LOVE NEVER DIES - US Tour

[chernjam]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 12:20pm

So now it's really, really official :  https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Breaking-LOVE-NEVER-DIES-Announces-2017-18-Touring-Engagements-20170523 

[carolinaguy]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 12:22pm

Is the timing of this announcement customary? The October engagement at my local performing arts center was announced with their season package months ago, as I'm sure it was at many others.

[Willie4316]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 12:25pm

Since this show has had multiple announcements of playing in different areas, perhaps confirm the stops so as to not make another announcement that falls through? 

[Theatricality]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 12:40pm

This show is teching in my hometown of Utica, NY at the Stanley Theatre with 4 performances at the end of September 2017

Updated On: 5/23/17 at 12:40 PM

[chernjam]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 12:54pm

That's interesting that there was leaks, announcements of stops - and I don't recall a "preview" stop.  

Curious since they're already booking into 2019 if there's any plans to take it to NY?  I notice that Philly wasn't a stop - so it seems they're keeping it at about a 3-4 hour out of NYC area radius (I might try to go to Baltimore to see it)

[Willie4316]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 1:04pm

I imagine it is an end goal. I'd say it all depends on how well the tour does in terms of finances and audience reception. 

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 1:05pm

Very strange that they're acting like this is brand new information. It was announced as part of Buffalo's season almost two months ago.

[Lot666]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 1:15pm

The photograph accompanying the article is interesting. I saw the London production three times with Boggess/Karimloo and I own the Australian DVD with Lewis/O'Byrne, and the Phantom/Christine in the photograph don't look 100% like either of them to me. Rather, the picture looks to me like it was retouched to suggest the previous performers while also appearing generic. There are elements of Ms. Boggess face there, but it doesn't look completely like her to me. Am I imagining this?

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 1:16pm

Yeah, I remember the announcement of the Chicago dates a couple of months ago.  A BWW article is generally sort of the opposite of "official".

[Willie4316]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 1:19pm

Lot666 said: "The photograph accompanying the article is interesting. I saw the London production three times with Boggess/Karimloo and I own the Australian DVD with Lewis/O'Byrne, and the Phantom/Christine in the photograph don't look 100% like either of them to me. Rather, the picture looks to me like it was retouched to suggest the previous performers while also appearing generic. There are elements of Ms. Boggess face there, but it doesn't look completely like her to me. Am I imagining this?"

I believe that might be the German cast. 

[Lot666]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 1:27pm

Willie4316 said: "I believe that might be the German cast."

Ah, didn't think of that! Do you know who played the roles there? I did a quick Google and didn't come up with anything.

[chernjam]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 1:31pm

Lot666 said: "Willie4316 said: "I believe that might be the German cast."

Ah, didn't think of that! Do you know who played the roles there? I did a quick Google and didn't come up with anything.

"

Good eyes on both of you... I actually thought it was the Australian cast pic.

Here's hoping that it does make a Broadway debut with Sierra and Ramin.  I know that Ramin seemed to say he wouldn't play Phantom again, but Sierra had expressed interest in taking this to Broadway an perhaps she could coax Ramin.  Would be cool since they were there from the early workshops to see them in this new production...

[Willie4316]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 1:41pm

Lot666 said: "Willie4316 said: "I believe that might be the German cast."

Ah, didn't think of that! Do you know who played the roles there? I did a quick Google and didn't come up with anything."

Rachel Anne Moore and Jazmin Gorsline alternated playing Christine. Mathias Edenborn and Gardar Thor Cortes alternated playing the Phantom. Videos and audios can be found on YouTube under the German title for the show 'Liebe Stirbt Nie"

Updated On: 5/23/17 at 01:41 PM

[Willie4316]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 1:43pm

chernjam said: "Lot666 said: "Willie4316 said: "I believe that might be the German cast."

Ah, didn't think of that! Do you know who played the roles there? I did a quick Google and didn't come up with anything."

Good eyes on both of you... I actually thought it was the Australian cast pic.

Here's hoping that it does make a Broadway debut with Sierra and Ramin.  I know that Ramin seemed to say he wouldn't play Phantom again, but Sierra had expressed interest in taking this to Broadway an perhaps she could coax Ramin.  Would be cool since they were there from the early workshops to see them in this new production..."

Took me a while to realize it, but it seems that most if not all advertisment for LND is using videos and photos from the German production. 

