Love Never Dies at the Adelphi Theatre: Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom lives on, by Fiona Lister

“Freaks and monsters, aberrations, with mechanical creations and the genius who designed it wears a mask.” (Heaven By The Sea)

Roll up Ladies and Gentleman! Freaks, ghoulish mechanical horrors, an exquisite libretto and a breathtaking set are just part of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s phantasmagorical, spellbinding musical. It's not hard to see why this spectacular musical was nominated in seven major categories for the 2011 Laurence Olivier Awards in February this year, and won two Whatsonstage.com awards, whereby the public nominates and votes for their favourite shows. Love Never Dies received six nominations. Ramin Karimloo (The Phantom) won Best Actor in a Musical and Joseph Millson, who played Raoul at that time, won the Best Supporting Actor in a Musical.

Produced by André Ptaszynski for The Really Useful Group, Love Never Dies is set amongst Coney Island’s carousels and sinister side shows. This absorbing, unforgettable musical is undoubtedly Lloyd Webber’s finest, most sophisticated and imaginative work. Love Never Dies has also recently opened in Melbourne to huge critical acclaim. Indeed, in July 2011 The Australian production of Love Never Dies, currently playing at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne, received an incredible 10 Helpmann Awards nominations, including a nomination for Best Musical. Australian theatregoers should CLICK HERE for tickets.

I can’t really think of Love Never Dies as being a sequel to Phantom in the sense that it’s such a unique musical; the libretto and the two productions are entirely different, albeit equally dramatic...and yes, although it's a follow-on to The Phantom of the Opera, you don't necessarily have to remember the Phantom storyline to appreciate the magic. Anyone can watch Love Never Dies and absorb the splendour of this grand, dramatic production and exciting plot. Children and adults will love the majesty of this production.

2011 marks a golden time for Lord Lloyd Webber, who is about to celebrate Phantom of the Opera’s 25^th Birthday at the Royal Albert Hall on 1^st and 2^nd October 2011 and Love Never Dies is certainly a culmination of years of intensive work. The Phantom is back and he’s become more primal and terrifying, cutting a vampirical figure amongst Coney’s mirrored halls, funfair rides and ghostly figurines. He’s emerged from the dark, Gothic Parisian Opera House and is growing ever more powerful. Having upped sticks and moved to Coney Island, New York, to become its greatest, sinister, masked creator, he has settled into his new home amongst the creatures he controls. The Phantom is out to fox the love of his life, when posing as an anonymous impresario, he invites Christine to travel to Coney to sing in a new show called Phantasma. Christine becomes trapped in the Phantom’s shady, chilling world and the horrors begin. The Phantom points out in the musical number ‘Beautiful’: “This is my realm, illusion's domain, where music and beauty and artifice reign.”

I’ve seen many musicals, particularly over the past two years, but nothing prepared me for the utter brilliance of Love Never Dies. I just wish I’d seen this show much sooner and if it’s the only show you’ll see this year, then it’s a must, but you only have just a few more weeks to visit the Adelphi Theatre. Love Never Dies must end on 27^th August 2011 after which time the Phantom will retreat back amongst his carousels and mechanical hybrids into a dreamland.

Andrew Lloyd Webber felt that The Phantom of the Opera had been left on a cliff-hanger and wanted the Phantom (Ramin Karimloo) to appear ten years after the original story ended in a New World setting. The idea for staging the musical in Coney Island came when he watched a documentary about Coney’s freakish side shows and amazing fairground curiosities. Coney Island was in many ways a twisted, sinister place with the first “freak show” opening in 1880 and it’s there amongst the oddities such as The Bearded Lady, that the masked Phantom appears. We see him having emerged from the Gothic gaslight of the Paris Opera House and flowering into a more dastardly control freak. Coney provides another apt haven for the mysterious man behind the mask to languish in his dark creative arts and so ensnare Christine once again.

In the early 1900s, Dreamland, Coney’s massive theme park began to evolve consisting of a big-top circus, roller-coasters and freak shows (the exhibition of biological rarities). Samuel W. Gumpertz, later director of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, opened a miniature city named Lilliputia for some three-hundred dwarves and midgets who had been exhibited at World's Fairs. They had their own miniature parliament, their own beach and their own fire station, and on that note in 1911, Dreamland burnt to the ground during a horrific fire. However, the seeds had already been sown for exhibiting “human oddities” and as upsetting as we find this today, in the Victorian era, human sideshows were commonplace. Samuel W. Gumpertz went on to open The World Circus Freak Show and other similarly named shows such as the Wonderland Circus Side Show. This extreme, dark environment is a place where the Phantom is able to become master of Coney and come into the light.

