Phantom Sequel

[Fan2]

Posted: 12/28/08 at 7:07pm

Summary:

***

Entitled Phantom: Love Never Dies it will receive its premiere at the end of next year and will make theatrical history if, as Lloyd Webber intends, it opens in three main cities at the same time. Lloyd Webber hopes that it will show in the West End of London, on Broadway in New York and in one, as yet undecided, Asian city, possibly Shanghai. He said: "I don't think you could do this if it wasn't the sequel to Phantom ... We've been into the feasibility of rehearsing three companies at once and opening very fast in the three territories. The one which really interests me (in the Far East) would be China ... I think to open Love Never Dies in Shanghai would be an enormous thing."

The sequel will be set a decade or so after the first instalment, during which time the Phantom has relocated from the Paris Opera of Gaston Leroux's original novel to Coney Island in Brooklyn, then still a hugely popular beach-side amusement resort for New Yorkers. "It was the place," said Lloyd Webber. "Even Freud went because it was so extraordinary ... people who were freaks and oddities were drawn towards it because it was a place where they could be themselves."

The Phantom will be reunited with Christine, the "Swedish soprano", first played by Lloyd Webber's wife at the time, Sarah Brightman. The production has yet to be cast but he said: "We are pretty clear who our Phantom is going to be - I can't say who."

Possible candidates include Gerard Butler, who played the part in Joel Schumacher's 2004 film adaption, and Hugh Jackman, the star of Baz Luhrmann's film Australia, whose stage CV includes Sunset Boulevard, Oklahoma! and The Boy from Oz, for which he won Best Actor in a musical Tony Award. Jack O'Brien, who has had successes with The Full Monty and Hairspray, will direct the production. The sets will be designed by Bob Crowley, who has won five Tony awards and whose credits include Sir Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins.

Phantom: Love Never Dies

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 12/28/08 at 7:13pm

Sounds great!




*Edit for Blaxx*

Updated On: 12/28/08 at 07:13 PM

[jo]

Posted: 12/28/08 at 7:23pm

Part of the full article --

>>>the Phantom of the Opera has stalked the stage before 80 million theatregoers in 124 cities around the world - and spirited away more than $US5 billion at the box office.<<<

Which does not include all the albums and all the merchandise it has sold.

ALW probably never imagined that his musical tale of the dark knight on stage would spawn such a global success!

[Marie Christine2]

Posted: 12/28/08 at 7:24pm

Destined to join the ranks of Bring Back Birdie and Annie 2:Miss Hannigan's Revenge.

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 12/28/08 at 7:26pm

So this:

I've written a prologue to the piece in which Bob is going to create Coney Island in front of everyone's eyes."

will be the Big Effect of the piece, I guess.

Possible candidates include Gerard Butler-

...

REALLY?

Believe it or not, I'm actually a fan of his portrayal in the movie.

But... come on.

[alterego]

Posted: 12/28/08 at 7:50pm

One wasn't bad enough?

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 12/28/08 at 7:57pm

Gerry Butler was not a great singer in the film-- not as bad as I thought, and I did really like his portrayal of the role acting-wise- but his voice just was not even remotely close to the standard of someone who could be Christine's voice teacher. In the film, his voice was edited. Onstage, it would be even weaker and less on-pitch.

I'm pretty sure whoever said Gerry Butler in the article was just speculating and that this wasn't out of ALW's mouth. But if it was... YEESH.

[blaxx]

Posted: 12/28/08 at 8:00pm

Diva - I get your point, but, any other image that is less graphic, pretty please?

[rjjn]

Posted: 12/28/08 at 10:47pm

Hugh Jackman...? I can't really see that.

[insertclevernamehere]

Posted: 12/28/08 at 10:53pm

I don't think they could get a big star to do this show

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 12/28/08 at 10:58pm

He better keep this new draft away from Otto.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/108816.html

[SDav 10495]

Posted: 12/28/08 at 11:08pm

He better keep this new draft away from Otto.

