Love Never Dies - all views allowed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLzsH3k5D6g

From The South Bank Show that was on ITV this weekend. Now you can get a tiny glimpse of exactly what The Beauty Underneath is like!

Oh dear.

It sounded a bit 1980's James Bond to me, especially the last few bars. I can just imagine old Roger Moore skiing off a cliff and that Union Jack parachute opening, cue Carly Simon.

That's an organ? Looks like a bartender playing cups.

Yes that's an organ, apparently. I do get the comparison though.

I swear, it is less frantic in that video than it is in the show. It is crazy in the show. Really thumping at it!

dolly-ry wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLzsH3k5D6g

That's monkey music box gone baaaaad! And Ramin's Fabio shirt is just sad. (Oh, a rhyme. I'm a poet and I know it. )

Y'all know who Fabio is, right? Pic:
http://www.autoevolution.com/images/news/fabio-lanzoni-crashes-ferrari-599-gtb-fiorano-thumb-5754_2.jpg

i think he should be topless for the first scene (till i hear you sing) but for this one he should be dressed better.

I've heard about it. I've seen still photos. And now I've seen the video. And I STILL can't believe it. WTF? doesn't even begin to cover it.

~LCD

Hahahahahahaha! This one is so brilliant!

"...and love never dies is a much better show" Haha, I can't stop laughing!

operafantomet wrote:

Hahahahahahaha! This one is so brilliant!

Please tell me they printed this as an April Fools joke.

Of course it is. If I understand it correctly it's not even an actual article--there's a program online that lets you make these "clippings" up.

As I've said before, though, LND is a music theater Poe's Law--it's hard to separate the satire from the actual ridiculousness.

~LCD

LadyCDaae wrote:Of course it is. If I understand it correctly it's not even an actual article--there's a program online that lets you make these "clippings" up.

As I've said before, though, LND is a music theater Poe's Law--it's hard to separate the satire from the actual ridiculousness.

~LCD

Thank god, i was starting to panic.

Rumor has it now that the Broadway opening is being pushed back to February / Spring to make changes.

This ruins my plans to see the show the week of the Original's Broadway anniversary.

justin-from-barbados wrote:Rumor has it now that the Broadway opening is being pushed back to February / Spring to make changes.

This ruins my plans to see the show the week of the Original's Broadway anniversary.

Thank your lucky stars.

Yes, but it does throw off my plans, I do want to see it, regardless of how it turns out. Was hoping to kill two birds with one stone. Now i will have to go later in the year.

justin-from-barbados wrote:Yes, but it does throw off my plans, I do want to see it, regardless of how it turns out. Was hoping to kill two birds with one stone. Now i will have to go later in the year.

I'm sort of in the same boat, although my morbid curiosity is waning with every report I hear.

That newspaper article made my day, though. Very clever!

Check this out! This video has a few clips from the show, they look like press reels. You see the skeleton/table, among other things. Don't know why whoever uploaded it has the aspect ratio so messed up, but anyways.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKfOQgROGDw

Cape Twirl of Doom wrote:Check this out! This video has a few clips from the show, they look like press reels. You see the skeleton/table, among other things. Don't know why whoever uploaded it has the aspect ratio so messed up, but anyways.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKfOQgROGDw

Has the RUG done some planting? It does indeed look official, despite the screwed up picture.

I saw that last night...definitely noticed the screwy picture (Sierra looked just a bit too wide!)

Can't say all those crazy things set pieces impressed me much. Sure, they're fancy thingamagigs, but that's it...they don't seem to contribute to the story or characters except to say, "Yeah, um...Mr. Y likes it weird."

Ramin posted to his Facebook fan page this morning (well, morning here) to say he's ill...actually had surgery and will be out for a bit.

https://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/officialraminkarimloo?ref=nf

I am sure everyone is wishing Ramin a speedy recovery.
Anyway after a disappearance from the boards (sorry about that) here is my Act Two review:

Entr'acte: Okay this is when I realised something, it is most definitely the books and lyrics that are the major downfall of this show. I enjoyed the entr'acte and it showed how beautiful (ugh sorry) the score is when you strip away the lyrics. Shame.

Why Does She Love Me? : Joseph Millson is wasted in the role of Raoul. He really has nothing to work with and I think it is telling of his acting ability that he actually made me really feel for him during this song. Of course this is a recycled tune mostly *shock horror* and the lyrics are a bit iffy but I did enjoy it. He really managed to convey a very reflective Raoul and captured the spirit of the original Raoul tinged with regrets. It was quite heartbreaking really. Also is it just me or is this outfit very reminiscent of The Great Gatsby? I know some people have made reference to Sunset Boulevard but I haven't seen that so I can't comment on that. I had my eye on the barman - who I thought woah he looks like Ramin turns out he is understudy Phantom so I suppose visually there seems to be a lot of similarities- as I wanted to notice how they did the switch these days (previously it was always The Phantom when the morning shift came on.)

