Sierra Boggess sang Love Never Dies for the massed musical theatre fans at West End Live last weekend, another wonderful performance by Sierra, and great publicity for the show. Here’s a crowd video of the song courtesy of theatre breaks youTube

After Sierra, Ramin and one of the Gustav’s came on and sang a duet but I’ll leave that for another post. Just look at the appreciative comments left about Sierra again:

rayna181

Beautiful. I swear i never get tired of? her gorgeous voice!!

ChristineMeram

i love this? song sooo much! breathtaking!

Masq92

cant wait till this comes? to new york

PrettyEowyn

Sierra dazzling, as ever. It is so sweet? and delicate! ^^

dookydocs

seen love never dies twice , Sierra got standing ovations on both? occasions. truly stunning

zacmari12

amazing! ?

theAmandaBean

She looks? and sounds like an angel!

Ozcellenc2

OH WOW!!!! She becomes better and better and better.?

Sierra Boggess sang Love Never Dies on BBC1’s Over the Rainbow show last night

The show is a casting competition for another Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, The Wizard of Oz which opens in London in April 2011 with a Leading Lady – the part of Dorothy, chosen by the public. Sierra Boggess helped out with the final four contestants during the week giving them advice on singing, stamina, and the West End Leading Lady lifestyle which the lucky winner might expect.

I have a feeling it’s going to fashionable to knock the new musical “Love Never Dies” from certain quarters. Paul in London made an audioboo from the Adelphi Theatre during the interval at Love Never Dies.

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Love Never Dies the new Phantom musical will open in London on Tuesday 9th March, just one week’s time. So what will the critics and press reviews make of it? Well in many ways, it doesn’t really matter because, having seen one of the early previews and loved it all, especially the score, I’m certain that the great British musical theatre going public is going to really enjoy this musical extravaganza. It’s a modern production that builds on the language of musicals and delights the eye and ear, while twisting the emotions appropriately as the plot unfolds. There were one or two effects that didn’t work quite as well as others, but from all accounts the show had already improved considerably on the first preview, and it’s now a case of tweaking a show that is ready for the world rather than implementing any big last minute redesigns. Maybe if you go and see Love Never Dies in three months time, for a summer theatre break, it will be a more mature production, perhaps with a new final ensemble or something to smooth over any slight disappointments, but the characters are set and most importantly, the music is a final piece that holds together very well. I’ll be throroughly recommending Love Never Dies as a new musical top choice choice for London theatre breaks.

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As the build up to the official opening of Love Never Dies gathers pace, Andrew Lloyd Webber has been on TV promoting the new Phantom musical with not one but two soprano Divas over the weekend. On Friday Night with Jonathan Ross he accompanied Sierra Boggess, the leading lady from the Adelphi Theatre London where previews are currently underway. Sierra sang the title track “Love Never Dies” beautifully again, and then on ITV’s “Dancing On Ice” show, Lord Webber played the piano again but this time with acclaimed classical soprano Katherine Jenkins singing her own unique interpretation of the now more familiar “Love Never Dies” song.

The performance was also interpreted visually by none other than Ice dance superstars Torvill and Dean.

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Erin Anna Jameson is just one of the amazing people adding to the spectacle of Love Never Dies set in the Coney Island pleasure gardens. Here she is displaying some expert handbalancing

Erin Anna Jameson Handbalancing

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Well here it is, Sierra Boggess singing the theme song to Love Never Dies at the last ever ITV South Bank Show Awards on Sunday Night, January 31st accompanied by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Louise Hunt on two grand pianos.

So what did you think? I was struck by the performance style of Sierra Boggess being reminiscent of the Sarah Brightman who was Andrew Lloyd Webber’s inspiration for the original Phantom of The Opera. The flourishing crescendo of that operetta style is a bit much for my taste just for a few moments but I did recognise a great show tune in there which will have a strong emotional appeal when seen live at the theatre in just a few weeks tine when Love Never Dies opens in London. I did actually start humming the tune the next day after only having heard it once.

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More of the casting for Love Never Dies has now been announced and it includes one Niamh Perry from the BBC 1 TV search for a star to play Nancy for Oliver the Musical, “I’d Do Anything”.  Since Niamh Perry left I’d Do Anything she starred in the West End production of Only the Brave and is currently in the London production of the highly successful musical, Mamma Mia! Love Never Dies will receive it’s world premier on the 9th March 2010 at the Adelphi Theatre and Niamh Perry joins the already announced cast list which includes Ramin Karimloo as The Phantom, Sierra Boggess as Christine, Summer Strallen as Meg Giry, Liz Robertson as Madame Giry and Joseph Milson as Raoul.

