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

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 2/29/12 at 10:38pm

"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

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 2/29/12 at 10:40pm

yeah i agree on their meeting... it also kind of went on far too long as a scene... two songs in a row or something...

oh so did Christine have sex with the Phantom after the events of the first musical??? just clarification please... i thought it happened after Music of the night and I guess she didn't remember it too much.. ha

[Sally]

Posted: 3/1/12 at 3:23am

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.

[Justin D]

Posted: 3/1/12 at 7:32am

yup, and going by the lyric in the song, they did the deed 3 times in a row..."again and then again, beneath a moonless sky"
kinky blighters

[castlestreet]

Posted: 3/1/12 at 9:12am

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.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/1/12 at 9:15am

So what you're saying is, is that you have a dvd already. But don't ask you for the dvd because you can't copy it. But you DO have a dvd.

[castlestreet]

Posted: 3/1/12 at 10:03am

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...

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/1/12 at 10:18am

But the point is...you have a dvd. And if you have a dvd that means you got a rip from the one going around so you either traded for it (copied a dvd to send to someone) or uploaded it and then most probably burned it.

But in any case that's not the point. The point is - You have a dvd.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 3/1/12 at 10:44am

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.

[chernjam]

Posted: 3/1/12 at 11:12am

Wow erik, sorry you disliked it so much. Couldn't have disagreed with you more. Especially with the finale... after reading the libretto and listening to the original ending where forget Love Never dying, it's Christine who seems to never die - and then Gustave just walks off with the Phantom, thought the suicide attempt by Meg, the accidental shooting and the reactions were all pretty natural and had a vast majority in our theatre in tears, especially seeing the little kid (who really was fantastic in this)

As for the conehead kids, I liked the reference to the SNL skit someone posted. They freaked me out, but seemed to go along with all the bizarre things going on in "The Beauty Underneath".

As they say, different strokes...

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/1/12 at 11:18am

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.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 3/1/12 at 11:18am

Wow, we were all in the same theater and didn't have a meet and greet? Shame....

[chernjam]

Posted: 3/1/12 at 11:35am

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

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 3/1/12 at 1:10pm

I figured it was likely there were other BWW posters there. I should have got up and made an announcement.
If anyone heard loud laughter when Christine knocks the railing over at the end...that was me. I just couldn't hold it in.
I thought the music sounded like an Aspects of Love rehash too.
I also liked when the Phantom appears for the first time he sings a 10 minute long love song with Christine and then threatens to kill her son if she doesn't perform for him. How romantic! And we are supposed to believe she's in love with this man?
The only way I think this show can ever work is if they decide to go for pure camp. There was plenty of unintentional camp...with lots of boring stretches in between.

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 3/1/12 at 1:41pm

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??

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 3/1/12 at 1:45pm

I also thought it was a little crazy they kept leaving Gustave unattended with the man that threatened his life in the beginning of ACT I.

[castlestreet]

Posted: 3/1/12 at 2:27pm

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...

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/1/12 at 2:29pm

Is it "A Memory of a Happy Moment?"

[castlestreet]

Posted: 3/1/12 at 2:30pm

BINGO!

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/1/12 at 2:34pm

LOL, I don't actually remember the scene from LND; I just realized I'd been humming "A Memory of a Happy Moment" for the past day and couldn't figure out any other reason.

[Wildcard]

Posted: 3/1/12 at 2:54pm

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

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 3/1/12 at 11:19pm

Actually it's more like the opening notes of Leading Lady.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/2/12 at 9:22pm

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

[Huss417]

Posted: 3/7/12 at 1:23pm

Should I see this tonight on a movie screen for $18.00 or just wait for it on DVD the end of May?

Curious if it is worth it or not? Does it have an intermission?

Thanks

Updated On: 3/7/12 at 01:23 PM

[Eris0303]

Posted: 3/7/12 at 3:56pm

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.