Love Never Dies
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Introduction to "Love Never Dies"
"Love Never Dies" premiered in London’s West End at the Adelphi Theatre on March 9, 2010, following previews from February 22, and ran for 609 performances until August 27, 2011. With music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Glenn Slater, and a book by Lloyd Webber, Slater, Ben Elton, and Frederick Forsyth, this musical sequel to "The Phantom of the Opera" is loosely based on Forsyth’s novel "The Phantom of Manhattan." Directed by Jack O’Brien, it starred Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom and Sierra Boggess as Christine. After a £15 million production and a 2010 overhaul following mixed reviews, its lush score featuring "’Til I Hear You Sing" and Coney Island spectacle left a polarizing yet lasting mark, revived in concert at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 2023.
The Creative Team Behind the Show
Andrew Lloyd Webber composed the sweeping score, with Glenn Slater’s lyrics adding gothic depth, while the book crafted with Slater, Ben Elton, and Frederick Forsyth spun a new Phantom tale. Jack O’Brien directed, with Jerry Mitchell’s choreography and Bob Crowley’s Tony-winning sets conjuring Coney Island’s eerie glamour. Ramin Karimloo’s brooding Phantom and Sierra Boggess’ soaring Christine led, backed by Joseph Millson as Raoul and Liz Robertson as Madame Giry. Producers Lloyd Webber and André Baranaskas, with orchestrations by David Cullen and Simon Lee’s musical direction, poured £15 million into a vision that faced rewrites post-debut guided by Charles Hart to refine its narrative, aiming to match "Phantom"’s legacy with a bolder, darker twist.
A Phantom’s Second Act
Ten years after "The Phantom of the Opera," the Phantom, now running Phantasma a Coney Island freak show lures soprano Christine Daaé, her husband Raoul, and son Gustave from Paris with a lucrative gig. Hiding behind a mask, he pines for her voice and love, lost to time and Raoul’s neglect. Meg Giry, Phantasma’s star, vies for his attention, while Raoul’s debts unravel their marriage. Songs like "Beneath a Moonless Sky" reveal a past tryst, with Gustave hinted as the Phantom’s caught in the tug-of-war. A wager for Christine’s performance ends in tragedy: Meg shoots her, and the Phantom cradles her dying, vowing eternal love as Gustave mourns a gothic melodrama of obsession and sacrifice.
Performance and Reception
Opening to high stakes, "Love Never Dies" split critics Variety’s David Benedict called it “visually ravishing” but “lumbering,” while The Times panned its “lurid contrivance.” A 2010 closure for rewrites shaving 20 minutes boosted its run to 609 shows, outpacing early skepticism with Karimloo’s “towering” Phantom earning cheers. The Guardian later warmed to its “sumptuous” score, and a cast recording hit charts, with "’Til I Hear You Sing" a fan favorite Alfie Boe’s version went viral. Audiences filled the Adelphi, drawn by spectacle and Lloyd Webber’s name, though some "Phantom" purists balked. The 2023 Drury Lane concert, with Karimloo and Carrie Hope Fletcher, sold out, proving its pull endured beyond its initial West End turbulence.
Legacy in West End Theatre
"Love Never Dies" stands as a bold sequel, its 609 performances dwarfed by "Phantom"’s 14,000+ but notable amid West End giants. Its seven 2011 Laurence Olivier nominations including Best New Musical, no wins reflect ambition over universal acclaim. A 2012 Australian production, filmed with Ben Lewis and Anna O’Byrne, refined its staging, airing on PBS and selling 100,000 DVDs. Global tours North America, Asia and a 2023 concert cement its niche, with over 1 million seeing it worldwide. Critics debate its canon status, but its Coney Island gothic and Lloyd Webber’s melodies echoed in Boe’s covers keep it alive. A West End risk that divided yet dazzled, it’s a haunting encore to a theatrical legend.