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I was in Row H seat 5 of the Upper Circle last night (22nd February
2010) and the view was great, there is nothing that happens above
the stage so the overhang for people downstairs should have been no
problem. The leg room was fine for me and I am over six foot. There
is nothing major that happens at either corner of the stage so there
should be little restriction in the Dress Circle "restricted view"
seats.
As for the show, sad to say I found it a rather dull stinker, there
is no menace or threat from the Phantom now he lives as a "normal"
man amongst people and it is very predictable. They currently reuse
"Til I Hear You Sing" and the "Coney Island Waltz" every five
minutes and there are quite a few moments of unintentional humour
that should have been dramatic (check out the sequence where the
Phantom enters the room to see Christine for the first time).
I loved a few elements of the set design that everyone will be
talking about but really not that spectacular to look at apart from
the digital projection sequences which are amazing.
I am going again on the 8th March in Row C of the Stalls, hope it
has improved!!
Lee.
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My daughter and myself went to the Adelphi Theatre, The Strand,
London which is close to Charing Cross Station to watch the first
preview of 'Love never Dies' on Monday 22nd February 2010 at 19:30.
On entering the theatre there was a strong smell of paint; and we
made our way up 3 flights of stairs and finally we were seated.
We sat in the upper circle seats number G16 and G17 priced at £47.00
each - which we found a bit on the high side considering where they
were. Our view was OK but not recommended if your sight is a little
weak, as you can't see the Phantom's makeup. Most people kept still
throughout the performance until the end scene when most of the
performers were at the very front of the stage and most people lent
forward.
At the start there was a technical fault; the director came on stage
with his apologies, which made the audience laugh. The stage effects
at the beginning were fantastic and quite mind blowing at times. The
story line is easy to follow. I feel that you needed to have seen
'Phantom of the Opera' to enjoy this, as you feel it is a follow-on.
The songs were good, and there was also a couple of tunes that are
recognisable from 'Phantom of the Opera' e.g 'Masquerade' with
different lyrics (which was a nice touch). It felt as if the story
line finished too soon as there wasn't really closure.
The cheapest place we found to buy tickets is via the
www.reallyuseful.com/tickets.
If (when) I see this production again I will pay more to get seats
in the Royal circle row C upwards.
Mrs Frances Thomas,
Dartford,
Kent.
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We had the great fortune to be invited to a trade night for 'Love
Never Dies' last night, Monday 22nd of February 2010; which, because
the Friday performance was cancelled due to technical problems and
the Saturday one was deemed the final rehearsal, turned out to be
the first actual performance.
There was tremendous buzz of excitement , anticipation, and
expectancy before the show started for this long awaited sequel to
the Phantom. We had superb seats D15 and 16 in the Dress Circle -
albeit that it was a bit tight on my knees, and the theatre looked
great with lovely new pink carpets and upholstery.
There were a few problems with sound particularly at the start when
we couldn't hear the voices of the first two characters which no
doubt will be dealt with later, this was after all the first night
of preview , and the 5-10 minute break after it had only been
running about 10 minutes, due to a technical problem, rather broke
the developing mood and left us a little tight for catching our
train afterwards at 10.40, but at least it did start again albeit an
instant replay of some that we had already seen, but at least there
was not a repeat of last Friday and the show did continue.
Ramin Karimloo (Phantom) has a superb voice, and so does Sierra
Boggess as Christine, albeit that I understand she was not well. The
absolute highlight of the show is her singing Love Never Dies.
There are some very clever cinematic and stage affects of Coney
Island and the pleasure ground. Just how do those legs walk across
the stage? Must be a magicians illusion.
This show should come with a 'Mousetrap' request to the audience not
to reveal to anyone how it ends. I certainly will never tell anyone.
It would really spoil it to know. Everyone needs to see it for
themselves and take a hanky. I hope it does not leak out.
Has there ever been a sequel that equalled the original? There are
some great moments but I was left with the thought that 'Phantom of
the Opera' will still be running long after 'Love Never Dies' has
closed. In the cloakroom queue after I overheard a man say "that
won't run 20 years".
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Upper Circle K18: Not a bad seat! Probably the best of the cheaper
seats at the back of the upper circle as there is nobody directly in
front of you. The only thing bad is that it is a distant view. Still
with the binoculars you can get a nice view of the facial
expressions, which I used during some of the more intimate moments.
The show itself is very good. The Music, Set, Story, Acting,
Orchestrations go together so well and create something very special
on the stage.
