The Ticket Chest

Love Never Dies – Phantom “Part 2″ – Opens to Mixed Reviews

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 | Broadway, Broadway New York City, General, Theatre | No Comments

“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.

Tags: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Love Never Dies, Phantom of the Opera

Your Guide to Broadway In Chicago

Friday, November 20th, 2009 | Broadway, Theatre | No Comments

Theatre fans know that Broadway offers the pinnacle of theatrical plays and musicals available anywhere in the country. Because Broadway plays are so popular, after a show has had a successful run on Broadway, they will take the show on the road. Broadway touring shows play in large theatres throughout the United States, so that audiences unable to make the trip to New York City are still able to see the same great shows. Chicago is a big theatre town, and regularly takes part in these wonderful plays coming into town from Broadway.

Two notable theatres in Chicago are the LaSalle Bank Theater and the Auditorium Theatre. Chicago audiences enjoy performances there throughout the year. The Auditorium Theatre, Chicago offers upcoming performances by the Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet Company, The Joffrey Ballet, The Ten Tenors. The Auditorium Theatre began life as an opera house, and has been in existence for nearly one hundred and twenty years. The building itself is a National Historic Landmark building, and it is wonderful to experience a show in this glorious venue.

The LaSalle Bank Theater, which now goes by the name of Bank of America Theater, hosts a variety of top Broadway plays in Chicago. Built one hundred and three years ago, the theatre began life under the name the Majestic Theatre and hosted vaudeville acts. Today as the Bank of America Theater, it is home to the Broadway musical Jersey Boys. Jersey Boys is a theatrical retelling of the evolution and history of a famous 1960s rock group, The Four Seasons with Frankie Valli. They have the Chicago production of this tremendous musical, which started its run in The Windy City in 2007 and features songs such as “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like A Man,” and “My Eyes Adored You,” playing regularly at this large theatre, thrilling audiences with their wonderful harmonies.

You can find tickets for Broadway in Chicago playing at Bank of America Theater, the Auditorium Theatre and other classic venues through a local ticket broker.

Tags: auditorium theatre Chicago, broadway in Chicago, lasalle bank theater, plays in chicago

The Broadway Recession

Thursday, December 11th, 2008 | Broadway, General, Theatre | No Comments

With 7% unemployment rate and the auto makers on the verge of bankruptcy people are cutting back a lot. Broadway shows are getting hit hard with the current economy and many of the big shows can’t fill half their seats. Equus, Young Frankenstein, Grease, and Hair Spary are all schedule to close by February. High production costs and a large jump in ticket prices over the last year is a major reason behind this large decline. Many shows that used to charge $90-$95 for the good seats to their shows have raised the price to $120-$140 plus fees. Unfortunately, a lot of these shows must now offer big discounts or even free tickets to keep people in the seats, but the way it looks we will be seeing more shows go dark in 2009 on top of the 14 already on the chopping block.  There is also a sharp decline in tourist coming to NY and other parts of the US which will also not help Broadway in the next 12 months. Broadway needs to figure out a way to keep people in the seats and right now it looks like prices is the biggest sticking point.

Tags: Broadway