My soul weeps. ALW is out of his mind. He's getting as bad as Disney.
Oh, and people, hate to make you all even more depressed, but ERIK DIED AT THE END OF THE NOVEL! YOU CAN'T HAVE A SEQUEL WITH A DEAD TITLE CHARACTER! IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT!!!!!
........ok...........I'm done ranting now.

Oh yes he's dead, but ALW has a way around that you see - which we never thought of - true LOVE NEVER DIES.

So you see the Phantom can't be dead, because his and Christine's love is like the most ultimate, amazing love story of all time. :P
Despite the fact Christine tried to kill herself at the thought of living with Erik, then ran off to Scandinavia and married Raoul, claiming she loved him, but really she was just using him ya know for his money, till he lost it and the Phantom found success with a Freak Show so now she can be with her real truest of all love of loves, his face might be ugly but he has money and prestiege now. :P



*sigh* you know I'm letting this get to me too much. I have had three nightmares about LND and I HATE it. D':

So you see the Phantom can't be dead, because his and Christine's love is like the most ultimate, amazing love story of all time.

*gags*

I do like Erik and Christine...kind of. I have absolutely no reason why, though. I guess it's just something left over from my crazed Gerik phangirl-ness (yes folks, JH was a crazed Gerik phangirl). But, the whole point of the story is that Christine chooses Raoul!


LND hasn't started haunting my dreams...yet.

So I have to say, I just joined the site and had not heard anything about any of this yet! I am so upset! Yes I am excited for new ALW music, b/c the man's musical scores are genius, but I do have to agree that the idea of manipulating one of the greatest love stories of all times is very disturbing. I am even one of the people that sits and watches the musical and every time I sit there hoping something will change and she will end up with Erik. However, I wanted that in the original story, not an additional one! THe sad part is that as upset as I am about this, I know I will be one of the first in the seats to go see it!

Oh JH you were not a Gerry fangirl!? :o He was awful! How could you do it!?

As for Erik/Christine I will always be at a loss for why people want them to be together (no offence mn or JH) but it was so one sided. I agree that the Phantom's love for Christine was hauntingly, beautiful - soulful, but it just was not reciprocated in the same way. What attracts me to the Phantom verse is that his love for Christine is tragic, unrelenting, but not meant to be. To see his character be changed by the love he feels, and the love he witnesses between R/C to the noble self sacrificing character he is in the end, is what makes the story. The power of love makes the story and what each character is willing to do or ends up doing for love, and I never hope for things to be different because that would ruin it. Christine loves Raoul, she would give up her freedom for him, Raoul loves Christine he would die for her freedom, and the Phantom loves Christine and gave her up for her happiness. I mean how dissatisfying an ending would it be if the phantom never let her go and kept her locked away under the opera house more or less being his love/music slave? The whole impact would be gone.

And for the record I will go nowhere near ALW's new "musical".

Ok yea that makes a lot of sense. And I have to agree, the more I've thought about this new musical, the more upset about it I get. And as many times as I've seen Phantom, you've just shed a new light on it. Thanks!

I know! The phantom dies of a broken heart at the end of the novel! Ugh ALW is such a jerk as I've stated many times. I'm one of the people who think Christine should have been with the phantom at the end but yet what would have happened if she did stay with him?...and how did he come to love her in the first place? Was it her voice or who she was or because she was beautiful and vulnerable? But anyway...ALW should just leave it alone...the end is...THE END...

So the sequel has officially been pushed back to spring of 2010. Apparently there's some major reworking happening. Please dear God let Webber figure out that this is a horrible idea and just scrap the whole damned thing! Though I've been told that most of the Phantom of Manhatten bs has been dropped. It's still happening in New York and there's still Christine's bastard child, but hopefully Darius will have been cut, as well as the whole clown business. *Cringe*

Okay, so ALW officially anounced that the leads will be Sierra Boggess and Ramin Karimloo.