Directed by Jack O’Brien and with musical direction from David Steadman, this fast-paced musical stars Ramin Karimloo as The Phantom and Celia Graham as Christine Daaé. Karimloo is devastatingly handsome as the dashing Phantom - even when he whips off his mask to reveal the Phantom’s horrific scars. Ramin has the same power and intensity to his voice that Alfie Boe (starring in Les Misérables) possesses and just as Lloyd Webber would have wished, he draws you straight into his dark underworld.

Ramin Karimloo - The Phantom

Incidentally, Ramin Karimloo has an interesting history with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s work, which began in 2003 when he played the part of Raoul (Vicomte de Chagny) in The Phantom Of The Opera. During that time he also appeared in Cameron Mackintosh's Les Misérables concert as Marius, and in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar concert. He changed character yet again in 2004, appearing as Enjolras in Les Misérables. One year later he was playing the role of Christopher Scott in Miss Saigon (UK National Tour). However, it was in 2007 that Karimloo starred in his most dramatic role as the famous Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre, where for two years he became the resident masked curiosity. Karimloo also played this role in The Phantom of the Opera's 21st Anniversary and went on to receive the Theatregoers' Choice Award Nomination for Best Actor in a Takeover Role.

The Adelphi Theare's doors opened to Love Never Dies in March 2010, when Karimloo starred as the Phantom alongside Sierra Boggess who originally played the role of Christine. Later that year he went on to reprise his role as Enjolras for the spectacular Les Misérables 25^th Anniversary Concert at the O2 Arena, London.

Karimloo won the Broadwayworld.com Award for Best Actor for his role as the Phantom in Love Never Dies and in February 2011 he won the Whatsonstage.com award for Best Actor in a Musical, again for Love Never Dies. Added to these accolades Karimloo was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Actor.

Ramin Karimloo will play the part of the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera’s 25^th Anniversary Concert at The Royal Albert Hall on 1^st and 2^nd October 2011. Sierra Boggess will play the role of Christine. They will lead a cast and orchestra of over 200 with a set inspired by the late Maria Björnson’s beautiful original designs. Maria designed for the theatre, opera and ballet all over the world.

Celia Graham - Christine Daaé

Celia Graham is terrific as the married, secretive Christine who is torn between two men and keeping her eyes on Gustave, her young son. Ms Graham’s theatre credits include the role of Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty’s theatre), Cosette in Les Misérables (Palace theatre) and Maria in West Side Story (Prince of Wales theatre). Ms Graham of course sings the title song, which is astounding. Each night, complete silence falls over the audience as drenched in jewels and sparkling with glittering sequins adorning her golden gown, the haunting signature song is delivered to rapturous applause.

Edward Bracey, Jack Costello, Daniel Dowling, Connor Fitzgerald, George Littell and Harry Polden - each play the role of Gustave

Christine's young son, Gustave, proves the shining star of this show and is played at alternative performances by six young stars: Edward Bracey, Jack Costello, Daniel Dowling, Connor Fitzgerald, George Littell and Harry Polden. Pitched against Karimloo’s singing voice in The Beauty Underneath the quality and tone of these angelic voices proves an amazing contrast to the primal Phantom – a Beauty and The Beast mix.

Love Never Dies is more than just the most dramatic, enchanting love story you will ever witness. Indeed, this haunting production has more depth and intensity than riding on one of Coney Island’s roller-coasters and it’s brilliantly written with orchestrations by Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Cullen. It takes your breath away. "Beneath A Moonless Sky", when the Phantom first meets Christine, is one of Lloyd Webber’s most romantic, memorable songs.

The special effects by Scott Penrose are outstanding and I haven’t seen anything of this quality since watching Lloyd Webber’s adaptation of the Wilkie Collins classic ghost story The Woman in White back in 2004, where illusions of doors opening out in front of you and graphical images are used to invite audiences to become more involved in the story. Together with Paule Constable’s lighting design and Bob Crowley’s original set and costume design, this proves a potent mix.

