WOS Winner Karimloo Stays, New Love Cast
Fresh from winning Best Actor in a Musical last night at the 2011 Whatsonstage.com Awards, where he also performed in the concert ceremony at the Prince of Wales, Ramin Karimloo has extended his contract as the Phantom in Love Never Dies, Andrew Lloyd Webbber’s follow-up to The Phantom of the Opera, at the West End’s Adelphi Theatre.
From 7 March 2011, Karimloo will be joined by several new cast members, including David Thaxton, taking over from Joseph Millson, who also triumphed at last night’s awards, winning Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for Love Never Dies. Millson’s next stage role is opposite Keeley Hawes in Clifford Odets’ play Rocket to the Moon at the National Theatre.
Also joining Love Never Dies are: Celia Graham as Christine, Haley Flaherty as Meg Giry, and Tracey Penn as Fleck, taking over from, respectively Sierra Boggess, Summer Strallen and Niamh Perry.
Liz Robertson (Madame Giry), Adam Pearce (Squelch) and Charles Brunton (Gangle) continue in their roles. The company also includes Nick Blair, Dale Branston, Abigail Brodie, Kieran Brown, Nick Crossley, Natalie Edmunds, Chris Gage, Lucy Van Gasse, Mirela Golinska, Daniel Gourlay, Simon Ray Harvey, Grace Holdstock, Lucinda Lawrence, Vanessa Leagh-Hicks, Louisa Lydell, Lisa Mathieson, David McMullan, Colette Morrow, Ashley Nottingham, Mira Ormala, Rae Piper, Alexa-Jayne Robinson, Andrew Rothwell, Simon Storey, Tim Walton and Zara Warren. Jack Costello, Daniel Dowling and Harry Polden share the role of Gustave, Tam Mutu is the alternate Phantom.
In addition to its two Whatsonstage.com Award wins, Love Never Dies has been nominated for seven Laurence Olivier Awards, which are announced on Sunday 13 January. The production is now booking until 14 January 2012 at the Adelphi, where it premiered in March 2011 and recently underwent some major tweaks and redirection care of new co-producer Bill Kenwright.
Commenting on the show’s awards success today, Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “I’m absolutely thrilled that Love Never Dies has finally been recognised in this way. I would like to pay tribute to our wonderful company, who have worked so hard throughout and have embraced the changes to the show, which have proved so successful. I’d also like to thank our loyal ‘Phans’, who have been so supportive of the show since it opened. I’m particularly happy about the timing of this announcement, given that my new show, The Wizard of Oz, has just started previews.”
The action in Love Never Dies is set in 1907, 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 the fairgrounds of 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 and married to her old flame Raoul, to sing for him once more…
Music is by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Glenn Slater. Love Never Dies is directed by Jack O’Brien, designed by Bob Crowley and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell.
