News

The London production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera sequel Love Never Dies is believed to be opening at the Adelphi Theatre in October. At the same time, it is expected that productions will open in Shanghai, Toronto and on Broadway, making it the biggest global launch in theatre history. Previously, it had been believed that only three productions would open, with the Toronto show playing a short season before transferring to New York, but now Love Never Dies will be heading directly to the bright lights of Broadway.

The risks

In a time when new shows are failing to capture the imaginations of cash strapped audiences on both sides of the Atlantic, ALW’s bold move is a real gamble. Certainly, The Phantom of the Opera has been seen by over 100 million people worldwide, surely only a fraction of these would purposefully go and see the sequel. After all, Phantom began in London almost a quarter of a century ago; how fresh will the story be in the minds of those who saw the show in its early days? Although it might seem that a stage sequel might not have the wide appeal of a unique, original show, Love Never Dies has certainly got people talking and the constant mystery surrounding it (helped by the frequently changing title and stories of cats falling into pianos) has made it one of the most gossiped about shows ever.

Casting

Casting rumours been thrown around for months, with John Barrowman and X Factor finalist Rhydian Roberts both believed to be taking part in the London production at one point. Appearances by the original Phantom and Christine Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman were also the subject of fleeting debate.

Ramin Karimloo as Erik in the London production of The Phantom of the Opera (left) and Sierra Boggess in the Las Vegas Phantom spectacular (right)

When it comes to casting, it is now believed that London’s current Phantom Ramin Karimloo will don the iconic mask in Love Never Dies in London. Christine may be played by Sierra Boggess, who played the role in the Las Vegas production of Phantom, and who currently stars as Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid in New York. Andrew Lloyd Webber expressed an interest in Boggess last year, and it has been reported that she has developed the role in extensive workshops.

What's the story?

The authorship of Love Never Dies has also been hotly debated. Early on, it was said that the show would mark a songwriting reunion between Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice. However, Rice publically denied this and so the names Ben Elton and Glenn Slater entered the scene.  Although the story received no official denial or confirmation, reports emerged last years that Lloyd Webber had been unhappy with Ben Elton's efforts and relieved him of his writing duties.Briefly, it was reported that the book would be written by Frederick Forsyth, author the unauthorised Phantom sequel novel Phantom in Manhattan. However, Lloyd Webber recently revealed that Elton has indeed written the libretto for the finished show. 

The story of Love Never Dies is similar to that of Forsyth's Phantom in Manhattan, with the action taking place in New York ten years after Christine and Raoul leave the Opera Populaire in Paris. However, unlike in Forsyth's book, Chrsitine and Raoul travel to Coney Island rather than Manhattan and Erik, the Phantom, has taken charge of a sideshow instead of a theatre. The first act was performed at last year’s Sydmonton Festival, a private event held annually at Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Hampshire estate. At this sneak preview, the role of Erik was played by Ramin Karimloo.

While the theatre world seems to be ignoring new shows on the whole, theatregoers are waiting with bated breath for Love Never Dies. All that is left to see is how it fares critically, as Andrew Lloyd Webber has created a lot for his show to live up to. With the bar set so high, Love Never Dies could be a disaster, or the greatest theatrical event the world has ever seen.

An official announcement will be made regarding Love Never Dies on Thursday 7 May and it is assumed that tickets will go on sale the following week. Watch this space. Meanwhile, tickets for the first instalment, ALW's masterpiece The Phantom of the Opera, are available here.