Actually, I hope that wonderful cat never leaves his side for a moment...all the more opportunity for the score to be lost again.

As a big fan of the original (as unfashionable as it is to be one), I must say my only hope for this show is that it can't possibly be worse than my abysmally low expectations. But that's not really saying a lot.

[blaxx]

Posted: 12/28/08 at 11:37pm

Thanks, love.

[Mekroth]

Posted: 12/29/08 at 12:04am

Destined to join the ranks of Bring Back Birdie and Annie 2:Miss Hannigan's Revenge.

One can only hope.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 12/29/08 at 12:12am

This is so...frustrating....to read about.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 12/29/08 at 12:17am

I hear the cat was a personal gift from Stephen Sondheim.

[JasonM12480]

Posted: 12/29/08 at 12:17am

Folks, I hate to bust your bubble, but whatever Lloyd Webber touches usually turns to gold. Or at least some nice silver.

The equation for a hit is already in place, no matter what he does, as the original show/music/story is already a world-wide proven hit. People will flock to see where the story goes. The characters are already in people's minds and hearts. The formula exists. It's called "musical in a can" - just add water, a creative team and cast, and VOILA! Instant smash.

Am I particularly thrilled with the idea? No. I'm a huge Phantom fan. Leave well enough alone. But that's not up to any of us to say. I can only hope he doesn't cast Mr. Butler, who was so terrible in the film (No, he cannot sing - can carry a tune, yes - but he did nothing for the film and franchise). He'd be better off casting Jackman (still not completely right), or one of the other tried and true "Phantoms", such as Hugh Panaro, Brent Barrett, or Howard McGillan.

The vomit negativity, though, is a bit much. lol; Keep that inside next time :)

[bwaybabe2]

Posted: 12/29/08 at 12:35am

...I thought the ending on this one had full closure...?
Sequel = not a good idea.
Keep the original, and "revive" it a few years later, they'll get an audience...

[DooWahDiddy]

Posted: 12/29/08 at 12:35am

Actually, Otto was killed in a suspicious "accident" a month after he inadvertently erased Lloyd Webber's score. Seems pretty convenient, if you ask me.


No, I am not kidding.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 12/29/08 at 12:39am

BWAH! It just keeps getting better. I hope he dedicate the cast recording to Otto.

[Shannon Bo Dannon]

Posted: 12/29/08 at 1:12am

Man this still makes me so mad, Webber is just milking the show for all it's worth.

[SDav 10495]

Posted: 12/29/08 at 1:31am

Folks, I hate to bust your bubble, but whatever Lloyd Webber touches usually turns to gold. Or at least some nice silver.

I'm not so sure...Webber hasn't had a solid success with something he's written in quite a long time. Not everything needs to be a Phantom-sized smash, certainly, but nobody's sitting around anymore dying for the next Lloyd Webber spectacle to open. The Woman in White had all the makings of the next Phantom with its Gothic story and elaborate stagecraft, but even that left New York almost as soon as it came.

Not to mention this new pet project of ALW's is starting out in an even worse position than any of his other recent works--there is already almost universal groaning at the idea of a stage sequel, plus this idea of opening in three cities simultaneously just smacks of hubris--and yet Webber doesn't seem to see any of this. He believes that the established success of Phantom will ensure the success of the sequel. The modest performance of the film version, which was a much safer project than this musical sequel is, should be enough to give him second thoughts...

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 12/29/08 at 1:34am

Okay, I actually just read the original article. The Phantom relocates to Coney Island? Seriously?

[skb2010]

Posted: 12/29/08 at 1:39am

Well, that is convenient, because when he writes "Cats: Grizibella's Story in the Heaviside Layer" he can now include the new song (stored on his piano of course) "Otto's In a Better Place"

Updated On: 12/29/08 at 01:39 AM

[blaxx]

Posted: 12/29/08 at 1:45am

Folks, I hate to bust your bubble, but whatever Lloyd Webber touches usually turns to gold. Or at least some nice silver.

Ha ha, sorry to burst yours, he only seems to write floperoos now!