Announcement that LND will be coming to Houston in 2018 on tour. As far as I can tell, this is the first announcement of a Love Never Dies tour. Did anyone see this coming, or am I just oblivious?
About a year ago, Broadway in Boston subscribers (and I assume subscribers in other cities in the Broadway Across America franchise did as well) got an online survey, asking what shows they'd be interested in having as part of an upcoming season; "Love Never Dies" was one of the shows listed.
That article seems to think the best way to promote the show is to talk about how it failed in the West End and how it hasn't lived up to the success of Phantom. Is that supposed to sell tickets?
JPeterman said: "Houston's 2017-18 looks really good. That is quite a nice line up of shows.
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Yeah still hoping to snag up a couple season tickets when my wallet has recovered in a couple weeks from my epic Bway trip this last week.
And anyways, my love for LND will never die. So glad it's going to tour! I for one love ALW's stubbornness with this show. The book may be iffy but the score is magnificent.
Because this "show" is so much of an ill-conceived piece of experimental whatever that the folks behind it stopped caring about continuity or artistic integrity.
The Distinctive Baritone said: "Sigh...I am not a fan of these young, boyish Phantoms. The Phantom in TPOTO really should be around 40, therefore mid/late forties in LND."
Thank you! I've been saying this for years now. They keep trying to bring the ages of the Phantom and Christine closer and closer together, when she should actually be barely more than a girl and he should be old enough to be her father. I blame it all on the so-called "phangirls" who want the Phantom to be almost as pretty as Christine (the ones who think Gerard Butler was "the best Phantom ever!" ). This trend is most obvious in the recent "Be Seduced" Broadway marketing campaign, where he looks so suave as to make the ending absurd when she chooses Raoul. I hate that they made a coffee mug with that image on it!
==> this board is a nest of vipers <==
"Michael Riedel...The Perez Hilton of the New York Theatre scene" - Craig Hepworth, What's On Stage
chernjam said: "I was hoping Ramin and sierra would do this production and eventually bring it to NY"
Sorry, but I'd say there's next to no chance of that happening. I suspect that both of them, privately, feel the obnoxious vendettas launched against the London production tarnished their careers to some degree (not that they've suffered from it; they've both done quite well since then). And this is not to say that they don't love the show; they clearly have an affinity for it because both of them continue to perform songs from it in their concerts.
I very much enjoyed them in the London production, especially Ms. Boggess, as they actually did her hair and makeup to effect a more mature appearance and her performance of the title aria was absolutely breathtaking (at the original tempo, before they sped it up).
Although I am a fan of Mr. Karimloo and think he has amazing vocal strength, I was not completely satisfied with him in LND because, even in the makeup, he was still too obviously young and handsome to be believable. Nonetheless, his rendition of "Till I Hear You Sing" at the final performance by the original cast (Boggess' last show) was phenomenal.
All of that said, Ms. Boggess has stated publicly that she really would like to see the show come to Broadway, and that she would like to sing it again. Never say never, eh?
Personally, I'd like to see LND with Anthony Warlow as the Phantom and Michelle McConnell (the current Broadway Carlotta) as Christine. Their ages are actually appropriate for the story, and Anthony has the necessary maturity for the character and Michelle would slay the title song. Of course, such realistic casting is impossible because the "phangirls" want these characters to be young and beautiful, even when the story says they've aged (and the Phantom was never supposed to be beautiful).
==> this board is a nest of vipers <==
"Michael Riedel...The Perez Hilton of the New York Theatre scene" - Craig Hepworth, What's On Stage
Lot666 said: "Of course, such realistic casting is impossible because the "phangirls" want these characters to be young and beautiful, even when the story says they've aged (and the Phantom was never supposed to be beautiful)."
Why would you blame the younger, female set of fans when it's more likely thirsty casting directors -- or casting directors with a mistaken idea of what the fans want?
Is there really that much crossover from the original show to LND? Or are you just tired of the Ramin fans (in which case I wouldn't really blame you)?
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt