simply think the story is implausible. The characters are more developed in this sequel, which is a good point. However, their roles seem so reversed as to be unbelievable. I am referring particularly to the character of Raoul, who has undergone a complete turnaround. He is a vastly different man from the one who sang "All I Ask of You". However, his song, "Why Does She Love Me?" redeems him somewhat. The Phantom is now kind and none of his inegmatic and dangerous personality seems to remain. Christine is still kind, but I miss her original innocent spirit. I suppose we must all grow up. I cannot say much more without revealing crucial points of the plot, but I will say that Meg Giry is excellently developed. I love the twist that Webber incorporates with this character.

The songs on this recording are good. They do not have the memorability of the first show, but they do stand on their own. I appreciate that Webber did not merely rehash old songs, although I question why "Music of the Night" was not alluded too. I particularly enjoyed: "Only for Him," "Till I Hear You Sing," "Bathing Beauty," "Once Upon Another Time," "The Beauty Underneath," "Devil Take the Hindmost," and "Love Never Dies." I think fans of the original show will enjoy this one simply because questions will be answered, but I do not think the original will ever be surpassed. Anyway, happy listening, and God bless.

l have been listening to the cd so much i am going to see the stage show for the fourth time.

Undoubtedly some of the best music you will ever hear right next to Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom. Ten years after The Phantom of the Opera you will see what has happened to all the main characters. You will be mesmorized by the music, hanging on everyword and holding your breath to the end as if you were watching it live in London or Melbourne.

First of all, I'd like to say right up front that I am a tremendous admirer of Andrew Lloyd Webber. I am not one of those people who write reviews only to bash him and denounce his life's work as unsubstanciated trash; nor am I one of those manic "Phans" who are all torch-and-pitchfork for any attempt at a sequel that comes rolling their way. I'm simply a fan of both him and his previous works who was highly disappointed.

When I first found out there was going to be a sequel to "Phantom", I hoped Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford would come back to repise their roles. After listening to this album, I am so glad they didn't. I was sorely let down by the quality of "Love Never Dies", and taking part in it would have only brought them down in my own estimation.

I had heard alternately positive and negative reviews for this show; being a big fan of the original, I was a little curious about this, though leery of the setting at Coney Island. After some deliberation, I decided to just go ahead and take a listen. My fears were justified.

Love Never Dies is a tremendous monstrosity. Set in 1907, ten years after the events of the "Phantom of the Opera" (Time discrepancy anyone? I thought the original took place in 1881. Hmm...), and set in New York, or more specifically, Coney Island, of all places, the Phantom has built himself up as an innovator for the freak-shows and attractions at the park. Calling himself Mr. Y, he devises a plan to lure Christine from Paris to sing. To make a long story short, she arrives, tragedy ensues, and the whole thing ends just as abysmally as it starts.

The plot is ridiculously kitsch and predictable. You needn't even have to see it live to know what direction it's going to take, and even then it is beyond unbearable. Even the title itself is deplorable, for SPOILER HERE: one of the principle characters is "done away with", for lack of another phrase, in a rather merciless and unnecessary manner, proving that love does indeed die (I hope I didn't give away too much). Lust never dies would be a far more fitting moniker. What should be a celebration of the strength of love and its ability to persevere through any circumstance is instead reduced to a wake, displaying in vivid color the irrevocable tragedy caused by it and the destructive effect it has upon people's lives.

As a word of note to fans of the original, I would like to point out how far removed and very different from "Phantom" this is; much too different. Andrew Lloyd Webber freely admitted that this was going to be a completely separate work, and in case it doesn't meet your expectations (it REALLY failed to meet mine), he at least met that one.

In case you're wondering, don't go looking for any continuation musically. There is no romantic lullaby like "Music of the Night" or a beautiful, longing ballad like "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again". Instead, those greats have been replaced by songs like "The Beauty Underneath", a weird, pounding, rock-stomp, or "Beneath a Moonless Sky" which left me feeling sick to my stomach. We all knew ALW was secretly bursting to include more rock in POTO. In LND he's gotten his chance, and boy, did he go all out.