Meg comes in and does her annoying little song about coffee and swimming and whatever. God she irritated me the whole show I've just realised. Don't know whether Summer herself irritated me or the character irritated me, who knows. I still had my eye on the barman and noticed he goes under the bar gives her the coffee and then goes back under the bar and because of a mirror behind him I saw him slip down a trap door as Ramin came up. When the switch is made Ramin stands with his back to the audience cleaning the glass.

Devil Takes the Hindmost - Okay the way Ramin turns round made the audience laugh and I don't think it was meant to. It was like "Dun" *turns around* I think the timing of it makes it a little comical. I liked the song but didn't like the staging of it really, I don't know why, it was just a bit odd having them just walk around the bar. Really weird. Anyway for the record there is a publicity photo and a photo in the brochure that makes it look like Raoul recoils from The Phantom and a few people picked up on that saying it didn't seem right, he doesn't actually recoil from him in the show, The Phantom has him by the neck at one point. Works better I guess, doesn't make it look like Raoul is just a wuss. I actually liked this song, but people seem to, I think perhaps the lyrics are slightly better here.

Heaven by the Sea (Reprise) - Okay I think we've got the point I hate the ensemble songs. This song was changed a lot from the CD, a lot of lyric changes but I can only really remember one of the lines about having to go back to "the office... the sweat shop... the something else I've forgotten." Also the boy playing the "other child characters" (that's what it is called) looked very like Tyler Fagan who was on as Gustave so it looked like Gustave had just randomly decided to join this big group of highly annoying people singing a highly annoying song. Might have confused people who didn't really know it wasn't supposed to be him. But then again Gustave does so much wandering around the place people probably wouldn't have thought anything of it!

Ladies... Gents/ Coney Island Waltz (reprise) - So it was the return of stating the obvious "It's a hot air balloon!" Really? We didn't get that AT ALL until you shoved it in our faces. Okay there wasn't much in this scene, they drop some flyers about Christine performing that night and everyone eats it up of course.

Bathing Beauty - The point I'd been dreading. Oh dear god it was so much more annoying and worse than I could have imagined. The hot air balloon the freaks have landed in comes down and the girls all then enter from there, confusing but I don't think it was meant to be a hot air balloon anymore who knows. They drop loads of cases out onto the stage and sing the song, it's really annoying. Meg does a quick change routine and finally ends up in a pair of frilly knickers with two small umbrellas covering her ummm you know. She then drops them with her back to the audience and carries on dancing. It was so unnecessary and people around me seemed a bit uncomfortable. It really doesn't fit in but enough on that.

Mother Did You Watch? - Summer Strallen's breath control arggggh "Mother did you watch?" *intake of air* "Everything is sold..." *intake of air* But I actually didn't mind her or Liz Robertson's acting in this scene, she did seem pretty broken by the end of it and Mme. Giry of course just seemed hacked off as she does the whole show.

Before the Performance - I actually had a little tear at one point during this because of poor Joseph Poor Raoul I really liked this scene because it really reminded me of the original it was all quite cutesy (maybe too cutesy for some) but I liked it. He really was doing all that he could to win her over and it was quite heartbreaking. Joseph's acting was exceptional in this scene and he kept looking around the place as if keeping an eye out for The Phantom. Once he leaves The Phantom once mores enters through a smoke filled door... oh my god! But the way the mirror is he couldn't really come through that (that would actually be hillarious I've decided.) And there was lots of over-acting here lots of *gasps* and *ahhhs* as he placed that absolutely disgusting necklace on her neck. Oh and how could I forget the piece at the end with TEW I liked it but it just made me want to be at the original again if I'm honest. Also Ramin and Joseph's voices sound very similar on their voice over, I think they should do something to distinguish them as I've seen many people say The Phantom sings the "Christine, Christine don't think that I don't care..." line but it is in fact Raoul and The Phantom sings "But every hope and every prayer rests on you now."

Devil Take the Hindmost (quartet) - I liked this and found it cute Gustave did his bit at the top of a ladder backstage. Don't know why I liked it but I did. The staging was a bit weird with The Phantom, Raoul and Mme. Giry all sort of just skulking around the back of the stage where Christine was standing waiting to perform. But I liked this song. Dear Old Friend and Devil Takes the Hindmost and the DTTH (reprise) were definitely my favourites of the night.

Love Never Dies - I didn't like the bit at the beginning with The Phantom and Raoul in turn reaching out to Christine and her motioning them to both back off. And also a lot of the time you didn't really get what was going on with them both as they were hidden most of the song apart from during the revolve parts.

I'll admit it. I cried. Okay, sorry, but I'd had some problems that week and I don't know it got me, but I didn't cry on the level I can sometimes cry at say "Wishing..." but whatever despite some odd acting Sierra really did a fantastic vocal performance if a little shrill at points. I found it funny they used the "real audience" as the fake audience having her bow to us and not a "fake audience" like in the original... one bit they didn't yank then.

I have to say it though I hated that at the very end Raoul just walked off. And that was it. Bye Raoul nice knowing ya!

