Utica, NY
*The Hollywood Pantages welcomes Andrew Lloyd Webber’s latest Phantom musical “Love Never Dies” starring Gador Thor Cortes as The Phantom and Meghan Picerno as Christine Daaé.
The show begins with a tormented Phantom wailing from the bellows of his soul. Per usual, the stage undergoes one tremendous metamorphosis after another as the new story line escalates from it’s original Paris opera house to Coney Island 1907, where the diva Daaé has been invited for a new singing engagement.
Finally, in her boudoir, she is confronted by the Phantom in the infamous man in the mirror scene. Gador Thor Cortes and Meghan Picerno execute every note with perfection as melodies sail over Dale Reiling’s musical direction.
Femme fatale Meg Giry (played by Mary Michael Patterson) and her mother Madam Giry (played by Karen Mason) reveal ten years of unrequited allegiance to the Phantom, who has somehow ascended from oblivion and reemerged to reignite his obsession with Christine Daaé, his one true love. Ms.Daaé is now married and the mother of a 10 year old musically inclined son. And so, the plot is set for Love Never Dies. The book by Ben Elton, has Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music and lyrics by Glenn Slater, with additional lyrics by Charles Hart. Orchestration is by David Cullen & Mr. Webber.
For Phantom first timers, it’s an exquisite night of theater punctuated by pristine musical performances. If you are a serial Phantom of the Opera fan, then the legato story line of Love Never Dies is in contrast to the urgency of the original plot where the mysterious musical mad man lurks beneath the Paris opera house, operating in the shadows creating havoc and intrigue. The new show entertains, but leaves a thirst for those cadences and melodies that hooked fans on this theatrical phenomenon for over 25 years worldwide. A few trickles of the familiar finally come in Love Never Dies, but it is only a sprinkle, a tease and a flirtation with the unspoken anticipation of a classic Phantom fix. Yes, it’s a new musical but the Phantom is a universal rock star, metaphorically speaking of course. So not hearing Music of the Night or the Phantom of the Opera is like Barry Manilow not singing “Mandy,” or Mick Jagger skipping “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” during a comeback tour. Perhaps in some hierarchy of theatre circles, the former analogies dare not be compared, or maybe it’s a “Phantom thing” that outsiders would not understand.
Love Never Dies is a worthwhile night out on the town with big musical numbers, classic costumes and superb production design. An excellent job is well done by director Simon Phillips and everyone involved, but alas how many new songs versus old songs should a Phantom sequel employ to satisfy the soul of serious Phantom fans? Will there ever be another cacophony as titillating as Prima Donna or Masquerade? Will there ever be another act break as breathtaking as the falling of a chandelier or a Phantom who vanishes into thin air? Who knows? The Phantom knows. Phantom fans will never forget their first date with a masquerading angel of music. We are forever mesmerized by the music of the night, we are past the point of no return. Love Never Dies plays now through April 22nd 2018 at the Hollywood Pantages. For tickets go to: https://www.hollywoodpantages.com/events/detail/loveneverdies
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