Creating the automaton, and ensuring that it works, has been one of the problems that caused Love Never Dies to delay from an initial, hoped-for opening this year.

o_0 I...I can't comment on that right now. *facepalm*

Christine, an opera star, is married to Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny (John Barrowman on the record), and the mother of a ten-year-old son, Gustave. She is invited to perform at the Phantasma amusement resort.

"Phantasma amusement resort"?!

link

.....ok, so I would make reservations for vacation there......*shame*

Still doesn't mean it belongs in a serious Phantom stage show.

And you don't even wanna know why they need the automaton. Really.

"ensuring that it works" Ha! I bet ALW was trying it out. ;)

This whole thing just sounds like a really bad fanfic written by deranged teenager on crack.

*Looks at JustHuddy's post* I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. :/

So I found a lil more info on some of the magical ways they've f**ked up our other beloved characters in the new show. So apparently Mme Giry is the bad guy (replacing Darius for those of you who suffered through the Phantom of Manhatten.) and Meg is now a slut. YAY!
Webber's gone senile. That's the only thing that can explain all this. Seems like every time I dig up new info on this show it only gets more and more ridiculous!

Yes, I do that to people. XD But seriously, he probably made it look like Sarah Brightman...okay, I'm done.

Yeah, I heard about Madame Giry being the "bad guy"...I just hope
she doesn't kill Christine like Darius did in PoM. It's bad enough they practically made her Erik's accomplice in the '04 movie. It's like she was trying to get them together. She was standing right there, watching him lock Christine in her dressing room, and she didn't do anything to stop it...

He already slut-ifyed Meg in the '04 movie, and a bit in the stage show. Oh God, I just hope slutty Meg and drunk Raoul don't end up hooking up in the end...I can see him being an idiot and doing that.

*twitch*

So apparently Bogess and Karimloo are pretty much set as the leads. So by this casting logic, they need to start putting 12 year olds in the roles for the original show to have it make ANY chronological sense.
ALW is looking to have the cast album out before Christmas of next year.

ALW is a douche bag. I agree Meg is a slut...Well...I guess not so much in the 04 movie but in this new musical...yea...she's a slut...I still can't figure out why Madame Giry wants to hurt Christine...Ugh! This whole sequel does not make sense and I hope Meg and Raoul do not end up together...Meg should just stay...single...ALW screwed with all the characters for this sequel turning them into jerks...Raoul seemed like a sweet guy and I guess the Phantom too and Christine was...I dunno how to describe her...she was innocent and naive? But even in this they seem to make her out to be a slut as well...I mean...She does not know who the father of her child is?! Ugh!

JER-RY! JER-RY! JER-RY!

Sorry, the whole mess of a plot is starting to remind me of Springer.

I just heard something really dreadful on one of the other forums I frequent. The words Meg and Goth used together, and not in a joking manner. ALW is going to make Meg some wretched little Emo Tart! Oh gods this is getting painful to follow.

Meg:
Caucasian woman, mid - late 20s. Madame Giry’s daughter and a Coney Island fairground star. Gothic, mystical, unusual, sweet, charming, fun; has a broken baby-doll vulnerability, edge, sexiness, and a heart of steel. Strong mezzo soprano singing voice. A spunky voice, preferably with a raspy quality, up to top F sharp (top line, treble clef). Must be able to belt as well as sing with a lyrical ability when in balladic mode.

So...yeah, pretty much a sexy Goth slut.

link

And I just noticed...Christine only has to sing up to a B flat? I can do that, and I'm a mezzo. Maybe she lost her high range without Erik teaching her. Oh how...touching. And since when is Madame Giry an alto? Oh well, it doesn't really matter.