Everything about Love Never Dies throws up a volcanic starburst of twists, turns and surprises. I was drawn straight into the dark fairytale world of romance. The songs are fresh, dream-like and blend from one to the other, taking you through Lloyd Webber’s labyrinth; an intoxicating circus of beauty. I found each song much more powerful, hypnotic and varied than in Phantom of The Opera; one minute you are swept away on a wistful, enchanting waltz, the next you are witnessing the power of the Phantom set to rock music. The libretto is collaboration between Andrew Lloyd Webber, Ben Elton, lyricist Glenn Slater and director Jack O’Brien. Additional lyrics are by Charles Hart. Jack O’Brien is a highly successful director who has worked on genres ranging from Shakespeare to opera and musical comedy. Most notably, he worked as artistic director of the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego for twenty-seven years. Jack O’Brien’s theatre credits include the award-winning production of Hairspray (2008 Olivier Award for Best Musical) and Jerry Lee Lewis in Damn Yankees (Adelphi theatre).

There’s a dreamy fairground lilt threading through the music, seen in The Coney Island Waltz and it’s completely different from Phantom of the Opera - it’s an even more sophisticated extension of Phantom and this music of the night is spellbinding. Phantom was thunderous and set in a Gothic era beset by candlelight, where as this story emerges ten years later when electricity was lighting up Coney’s skies, a time when Coney Island was considered the eighth great wonder of the world. The Coney Island Waltz, Beneath A Moonless Sky and Entr’acte are in total contrast to the more lively musical numbers: Dear Old Friend and Bathing Beauty. Then there’s the rock sound of the extremely powerful The Beauty Underneath which held everyone gripped as a large gorilla-like skeleton started playing the piano accompanied by some very scary ceiling decorations.

Haley Flaherty - Meg Giry

Meg Giry (Haley Flaherty) dazzles as Coney’s desperate to impress showgirl. Bathing Beauty is the trickiest number in the production, seeing Ms Flaherty having to change in a split second numerous times behind a towel which my male friend was hoping she’d drop! The choreographers, Jerry Mitchell and Bill Deamer certainly didn’t approach any dance routine by halves. Each number is cleverly executed. Ms Flaherty has a string of theatre credits to her name, including having appeared as Janet in The Rocky Horror Show (UK tour, New Zealand and Singapore), Sophie in Mamma Mia! (International tour) and Roxie in Chicago (UK tour).

Liz Robertson - Madame Giry

Liz Robertson (Madame Giry) has a dramatic role, particularly towards the end of the show. Ms Robertson’s theatre credits include A Little Night Music (Adelphi) and Side by Side by Sondheim (Mermaid, Wyndham’s and Toronto). Liz is known for her performances as Madame Giry for which she has appeared in The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre and in the The Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

David Thaxton - Raoul

David Thaxton plays role of Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny, a man haunted by the Phantom’s pursuit of Christine, so tormented that he takes to drinking and staying in Coney’s bars until the early hours of the morning. Thaxton cuts an equally debonair figure next to the Phantom. Thaxton’s theatre credits include: Giorgio in Passion (Donmar Warehouse) for which he won the 2011 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical, and Enjolras in Les Misérables (Queen’s theatre).

Tracey Penn - Fleck
Adam Pearce - Squelch
Charles Brunton - Gangle

Accompanying the Phantom in his world of big wheels and twinkling fairground lights is an interesting trio of creepy looking friends: Fleck (Tracey Penn), Squelch (Adam Pearce) and Gangle (Charles Brunton).

Tam Mutu - Alternate Phantom

Tam Mutu (Alternate Phantom) trained at Guildford School of Acting, and has since had a varied musical and television career, appearing in Faustus, directed by Rupert Goold and Steve Marmion (Headlong Theatre Company). Most notably, Tam has performed as the Phantom with the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Get yourselves over to the Adelphi Theatre. Don't miss this!

I was initially cynical about going to watch a sequel to Phantom since I held a misguided preconception that the two musicals would be similar. How wrong I was! The script has so many twists and unexpected nuances that you are magnetised by everything on stage. From the skeleton walking about to the scary multi-armed creature playing the piano or the ghoulish figure with a glass skeleton head, you can’t look away. There’s even a Medusa style gold hanging full of heads with snakes wiggling about as the mouths sing. It’s horrifically beguiling.

From the fast-paced script, freak show curiosities to the bright Victorian costumes, sparkling jewellery, acrobatics, the mirrored set and the intense love story, the mysterious world of Coney Island will enthral you.

I’m desperately sad this will be leaving the West End Stage at the end of August. I wanted to stay in those shadows of Coney’s Dreamland for a lot longer just listening to this fantastic music. Thankfully, at the end of the show the orchestra agreed to play on!

Miss this and the Phantom will creep from the shadows and find you!

“See the wonders of our age all assembled on our stage too fantastic to be true!”

Website: http://www.loveneverdies.com

Now Closed in London