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I went to see 'Love Never Dies' on Monday 1st March 2010, one of the
preview
performances. A 'House Full' sign greeted the audience but there was
the odd
empty seat dotted around the theatre. Myself and a friend had
excellent
seats in the front row of the Dress Circle, seats A13 and 14. The view
was
fantastic with no safety bars or lighting rigs to spoil the scene.
The seat
wasn’t very comfortable, though, and legroom was pretty poor even
for
someone of my average height.
Despite this being a preview performance the show went without a
hitch apart
from a door in one of the sets that wouldn’t stop wobbling. Talking
of sets,
they were spectacular, and taken with the multitude of special
effects made
it an eye-popping evening. The sound was excellent too, although it
was
sometimes hard to make out what the actors were saying all the time.
Either
they were speaking too quietly or the mics weren’t turned up enough.
There were fewer memorable melodies than in the original Phantom,
and the
score, whilst having some good songs, was what I would describe as
"safe"
apart from one number towards the end of Act 1 that changed tack
completely!
No tunes were carried over from Phantom 1 as far as I remember,
apart from
one or two odd snatches of music.
The acting was spot on and a great cast has been assembled all with
good
singing voices. A special mention must go to Richard Linnell who
played
Christine’s son, Gustave, on the night we went. It is quite a big
role with
a lot of singing to do, but he carried the part perfectly and was
warmly
applauded at the end.
So whilst Andrew Lloyd Webber’s score is not as energetic or as
memorable as
in Phantom 1, the scenery, special effects and story more than make
up for
this.
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We went to see this on Thursday 4th March 2010, booked via a Dress
Circle evening. I had read various reviews of the show, good and not
so good, but had not heard any of the music before, and as a 'phan'
of the original Phantom, was not sure exactly what to expect. I
enjoyed the show - although I think you need to have seen the
original to know who the characters are - most of the core
characters are back, and some interesting new ones are introduced.
I think the story flowed quite well, although the ending, although
unsurprising, seemed a little rushed (and bought to mind scenes from
Blood Brothers and Les Misérables). The sets and effects were
amazing - the projections were great - watch out for the horses near
the beginning - stunning work. The music - well, I didn't leave the
theatre humming any of the tunes, but I think when the CD is
released (Mon 8th March), the tunes will grow on me as I listen to
them.
The cast were fantastic - Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom was
outstanding, especially in 'til I hear you sing'. The boy playing
Gustav - Charlie Manton - also deserves special mention for his
singing and acting ability.
Our seats were D10 and D11 in the stalls. very good seats for seeing
details of the makeup, costumes and expressions, however, the stage
is quite high, and I think we may have missed some movement and
action further towards the back of the stage. Also, at the end of
the show, the barrier forming part of the pier set obscures the view
of the Phantom and Christine at a rather crucial moment! Loads of
leg room in front of the seat, but the seat itself is one of the
narrowest I have ever sat on. Oh, and take a cardigan along - the
air conditioning is quite fierce!
Ali
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Possible Minor Spoilers
I saw one of the final previews on 4th March 2010. We were in the
Stalls Row B 22 and 23, which were fantastic seats giving superb
views - almost putting us in the show, especially during the
breathtaking projections. The performers feet were often missing
though. The legroom was great too. I would consider changing these
to Green.
Christine and Raoul and their son Gustave journey to Coney Island at
the request of Mr. Y to perform in his show and meet two old friends
Madame Giry and Meg Giry. The reuniting of the main protagonists
helps to ease the audience into a feeling of familiarity, although
it soon becomes clear that the previous ten years have not been
particularly kind. Raoul is now a debt ridden bully and Meg is the
main singer at the Phantom's show, obsessively seeking his approval.
The Phantom's obsession with Christine is unabated and the point at
which she discovers who Mr Y is, is very cleverly and subtlely
realised. Obsession, betrayal, anger and love overwhelm our main
characters, and this interplay between them is one of the shows
strengths.
The set design is wonderful. It retains some of the simplicity of
the original, but replacing the gothic with the grotesque. The
Phantoms new lair, high above ground being the best, a feast for the
eyes. The music score is of course enchanting, although the main
tune Love Never Dies is not as haunting or dominating as The Phantom
of the Opera which always seemed to connect with the show and viewer
better. 'Til I hear You Sing Again is, in my opinion, far more
beautiful. And speaking of which, Beautiful performed by Phantom and
Gustave is an absolute rock yer socks off belter!
