Love Never Dies rushed to Australia
Despite speculation of a clouded future, Love Never Dies, the continuing story of The Phantom of the Opera, will have its Australian premiere in Melbourne’s Regent Theatre in May 2011, it was announced on Tuesday.
Despite speculation of a clouded future, Love Never Dies, the continuing story of The Phantom of the Opera, will have its Australian premiere in Melbourne’s Regent Theatre in May 2011, it was announced on Tuesday.
Speaking by satellite from London to media at the Queen’s Hall in Victoria’s Parliament House, Andrew Lloyd Webber said the production would also have its own, unique, Australian stamp.
Produced by Lloyd Webber’s Asia Pacific representative Tim McFarlane, it will be directed by Melbourne’s Simon Phillips and have a new design by Sydney based Gabriela Tylesova.
Nationwide auditions will begin in a fortnight – on Monday, October 25, the same day tickets go on sale. Waitlisting has begun through Ticketmaster, and people can join the production’s email registration list at loveneverdies.com.au
“The Phantom of the Opera is one of the most popular theatre productions of all time and we are delighted that Andrew Lloyd Webber has chosen Melbourne to be the second city in the world to stage the continuing story, Love Never Dies,” said Minister for the Arts, Tim Holding.
The May premiere means the show will land in Australia before Broadway.
“I have a great affiliation with Australia. My musicals have always done exceptionally well here. I have worked internationally with many of Australia’s finest theatrical talent,” Lloyd Webber said.
McFarlane said he expected audiences who loved Phantom to flock to the new show.
“The Phantom of the Opera is the most successful single entertainment of all time,” he said.
“Over two tours of Australia and New Zealand, in 1990 -1998 and 2007-2009, it has been enjoyed by more than five million people. Those who saw Phantom and loved the show will be excited to see how the story continues and all those who appreciate music theatre will be thrilled by Love Never Dies.”
The musical, the most awaited in decades, had its premiere in London’s Adelphi Theatre on March 9 this year.
It has been on shaky ground since but there is hope that the Australian production will be successful.
Holding said that theatre was a key part of Melbourne’s major events calendar.
“Over the last four years, blockbuster theatre shows such as Wicked, Jersey Boys and currently, Mary Poppins have drawn hundreds of thousands of interstate and overseas visitors to Melbourne ensuring that our hotels, restaurants and famous retail precincts are busy throughout the year,” Holding said.
Press notes for the show read: “For years the Phantom haunted the depths of the Paris Opera House and isolated himself from the world. It was not until he fell fiercely in love with a young soprano Christine Daaé that he first felt the rush of his existence. His love quickly grew into obsession, and his madness drove Christine into the arms of another – her childhood sweetheart Raoul. The year is 1907. It is 10 years after his disappearance from the Paris Opera House and the Phantom has escaped to a new life in New York where he has found a place amongst the screaming joy rides and freak-shows of Coney Island. In this new electrically-charged world, he has finally found a place for his music to soar. All that is missing is his love – Christine Daaé.”
Simon Phillips, Director of Love Never Dies said: “It’s an honour to be working on an Australian production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s dazzling new work. The score of Love Never Dies is truly ravishing, loaded with big lyrical ballads and some taut and unforgettably hummable ensembles.”
He added: “One of the early highlights in my directing career was a production of Jesus Christ Superstar, but in the current climate of single versions of musicals playing forever I never thought I’d have the pleasure of directing a new work by the undisputed master of contemporary musical theatre.
“So I’m delighted that Andrew Lloyd Webber has chosen an Australian team to work on his inspired new structural changes, which promise to further intensify the thrills and spills of the story as told in London.”