just back from LOVE NEVER DIES - Loved it — Page 2

"Love Never Dies" - if someone told me ALW was staging a POTO sequel where the Phantom, now called Mr. Y, ends up running the freak show in Coney Island and invites Christine to sing there...I would say good luck pushing that tomatoe!
Boy was I wrong!

The Australian cast and creative team have a winner, IMO. If THIS is the production that ends up in New York it will be a real treat. The half full house stood to applaud and were buzzing about how they enjoyed it.

I was expecting a freak show with a few good moments, but the storyline is intriguing. The characters are compelling enough to care and the ending a surprise. I liked what they did with Mdme. & Meg Giry and I think Sharon Millerchip(Meg) is outstanding.

The Australian Ben Lewis & Anna O'Byrne (Phantom & Christine) acted and sang beautifully. Set/costume desinger Gabriela Tylesova did a wonderful job and the entire production is visually exciting.

While I wasn't crazy about every song and a few of the choices made, overall it would be wonderful to see this come to New York.

Visit the website for the Australian production at
http://loveneverdies.com.au/index.php

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She looked him up after the events of POTO just before her wedding to Raoul. She said she was torn by her choice, but as soon as he laid a finger on her, she was a goner and they fell into each other's arms. Passion ensued.

As I said last week after watching the DVD I really thought this was very well done, and am going to catch it on the big screen. I have gone back on watched the DVD twice since and honestly it only gets better upon repeated viewings.

As I said before, there is still some work to be done, but I truly think that the score is really pretty fantastic and the production values are stellar. I also think Ben Lewis is a terrific Phantom. I say bring it over next season- if the revivals of Evita and Superstar go well and Webber gets a hit in NYC, something he hasn't had in a VERY long time, then put your chips in the middle of the table and bring this show over.

In all honesty I wouldn't know how to copy a DVD on my computer if I tried- I remember when I was in high school and could do anything on a computer, now I feel like my parents did back then...sorry guys...

Saw this Tuesday night in Union Square and had quite a different reaction. Thought it was filmed well but thought the show it self was a complete mess.
The story is laughably stupid. Some characters seemed to age 40 years while some characters got younger. Many of the choices were just bizarre...like the cone head children someone else mentioned.
And the score sounded like the same 4 boring songs repeated over and over again.
The finale was so bad it's almost good. The crazy Meg at least had me laughing. And I did love that Madame Giry seemed to be channeling Big Ang from Mob Wives. And seriously...a production this big and they couldn't even afford a blood pack??
I'm glad I didn't see it in the theater because this wasn't even worth the 18 bucks I wasted.

Erik, I was in that same room with you and I felt THE SAME WAY. Maybe it's Union Square that makes one more critical?! LMAO.

I'm with you on the blood pack. Did Christine die of trauma from a rubber bullet?!

I want to get the cast recording if only so I can count how many melodies I previously heard in Aspects of Love and Sunset Boulevard.

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Hmm recurring themes -- I'm pretty sure "Ah Christine" (which sounded so much better on the DVD than on the concept album) sounded similar to themes from Aspects or Woman in White

oh another question... how did Gustave know where to find Raoul at the end of the musical?? I thought Raoul just up and left to leave... should we just assume Gustave found him at their hotel or whatever??

Lizzie is right about the reoccurring theme from Aspects- its in the one song that Meg sings, and I think I recognize it as something that George sings from Aspects-I'll have to pop that scene in tonight to job my memory- but as soon as I heard it I knew it was from Aspects...

BINGO!

I recognized that Aspects song too when Meg was singing it.

Is Gustave being threatened a new thing? I've not played the album all that much, but don't remember that...

I haven't seen the show or heard the score yet. My only knowledge of the plot comes from the book Phantom of Manhattan which the show is loosely based on. In the book it wasn't Meg who killed Christine but the Phantom's protg who wanted to take over the Phantom's empire. He was aiming for Gustave and hit Christine. Meg had been hurt in the events of POTO and now worked as Christine's maid because she could no longer dance. And Raoul - well, he'd had an..um..."accident" that left him incapable of fathering any children. Is that still part of the show?

Based on the comments about the show I'm thinking I prefer the plot of the book to the one being described here. At this point at least.

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