My Review of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s: Love Never Dies

            The film Love Never Dies finds the characters of the Phantom of the Opera ten years later, against the backdrop of Coney Island, New York. Carnival lights, clowns, broken roller coasters, and fallen signboards set the atmosphere as viewers witness the bizarre and Gothic macabre that is the Phantoms Aerie. Christine Daée, now an accomplished Prima Donna, returns to the story by way of Australian born Soprano Sarah O’Byrne whose voice successfully encompasses the role of the original character audiences remembered her by at the end of Phantom. O’Byrne’s character finds herself on the other side of the Atlantic with her husband Raoul, played by Simon Gleeson, and their ten year old son Gustave, played beautifully by Kurtis Papadinis. Christine is once more lured into the Phantom’s hands, portrayed by accomplished baritone Ben Lewis.

Love never dies is a beautiful new piece by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber that stands more as a musical of its own than it does the sequel to Webber’s 1986 hit Phantom of the Opera. The musical portrays distinct aspects of each character and focuses on the alter-egos of the original characters from the original show. The setting is no longer a nightmarish opera house but instead an outlandish replica of New York’s Coney Isle. Unlike many sequels, Webber successfully avoids mooching off of his previous work and instead develops new themes, new settings, and in a sense, new characters. Love never dies has entirely new music; however, Webber cleverly and meticulously articulates segue and major musical interludes from his original work such as opening chords to the overture and hints of Twisted Every Way and Think of Me, into this new work that both Phantom “Phans” and laypersons can easily recognize and enjoy.

Dissimilar to its predecessor, this sequel does not draw deep emotions nor does it achieve the sense of peril, awe, mystery, and sadness from its audience. Nonetheless it contains worthwhile new insight into a potential ending to the story of the Phantom and satisfies the need for an ending for those who despise cliffhangers. This new work lacks the thrill, pyrotechnics, and illusory props of the Phantom: there are no crashing, plunging chandeliers on fire, foggy boat rides on fantastical underwater caverns are also not employed in this new work, flaming staffs that spew fire are apparently passé and floating candelabras on wires are replaced with well-stabilized carnival lights.

Although Love Never Dies can never attain the popularity and level of admiration that Phantom of the opera did, it is a beautiful well thought out production worth the watch. Sublime duets, lovely choreography, breathtaking costumes, and extravagant arias are only a few features this show has to offer. Finally, the show concludes with bang that is to say, a highly unexpected ending that is both tragic and triumphant.