The 15,000 musical fans who attended last night’s BBC concert in Hyde Park celebrating the 60th birthday of Andrew Lloyd Webber were treated to more than a star-studded line-up (including John Barrowman, Elaine Paige, Lee Mead, Jason Donovan, Idina Menzel and Maria Friedman), a reunion of myriad would-be Marias, Josephs and Nancys, countless classic show tunes and a full-throttle fireworks display (See News, 15 Aug 2008).
When the composer himself took to the stage to thank the audience and the BBC during the finale, he also had some exclusive news to share: he has settled on the official title for his highly anticipated follow-up to The Phantom of the Opera blockbuster and it is … drumroll, please … Love Never Dies. He promised the cheering crowd that “I’ll try to do my best with the sequel”.
Ten years after the conclusion of the original story, the Phantom has escaped to New York with Madame and Meg Giry and found success in Coney Island as a magician and entertainer. When he builds a new opera house, he persuades his old ingenue Christine Daae, now a huge star, to sing for him once more...
Previous working titles for the new musical have included The Phantom of Manhattan and, more recently Once Upon Another Time (See The Goss, 9 Jun 2008). Love Never Dies - whose creative team includes Ben Elton (book), Glen Slater (lyrics) and Jack O'Brien (direction) – is expected to premiere in November 2009.
Lets face it! Whether we like them to make a sequel or not, MOST of us will go and watch it to satisfy our curiosity. Good or Bad ;) - Zee
01 Jan 10
I am so excitied about the new Phantom sequel! I can't wait untill it comes on broadway! Andrew Lloyd Webber is so great at making wonderful musicals and stories. - Lindsey Arsenault
23 Apr 09
An absolute disaster in the making!
I am a true Phantom fan and recent Lloyd Webber works are lets face it, not too memorable to say the least! The Phantom is a success because it is perfect, and ends perfectly. The fact that The Phantom as a character moves to the USA and starts performing magic tricks etc is just too terrifying a thought.
Sometimes, its best to just leave it be!
Ouch Andrew! You of all people should know to quit whilst you're ahead...oh and the movie was atrocious! Gerard Butler?!?!? The current West End cast are very impressive, although why the sudden mass of younger Phantoms has happened I dont know. Ramin does hold his own though.
I will see it, but I expect absolute and utter disappointment, which I sincerely hope does not hinder the original! - Ben Eagle
05 Apr 09
Of course it will work it's Phantom it always works. Frankly I can't wait to see it and GB Net are raving about it. there are already thousands of fans waiting to see it Andrew. We want Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum back for the magical movie I bet Gerry would do the stage version too. Those two are magic together. Unbeatable. Joan. - Joan Watley
31 Mar 09
omg i was talking about this with my friend, (who i enjoy spazzing about Phantom with) and we were so angered by it that we spent a whole hour bashing it before admitting that we would def. go see it and love it and become obsessed with it just because we are that lame XD. - Lyssie
23 Jan 09
"Ten years after the conclusion of the original story, the Phantom has escaped to New York with Madame and Meg Giry and found success in Coney Island as a magician and entertainer. When he builds a new opera house, he persuades his old ingenue Christine Daae, now a huge star, to sing for him once more..."
Ha ha ha ha ha!! Come on now - how cheesy is that?!? (Somebody please pass the wine with the *CHEESE*!)
Honestly, this planned sequel will *NOT* work! (As it was, I broke out laughing, literally, at the end of Webber's 2004 movie, in the movie theater - and I can only assume that kind of response was not the one intended!)
Most of us have seen and know that most sequels *DO NOT* work - as I'm afraid will be the case with this one, should it infact be made! (The only sequels I have seen work are those to "Back to the Future" and "Batman Returns"!)
If someone gets the chance to speak with
ALW, please try to convince him to *NOT* do a sequel on Phantom! (Instead, try to convince him to do a sequel on CATS - perhaps "Growing Old with Fur Balls" might work! LOL!) - Georgia
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