Tunes, vol. 7

Have you ever heard of the Phantom of the Opera sequel? No. I thought not.

The sequel entitled Love Never Dies opened in London in 2010 but received poor reviews and eventually closed. In 2012, it experienced decent success in Australia but never even made it to America. Now, if you really want to see the much-anticipated but bit-of-a-flop Phantom sequel, you have to go to Japan, the only country currently showing it. You also could purchase the DVD recording of the Australian version. Which is what I did.

Why was it a flop you ask? Personally, I love the music. While perhaps not as haunting and memorable as the original Phantom score, I feel that the songs are at least as good as any other Broadway play. I'm certainly no expert but the sets and costumes seemed lovely as well. So why the poor reception? Especially considering that the Phantom of the Opera is the longest running Broadway show and possesses such a staunch fan base.

Here's my answer: predictability and a crappy title. Who wants to see a show with a title that sounds like a cheap romance novel? Mark's first reaction to the name was a cocked eyebrow. You know every other husband who went to see it did the same thing. And it's not like the show doesn't brim with other title options. One of those options being the name of the carnival setting itself: Phantasma. Moreover, the plot line was quite predictable...with the title in fact giving away the ending. The whole show seemed to rely heavily on fans' nostalgia and, in my opinion, just didn't do the original Phantom justice.

But again, as I said, the music is beautiful. Hence why today's tune features the beautiful Sierra Boggess (who played Christine Daae both in the Phantom of the Opera and in London's Love Never Dies) singing the title song.  So, while you may never see Love Never Dies performed, thanks to the Internet you can still enjoy the music.