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During the 1980s the peanut gallery wallowed happily in simplistically romantic
(but admittedly sumptuously staged and robustly constructed) "The Phantom Of The
Opera." Meanwhile, those who knew that finer wines take time to mature chose
"Les Misérables." Early connoisseurs had this patience rewarded, as the 25th
anniversary celebrations prove. The monkey hopes that history will repeat
itself when comparing "Love Never Dies" with "The Phantom Of The Opera." The
newcomer requires time to fully coalesce and ripen, but already the monkey feels
it a Van Gogh compared with the original's "nursery school daubing" approach to
emotive expression.
For "Love Never Dies" is truly a serious adult show. The recycling of the
title tune is infinitely forgiven as its glorious staging puts the deepest of
emotional conflicts into dazzling aural and visual form; while the end sequence
rewards the confidence of Lloyd Webber in his music, director and cast. Those
seeking human truths - and who are willing to make an intellectual commitment -
should find them here.
There are faults. The opening 40 minutes have considerable potential for
streamlining, and perhaps require the musical's motifs to be more carefully
extended through them. Most glaringly, the "button" (a musical theatre technique
indicating to an audience the peak point at which to react in each sequence) is
absent on several occasions.* Once corrected, the first act should resonate with
the same deep intensity as the second.
Staging is notably 2010 frugal, with one idiotic scenic decision wreaking
sightlines for the side front stalls at a key moment. Fashionable use of
projections enhance greatly the opening sequence, then slow the action
unnecessarily later, before thankfully making themselves scarcer in act two.
Throughout, neat visual tricks are either highly effective or simply surplus to
requirements. Of the former, a chatty usher informed the monkey that shoe colour
is a key to knowing who is playing the role. Silver is usual, black indicates a
replacement. The sequence takes place in the Phantom's rooftop lair - it will
say no more for fear of spoiling it - but you'll know it when you see it.
Of the cast, Ramin Karimloo demonstrates just why he has built such a loyal
following. Sierra Boggess manages effortlessly the transition from soubrette
Christine to woman who married the wrong man (monkey, of course has said it for
years, ever since the original show).
Mention too for Summer Strallen, managing to be both controlled and controlling
and arouse sympathy for her dilemma. The juvenile performances of Charlie Manton (Gustave, at this performance) and Alexander Hockaday are also of note; as
are the multiple ariel, dance, musical and freakery skills of the ensemble
(particularly the owner of the black shoes - that has to hurt eventually).
"Love Never Dies" deserves celebration as the theatrical maturity of one of
the musical world's great composers. It is up to audiences whether they choose
to invest wisely their time in this show, giving it the support it richly
deserves in order to help it reach a perfect final form.
Following Andrew Lloyd Webber's advice about seeing a musical only after a
month, the monkey reviewed the Evening performance on 24th March 2010.
*April 2010: The monkey suddenly had a brainstorm in the middle of the
night about how to solve the problems of Act One. POSSIBLE SPOILER NOW SO PLEASE
STOP READING IF IT BOTHERS YOU. It's actually simpler than it first realised.
All that it feels needs to be done is to switch the latter parts of scenes 4 and
6 around! Allow Gustave's plea to be 'shown it all' to lead directly into the
big rock number "The Beauty Underneath," thus giving the show a nice big kick in
the middle of the first half. That then frees the two beautiful numbers "Beneath
a Moonless Sky" and "Once Upon Another Time" to bring the half-time curtain down
on a huge romantic high that can even be slightly re-directed to reveal shock
that there is still love there. Just the monkey's thoughts... Lord LW can feel
free to make the cheques payable to it when he introduces the changes!
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