"Tony Award-winning director Jack O'Brien — whose most recent Tony was for his direction of the Tom Stoppard trilogy, The Coast of Utopia — has found his latest stage project.
London's Daily Mail reports that O'Brien will direct the sequel to Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. According to previous reports, the sequel is titled Phantom in Manhattan and is based on Frederick Forsyth's novel "The Phantom of Manhattan."
The London paper says much of the music for the sequel has been written, although the book and the lyrics are proving more difficult. Ben Elton, who collaborated with Lloyd Webber on The Beautiful Game, had worked on the show, but the results were less than satisfying. Now, novelist Forsyth is back working on the book.
The creative team will also include Tony-winning designer Bob Crowley, who worked with O'Brien on Coast of Utopia. The show will most likely be mounted in 2009..."
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/113725.html
(best Maria voice) Let it not be true!
NIGHTMARE ON BROADWAY!
In the name of God and all that is holy, stop this now.
I am torn....I hate Phantom and Webber...but I LOVE O'Brien and Crowley (I'll forgive him for Tarzan).
Akiva
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/20/05
God have mercy on us poor sinners and let that not be!
I thought the cat ate the music to this. I just do not see this going well at all.
Well now it may at least be a spectacular disaster instead of just a disaster.
Akiva,
I am with you 100%.
LOVE Jack!
Is Bob going to make everything round?
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/05
Oh no...

Unholy! Unholy!
This excites me in a big way. Jack O'Brien is pretty much the new Hal Prince, and if anyone can make gold out of Lloyd Webber starch, he can.
If Lloyd Webber was bored, why couldn't he have taken up racquetball or something?
I think that when his cat destroyed the original draft of the score, it was a sign from God...
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/23/06
2nd thing to make me mad at Jack in as many days. Poo.
I agree with you guys...
PHantomBuster- that's soo hilarious ! and Cape- your photo said it all !!! LOL !
J*
Updated On: 12/21/07 at 03:07 PM
I never thought this was actually going to happen... Please someone stop this now!
and Where's Lloyd Weber's cat ?
Updated On: 12/21/07 at 03:16 PM
This is a joke, right?
Didn't he learn anything from his cat?
I can't believe this is real. But if Jack is into it, I have to think it might be OK. . However, if the book and lyrics aren't even close to being finished, how could he know?
They have to know that this is going to be underestimated before it even starts.
"I thought the cat ate the music to this. I just do not see this going well at all. "
Hahahahaha, that's actually wrong..."Lloyd Webber's cat deleted the music to The Phantom of Manhattan, when it jumped onto a new, high-tech keyboard that Lloyd Webber had had trouble with."
hahahahhahahah I actually think it's rather comical.
Broadway Star Joined: 7/26/07
Do people ever learn?
Bring Back Birdie-4 performances
Annie 2: Miss Hannigans Revenge-Closed on the road
The Phantom of Manhattan-? performances
Follow the pattern
"Didn't he learn anything from his cat? "
Or from 'Cats'?
Phantom of Disaster in Manhattan!
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