Christine's dress was very...sparkly. When the light caught certain bits it really sparkled across the audience. I felt it was perhaps a tad too sparkly, although it was nice the way she just sort of lit up.

"Ah Christine...!" I cried here again. Not at the song. I didn't like it but at the "Little Lotte" part sung by Raoul, I think I really am a sucker for Joseph Millson. But it also just reminded me of the original and how sweet Christine and Raoul were and how they were supposed to be together... sigh. I liked that Joseph came back on stage in shadow to sing those lines but I think the vocals may have still been pre- recorded.

"Gustave! Gustave!" - Once again the "big huge crowd" was tiny, but it was alright I guess. The beginning made me laugh though "Gustave.." "What?" "Gustave..." "What is it?" "GUSTAVE!"

"Please Miss Giry I want to go back..." - So we find Meg on the pier who apparently "isn't done yet" whatever she was meant to be doing who knows. There was something faster paced about the beginning than on the CD but the ending still dragged in my opinion. Meg sings most of her lines with the gun to her head as The Phantom shields Mme Giry and Christine who is in turning shielding Gustave. Then the fateful moment The Phantom creeps forward slowly gets her to lower the gun it's all going well but I have my eye on Christine who has just let go of Gustave and stood away for him (not obvious at all what will happen) and then *facepalm* "We can't all be like Christine."... "Christine. Christine. Always Christine." *gunshot*

This is when it got weird everyone was panicking and Gustave does his line and Christine is STILL STANDING with no sign of blood or anything. Then oh dear she looks down and then the blood starts and The Phantom starts supporting her. It really takes a while (and a good few verses of song) before she slowly, slowly ends up on the ground and then The Phantom and Christine kiss and she dies and he still kisses her. I noticed a lot of people were crying, I felt a bit sad but I mean someone has just died. I think it would be effective if they just ended and curtain down with him still kissing her. But no then we have to sit through about 4 minutes of instrumental of Meg cradling Christine and The Phantom removing his mask and Gustave touching his deformity.

Act Two verdict: Overall I enjoyed Act Two a lot more than Act One even if it doesn't seem it. Things seemed to get going in Act Two so to speak and I preferred the songs overall.

Overall verdict: It is actually a lovely score but unfortunately the dire-ness of Act One really means I can't say I enjoyed this show or even that I could call it good. I would give it 2.5 stars out of 5. The lyrics need a lot of work as does the book. Performances on the whole were good apart from Sierra often over-acted and Summer Strallen and Liz Robertson certainly didn't impress me. I would like to see Lindsey Wise in the role of Meg in the sequel, her bratty Meg would really fit.

For those wondering I had carefully planned that I would see Phantom the next evening so that I could erase LND from my mind if needs be. My experience at the original (and far superior) was in no way affected by me having seen LND.

Very interesting second act review, thanks a lot for sharing! Would you copy the review of act 1 + 2 and post it in the reviews section? I think it would be nice to have a LND review or two there.

I will do of course. Was planning on doing that but got side-tracked.

Thanks for the review, I really enjoyed reading it.

dolly-ry wrote: But no then we have to sit through about 4 minutes of instrumental of Meg cradling Christine and The Phantom removing his mask and Gustave touching his deformity.

How did Meg end up cradling Christine? It seems a bit odd that her killer would end up holding her as she died.

The Phantom takes off his jacket to put under Christine's head after she is dead and Meg stops him and sort of gestures and he gives her the jacket so she does it. Then Gustave comes back to centre stage (he holds a railing at the pier for a while after Christine has been shot) and him and The Phantom have their moment and Meg is still with Christine.

Do you remember William Langley who wrote that piece in the Daily Telegraph where he hints (or writes straight out) that Phantom fans who don't like Love Never Dies are part of "phundamentalist phactions" who think they own Phantom and who "swarm Haymarket in costume on any given night of the week"? Furthermore, we are emotionally vulnerable and I'm a housewife.

Anyway, ever since Mr Langley published his article I have tried to get in contact with him through email. He doesn't answer. Today I got really tired of this and emailed the editor-in-chief instead to ask him if the British press usually ignore their readers. I got an answer from the editor-in.chief after a few hours. Finally something is happening.

Phantomlove wrote:

(...)

Anyway, ever since Mr Langley published his article I have tried to get in contact with him through email. He doesn't answer. Today I got really tired of this and emailed the editor-in-chief instead to ask him if the British press usually ignore their readers. I got an answer from the editor-in.chief after a few hours. Finally something is happening.

I'm happy at least the editor-in-chief acts professional.

The Broadway opening of LND has been postponed until Spring 2011.

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/LOVE_NEVER_DIES_Delayed_to_Spring_2011_Due_to_Complications_with_Webbers_Health_20100406

Health problems. Riiiiiiiight. *hikes up pants to keep them out of the bull-hockey*

~LCD

LadyCDaae wrote:Health problems. Riiiiiiiight. *hikes up pants to keep them out of the bull-hockey*

~LCD

I dunno, LCD. Personally, I think Head-Up-Your-Arse is a serious medical condition

And thanks for moving the LND review, dolly!

R.