Love Never Dies has a lot to live up to, and just fails to do so. At
least when compared to it's big brother still going strong at Her
Majesty's. And you can't help comparing. The biggest concern for me
was that the Phantom's immense menace has dispersed and he doesn't
engender the same level of fear in the character's or audience as
before. Raoul isn't handled very well in the second Act. Events
which during the first Act, build up the tension and suspense don't
quite carry through to the end, and the finale isn't as heart
pounding as perhaps it should be.
However, sequels are rarely as good as the originals, and if you
keep that in mind, you will adore Love Never Dies. Ramin Karimloo is
sensational as the Phantom with a powerful voice. Sierra Boggess'
Christine is gorgeous and enchanting. Joseph Millson gives us a more
arrogant, swaggering Raoul and is very good.
On it's own, Love Never Dies is another masterpiece from Andrew
Lloyd Webber.
Compared to the original it's a slightly flawed masterpiece. But in
my opinion, required viewing and worth every penny.
Darren
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We saw the show on the final preview (8th March 2010), having had our
original first preview tickets refunded when they cancelled it due
to technical concerns. We were in Upper Circle K3 and 4 (note, this is
the very end of the row) with a distant but clear view of the stage.
Row J sits directly onto the aisle / corridor behind the front block
of Upper Circle seats and there is a rail which I would think
restricts the view from these seats. It didn't obscure our view in K
even when we were sitting back.
I'm not going to provide any spoilers, but overall I was
underwhelmed and my friend frankly found it somewhere between
hilarious and farcical. If anyone is planning to go
thinking it will be anywhere near as good as the original Phantom
then you will be disappointed. If however you go to see where Andrew
Lloyd Webber has taken the story, and go with not very high
expectations, then you will probably enjoy the evening.
The projections and interpretation of Coney Island at the start of
the first act are innovative, clever and impressive. There are a few
ok/good songs but no immediately memorable ones - bearing in mind
that Andrew Lloyd Webber has set the bar very high with some of his
previous work. The lyrics were nothing special for the most part and
definitely clunky in places. The set design and staging is generally
good. The start of the second act and the start of the first act
were, I felt, the strongest parts of the performance. The characters
are much more one-dimensional than in the original Phantom, and as a
result I cared much less about them and was thus much less
involved in the story. Emotions conjured up / portrayed by the
original Phantom: menace, love, fear, tenderness, pity, joy, loss
etc. Emotions conjured up by Love Never Dies: not many, really.
The cast generally sang well (my friend, who is a trained singer,
loved the Phantom's voice but did not love Christine's) but I
generally wasn't impressed by their acting. Maybe they did the best
with the limited material they were given, or maybe that's how they
were directed. As an aside, those who enjoyed "I'd Do Anything"
should keep an eye out for Niamh who creates a role as one of the Phantom's
assistants.
I will be interested to see the critics' response to the opening
night. I suspect it may be in for a mauling but that won't stop it
from making a lot of money initially from Phantom fans. I suspect it
will run for a year or two but if other Phantom fans love it then
who knows? There are more than 100 million out there, that's a lot
of ticket sales.
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I thoroughly enjoyed Love Never Dies on 10th March 2010. We sat in
Row D seats 8 and 9. Had a good view but as the stage is very deep
could not quite see the back. Seats further forward in my opinion
would be too close as the stage looks quite high. When I go again I
will try for Row E or F or even Dress Circle.
The sets are wonderful – a lot happening all over the stage. Sierra
Boggess as Christine is great especially when she sings Love Never
Dies which is amazing to see this performed live on stage.
Liz Robertson is excellent as Madam Giry. Although the music is
different from Phantom you can still hear a few similarities in some
parts. I will definitely see the show again.
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I saw the matinee today (March 13th 2010) - and left with mixed
feelings.
It is really dark, with very few moments of humour at all, which
would be fine - but there isn't much of a plot (you could summarise
it on the back of a postage stamp and it's not very convincing), or
many memorable tunes. It reminded me heavily of "The Woman in
White," but without the story or as many good songs.
However, I do think the music will reward repeated listens, even if
it isn't instantly catchy. Good if you own the CD, less so if you go
and see it at the theatre.
The sets are a mix of projections and solid backdrops, which works
sometimes but makes the stage seem a little bare at other times. I
didn't feel a sense of the mystery at Coney Island, and felt there
were occasional props that referenced it rather than evoking a sense
of it. The opening is spectacular though.
