The title song for the upcoming Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Love Never Dieswas recently unveiled at a performance during The South Bank Show Awards. The piece was performed by Sierra Boggess (who will play the upcoming role of Christine) with Webber on piano as the only instrumental accompaniment. Enjoy it below:
Fans of the Phantom are surely pleased to add this song to “Till I Hear You Sing” for the anticipated musical’s repertoire. “Love Never Dies” is lovely-sounding and hypnotic. The lyrics also provide a unique perspective on Christine’s emotions in the new story because it was never clear in the original musical whether her character truly loved the Phantom. It was always up for audience interpretation but I think most believed that Christine was entranced by the Phantom and cared for him because no one else in the world did. However with this new piece, it appears that Christine perhaps also felt a mutual affection – perhaps love – for the Phantom which has lingered throughout the years and thus… has never died. Or perhaps she’s simply singing of the Phantom’s love for her in a somewhat endearing fashion. Or there’s a chance she’s singing about her love for Raoul.
However – curiouser and curiouser – it seems that the musical score for “Love Never Dies” has been heard before in Webber’s previous work. Fans of Webber’s musical The Beautiful Game will instantly recognize the tune as reminiscent of this older musical’s most popular song, “Our Kind of Love.” In fact, the tune is essentially exactly the same. Hear it for yourself below:
Not only that, but Kiri Te Kanawa once sang a number called “The Heart is Slow to Learn” (also by Webber) which coincidentally enough – is set to the same musical score. There have also been murmurs that the lyrics are the same too, but we didn’t find that to be the case when we listened through. Kanawa’s performance is below:
Webber has a sort of reputation for recycling musical works, so we suppose it’s no great disappointment that he’s re-using some of his own. However, this knowledge in sense takes away from the beauty of “Love Never Dies” as a title piece. After all, if these sentiments have been expressed before… then what’s so special about them? An unfortunate little bit of a damper on our Phantom excitement.
We’ve been periodically checking up on the progress of Love Never Dies, the Phantom of the Opera sequel ever since we found out it had come into existence mid-October. Imagine our absolute thrill to discover a short video with updates from the cast members on how production rehearsals were going! With previews of the musical starting soon (VERY soon in fact since the most avid Phantom fans already have tickets to previews starting February 20th), the pace at rehearsals has definitely picked up. Cast members share that run throughs of Act I have begun and everything is looking stellar! (Of course this just leaves us wanting to hear more detailed information, but everything in its proper place and time…)
Though we’re saddened that Ramin Karimloo (Phantom) and Sierra Boggess (Christine) did not have an opportunity to appear in these spur-of-the-moment interviews with the cast – the interviewer caught them as everyone was breaking for lunch – it’s still exciting to get a feel of the rest of the talented cast’s personalities beyond the stage. Evidently Joseph Millson (Raoul) is a light-hearted fellow who joked around with the brilliant director Jack O’Brien and shared that he grew a moustache for rehearsals even though costume will be providing him with a fake one for the live performances. (From us to Joe, keep the moustache – the look suits you so well.)
Talking with Summer Strallen (Meg) reveals that Jack the director has been impressing the entire cast with his passion for this musical and its characters. Apparently Jack is able to act out every single one of the character’s emotions and dialogue, making them wonder if this couldn’t all just be a “one-man show.” The narrative and details of the performance are still shrouded in mystery – every time it feels like someone is going to reveal a spectacular detail it all ends up very vague. However, if we make it through this period of sworn secrecy then we expect that we’ll be blown away come February 20th. (For assurance from a cast member that this is “Andrew’s best musical to date” and for a more detailed account of how a rehearsal day goes, read this blog by Richard Linnell who is one of 6 boys to play the role of Gustave in Love Never Dies. He shares the most interesting insights from a 12 year old’s perspective – like how all the cast members are so fond of tuna fish and cucumber sandwiches!)
Watch the video for updates from the Love Never Dies rehearsal:
We were so excited by this video update that after we went and watched Ramin Karimloo’s “Till I Hear You Sing” rendition twice more. With Valentine’s Day coming up, it’s so fitting to immerse oneself in a love story that neither time nor space can crumble. Whether it’s true love or the ill-fated kind remains to be seen. What we can say is that it’s difficult not to root for the lonely Phantom who continues to long for his muse and reason for being a decade later…
The bare bones of the story is that the ever-elusive Phantom has traveled to Coney Island in America to start a new life after the events that transpired in the original musical. Madame Giry and her daughter Meg have accompanied him to America for reasons that are still a mystery to us. Starting again as a freak show attraction, the Phantom ultimately works his way up to mogul of the island and architect of many of the attractions. It’s now 10 years later and our somber Phantom still finds his soul unfulfilled and his work meaningless since Christine is not in his life. What follows is a mysterious invitation to Christine to journey across the Atlantic and sing at one of the island’s attractions, with her husband Raoul and son Gustave accompanying her. We wonder how many years of longing and loneliness can change a relationship…
If The Phantom of the Opera album is still not part of your collection, you should highly consider adding it in time for the release of the Love Never Dies album (which will coincide with show’s opening in the West End in March). The original London cast album for Phantom was the 8th best-selling album EVER – incredible for a musical. That’s how good it is. Buy the The Phantom of the Opera album on Amazon.