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Ramin Karimloo, star of The Phantom of the Opera and next year’s world premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom sequel Love Never Dies, along with I’d Do Anything’s Sarah Lark, How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?’s Abi Finley and other musical stars have recorded the September released concept album for BLUEBIRD, a passionate new musical set on the homefront during the Second World War. Normally priced £13.99, the 24-track CD, produced by Escape Records, comes with 12-page souvenir booklet.

Bluebird is a passionate new musical, set during World War Two and charts the story of ordinary people living in extraordinary times. It tells the heartbreaking story of Roberta Jones (Sarah Lark) as she comes to terms with her husband Pete (Stephen Weller) going off to war. Roberta, a nurse, soon meets the charismatic U.S. serviceman Ben (Ramin Karimloo) and a friendship grows, much to the disapproval of best friend, Jane (Abi Finely). Ramin Karimloo remarked: It was great to help out a new and up and coming British composer. (Gareth Peters) He has put his heart and soul into this project. I think he’s done a great job and was honored to be asked to take part in it and also have a song written for me. It was also a lot of fun to go back to singing with a rockier sound.

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Ramin Karinloo: Phantom has Asperger’s According to an interview published in the Telegraph last month, Ramin Karimloo star of The Phantom of The Opera and Love Never Dies said he believed the Phantom showed clear signs of the condition known as Asperger’s Syndrome, which is a form of autism. Sufferers often have difficulties with communication and social relationships. According to Ramin Karimloo, who joined the London production of Phantom of The Opera two years ago, the autistic spectrum and asperger’s in particular could explain the Phantom’s eccentric traits, his musical genius and his difficulty with social interactions which led him to hide away beneath the Paris Opera House for all those years. It’s an interesting theory, which could also help to bring better public understanding of the increasing common condition of autistic spectrum symptoms but it seems to me that Ramin Karimloo is completely ignoring the effect of the Phantom’s facial disfigurement and hence the mask in the story which is set two centuries ago. But never mind, “I saw a documentary on Asperger’s syndrome and it made a lot of sense to me,” said Karimloo. Ramin Karimloo was born in Iran and has been central to the launch of Love Never Dies, the long awaited Phantom story continuation which Andrew Lloyd Webber says “is not a sequel” Love Never Dies with Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess opens in London in March 2010 at the Adelphi Theatre, and then later around the world.

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Andrew Lloyd Webber launched “Love Never Dies,” his sequel to “The Phantom of the Opera,” at a press conference in London in October. While the composer pointedly refused to discuss the budget for the new show, It has been suggested the figure could reach £13 million, and that’s just for the London production, which will open on March 9th 2010. The US Broadway production, set to open in November 2010, perhaps at the Neil Simon Theatre, will probably cost even more, almost matching the enormous $45 million budget spent on “Spider-Man”, the most expensive Broadway show of all time.

Here are a few examples of where some of the money is flowing out:

The concept album of “Love Never Dies” used a 95-piece orchestra. Listening to it one afternoon, Andrew Lloyd Webber suddenly decided he didn’t like the orchestrations in the second act. So he brought all the musicians back into the studio and re-recorded half the album. There have already been several lavish workshops of the show, including one last month that was just to develop some special effects and cost almost £250,000.

The first round of sets didn’t meet with the lord’s approval, so everything was scrapped. Designer Bob Crowley was brought back to redo the entire show.

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In this video Andrew Lloyd Webber talks about Love Never Dies, the twists in the story without giving anything away.

Coney Island was an amazing place, the great 8th wonder of the world. The Phantom has gone there and is now the big mogul, running the place. It’s there that our story starts. Andrew discussed the possibilities with Frederick Forsyth who came up with a book but the musical was abandoned. Three years ago he came back becuase here was a germ of an idea there. Working with Ben Elton on a project, he said the original chracaters neeed to be transported so we have all of the five – Raoul, Christine, Meg, Madam Giry and the Phantom they all appear plus we have one new character – Gustav the 10 year old child of Raoul and Christine’s. Ben unlocked it. Who would be a great lyricist? Glenn Slater. Principals – Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess. The album has already been recorded. Love Never Dies was originally planned to be rolled out to three theatres at ate same time but casting was too difficult, so it’s going to be London in March, New York in November, Canada and the Far East already well planned. Love Never Dies all around the world.

