Love Never Dies - Thursday 16 June, 2011
Jun. 17th, 2011 05:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tattooedsirenLast night I went and saw Love Never Dies, the "sequel" to Phantom of the Opera. It opened here in Melbourne about a week ago and we are the second city in the world to host it. The Melbourne production went under a complete creative overhaul from the London production - new costumes, staging, costumes etc.
I really enjoyed the show. While by no means a "Phan" I had seen Phantom of the Opera, both on stage and on film, and enjoyed it. I know there were some quite mixed opinions from people in London, but I think if you look at it on it's own, not in comparison to Phantom or any expectations of what the show would or should be, you will see it's merits.
The staging was amazing. It really had that "Coney Island"/Carnival feel. The cast were all great, and the songs were very powerful.
From reading some info before even seeing the show and knowing the question of Gustave's parentage would come into play, I knew straight away he would be the Phantoms son. I still can't quite work out when in the timeline of the original it was that Christine and Phantom were meant to have hooked up, but I found the idea of them being together but then him being the one to flee was interesting.
There were some songs I really loved, most notably Beneath a Moonless Sky, The Beauty Underneath and Devil Take the Hindmost.
Personally I thought it started a little slow (though my brother in law disagrees) and that the end was a bit too melodramatic, but I was still really into it. I feel bad for all the hardcore Phantom/Christine shippers who were denied in the first play, only to be granted them the gift of getting together, before Christine is shot and killed. Ended on a bit of a sad note really. But I understand why they did it that way.
Would be interested to hear the thoughts of anyone who has seen it, either here or in London.
I really enjoyed the show. While by no means a "Phan" I had seen Phantom of the Opera, both on stage and on film, and enjoyed it. I know there were some quite mixed opinions from people in London, but I think if you look at it on it's own, not in comparison to Phantom or any expectations of what the show would or should be, you will see it's merits.
The staging was amazing. It really had that "Coney Island"/Carnival feel. The cast were all great, and the songs were very powerful.
From reading some info before even seeing the show and knowing the question of Gustave's parentage would come into play, I knew straight away he would be the Phantoms son. I still can't quite work out when in the timeline of the original it was that Christine and Phantom were meant to have hooked up, but I found the idea of them being together but then him being the one to flee was interesting.
There were some songs I really loved, most notably Beneath a Moonless Sky, The Beauty Underneath and Devil Take the Hindmost.
Personally I thought it started a little slow (though my brother in law disagrees) and that the end was a bit too melodramatic, but I was still really into it. I feel bad for all the hardcore Phantom/Christine shippers who were denied in the first play, only to be granted them the gift of getting together, before Christine is shot and killed. Ended on a bit of a sad note really. But I understand why they did it that way.
Would be interested to hear the thoughts of anyone who has seen it, either here or in London.