Even character-wise, nothing is the same. The characters are desecrated and made largely one-dimensional, with enough problems to fill an entire season of "As the World Turns". All of the beautiful characterization that was put into the Phantom himself is done away with for LND. I never though Ramin Karimloo made a very good Phantom, and, unfortunately, it seems the revised character was written around his lackluster portrayal. The Phantom is made very uninteresting. He has no style, no grace, no nobility, and no personality. He's little more than a shadow of his former self. He's no longer a genius, but a freak-show sell-out, everything he aspired not to be in both Leroux's novel and the original play--heck, he isn't even scary!

The rest of the cast is also changed considerably. Meg (little Meg Giry!), has seriously gone to the dark side in her role as the lead "Ooh-la-la girl", a group of seriously underdressed showgirls. For supposedly being French, she comes off too brash and brassy, and not at all the sweet little member of the corps de ballet. Christine is too flat and boring, and doesn't have any of the really sweet, innocent qualities she used to that made her such a compelling character. Oh, and to top it all off, Raoul is a bitter, gambling drunkard, totally lacking in sympathy and warmth. What a group of winners. None of them are in any way appealing; there is far too much anger running through them, enough that it makes you, as the listener, uncomfortable. It really left me wondering,"What was anyone thinking?" or more probably, "Were they thinking?". And the resounding answer to that question is No.

What really tore me up emotionally was the lack of sympathy and honest devotion between the Phantom and Christine. Their first meeting, for instance, which should have been a sweet homage to their parting at the end of POTO is nothing more than a gruff confrontation, ending in a sickening duet showcasing an overabundance of bawdiness. The only touching emotional conflict in the whole show is that the Phantom hasn't written any decent music since Christine left him, and has instead produced cheap side-show jingles. A nice tribute, but it leaves me to wonder, did he write the music for LND too?

Concerning the music, Andrew Lloyd Webber has really lost his touch here. The entire score feels like it was written by someone else. Grating, disturbing, and for all intents and purposes Tim-Burton-esque, it is slow-moving and nowhere near the caliber of any of his other work. It doesn't leave you feeling uplifted, but drained and unsettled instead. There is nothing pretty or romantic about it. It has has none of the sweeping, grandiose melodies of POTO, and if you didn't know any better, you could easily pass this off as a very poor imitation of a usually good composer.

The songs here aren't even sappy. They're just bad. I actually had to stop and walk away from listening for a while before I got through it, they are just that terrible. They sound like cheap, third-rate songs tossed hap-hazardly into your average third-rate American musical. There is all flash and no substance, and what a weak flash it is, too. The lyrics are clunky and cumbersome, and if they weren't so utterly ridiculous, maybe you'd be able to focus on some of the better points of the score itself. There's hardly a tune out of the whole lot I can remember enough to hum or would even care to. None of them are memorable and certainly will not be ones that are still popular some 20-odd years later. The only exception is the title song "Love Never Dies", which is very beautiful and classic, a real show-stopper; but is sadly the one and only, and is nothing more than an ominous portent when taken in context with the show.

All of the gorgeous operatic sensibilities that made the original Phantom stand out have been uprooted seemingly for the sake of appeasing those who objected to "too much Opera". Excuse me? It was set inside an Opera house, written by a man who was an opera critic, and has the very word displayed quite blatantly in the title.

As a major fan of POTO I admit to have listened to the original album more times than I can count. I certainly couldn't stand to listen to this album more than once without my head exploding or my eardrums bursting from the overwhelming shrillness of each piece, coupled with the overly-repetetive introduction of electric guitars. The cast as singers are only annoying and seem perfectly content with their terrible habit of over-acting and under-singing lines, which is only magnified by what dribble the material is that they have to work with.

