Love Never Dies. Personally, I have never seen its predecessor, The Phantom of the Opera, or any musical other than that of my high school. But that said, having watched the film adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera, I expected a much darker and aged musical. Love Never Dies is different.
Love Never Dies is set in the year 1907, roughly ten years after the events of the original musical. Christine Daaé has been invited to perform at Phantasma, a new attraction in Coney Island, by a mysterious impresario, and along with her husband Raoul and son Gustave, she journeys to Brooklyn. Unbeknownst to her however, is that it is the Phantom who has arranged for her appearance.
Lover Never Dies' story is a deep, character-driven affair, that builds the relationships between the characters until the very dramatic ending. But what would it be without great visual flair? The theatre I watched Love Never Dies in was the Regent Theatre over in Collins Street. Its grand Victorian architecture really helped establish the era of the musical. Beyond the theatre itself were the absolutely brilliant set pieces and props that adorned the stage. Two towers, dressed in fairy lights and topped with marble looking roofs, framed the stage and contrasted the circular nature of the large stage and its large variety of set pieces.
Love Never Dies has scenes full of colour and yet, maintains its dark and mysterious nature. It sells the idea of Phantasma being a sort of Cirque du Soleil circus, with it's myriad of performers; from a wolfman to a group of gypsy-like dancers. The costumes felt extremely convincing, enunciating that we were actually in the early 1900's. The props were also very cleverly used, ensuring you're never wondering where you are unless you're meant to.
Making full use of the rotating nature of the circular stage, the transitions were both seamless and clever. Without spoiling too much, another highlight worth mentioning was the amazing practise of lights, silhouettes and one-way mirrors.
The Phantom was the real star of the show. He was mysterious yet bold, and his voice was so full of character. The orchestra, which was hidden right in front of the stage, beautifully backed the emotional and moving scenes. That's not to say the other cast members were unremarkable. They too succeeded in convincingly carrying their characters and reacting to the drama that unfolds throughout the musical.
All things considered, Love Never Dies is an amazing musical and one that I would recommend to any to watch.
@bernardsam on Twitter:
I want my char kuay teow.
14.6.2011 - 04.07.2011
