Editors update since this article was first posted: See a round-up of Love Never Dies reviews from critics following last night’s world premiere at the Adelphi Theatre in London
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s brand new musical Love Never Dies will start previewing tonight at the Adelphi Theatre in London.
And to say there is some anticipation is an understatement.
The show is directed by legendary Broadway director Jack O’Brien, responsible for big Broadway hits The Full Monty and Hairspray.
The first preview performance was originally scheduled for Saturday 20 February but had to be cancelled to give the cast and crew more time to rehearse.
The multi-million pound new musical, which has already taken more than £8 million at the box-office, follows the story of Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, this time setting the show on Coney Island in New York at the turn of the last century.
The original musical has been seen by over 100 million people worldwide, so the pressure is on to create a new work that lives up to the incredible legacy of the original.
The new show is based on a novel by Frederick Forsyth called The Phantom Of Manhattan, and adapted initially by Ben Elton (We Will Rock You), who was responsible for reintroducing some of the original characters including Christine and Raoul.
A strong launch cast includes Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom, Sierra Boggess as Christine, Liz Robertson as Madame Giry, Summer Strallen as her daughter Meg, Joseph Millson as Raoul, Niamh Perry as Fleck, Adam Pearce as Squelch and Jami Reid-Quarrell as Gangle.
The show’s World Premiere will be on Tuesday 9 March 2010, followed by New York on Thursday 11 November and Australia in 2011.
In the musical, the story continues with the Phantom moving from his lair in the Paris Opera House to haunt the fairgrounds of Coney Island in New York. Set ten years after the mysterious disappearance of the Phantom from Paris, the show works on the themes of obsession and intrigue, promising a number of shocking plot twists and large-scale spectacles.
LOVE NEVER DIES – CREATIVE TEAM:
Director – Jack O’Brien (Hairspray, The Full Monty, Catch Me If You Can)
Music – Andrew Lloyd Webber (The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Evita)
Lyricist – Glenn Slater(The Little Mermaid, Sister Act)
Set and costume designer – Bob Crowley (Phèdre, The History Boys, Mary Poppins)
Choreographer- Jerry Mitchell (Legally Blonde, Hairspray, The Full Monty)
Book tickets to see Love Never Dies at the Adelphi Theatre in London
Hotel and theatre breaks to see Love Never Dies