The score by itself certainly has some merit, but with different lyrics and better story I can see working, ideally, in another show, one totally unrelated to "Phantom"

Those who are more familiar than I am with Webber's earlier works will probably deem this classic ALW; edgy, slightly irreverent, and definitely different than anything else standing in musical theatre; but for something as a follow-up to a show based in an opera house, that style just doesn't fit.

In few words, Love Never Dies is a chaotic, unexciting spectacle (and I mean spectacle in a bad way). It certainly has no makings for being a theatre classic, nor a timeless masterpiece. It doesn't have the nostalgic feel of "Phantom of the Opera", nor the sense of tension or anticipation that was so apparent throughout all of the score. The dismal choice of setting is so completely unsuited to the core subject, it's hard to even believe anyone gave it the green light. I completely understand that ALW aimed to be different, but honestly, when you're dealing with a sequel, shouldn't it at least be a little cohesive to where you started from?

I really blame Mr. Webber for his choice of Glenn Slater as lyricist and Fredrick Forsyth's novel as source material. Don't get me wrong; I think Mr. Webber is a gifted composer who has produced some of the best theater works in the last forty years, nearly all of which have been received as world-renowned smash-hits; but I personally don't see this as one of his best. The stinker lyrics and bad choice of source material bring it all down. I honestly believe he would have done much better if he had tried to come up with a story himself, rather than depend on the atrocious sell-out "Phantom of Manhattan" is.

In tone, the show is far too dark and depressing. There is no mystery and absolutely no magic; humor is nonexistent. The romance and wonder is gone, only to be replaced by a drawn-out nightmarish bore. It has none of the poignancy and brilliance of the original, and doesn't carry over well as a continuation of the original story. Honestly, it reminded me of the Joel Schumacher movie adaptation of "Phantom": bad acting, bad orchestration, so-so singers, and enough grit to sandpaper superglue off a wall. Those who enjoy bodice-busting tales of carnage might like this one, but for those of us who liked the Phantom the way he was, beware.

To quote the Phantom himself (not Karimloo's Phantom, but his earlier incarnations), Love Never Dies is a "lamentable mess", to put it kindly, and if you are a fan of the original you'll avoid this one. I sure wish I had.

In a word, I love this musical - that's four words, I cheated. Can't wait to see the theater production but based on the soundtrack and a few youtube videos I expect to love it in theater even more.

Those who read reviews will notice that this musical got savaged by the critics - it's okay, that's their job. And one can understand why some folks are not pleased. Some of the old, beloved, revered characters from Phantom come to bad ends. Without putting too fine a point on it this story is a tragedy. Remember tragedies? Shakespeare wrote about 10 of them and they still get read & performed. But some modern critics seem to think they're illegal in this century.

If you like Lloyd Webber music I don't see how you couldn't like the music in Love Never Dies. The music is lovely and mezmerizing. The story is brilliant in my opinion. Tragic, but brilliant. For my part, I've little patience for those who complain that the story is implausable or that the characters behave out-of-character - nonsense.

Phans looking for a rerun of Phantom shouldn't bother with LND. If you expect that the characters have remained frozen in time you'll be disappointed. If you demand a story that's plausable LND is every bit as plausable as Phantom even though in real life & on stage love often dies. I think the musical is faithful to the personalities & motivations of the characters. If you're up for superlative Lloyd Webber music, masterful telling of a well though out, albeit tragic, story you may like Love Never Dies.

My family just returned from London where we saw Love Never Dies at the Adelphi. I had heard the cd before seeing the show and was impressed with both. My wife and teenage son and daughter had not heard the cd before seeing the show, but they also really enjoyed it. The cast is excellent, the visuals are really beautiful and we found the story quite interesting. When Sierra Boggess sings the title tune near the end of the play you are blown away - amazing voice. Highly recommended.

Excellent in every way. I know some of the critics of the play in London have not given it great reviews, but I have seen and listened to the Phantom over the past 15 years and this couldn't have been a better sequel to it. The songs are haunting and magnificent.

