The Phantom of the Opera Strikes Back - sequel in development?

[CapnHook]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 4:11pm

https://www.broadwayworld.com/l.cfm?id=150832

Interesting. The only musical sequel on stage I can think of is BRING BACK BIRDIE.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 4:12pm

I think I just threw up a little in my mouth...


no wait...I did...

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 4:16pm

Oh, geez...he's making another attempt at this abandoned sequel.

Oy!

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 4:30pm

*shakes head*

Bad, bad idea.

Just leave it alone, Andy!

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 4:32pm

Gosh, we could have, in order --

SON OF THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
SON OF THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA MEETS HERCULES
SON OF THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA VERSUS GODZILLA
SON OF THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA AND THE THREE STOOGES
GRANDSON OF THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA: THE NEW GENERATION

[Weez]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 4:48pm

More mouth-vomiting over here! Musical theatre has GOT to be in an awful state if Princess Bride can get canned and Phantom can get a sequel. XP

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 4:49pm

Actually, as an opera, which many people say it is, including Webber, since the score describes it as such, it's not that far-fetched an idea.

Ever heard of the Barber of Seville, Marriage of Figaro? Sequels there...
Milhaud even wrote an opera based on the third play of the trilogy of Beaumarchais.

Shakespeare brought a character back "by popular demand"

Just because bring Back Birdie, Annie 2, Annie Warbucks, etc were disasters doesnt mean it can't work

And what if it does work? Man would I like to see Edwin Drood part 2...:)

[sidneybruhl]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 5:00pm

What a dumb idea!

[Dibbledl01]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 5:00pm

They've been announcing this and planning this for quite a while. He even wrote a song for it "The Heart Is Slow To Learn".

[TWSFan4Ever]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 5:02pm

This is a very dumb idea. It'll just ruin the classic.

[Broadway Bob*]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 5:24pm

There was a novelization of this concept written by who was supposed to have been the book writer of the show and published a long time ago called The Phantom of Manhattan. It was an interesting take on the story but not interesting enough to warrant a new musical. I thought this had died all that time ago along with the novel's less than stellar sales. Far more itneresting was the book Phantom by Susan Kay that told Erik's life story from birth through after his death.

PS Let's not forget The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public when discussing bad musical sequels!

[Phantom2]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 5:25pm

The Heart Is Slow To Learn is one of the most beautiful songs of all time.

[sondhead]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 5:32pm

A while ago he was developing this and it was to be based on a book called The Phantom of Manhattan. I purchased it, having enjoyed Leroux's original novel and a prequel written to it called Phantom (Susan Kay I believe?) but when I opened this new volume to find a forward stating that Leroux got his own original fictional story wrong and Andrew Lloyd Webber got the "real" story right I promptly took it back tot he book store and got my money back.

Andrew just wishes he could still pass as a composer. Several flops will do that to you I guess. I'm sure this project will die shortly like it did last time.

[Rose_MacShane]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 5:38pm

Completely unnecessary. That's why Bring Back Birdie, Annie 2, etc failed: They answered all questions and tied up all loose ends, therefore rendering sequels entirely pointless.

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 5:38pm

Whether you want to believe it or not, Andrew Lloyd Webber is the world's wealthiest living composer, with Rutter a close second I believe. They are close friends.


And if John Rutter considers him a colleague, then who are you or me to deny him that title.

In fact, I know few classical composers living that would call Sondheim a composer rather than a songwriter (which is not to say that songwriters do something inferior to composition, but they are different, as I see it)

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 5:38pm

"Far more itneresting was the book Phantom by Susan Kay that told Erik's life story from birth through after his death"

I was going to say the same thing! I know I've talked about it on here before, but I absolutely adore this book--I mean, I suppose it wouldn't work as a "sequel' to the actual musical since a lot of the two stories interlope (or even a prequel since there's no way you could stop the story once the action in the actual Phantom of the Opera starts) but boy, I would adore some sort of musical adaptation of this novel.

Either way, if anyone is a fan of the story, READ this book! you will not be disappointed!