Can it be true?! … Recent buzz in the Broadway and music world confirm that Judy Craymer, the brilliant creator of Mamma Mia!, a global smash hit musical, is taking on a new project. This time Craymer will be taking the beloved song of the pop band Spice Girls and working them into a full-fledged glittery musical spectacular! Though the news is not the second Spice Girls reunion that fans have been hoping for, the musical may promise to be a whole lot better!
Craymer seems to be a mastermind at taking popular pop music and turning it into a successful staged musical. Though her record stands 1-for-1 with turning the best of ABBA into Mamma Mia!, the fact that the ABBA musical has won critical acclaim and earned $600 million worldwide as a Hollywood blockbuster gives us overzealous confidence that the Spice Girls musical has great chances.
Geri “Ginger Spice” Halliwell persuaded Craymer to start work on the project in hopes that it will open in London in the next 2-3 years. The British producing will be collaborating with Halliwell and Simon Fuller (the former manager of the girls) to develop the musical show. Of course, Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham and the other girls will be adding their input along the way as well. The chosen name for the upcoming musical is Viva Forever and all of the pop group’s greatest hits will be featured in the show.
Craymer shares that her goal will be to create a unique celebration of the band’s music and capture the phenomenal impact they made on popular culture in the nineties. The Spice Girls were all about having fun, living life and laughing a lot – perfect themes for a joyful stage performance. Viva Forever is going to follow the same fictionalized style as Mamma Mia!; but Craymer assures us that audiences will get a full “sense of a story, about a group of women, that you knew was very much related to the music.”
The prospect of incorporating such pop classics as Who Do You Think You Are, Wannabe and Mama is very exciting for Craymer, but of course thinking about which music to include can’t start until the story is written first.
So until further progress is made, we are left dreaming and wondering if the Spice Girls will be playing any role on stage when the musical opens. Chances are high given that they can all sing, dance and act enthusiastically. We shall see…
Meanwhile, reminisce with use and listen to our favorite Spice Girl classic:
Can’t wait? Join us and listen to the Spice Girls’ Greatest Hits in the meantime.
Legally Blonde: The Musical opened at London’s Savoy Theatre a couple days ago after past performance runs on Broadway and a U.S. Tour. It was up in the air whether London’s opinionated theater critics would embrace the kitschy, frivolous and over-enthusiastic musical which is a homage of American college culture and Greek life. Perhaps they would miss (or find very un-funny) many of the jokes parodying said culture which had American musical audiences guffawing over. To our delight, it appears that these fears were unfounded because most all of the London’s theater critic population are giving the Legally Blonde musical warm reviews and a positive reception.
The stage show is based on the 2001 comedy of the same name starring Reese Witherspoon. The musical’s narrative follows the film plot very closely; it tells the story of a beautiful, bubbly and (very) blonde sorority girl named Elle Woods who enters Harvard Law School to chase after the man of her dreams. Originally hailing from Malibu, California, Elle starts her journey on a date with her steady college boyfriend, Warner, whom she is expecting to propose. Unfortunately, it seems that the anticipation of attending Harvard Law has pushed him to re-evaluate his future in favor of someone more “serious”… so he dumps her. Not one to give up so easily on something she wants, Elle puts her brains and originality to the test and surprises herself by also gaining admittance to the prestigious school in order to redeem Warner’s affections. From there, Elle embarks on a hilarious, vibrant, touching and fashion-filled road to discovering her inner strength while making others realize there is more beyond the blonde exterior.
The team of Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin developed the score for the musical with the book by Heather Hach. The producer of the London show, Sonia Friedman, was quoted as saying: ”Elle is a great role model for women. She shows that there’s nothing wrong with wearing pretty clothes and lipstick, while still being a strong woman.”
During previews in London, throngs of enthusiastic females showed their support for the musical and embraced the light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek humor of the show. Many of the critics admitted that despite themselves, they were charmed by the “sheer cheek” of the musical which seemed to know it was overdoing everything, yet reveled in the fact.
Daily Telegraph’s Charles Spencer said, ”I tried, I really tried to hate this show, but resistance is futile.” Paul Taylor from The Independent joins in his praising chorus by stating, “Oh my god, I’m like so totally going again.”
However, not all of London’s critics were won over as some deemed the musical “preposterous.” But even among the dissenters they all agreed that the stage version was better than the film.
