Andrew Lloyd Webber's Love Never Dies

Anyone who calls this an "Abominable Tragedy" is simply too hung up on the original to see the value in any show related to their beloved. I have seen the original 10 times in various productions and there are always haters of every production, just like there were haters of the movie based on the original. This sequel does have its flaws. One of the most glaring is indeed the major personality changes of most of the main characters that make little sense, and also, the music is not as moving or memorable. That does not mean that this show is terrible. It was quite enjoyable, and I must say far more beautifully designed than the original Phantom production. The casting was great, the singing on point, but suffering from sometimes poor melody and uncomfortable score. There are many elements of the production that are clearly inspired from the original show (The bridge, the mirrors, and occasional reflection back to the songs of old) which I really appreciated. While watching, I was definitely bothered by the personality and continuity changes between the two stories, but decided that people change over time. By then end, I was still moved to tears by the tragic love story.

I watched it the first time and initially had mixed feelings. You can't compare Phantom Of the Opera to Love Never Dies. The latter is so much darker. I watched it a second time and really got to watch it knowing what to expect and liked it more. I watched it a third time with the subtitles on and really enjoyed the lyrics and was more attentive of the expressiveness between the actors. By this time, I was really loving this movie, the score, the cast, etc. I wish the Australian soundtrack was available.

It's an amazing movie, I've watched it a few times. But, I'm also a bit confused. In Phantom of the Opera, Christine left Phantom for, then the Phantom left though the mirror. Yet, in this one they apparently had a "night together", and the Phantom left her in the night while she slept. I've always been a little confused about that. I've tried coming up with theories but they never work out. Besides the confusion though, it is a very good movie, the ending makes me very, very sad though. Its worth the money, for both the movies. Edit: I searched through again, and so in a song they talked about Christine going to find Phantom, the night she was going to marry Raoul. That was the night she spent with Phantom, and then he left. In the song "Beneath A Moonless Sky" it explains what happened.