Love never dies??

[phoenix]

Well since the last topic was so popular I decided to try a new one. I listed Phantom as one of my favourite musicals but for the life of me i cant wrap my head around “Love never dies”.
On one side its Llyod Webber and Ramin’s playing Phantom ……but my stubborn side just keeps telling me you dont make a sequel to perfection!!!
thoughts?

[Xanthe]

OMG that’s totally how *I* feel!!!
I haven’t seen it, admittedly, but I don’t feel I WANT to.
It’s like when people ask me to write sequels to certain stories, and I’m puzzled as to WHY they want more of a particular story when it’s complete as is. You couldn’t add anything to it without taking something away. Stories like Damage and Family for example. And sometimes the story has been told. That’s what the story IS. Don’t mess with it. Leave it be!
I feel like that about Love Never Dies. I didn’t understand the premise for a start, and although I haven’t seen it (and that IS a big caveat as I can’t talk authoratatively about it as a result), it felt to me as if the premise sold out some of what happened in Phantom. There’s a certain ambiguity in Phantom – does Christine love Raoul or the Phantom? But it’s resolved fairly substantively when the Phantom turns out to be a bit of a homicidal maniac *g* and Raoul is your steadfast rescuing type.
From my understanding of LND, some of what happens in that rather sells out the Christine/Raoul love story but maybe I’m wrong on that.
Also, Phantom is LW’s masterpiece. He’s written some fantastic stuff, including JSS, Joseph and Evita, but Phantom has a…how can I say this without it being insulting…well, there’s a certain autobiographical flavour to it *g*. Not that it’s in any way LW’s life story (!!!) but that the themes and emotions very much reflect a certain period of heightened emotion in LW’s life. He also had a muse at the time in the shape of Sarah Brightman, who inspired him in a way he’s never been inspired before or since. His music is always pretty good – that’s why he’s so successful – but it’s lacked the intensity and personal connection that Phantom had. I can see why he wanted to go back and try and recapture it, but I’ve found that’s usually a mistake with stories – and it probably is with musicals too!
I do know the show had problems when it first opened and LW has put those down to him being preoccupied with battled cancer at the time and therefore not as involved as he should have been. They did close it down and reopen it, and he felt it was better then and the problems ironed out, but it didn’t seem to recover from people’s original perceptions of it.
Have you seen it, Phoenix?

[phoenix]

I havent and, like you, I dont find myself wanting to either.
I may be being unfair (since I read the first synopse and wasnt impressed Ive pretty much avoided anything to do with LND) but it just feels like its lacking Phantoms magic. Phantom was my introduction to musical theatre and I understand why people want sequels, they fall in love with stories and characters and they want to see more of them, to see them happy but personally I think Phanton ended just how it should and I was content!

[Author]

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