Judge for yourself and enjoy the song, “Serious” performed by the original Broadway cast. (It’s the scene where Warner attempts to get “serious” about life and his future.)
Legally Blonde: The Musical first opened on Broadway in April of 2007. It ran for a year and a half before closing in October 2008. Currently it is playing in London’s Savoy and is on a U.S. Tour.
Come Fly Away … with the new Broadway musical inspired by Frank Sinatra tunes – it’s anticipated for a New York opening in early spring. Rumors have been confirmed that Twyla Tharp, the respected dance choreographer and director, will be heading this project which combines her powerful dance moves with Frank’s lovely vocals. The musical had its world premiere at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta under a different title, “Come Fly With Me.“ (No official reason is mentioned for the name change, but we suspect it has something to do with decreasing confusion with Ol’ Blue Eyes’ classic song number.)
Take a peek under the curtain...
Produced in special arrangement with Frank Sinatra Enterprises and the Sinatra Family, Come Fly Away tells the story of four couples as they fall in and out of love with each other throughout the course of one evening in a crowded nightclub. Tharp aspires to take audiences on a journey to feel the essence of Sinatra’s music beyond his smooth-as-silk vocals. She incorporates the story of many couples she’s known into the show’s narrative, as well as some of Sinatra’s best work.
Songs included in the musical are classics like “Witchcraft,” “Let’s Fall in Love,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” and “My Way.” A 19-piece live big band will be present on stage to bring life to the nightclub as well as provide the music to Sinatra’s vocals. The show will incorporate original recordings of Sinatra’s voice; some of the material comes newly discovered from the archives of the Sinatra family.
Though Sinatra’s songs are sung primarily from a man’s point of view, Tharp shares what is going through a woman’s mind by giving equal voice to both sexes in the narrative. There is a female vocalist who will sing several numbers with the band to assert female independence and offer the female perspective.
Tharp is hoping to create a scrapbook for audiences and remind them of memories from their love lives. From those that worked, failed, evolved into friendship and everything in between.
She’s had plenty of experience bringing Sinatra’s music to the stage with her past experiences with shows “Once More Frank,” “Nine Sinatra Songs” and “Sinatra Suite.”
No official word on casting yet, but previews will begin on Broadway starting March 1st.
The show will open at the Marquis Theatre in New York on March 25th, so we’ll keep you updated with news as it develops.
In the meantime, enjoy one of our favorite numbers from Ol’ Blue Eyes himself:
The holidays are upon us once again! Of course this means that we get to find gifts for our favorite people. If you’re like us, then many of your closest friends/family are also big fans of Broadway. That’s why we’ve searched online for some of the most unique and fabulous gift items that pay tribute to the best musicals out there! All of them are truly fantastic. They go far and beyond the typical souvenir t-shirt, mug and key chain you find for sale post-performance at the theater. (But of course, those items are always available too!)
“Cats” musical figurines
Fans can choose from Jemima, Munkustrap or Victoria. All three cats strike a beautiful pose reminiscent of their characters in the musical; the figurines are very detailed. When you turn the key at the base of the figurine, suddenly you hear the soft, poignant notes of “Memory” play. Get this figurine here.
Munkustrap musical figurine... and it's the exact same pose we remember from the musical!
“Cats” charm bracelet
Absolutely gorgeous and stylized charm bracelet for any female fan. The bracelet comes with 5 charms: 2 silhouettes of “Cats” dancers, 2 glowing cat eyes that are signature of the musical’s logo, and (in case some people still don’t recognize it) a silver tag with the title of the musical etched in. It’s fun, yet elegant, which mirrors the tone of the show itself. Enjoy it here.
Sphinner.com released an early premiere of Green Day’s new recording of “21 Guns” performed with the cast from the stage musical American Idiot, based on the band’s best-selling album. This release is extra special since it allows fans of Green Day or the rock musical to listen to cast members give the song theatrical flair before the tune is released officially on December 22 for digital download online. Plus, it’s just so meaningful to hear the actual band perform with the original cast since there was a stand-in band on stage for all the production dates.
Listen to “21 Guns” song premiere by the cast ofAmerican Idiot and the band Green Day here.
For those who missed American Idiot and the buzz around it, the production ran at Berkeley Repertory Theatre on September 15, 2009 until the extended run date of November 1, 2009. The rock musical is the vision of director Michael Mayer, who also directed Spring Awakening on Broadway. Perhaps in part due to the Tony Award-winning success of Spring Awakening(which likewise has a strong rock flair), Mayer was inspired by Green Day’s album to speak with the band about the possibility of a full-on stage musical based on their music (primarily drawing from songs from this album and new music from their most recent album release “21st Century Breakdown”).