Nicole Sherzinger working on Love Never Dies This isn’t quite confirmed casting news for Love Never Dies but it’s interesting because Nicole Sherzinger is a high profile lead singer from the band “The Pussycat Dolls” who has also been associated with Formula 1 hero Lewis Hamilton. Nicole Sherzinger The news is that Hawaiian born Nicole Sherzinger is to work with Andrew Lloyd Webber on some aspect of the new musical, “Love Never Dies.” MTV.com confirms the news, but also cautions that it is still unknown just how involved she is in the production. Andrew Lloyd Webber also made the announcement about Nicole Sherzinger in a statement about Love Never Dies on October 9th.

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At the Love Never Dies press launch yesterday, Ramin Karimloo sang the song ‘Til I Hear You Sing Once More’ while Sierra Boggess sat on her golden throne, silently. Andrew LLoyd Webber, Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess at the Love Never Dies press launch ** Book Love Never Dies Theatre Breaks **

Music by Andrew LLoyd Webber Baritone Ramin Karimloo will play the Phantom in Love Never Dies, having already played the role in the Phantom of the Opera in London. Soprano Sierra Boggess will play the role of Christine, having made her Broadway debut creating the lead role of Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid. ** Book Love Never Dies Theatre Breaks ** Love Never Dies – Till I Hear You Sing Once More – Lyrics by Glenn Slater The day starts, the day ends Time crawls by Night steals in, pacing the floor The moments creep, Yet I can’t bear to sleep Till I hear you sing And weeks pass, and months pass Seasons fly Still you don’t walk through the door And in a haze I count the silent days Till I hear you sing once more. And sometimes at night time I dream that you are there But wake holding nothing but the empty air And years come, and years go Time runs dry Still I ache down to the core My broken soul Can’t be alive and whole Till I hear you sing once more And music, your music It teases at my ear I turn and it fades away and you’re not here Let hopes pass, let dreams pass Let them die Without you, what are they for? I’ll always feel No more than halfway real Till I hear you sing once more

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Love Never Dies Dates of Opening Shows Now the exact dates can be revealed with the expected March and November openings for Love Never Dies in London and New York, and a year for Australia rather than Singapore. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long awaited new musical sequel to the Phantom of the Opera will have its global world premiere in London at the Adelphi Theatre on Tuesday 9th March 2010, followed by New York USA on Thursday 11th November and in Australia in 2011. Theatre Breaks to see Love Never Dies previews in London from February 20th 2010 are already on sale here from the Love Never Dies blog via Show and Stay *** Book Love Never Dies Theatre Breaks ***

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The Official launch press conference for Love Never Dies takes place today October 8th at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London’s Haymarket, the home of the Phantom of The Opera for the past 23 years. Love Never Dies has been regarded as a risky venture by some, since it will be the first ever West End musical sequel, while others say that it doesn’t matter whether it’s a sequel or not, as long as it’s a great musical. ** Book LOVE NEVER DIES Tickets ** Andrew LLoyd Weber makes the important launching speech and the big stars who have been workshopping the show, Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess perform excerpts from the new score. Songs expected to be included in the Love Never Dies score are

The Heart Is Slow To Learn Fortune Teller

Love Never Dies will begin previews at the Adelphi Theatre in March 2010.

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Love Never Dies – Lengthy Birth Process Love Never Dies, the Phantom Sequel is on it’s way now, with a firm announcement being made on October 8th 2009. But this new musical hasn’t just arrived onto the London musical theatre scene from nowhere, it has had a lengthy and difficult incubuation period. Phantom of Manhatten – the Novel on which Love Never Dies is based Frederick Forsyth's The Phantom of Manhatten Phantom of The Opera fans have discussed the possibility of a sequel since 1997, twelve years ago when Frederick Forsyth the author of “Day of The Jackal” and “The Odessa File” published his novel The Phantom of Manhattan with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s approval. Yes, it is a little surprising that the Phantom of The Opera sequel and novel upon which Love Never Dies is based was written by Forsyth. He explained at the time it was intended as a departure from his usual genre. “I had done mercenaries, assassins, Nazis, murderers, terrorists, special forces soldiers, fighter pilots, you name it, and I got to think, could I actually write about the human heart?”

