Andrew Lloyd Webber’s magnum opus, “The Phantom of the Opera,” is celebrating its 30th year on the Broadway stage, and, needless to say, musical theatre fans are excited about the occasion. Fanfare surrounds the show’s twisted romance, haunting score and substantial tradition—with a cost. While I think “Phantom” deserves all the attention it earns, I believe the widespread ignorance of its more recent sequel, “Love Never Dies,” is an injustice against art, the entire theatre community and queen Christine Daae herself.
Here are a few reasons why you should start obsessing over “Love Never Dies” (almost) as much as “The Phantom of the Opera.”
Illustration by Josh Zucker
Everyone loves an underdog
“Love Never Dies” is like the kid who always lives in their sibling’s shadow. If we’re being completely honest, it wasn’t Lloyd Webber’s best choice to try to write a sequel that could never possibly live up to the original. Lloyd Webber, however, considered it a piece that could stand alone. He encouraged audiences to distance their minds and expectations from the style and (implicitly) the caliber of “Phantom.” His hopes for audience reception did not quite come to fruition, with most viewers rejecting the independence of the narrative from the original. It’s hard to follow a classic, but I think that’s part of what makes “Love Never Dies” so great. It’s an extremely ambitious project that everyone would probably love if it weren’t a sequel. The narrative is lovable, the music is enchanting and Lloyd Webber’s artistic vision is clear. At this point, I think he should reclaim “Love Never Dies” for what it is: an underdog story.
The little-known behind-the-scenes drama
Lloyd Webber originally began conceptualizing “Love Never Dies” in the early 1990s, following the instant stardom of “The Phantom of the Opera.” His inspiration was a TV documentary about Coney Island. The project fell apart in its early stages because Lloyd Webber didn’t see his ideas adapting well to the stage. He resurrected the project in 2007, enlisting great directors and producers to help craft a fitting sequel. In May 2007, however, Lloyd Weber’s kitten, Otto, climbed onto his piano and managed to delete the entire score. The sequel thus faced a delay, making its stage debut in 2010. The show, however, never made it to the Broadway stage.
The incredible (but not “Phantom” level) soundtrack
The score for “Love Never Dies” incorporates burlesque stage music, replacing the operatic passages that were so highly acclaimed in “Phantom.” For many, this is where the shortcomings of the sequel become clear. By removing the charm of the opera stage and introducing the Coney Island setting, the classic “Phantom” storyline begins to disintegrate. The “Love Never Dies” soundtrack is beautiful in its own right, despite straying from the “Phantom” sound and style. If you just want to hear more “Phantom” music, you’ll be disappointed. But if you truly enjoy musical theatre and the art that comes with it, “Love Never Dies” won’t disappoint.
FAQs
Gustave Daaé II is the son of Christine Daaé and Erik (The Phantom), and the step-son of Raoul de Chagny. He first appeared in the sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies.
Did Christine sleep with the Phantom? ›
Relationships. She was married to Raoul but is really in love with the Phantom. She had intercourse with the Phantom one night after finding him finding in the darkness, making Gustave not Raoul's child but instead the Phantom's.
Why did Love Never Dies fail? ›
Lloyd Webber originally began conceptualizing “Love Never Dies” in the early 1990s, following the instant stardom of “The Phantom of the Opera.” His inspiration was a TV documentary about Coney Island. The project fell apart in its early stages because Lloyd Webber didn't see his ideas adapting well to the stage.
Do the Phantom and Christine end up together? ›
Christine reveals to Gustave that the Phantom is his real father and she tells the Phantom that her love for him will never die. The Phantom and Christine share a final kiss and she dies in his arms. The Phantom has Meg hold Christine's body as he moves to comfort Gustave, who unmasks him without fear.
What is the age gap between Christine and Raoul? ›
Answer and Explanation:
Raoul is in his mid-20s in The Phantom of the Opera. He is a few years older than Christine, who is only 20. However, the age gap between Christine and Eric is even larger. While Eric's exact age is not revealed, he is at least in his late 40s.
Why did Christine kiss Phantom at the end? ›
She eventually is given an ultimatum-to live out her days with the Phantom, or see Raoul killed. In a moment of pity and compassion, Christine kisses the Phantom, in an effort to show him kindness for the first time in his life.
Why is the Phantom so obsessed with Christine? ›
At the musical's dramatic climax, the Phantom delivers his ultimatum to Christine: marry him or watch Raoul die. While Raoul sees no way out and begs Christine to run and let him die, Christine recognizes that the Phantom's mad obsession with her stems from extreme loneliness and ostracization.
Did the Phantom visit Christine's grave? ›
At the end of the movie, an old Raoul appears to be visiting Christine's grave. As he approaches her tombstone, he saw a red rose on the side of it—an indication that the Phantom has paid her a visit. There is nothing like this in the novel because the Phantom killed himself at the end of the story.
Why does Christine faint in the Phantom's Lair? ›
Christine faints in the movie when the Phantom shows her his wax figure of her (which is actually Emmy Rossum made up to look waxy and porcelain) in a wedding dress and veil. In the novel, he apparently drugs her on the way to his lair. Once there, she revives and becomes perfectly lucid.
What happened to Raoul in Love Never Dies? ›
Raoul is broken-hearted when he realizes her love for the Phantom has never died and he exits the stage.
News Lloyd Webber's Phantom Sequel Love Never Dies Will Be Screened In Cinemas Love Never Dies, the Coney-Island-set sequel to Andrew Lloyd Webber's international hit musical The Phantom of the Opera, will be unmasked in U.S. cinemas Feb. 28.
Is Love Never Dies better than phantom? ›
As musical, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is better than LOVE NEVER DIES, by a lot. As movie, LOVE NEVER DIES (2012) is better than THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (2004), by a bit.
Did the Phantom get Christine pregnant? ›
Christine Daae
Christine later revealed the truth to her son, that the Phantom was his birth father.
Did Erik really love Christine? ›
As he returns to the his home, Gérard confronts Erik about releasing Christine. Erik refuses because he loves Christine and believes given time she would love him too.
Why did Christine remove the Phantom's mask? ›
The song focuses on the Phantom's seduction of Christine, but, at the end of the song, the Phantom sings a short reprise of "All I Ask Of You", asking that Christine be with him, instead of Raoul. She responds by removing the Phantom's mask, so that the entire audience can see his deformed face.
Does the Phantom pretend to be Christine's dad? ›
Here's where the movie gets into some very un-Disney territory. The Phantom has been essentially a surrogate father to this girl, and in fact pretends to be the spirit of her father at times — and yet he wants to marry her and, well, ravage her.
Is Gustave the Phantom's son? ›
The Phantom confronts Christine with his suspicions and she finally tells him the truththat Gustave really is his son and that she has hidden it all these years.
Is Meg the Phantom daughter? ›
Meg Giry is one of the fictional characters from Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera. In the story, she is Madame Giry's oldest daughter.
Does Christine and Cody have a son? ›
Paedon Brown, 25
Paedon Brown is Kody and Christine's only biological son together. He was born on August 7, 1998. He joined the Utah National Guard in 2019, per his mother's Instagram. He's one of the most active Brown children on social media and runs a Cameo account.
Illustration by Josh Zucker 