LOVE NEVER DIES

LOVE NEVER DIES - Recently, I watched a City Center movie theater presentation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, titled Love Never Dies. Webber's new work is a follow up to an all-time classic and personal favorite; a sequel to ‘The Phantom of the Opera’. The pros of seeing the film version: larger-than-life, movie screen sized performers singing music that's been recorded live. While it's obviously not shot in one take, it's clear that this performance is not a lip-sync. The cons are; ‘Love’ will never match the elegant brilliance of ‘Phantom’, along with the film's static nature that isn't as exciting as live theater. While I don't think ‘Love’ is still in theaters, it will be released on DVD in May, according to the Playbill website. On a related topic, the 25th anniversary performance of ‘Phantom’ continues on PBS this week, as well as being currently available on DVD. My love affair and deep admiration for Phantom began in orchestra section seats at the Orpheum in San Francisco. The phantom's anguish over an opera singer, amidst the subterranean opera house catacombs, is beautifully conveyed in concise lyrics and soaring musical arrangements.