Love indeed never dies

Logic says that it would be very wrong to judge Love Never Dies on the basis of the soundtrack album alone. This is the new musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber that is the sequel to the hugely successful Phantom Of The Opera. Just like a movie, a musical should be experienced live on stage. So simply listening to the CD will not give anybody a complete view of what the show is like.

On the other hand, there have been plenty of musicals that instantly caught the public’s fancy on the basis of the songs in the soundtrack alone. In fact, Jesus Christ Superstar, which Webber co-wrote with Tim Rice, was a hit recording first before it was staged in London’s West End. And I am sure that many remember how positively they reacted to the soundtracks of the likes of The Sound Of Music, My Fair Lady, West Side Story and others without ever having seen the shows.

So how do you think should anybody react to Love Never Dies? My initial response to the news that Webber has decided to come up with a sequel was, what for? The Phantom is one of the most successful musicals of all time. It is almost perfect. The gothic tale by Gaston Leroux, has survived for over a hundred years. The music haunts you, and I do not mean just the big ballads like Music Of The Night but also brief pieces like Masquerade. Most of all, the staging is truly awesome. Phantom is one of those shows that you can watch again and again and you will still find something to marvel at.

Truth to tell, the sight of the gondola sailing on the underground river gets me all the time and the Entr’acte is surely one of the most impressive second act openers ever seen.

The next question is how? This is no vampire tale or sci-fi flick where you can bring anybody back to life, without sacrificing logic. Come to think of it though, we never saw the Phantom dead on stage. They killed off Christine in the movie, which I must say was a disappointment because Gerald Butler lacked the sensitivity required by the Phantom role. But that addendum to the film version placed her death in her old age. So maybe it would be okay to say that the Phantom didn’t die. He just disappeared and Christine can be shown 10 years after her Phantom episode but still a long way from old age.

What about where? There are not many settings as fascinating as the Paris Opera, so it would still be safe to use that. Webber though decided on something else. His choice as the place where Christine will meet her phantom again is Coney Island in turn of the century New York. How does one compare the Paris Opera with Coney Island? Like hoochie coochie strippers with ballerinas? You don’t. Because like New York and Paris, those two places are vastly different.

The advantage here is being in a place where freaks as carnival attractions were common place, allows the Phantom freedom of movement. No need anymore to hide underground. He can be on top of the world and that is where he is in Love Never Dies, a tycoon in probably the first skyscraper. So the Phantom is now a mysterious impressario in Coney Island who hires the famous soprano Christine Daae to sing in his amusement park show named Phantasma.

And singing requires music. So did Webber come up with songs that can rival or surpass the first? Like I said in the beginning, it is not easy to tell without having seen the musical. Besides judging from the CD, Webber’s music here takes getting used to. Only one hit is evident at the outset, the title song performed by Christine which should be on its way to becoming a popera classic. The rest need time to grow on you.

Despite those misgivings, it cannot be denied that the release of the Love Never Dies soundtrack is an important event. It is a new Lloyd Webber musical and it is the sequel to Phantom Of The Opera. I hope I get the chance to watch and hopefully enjoy it soon.