Why do I get the sinking suspicion that this is going to end up being one of those pop-style musicals? And as much as I enjoy things like RENT and Wicked or even Shrek in their own right, Phantom really needs to have a more classical feel to it. Yeah, ALW is just trying to milk cash out of the story and he really doesn't appear to care just how he goes about doing it. First he's spread the idea that 'everyone must be young and sexy' to the stage show. (If you doubt me, look at median ages of Phantom actors 15-20 years ago, hell even 10 years ago, as compared to that of today's) And now he's mangling and warping the characters into what he thinks that the public currently wants out of a show. And, as sad as it makes me to admit it, Broadway has become so mainstream and so commericialized that this trash probably will sell to SOMEONE. Just not actual theater geeks, of phans. (At least the ones who have any self-respect)

Yea...I've heard Meg Giry is a "sexy goth" *Puke* Why is Meg Giry even in the show anyway?! She was not really even in the book?! Why did ALW add her in the show?! You really only like...hear about her in the book once and she was a scaredy cat about the phantom and always with the other ballet girls and she probably did not know christine well reading that in the book meg says before christine was famous and had a good voice...meg said christine sang like a crock! What kind of friend is that? I hope ALW drops this...he's going to lose tons of phans because he is doing this...and if it turns out to be a weird pop musical then I'm really gonna freak! Well I'm outta here...URGH!

So I was VERY bored at work today and I decided to attempt to figure out just what the statistical percentage was in all of the phandom (at least those parts which I am familiar with) is a sequel even POSSIBLE. i.e. How many versions did the main character live through so that this even makes f***ing sense?
***Spoiler Alert!*** (But then again, if you didn't know Erik ends up dead most of the time, you're an idiot.)

1925- DIED. Beaten to a pulp by an angry mob and hurled into the Seine.
1943- DIED. Crushed by falling masonry in substandard lair.
1962- DIED. Impaled by prop chandelier.
1983- DIED. Killed when he actually rode the damn chandelier down. Now that's dedication!
1989- died? So he actually was killed TWICE, and still came back. Well, I suppose it is ETERNAL damnation.....
1990- DIED. Shot by Gerard in order that he not be taken alive and exhibited.
1998- DIED. After being shot about a gamillion times.
2004- Survived. Had a hissy fit. Broke some mirrors. Slipped out the back.
David Staller version- Survived. Not quite so heartbroken over Christine after all he find himself a nice ballet rat.
Animated version- DIED. Lair collapsed on his head from apparently playing the pipe organ too loud.
Leroux- DIED. Without Christine Erik simply gave up on life and died of a broken heart. Or more likely/literally starvation and apathy.
Kay- DIED. Heart failure. If I lost my virginity at age 50 I'd probably have a heart attack too.
Siciliano- Survived. And got himself a hot Indian chick that plays piano to boot!
Bischoff- DIED. Shot by Count Philippe. Yeah, he's prolly dead.
Canary Trainer- DIED. So yeah, I haven't read this book in AGES and I wasn't all that fond of the damned thing so I don't remember HOW he dies exactly, I just remember he does.
Sherlock Holmes vs the Phantom- (comic) DIED. Broken heart.
Trap-Door maker- (comic) Survived. Doesn't exactly count since it's a prequel.
Innovation POTO- (comic) DIED. One report says explosion, another says broken heart. Either way he's worm food.
Eternity POTO- (comic) DIED. Again, broken heart. (noticing a theme here?)
Tarzan: Le Monstre- (comic) Survived. Could have done with a leeetle more postscript on this one, but whatever.
Jet POTO- (manga) DIED. It's in Japanese, but you can still understand that he's shot to death.
ALW stage version- Survived. Probably. I enjoyed the symbolism of his simply vanishing into nothingness.
Y/K play- DIED. See 1990 version.
Ken Hill- DIED. (Just received script in the post) Stabs himself.
Alonso play- DIED. Haven't seen, know he dies.
Jacobson play- DIED. Haven't seen, know he dies.
Theaterworks play- Survived. Pansy ass kiddy play, of COURSE he lives!
And for good measure:
Phantom of the Paradise- DIED. Contract terminated with Swan.
Phantom X- (Adult film. Be afraid, be very afraid) DIED. Shot by Ron Jeremy if you can believe it.

