Welcome Back, Phantom!

Raise the chandelier once more on Broadway's longest running musical - welcome back, Phantom of the Opera! 

Let the music of the night live on! 

Love Never Dies, but Continuity Sure Does

A few years ago, it was announced Andrew Lloyd Webber was going forward with a sequel to his megahit “The Phantom of the Opera.” The theater community was…intrigued, yet cautious. It had been so long and the show was (is) so beloved. Also, Andrew Lloyd Webber hasn’t really had a hit on Broadway since Phantom opened. “The Woman in White” closed before the Tonys! So, we kept our ears open for news. And got a laugh when it was reported one of Webber’s cats deleted the score.

But it seemed Webber was serious about pushing forward with it. At a festival held on his estate, Webber debuted the first act. The reviews were positive though fans continued to remain cautious. Especially when it seemed Webber would follow the plot of Frederick Forsyth’s novel, “Phantom of Manhattan.” (It is a “sequel” to the book musical). Most shuddered when they considered that. But things pushed forward. Webber announced plans to debut the show simultaneously in London, New York and Hong Kong. As time grew closer, though, those plans were dropped for an opening only in London with plans for other productions to be determined.

The Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary

Yes, indeed, Phantom of the Opera is a quarter century old. It’s funny to imagine I’m about the same age (at least with the British version. I think I’m a year older than the Broadway production). But one thing can’t be denied about the British: they celebrate anniversaries in style. I mean, I know about the anniversary celebration “A Chorus Line” had—a special performance featuring original cast members as well as replacements. Where in “Music and the Mirror,” it featured the current Cassie giving way to the original, Donna McKenchie. And then four Cassies doing the “Cassie Dance”! All of this was capped by an amazing rendition of “One” with everyone joining in!

But this still pales when one views the Les Miserable Tenth Anniversary Concert (often called the “Dream Cast”) or its 25th Anniversary Concert at the O2. Or to this, the 25th Anniversary production of Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall.

For those of you who don’t know, here’s the story:

Phantom 2: Electric Bugaloo

I love The Phantom of the Opera. I even love most songs Andrew Lloyd Webber has composed. And as you all know by now, I love Broadway musicals. But I am starting to dread the sequel to the hit Broadway smash more and more. 

Phantom 2: Love Never Dies briefly ignited some hope from me when it was revealed that Webber would no longer be following the plot of the novel The Phantom of Manhattan, even though the show would still be set in Brooklyn. (The novel, by Frederick Forsythe, is meant as a sequel to the musical and completely changes the ending of the original novel). But I followed Broadway enough to know a few things: Lightning rarely strikes twice (which is a reason why I don't think Cats would ever enjoy a successful revival), sequels never do well (see Annie Warbucks, Bring Back Birdie and The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public to name a few), and Andrew Lloyd Webber hasn't been as big a name on Broadway as years past. Woman in White didn't even last till the Tonys and Bombay Dreams struggled for the few years it was open. (Note: Webber produced Bombay Dreams, which was composed by A.R. Rahman, nominated for Slumdog Millionaire). 

The actual plot, though, of Phantom 2: Love Never Dies has been shrouded a bit. Nothing I had ever read went beyond the Phantom running into Christine some years after the ending the original story in Brooklyn. Playbill.com ran an article today where it was suggested that Sierra Boggess (The Little Mermaid) was tapped to play Christine in the sequel. It gave the summary as such: "In Love Never Dies, the disfigured Phantom — who released his beloved soprano and her love, Raoul, at the end of The Phantom of the Opera, and then disappeared in a flash — has been relocated from the Paris Opera to Brooklyn's Coney Island. Christine apparently has a son, and is unhappily married to a now dissipated Raoul."

I don't know about this story line. To me, it sounds more like something found on fanfiction.net written by someone more familiar with the musical/movie than the novel. It is common in the fandom to malign Raoul. I'll admit I am just as guilty when I was a young fanfiction writer and writing Phantom phics. It seems that with the release of the musical and subsequently the movie, people have forgotten who the hero of The Phantom of the Opera really is. It isn't Erik, the masked titled figure, but Raoul--the brave vicomte who fights for the love of his life. Erik is the villian. He's not some gothic version of Wuthering Height's Heathcliff. He's a man who is a genius and a sociopath. He built a torture chamber for sport and doesn't understand how to love without obsession, murder and ultimatums. Why can't Christine and Raoul be happy, fanfiction writers? Webber? 

Well, I guess I'll wait to see how the music turns out. And I'll probably go see it, just to see it. These days on Broadway, beggars can't be choosers.