Love Never Dies
Capitol Theatre, Sydney
Thursday 12 January 2012
Originally written for and published by Theatrepeople.com.au
Sequels are rarely easy. The temptation to recapture the success of a film, book, game, play or musical is understandable, and can be borne of many desires; financial, creative or benevolent. But regardless of the purpose, the risks are significant.
Unfortunately, sequels rarely reach the heights of their predecessors, failing by either staying too close to the formula of the original or deviating too far from it. It is a difficult line to walk.
For Andrew Lloyd Webber, the desire to create a sequel to not only his most popular musical, but to one of the most popular musicals of all time, is understandable. Up until opening night of Love Never Dies in Sydney, the previously prolific composer hadn’t had a new show open in the harbour city for 20 years.
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