On the plus side, the performances were generally very good. Ramin
Karimloo sang beautifully as did Sierra Boggess, and Summer Strallen
came across confidently and convincingly. Raoul seems to have
undergone a total personality transplant since Phantom 1, which
confused me too much to think about his acting abilities. Liz
Robertson was the only one I thought was struggling - her voice was
perhaps showing the strain of a month of previews and rehearsals and
she struggled in her upper register.
Good news is the action usually stays behind the proscenium, so
sightlines are good from all areas of the theatre.
All in all, worth going to see whether or not you've seen Phantom 1,
but perhaps only for those who prefer more meaty musicals or
operettas.
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I went to see the show on Saturday 13th March 2010. Sat in row S of
the Stalls, yep the circle above does cut off the top of the stage
but you still didn't miss anything. I'm 6ft 3 and its the best
legroom I've had in a theatre.
Now the show. Having seen the bad reviews, I was really expecting
the worst. But I have never been so into a show in years. Parts of
it were fantastic; the opening ,the sets, Sierra and Ramin singing
beneath a moonless sky.
When Sierra sings "Love Never Dies" you couldn't hear a pin drop.
The show got a standing ovation; and when you think off all the
'Jukebox' musicals about, at least Andrew writes the songs.
It was also a privilege to hear an orchestra of such a good standard
and, despite the special effects, it is like seeing a musical 50
years ago.
Michael.
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We went on 20th March 2010 and were sat in upper circle row A seats
11 to 15, view was fantastic. No obstruction or need to lean
forward, the action was always in the middle of the stage. I would
definitely recommend these seats for the price.
The show is amazing and has everything, with magic and beautifully
sung songs and the sets and special effects fuse remarkably well.
It's 10 years since I saw 'Phantom' so is a bit sketchy now - so
enjoyed this in its own right without the need to keep drawing
comparisons like so many people seem to be doing.
This is one hell of an experience and thoroughly enjoyable which
seemed to be shared by the audience who gave a standing ovation at
the end. This will run and run and I won't be leaving it ten years
to go back. Well done Lord Webber!!
Mike.
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I have previously given my opinions on a March 2010 preview
performance of 'Love Never Dies.' I saw the show again on 8th April
2010, so here are my views from last night!
The only major disappointment of the evening was that two of the
five main
characters were played by understudies which seemed rather odd
considering
the show has only been running a month, excluding previews. The
Phantom was
played by Tam Mutu and Madame Giry was played by Janet Mooney. I
queried
this to one of the theatre staff at the interval and was told that
Ramin
Karimloo was sick and Liz Robertson was on holiday. "On holiday", I
said,
"so soon after the show had opened?" I was told, rather snootily I
thought,
that she had been rehearsing for six months prior to the show
opening and
was due a break (my italics). Humph. Paying £67.50 for a ticket
you
expect to see a full cast line up - these tickets are not exactly
cheap. The
staff member did add though, that all the main actors are contracted
to do
all eight shows a week, leaving aside holidays and sickness.
Anyway, credit where credit's due, both understudies were excellent!
It didn't
really matter in the case of the Phantom as by the very nature of
the part,
95% of the time he is heavily made up and you wouldn't notice he was
being
played by a different actor!
Previously I was sitting in the Dress Circle, seat A14. Last night I
was in
the stalls, seat D16. What a difference a seat makes, which is the
main
reason I'm writing to you now! Love Never Dies is one show where it
really
does pay to sit mid-way back in the stalls or towards the front of
the Dress
Circle. I've read yours and other reviewers comments about seating
at the
Adelphi and offer some further opinions.
Good points about D16. A relatively comfortable seat with excellent
legroom.
It doesn't matter that the rake is non existent here because you
have to
look up at the stage, over peoples heads. You are also close enough
to feel
part of the action and to see the expressions on the actors' faces
and all
their little mannerisms!
Bad points about D16. The stage is high and you can't see the
actors' feet,
even though this is not a dance musical. Several pieces of the set
are quite
low down and are hidden from view which was annoying. You are often
aware of
the conductor. David Charles Abell is very animated and stands quite
high up
and I really pitied the people in row A sitting right behind him. In
fact, I
wouldn't recommend row A at all, especially as the seats are sold at
full
price.
But the main advantage of sitting further back and higher up is the
spectacular view you get of all the sets, on screen projections (in
particular!) and special effects. The site said in its review, that
it sat in stalls row E. I do urge you, however, to see the show
again from the front row of the Dress Circle (if you can get
tickets!) and try to put up with the poor legroom.