The production is full of eye-popping visuals and is a compelling homage to the grungy spirit of punk; the music is loud, urgent and driving and takes on an almost hypnotic quality when combined with the fast movements and dance sequences. Reviews for the production were mixed though, primarily because of the abstract storyline that leaves much to be inferred. The audience needs to interpret what’s going on most of the time since the song lyrics and the character’s poetic monologues don’t really flesh out ideas so much as reiterate them. As for the non-linear plot, Green Day’s frontman Billie Joe Armstrong admits: “It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but that’s what I love about it. When people see it, it’s going to be my wildest dream.”
American Idiot’s story revolves around three characters: Will (who gets his girlfriend pregnant but remains an immature stoner), Tunny (who is seduced by flashy TV commercials to join the army), and Johnny – aka. the Jesus of Suburbia – who is fed up with monotonous small town life and goes to the city only to be wrecked by drugs and the punk scene. Essentially it’s a story with one of those twist endings – what the characters don’t want to hear is what they were really going for the whole time. Everything comes full circle and leads to epiphany, though it’s of the sombre kind.
Green Day chose to specially record “21 Guns” with the musical’s cast after the production’s closing because it represents a pivotal scene in the story where Johnny decides it’s time to get his act together. The band wanted to provide fans with something to listen to for those who missed the show’s run in Oakland, CA. The track features stars John Gallagher Jr. (from Spring Awakening fame) – Johnny, Matt Caplan – Tunny, Michael Esper – Will, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Christina Sajous and Mary Faber, with musical arrangement by Tom Kitt.
Compared to the original Green Day version of “21 Guns” below, fans can hear that the re-worked music added theatrical flair. The harmony of voices is positively beautiful in the collaborative release.
While there are no set plans, Mayer envisions the production will eventually come to Broadway. The rock musical is definitely rough around the edges right now, so we expect more clean-up of the characters and plot with more meaningful dialogue interspersed between the song numbers. Even then, older crowds still might not appreciate the musical’s apathetic and aimless angry message but they can just write it off as “new age”.
Yesterday on Nov.18, Oprah welcomed part of the cast for the upcoming film musical “Nine” to her show. “Nine” is the film adaptation of the original stage musical of the same name. The original musical first debuted in 1982 and is based on Frederico Fellini’s autobiographical film “8 1/2.” The musical’s story recounts the life of film director Guido Contini celebrating his recent and greatest cinematographic success. However, Contini’s success is juxtaposed against the background of the director’s fortieth birthday and impending midlife crisis which saps his creative energy and ensnares him in a web of romantic difficulties in 1960s Venice. Original lyrics and score were composed by Maury Yeston for the musical. Apparently Yeston penned the title as “Nine” for the stage show because he decided that with music, the story of 8 1/2 would be “half a number more.”
The beautiful women of "Nine"
We’re very excited that Hollywood is undertaking a film version of this sultry stage musical – particularly because choreographer and director Rob Marshall will be at the helm. The last time that Marshall took the reigns and convinced an all-star cast to sing and dance he brought in 13 Oscar Nominations. Of course we’re referring to the film hit “Chicago” starring Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere. Interestingly, the cinematic style “Nine” adopts looks very close to what we saw in Marshall’s last success. From the trailer peeks it looks like there will be fantasy/imaginary musical numbers going on in Contini’s mind just like we saw take place in Roxy’s world in “Chicago.”
This time around, the star-studded cast includes: Daniel Day-Lewis in the lead as Guido Contini, Marion Cotillard as his wife, Penelope Cruz as his mistress, Judi Dench as his confidante, Stacy “Fergie” Ferguson as his first sexual experience with a whore, Kate Hudson as his admiring American writer, Nicole Kidman as his muse, and Sophia Loren as his mother.
The film tries to highlight the glamor and glory that was Italian cinema in the 60s, as well as Guido’s struggle to write a script while his world is spinning out of control – all the while finding some comfort and inspiration from the different women in his life.
Enjoy the trailer below and get excited for the film’s release this December:
We’ve been periodically checking up on the progress of Love Never Dies, the Phantom of the Opera sequel ever since 
The stage show is based on the 2001 comedy of the same name starring Reese Witherspoon. The musical’s narrative follows the film plot very closely; it tells the story of a beautiful, bubbly and (very) blonde sorority girl named Elle Woods who enters Harvard Law School to chase after the man of her dreams. Originally hailing from Malibu, California, Elle starts her journey on a date with her steady college boyfriend, Warner, whom she is expecting to propose. Unfortunately, it seems that the anticipation of attending Harvard Law has pushed him to re-evaluate his future in favor of someone more “serious”… so he dumps her. Not one to give up so easily on something she wants, Elle puts her brains and originality to the test and surprises herself by also gaining admittance to the prestigious school in order to redeem Warner’s affections. From there, Elle embarks on a hilarious, vibrant, touching and fashion-filled road to discovering her inner strength while making others realize there is more beyond the blonde exterior.