The Phantom of Manhatten however, did not achieve the same success as Frederick Forsyth’s other novels, so he returned to writing modern day thrillers. Stage adaptation for Love Never Dies Plans to adapt the Phantom of Manhatten were shelved for a while after the book was poorly received, but ten years later in March 2007, Andrew Lloyd Webber announced that plans for a stage sequel would be going ahead, and that it would be set in New York. How much of the plot for the new book for Love Never Dies falls back on Forsyth’s original novel remains to be seen as the musical approaches its first previews. What followed the 2007 announcement was a series of unlikely events which supposedly involved several creative writers and composers being hired and fired, entire musical scores being dumped and something about a cat and a piano which has been kept very secret. Forsyth himself was supposed to be collaborating, but first he was in and then he was out. Ben Elton’s script for Love Never Dies Ben Elton writer for Love Never Dies Then it was announced that Ben Elton has written the new Love Never Dies playscript, which is a brilliant move by Lloyd Webber, after the magnificent success of We Will Rock You which was also written by Ben Elton. Ben Elton first collaborated with Andrew Lloyd Webber on The Beautiful Game in 2000, writing the book and lyrics (Lloyd Webber wrote the music). The Beautiful Game won the London Critics Circle Award for best new musical. Elton went on to write a number of compilation shows featuring popular songs taken from the back catalogues of pop/rock artists. The first of these was the musical We Will Rock You with music by the rock band Queen. This was successful in London and won the 2003 Theatregoers’ Choice Award for Best New Musical. It has since opened in the US, Australia, Russia, Spain, South Africa, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and Canada. Tonight’s the Night, based on the songs of Rod Stewart, opened in November 2003. Love Never Dies Lyrics Interestingly, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s old collaborator Tim Rice was approached to write lyrics for Love Never Dies, but that job eventually went to Glenn Slater who also wrote the lyrics to the new London musical Sister Act. Love Never Dies Alternate Titles As well as the name from the novel The Phantom of Manhatten, and obvious ideas such as “Phantom 2″ , “Phantom of The Opera Returns” etc, rejected names for the Love Never Dies project included The Phantom of Coney Island and Phantom: Once Upon Another Time, but that was never more than a working title really and in September 2008 Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber announced the name Love Never Dies at his birthday celebrations in Hyde Park, London.

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Love Never Dies Trailer Here is the official Love Never Dies video trailer put out by the Really Useful Group and uploaded to youtube recently. In it there are some glimpses of scenes from the Phantom of the Opera followed by black and white clips of an ocean liner arriving in New York, then Coney Island, entertainers and the words “The Story Continues”.

This is all building up to the announcement on October 8th which is expected to name the date for the London opening of Love Never Dies sometime in March 2010, but it could just be sooner. We’ll have to wait and see.

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Love Never Dies and The Phantom Love Never Dies is the title for the sequel to The Phantom of The Opera, the popular West End and Broadway musical which has been running continuously at Her Majesty’s Theatre, London since 1986. Phantom of the Opera theatre breaks have been the upmarket choice for hundreds of thousands of couples wanting a special night out with spectacular effects, operetta style music, a full orchestra and a holiday break in London never to forget. Love Never Dies Theatre Breaks Soon it will be possible to relive Phantom of The Opera theatre breaks without seeing the same musical all over again, because a new musical called Love Never Dies, and set in New York is due to open in London and other cities imminently. The Phantom himself sent me an email : “Ladies and Gentlemen, At 11 o’clock on the eighth day of October 2009, I will be making an announcement of global importance. Should my commands be ignored, a disaster beyond your imagination will occur. Amor Numquam Moritur. Your Obedient Servant, The Phantom” Love Never Dies – The Musical Love Never Dies the musical is set in 1907, ten years after the conclusion of the original Phantom Of The Opera story. The Phantom himslef escaped to New York in the US with Madame and Meg Giry. There he worked as a magician and entertainer on Coney Island. He builds a new opera house and convinces Christine Daae, now a huge star in her own right, to sing for him once again.

Love Never Dies the musical has lyrics by Glenn Slater, is directed by Jack O’Brien and designed by Bob Crowley, with choreography by Jerry Mitchell and lighting by Paule Constable. The launch day announcement on October 8th is expected to confirm rumours that the Love Never Dies will have a world premiere opening at London’s Adelphi Theatre in March 2010, following lengthy previews. Casting is expected to include Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom, American Sierra Boggess as Christine, and Summer Strallen as Meg Giry. Well those are the rumours, but with rehearsals well under way at a big location outside of London, it’s also just possible that the opening of Love Never Dies will be brought foreward in time for the December January peak theatre season.

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