I could picture Sierra coming back to it, but Ramin I think might be a bit of a stretch.

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 2:11pm

[castlestreet]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 2:46pm

I'm going to try and see this in Buffalo-loved the Australian production on Blu-Ray!

[PatrickDC]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 3:16pm

Surprised it's not stopping in San Phrancisco. San Jose, yes is nearby, but Phantom has quite a history here where the sit-down production ran for phive years. 

LOL ... yeah, I admit to being a Phan. At least I was, not so much anymore, and after seeing the Australian DVD have no interest in Love Never Dies. I wouldn't mind seeing the Vegas Spectacular of the original show again...that was great. 

[trpguyy]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 3:20pm

This is definitely not news. In addition to it having already been announced in several theaters' subscription series, it's been listed on Troika's website  for the better part of a year, with a link to the production's website and the text "National Tour Launches Fall 2017"

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 3:55pm

I saw it in London and Australia definitely improved on the staging, but the book is still laughably awful and that horrible song, The Beauty Underneath, still hadn't been cut.  I get that he so desperately wants to mirror the title song from Phantom, which is trite enough in of itself, but The Beauty Underneath is terrible in every way.  The attempt to blatantly Xerox his previous score only makes it worse.  The only bigger mistake in Australia than cutting or replacing that number was moving Till I Hear You Sing to the top of the show.  It undercuts the entire first act for no other reason than the producers believing they had to appease the "phans".  

[RippedMan]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 4:50pm

I agree. I think the opening is so "eh" now with that song leading. It should be an Act 1 closer. It's not an opening song.

[chernjam]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 6:01pm

Mister Matt said: "I saw it in London and Australia definitely improved on the staging, but the book is still laughably awful and that horrible song, The Beauty Underneath, still hadn't been cut.  I get that he so desperately wants to mirror the title song from Phantom, which is trite enough in of itself, but The Beauty Underneath is terrible in every way.  The attempt to blatantly Xerox his previous score only makes it worse.  The only bigger mistake in Australia than cutting or replacing that number was moving Till I Hear You Sing to the top of the show.  It undercuts the entire first act for no other reason than the producers believing they had to appease the "phans".  

"

Interesting point... When they first moved Till I Heard you sing  I thought it made sense to make that connection for people. Bridging the original with this now acknowledged sequel (remember initially we were supposed to pretend it wasn't a sequel) But with the new production, the coney Island opening was strong enough on its own that they probably could leave TIHYS to it's original spot?  

The Beauty Underneath in the australian production seemed better than London to me...  Not sure I liked the revisions they made in Germany to that number...

My only other quibble is that you have "Beneath a moonlight sky" and "Once upon another time" back to back.  They're both very powerful duets that get kind of lost in that one long block...

 

In any event, I'm happy to see this launch.  I do enjoy the score and am curious if ALW/Slater decide to make further story edits as they were discussing when the DVD was first released.

[Steve C.]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 6:27pm

Fyi, for Love Never Dies, the Hippodrome in Baltimore is super steep; they renovated it mostly nicely but it's so tall. I wonder how much projection is going into this production. Hippo is tough unless you box. 

They should have booked it at the Modell Lyric; that theater has just super renovated and built a whole new backstage, now able to book larger and complex productions. My husband has worked both theaters and everyone is thrilled the Lyric turned out well.

also, John Waters' Cecil B.Demented was shot in the Hippodrome while it was still vacant before renovations.

I didn't see casting yet?

[trpguyy]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 7:30pm

Steve C. said: "I didn't see casting yet?"

Casting typically isn't announced until 1-2 months before opening. We shouldn't expect to see any casting news until August.

[MCfan2]

Posted: 5/23/17 at 10:32pm

Can't believe ALW keeps trying to polish this turd, pardon the expression. All the revisions in the world can't save a fundamentally flawed story. It's his time and money to waste, I suppose, but in his shoes I'd cut my losses and try coming up with a new and better project.

[chernjam]

Posted: 5/24/17 at 12:33am

MCfan2 said: "Can't believe ALW keeps trying to polish this turd, pardon the expression. All the revisions in the world can't save a fundamentally flawed story. It's his time and money to waste, I suppose, but in his shoes I'd cut my losses and try coming up with a new and better project.

"

Well considering how well it did in Australia, Germany, Japan and on DVD-bluray release,it doesn't seem like a waste of money or that the entire theatre going world agrees with your assessment.