[SDav 10495]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 5:44pm

Very much in agreement with Fenchurch's first post. Now keep in mind, I personally think this particular sequel idea would suck. Not because I think Andrew Lloyd Webber is a hack, and certainly not because I spit upon the original as so many show queens get off doing, but because of the ideas we've already seen thrown around for this Phantom sequel...they've just been bad. However, if you're going to outright damn this sequel just because it's a sequel, remember that there are indeed plenty of examples of successful sequels in the history of theatre and opera like the ones Fenchurch mentioned. If someone considers a sequel for a modern musical like Phantom, they are not necessarily heralding in the death of musical theatre (and spare me the comments about the original Phantom having already done the job).

In any case, I really doubt Lloyd Webber will actually go through with this. I'm not sure he's of perfectly sound mind, but I still think he'll have to realize eventually that this project wouldn't contribute much to the legacy of Phantom.

Updated On: 2/16/07 at 05:44 PM

[Weez]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 5:45pm

Forgive me for choosing to rate a composer on whether or not I enjoy their music. I understand now that the correct way to tell if someone's skilled or not is to check their bank account. How foolish of me!

Am I allowed to at least prefer Rutter to Webber?

Posted: 2/16/07 at 5:47pm

Well, the Ahmanson won't be open for a 4 year run again, so let's just call the sequel "Wicked" and let it run at the Pantages.

[Dibbledl01]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 5:49pm

Also, Arthur Kopit's "Phantom" turned into a musical written by Maury Yeston and a golden globe nominated made for t.v. movie starring charles dance and burt lancaster.
Andrew Lloyd Webber developed the original idea for his Phantom from Ken Hill's Phantom which comprised of all different music from all different arias just with altered lyrics. And a musical version filmed at the Al Hirshfield Theater with music by Lawrence Rosen and Paul Schierhorn.

There have been TONS of musical versions of Phantom as well as straight play versions.

[sondhead]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 6:02pm

"There have been TONS of musical versions of Phantom as well as straight play versions."

Yes. This is relevent why?

I wasn't saying ALW is bad regardless of how I feel on that subject because I think that is inconsequential to this topic. He has, however, had several flops lately and it's not completely surprising he is now wishing to repeat his greatest success by literally returning to it.

I don't even understand what about the story could be extended though. I feel we leave the young lovers fairly confident they'll live "happily ever after" and as for the Phantom... I just don't know what other story would be interesting. The end.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 6:08pm

"I don't even understand what about the story could be extended though. I feel we leave the young lovers fairly confident they'll live "happily ever after" and as for the Phantom... I just don't know what other story would be interesting. The end."

Well, it's hardly enough for a full sequel or full story, but the epilogue in Kay's "Phantom" is quite interesting--I think it serves as a wonderful ending to the complete story.

Maybe even a bit that takes place before the epilogue...just exactly where the Phantom of the Opera leaves off and Phantom finishes.

Did I mention I love this book?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 6:10pm

Wasn't one enough? *Eye roll*

[SDav 10495]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 6:12pm

I don't even understand what about the story could be extended though. I feel we leave the young lovers fairly confident they'll live "happily ever after" and as for the Phantom... I just don't know what other story would be interesting. The end.

Yes, that's the biggest problem with the whole idea. The finality of Phantom's ending (despite the silly bit of stage magic they employ to make it seem ambiguous) is what makes the whole thing so tragic...he's gotten his kiss, and now it's over. He'll never again see the woman he has loved for so long. Forget the fact that sequels in any art form are generally sub-par--it's the ending of this specific material that makes a sequel so unfeasible. A prequel a la Susan Kay, as you and wickedrentq suggested, is much more fascinating and workable (though not by Lloyd Webber--let him leave his Phantom as it is, and let any future attempt at a prequel be independent of ALW's version).

Posted: 2/16/07 at 6:13pm

wickedrentq, what epilogue?

Also, how can it get any longer?

Edit: And also, how would they have both play on Broadway?
Updated On: 2/16/07 at 06:13 PM