Judging from this cast recording, Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Love Never Dies" is a solid sequel to the composer's blockbuster, "The Phantom of the Opera."

The show is a risky proposition that could have been a disaster, and indeed the critics have not weighed in as of this writing, but whatever the fate of "Love Never Dies," I don't think anyone can accuse the composer of simply trying to cash in on his biggest success. This is an effective score in Lloyd Webber's "Phantom"-"Woman in White"- gothic melodrama mode-- a genre in which he obviously excels. The lush melodies are here, as they always are, but what really impressed me is that the plot (book by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Ben Elton, and Glenn Slater; lyrics by Slater) is surprisingly well constructed, with sharper characterizations of the main players from "Phantom"--The Phantom, Christine, Raoul, Madame Giry, and Meg (The only major addition is Christine's and Raoul's son Gustave.).

The action takes place ten years after "Phantom" on Coney Island, which turns out to be an inspired choice of setting, allowing the composer to have fun with the amusement park atmosphere (lots of varied and swirling, often thrilling, melodies) while also giving us a logical place for the Phantom to have settled-- among the other freaks in this funhouse world. Madame and Meg Giry have managed to help the Phantom escape Paris and the three have settled in America (Meg has been singing cheesy vaudeville songs at the resort.). Eventually, Christine arrives with Raoul and their son for a performance. Raoul has turned into a bit of a drunk and a gambler (Christine takes the gig to help settle his debts). Of course, the Phantom, still pining for her, has arranged Christine's concert in secret.

The plot develops at a steady, if somewhat slow, pace and I cannot really imagine a better follow-up for these characters. They were not particularly well developed in the original (as Lloyd Webber has stated), so this is a worthy attempt to add more purpose to the characters. The music is memorable, and does not simply rehash the earlier show. There are little moments of the "Phantom" score well placed in certain spots, but these are very few. The music manages to recall its predecessor by matching its tone and style, without merely copying it. (Careful listeners will notice that part of "Our Kind of Love" from "The Beautiful Game" is used in the title tune here. Lloyd Webber has acknowledged this and stated that he always intended to use it in a Phantom sequel, and was unhappy with it in "Beautiful Game," and has since replaced it. Good enough for me.)

My one major complaint about the recording is the casting. Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom and Sierra Boggess as Christine, are fine singers, but they are not distinctive in the way Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman were on the original. The cast feels a little too ordinary, and the acting can come across a bit stilted. I hope they show a bit more personality on stage.

Like most Lloyd Webber recordings, this is a nearly complete recording, with well over two hours of music. I think other "Phantom" fans will be pleased.

Andrew Lloyd Webber has taken advantage of his brilliant success, the enduring PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and has created a sequel LOVE NEVER DIES. Having never seen the stage production may be a disadvantage to appreciating this CD set of the music - there was so mach magic in the special effects of the original PHANTOM that helped it soar. This 'sequel' takes place on Coney Island and most of the characters from the Parisian theater story have followed the Phantom across the Atlantic. The story behind the play sounds interesting but it probably is best seen first.

The glory of this music is the continuing fine composing of Andrew Lloyd Webber. The songs still soar, the comedy still dances, the emotions again are airborne. Much of this is due to the performance of the strikingly handsome Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom, the Iranian-born Canadian singer/actor who has been performing the original Phantom for years now. He voice is very big, very wide in range and very beautiful. He makes 'Till I Hear You Sing' the show stopper. The pivotal role of Christine is in the sure hands of the excellent Sierra Boggess, Joseph Millson sings Raoul, Liz Robertson inhabits the role of Madame Giry and Summer Strallen sings Meg Giry. The orchestra and chorus are first rate and are recorded with a fine sense of presence. One wonders if LOVE NEVER DIES will become as popular as the PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, but with a cast this fine and with a throng of Phantom lovers, the chances are very good that it will make it to our stages soon. As a recording of beautiful music this set will satisfy lovers of musical theater. Grady Harp, February 11