I said in my first review that there aren't as many memorable
melodies as in
the original Phantom, but I think this is definitely one of those
musicals
that the more you listen to it the more the tunes grow on you! I
just love
it and have bought the original cast recording! The sound balance
seemed
much improved to when I was at one of the preview shows. I don't
know
whether this was due to the position of my seat, or if the "noise
boys" have
now got their act together, but most of the time everything was
clear and
focused.
By coincidence I had the same Gustave as last time, Richard Linnell,
and he
is brilliant in the role which is not an easy one for a young actor.
He and
the rest of the cast were warmly applauded at the end and there was
even a
standing ovation!
So to conclude, my partner and I really enjoyed the show and we'll
definitely be going again, but will sit further back than row D!
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I spent £67.50 a ticket to see the April 10th 2010 evening
performance of ‘Love Never Dies’ thinking I would get a slice of
Coney Island, but I didn’t realise that I would get such a
rollercoaster of an evening.
When I arrived at the theatre I was disheartened to find that the
role of The Phantom was played by Tam Mutu and Madame Giry was
played by Janet Mooney (who were both very good in their roles).
Little did I know that this was the least of my problems that
evening.
Let’s start with the plus points, my seat in the stalls (H12) had so
much leg room, I could spread my legs out fully (I’m 6ft) – shame a
few inches couldn’t have been added to the width of the seat as this
was very narrow. The illusions and projections were the best part of
this production. If there were more of this and less of everything
else, I would have left a very happy man.
After ALW told everyone he wasn’t going to be using the story of
‘Phantom of Manhattan’ I decided to read this to see what the show
could have been like (it had such a terrible ending, I was glad he
wasn’t using it). To my surprise – the story used in the show was
very similar, but with one big twist at the end. The twist got me
very excited but left me feeling confused as there were so many
unanswered questions.
Act 1 was such was very boring (apart from the Phantom showing
Gustavo his “layer” which was brilliant), I wasn’t sure about
staying for Act 2. I’m glad I did as Act 2 was much better
(especially the illusion in the bar scene), I was ready to take back
all my negativity until the final scene were a piece of scenery
blocked the view of one of the characters faces in the climactic
moment ruining my evening – Note to the director: The piece of
scenery in the final scene Front Stage Left is so unnecessary it
needs to be removed ASAP!!!!
ALW biggest mistake was not using a few bars from some of the songs
from the original (but I did keep thinking some of the songs sounded
similar to ‘All I ask of you’). Instead he decided to give similar
but new melodies to parts that would have had more dramatic effect
with some of the original music.
So my opinion, it was OK – Some moments I likes, some I didn’t, but
overall a stupid piece of scenery ruined my evening!
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What a fantastic show on so many levels but a shame about the final
scene!
The music takes some getting used to; I know of people who have seen
this and the original Phantom, but their favourite depends on how
much they know the newer score!
The staging is amazing but I do have to agree with the reviewer
regarding the railings for the final scene. From the stalls, they
must surely be annoying to say the least although, from higher up in
the theatre, they were no trouble at all. We sat towards the back of
the Dress Circle and the view from here was superb! Even faces were
clear to make out and the overall production was stunning!
I loved it from start until the final scene. However, I think Andrew
Lloyd Webber needs to look at re-scoring (if that's a word?) this
final scene so it looks 'finished.' I know 'Miss Saigon' was
re-worked after it opened along with 'Sunset Boulevard.' I really
think 'Love Never Dies' could benefit from the same treatment. It is
such a powerful ending to the story (without giving anything away)
but the music just fades on for too long. A more dramatic end (like
in act one) would be better after the many waves of emotion from
earlier in the scene or a spotlight fade as in the original Phantom.
One way or the other, something is needed instead of an almost
silent stage and the curtain to fall to signify the end!
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" Certainly not Phantom - But? "
Saw the show April 28th 2010, matinee performance, Stalls G 28 and
29 great view.
We enjoyed the show very much, strong performance from everyone.
I can understand why not everyone would enjoy it, there is no
mystery surrounding the Phantom as in the first show, we now know
who and what he is, so the story is now very plain and simple, just
him and Christine meeting up again.
Apart from Love Never Dies, not another show stopping song;
but having said that do go and see for yourselves, its still a great
musical. Standing ovation at the end.
My only complaint was the fact that both Ramin Karimloo and Sierra
Boggess were missing for our performance, a pretty poor show when we
paid over £60 each for tickets, the stand in performers great and if
we had not been told I don't think we would have been any the wiser.
Think I will be writing to the Really Useful group.
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