Review Summary
Average Rating:
5 out of 5 stars based on
7
review(s)
Latest Review:
"5 Star PLUS. It is ALW's masterpiece. It has a depth and passion unequalled in the West End at the moment. I cannot be..."
In 1909 Gaston Leroux presented his new story in the form of “Le Fantôme de l'Opéra”, which appeared as a serialisation between 1909 and 1910. The novel was not a particularly successful one at the time and spent most of the twentieth century out of print; the only notable step along the way being the 1925 movie. However, in the 1980s Andrew Lloyd Webber took the original story and decided it would make a thrilling musical, soon setting to work on what would become a cultural milestone.
When the musical The Phantom of the Opera first appeared at Her Majesty’s Theatre in 1986 success was obviously hoped for, but the level of accomplishment it would eventually reach has been unprecedented. It has now been running in the capital for 23 years and has earned similar success on Broadway, with film adaptations and worldwide production earning unanimous praise.
Theatre tickets are now available as the story is set to continue in “Love Never Dies”, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s anticipated sequel. Set a decade after the events of “The Phantom of the Opera”, it is set to be an enormous success story when it opens at the Adelphi Theatre in March.
Lloyd Webber had been talking about a sequel for many years, with rumours beginning to peak during 2009 in the run up to the show’s official announcement. Shortly after it was also announced that Ramin Karimloo, who had been portraying the Phantom in the original production at Her Majesty’s Theatre, would be stepping into the role alongside Sierra Boggess as a returning Christine Daaé.
The action has been transferred to New York’s Coney Island in “Love Never Dies”, with the Phantom still on the run following the events at the Paris Opera House ten years earlier. It is a decade in which much has changed and some things have remained very much the same, with Christine now married to Raoul and caring for their son Gustave. She is soon invited to perform at Coney Island, a location that has been gaining a reputation for featuring a range of outrageous acts.
But what is the story behind this invite. Could it be that after all of these years the Phantom’s love for Christine has never wavered? It seems that the motivations behind the invite could be to lure her away from her Parisian comfort zone and pick up where they left off.
“Love Never Dies” appears at the Adelphi Theatre from Tuesday 9th March 2010 (previews from Saturday 20th February 2010) and is currently booking to Saturday 23rd October 2010.
