Love Never Dies – Phantom “Part 2″ – Opens to Mixed Reviews
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 | Broadway, Broadway New York City, General, Theatre
“Love Never Dies” – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sequel to “The Phantom of the Opera” opened to mixed reviews in London this week. “Love Never Dies” is set in Coney Island in New York and takes place 10 years after the Phantom mysteriously disappeared from the Paris theatre he “haunted”. But the early reviews indicate that Webber has lost his way a touch. There are rock numbers and love ballads, but nothing really stands out the way the songs did from “Phantom of the Opera”.
Ramin Karimloo plays the role of the Phantom, but he comes across as a little odd and eccentric, not scary or menacing. He has created his own “circus” in Coney Island, but the freaks and attractions are not all that interesting. Meg Giry played by Summer Strallen has accompanied the Phantom to America as she desperately seeks his approval without much success. But when his former object of affection – Christine Daae played by Sierra Boggess – arrives in America at the Phantom’s request, the drama that should unfold with the competing interests never really develops.
Sorry Phantom fans, it doesn’t sound like Webber’s sequel is all that great. True Phantom fans are likely to be disappointed with the lackluster effort and there aren’t enough “must-see” songs or performances to bring in a whole new set of theatre-goers to make this a bug success. “Love Never Dies” is set to hit Broadway in New York City at the end of 2010.