So 20.5 DIED to 6.5 Survived. The .5 come from Destler on the dead side, and the prequel on the survival side. I didn't bother tallying the works that were already sequels.
So that's a pretty heavily slanted ratio. 3/4 of all versions end in Erik death. Not a good argument for a sequel.
But wait! He has a child with Christine in the sequel! So let's look into this one as well, shall we? How many versions did Erik get his groove on in? I won't do the whole list again, just the highlights.
Kay. It's pretty solid she shtupped him on his deathbed. Creepy.
1989. If you think he led her away with that ring on her finger to 'just talk' you're out of your mind.
1998. He got it on with Christine too, not just the rats. (ew)
Phantom X. It's a porn. EVERYONE got laid. (except Ron Jeremy. Go figure.)

So, yeah. That's what, 4? And I don't think the 'adult version' should even count. And this is out of HOW MANY other versions? I mean, ALW didn't even let Erik get laid in HIS OWN SHOW. Y'know, the one the sequel is supposedly FOLLOWING UP. What the hell?!

Anyhow, like I said I got REALLY bored. Just some food for thought. Expect some edits on this post since I'm almost sure I forgot SOMETHING.

EDITS- (see, I KNEW I forgot something)
Unmasqued- Survived AND got laid. A lot. Like a ridiculous amount. HARP!
Phantom of the Opera on Ice- DIED. The show's a little trippy and confusing at points, but he definitely died at the end there. Cause was most likely, once again, broken heart. No nookie.
Wishbone version.- Died? Been forever since I've seen this, and it is a kiddie version so I can't be sure. But I seem to recall it being implied that he ended up dead from a broken heart.

Still makes ratio 22.5 to 7.5. And Erik only got to get it on one extra time.
Also, note the recurring theme of Erik DYING OF LOVE because he SACRIFICED his own well being so that CHRISTINE COULD BE WITH RAOUL and, theoretically, live happily ever after.
Yeah, making a sequel in which he probably ends up winning/stealing her back won't ruin that dynamic AT ALL.

MORE EDITS: I did NOT forget these. My copies of the scrips just hadn't arrived yet.
Pinchpenny Phantom of the Opera- Survived. Don't know if it counts. Long story, involving major spoilers.
Phantom of the Opera, by Gene Taylor. DIED. Tried to rip his face off and then got shot. Everyone just stands there going 0_o

1925- DIED. Beaten to a pulp by an angry mob and hurled into the Seine.

That was the Seine?! Then both of my fictional loves die in it! *squee for Javert and Erik*

Anyway, your statistics are very interesting. He's SUPPOSED TO DIE!! But...I'm not going to start ranting now...

Yeah, I can't really think what other river it would be. Especially since they were apparently on the Isle de la Citie, since they passed Notre Dame.
Javert is awesome, but I still like Enjy and R. *Snuggles her darling mule-headed blond oblivious-to-females revolutionary, and the most awesome drinking buddy in the world!*

Yeah, it definitely is the Seine.

I love Enjy too, but...that sexy hat and sideburns are just so sexy! *swoon*

He's the only one I would repeatedly suffer the Christian-ness of "Stars" for. XD

*cough* Anyway...back on topic.

Okay...I've been looking around on the internet and I read somewhere that ALW is having second thoughts on making this sequel because he thinks it might not turn out the way he wanted...I was also reading that ALW and that Forsyth guy disagreed on alot and ALW is not using Forsyth's book idea anymore and is doing something different but he won't tell anyone what he is doing...it's secret or whatever...I'll have to retrace my steps to find the site again...

*stares at Javi picture in above post* Wait, what? Was it a recent article? I already saw that he wasn't going to collaborate with Frederick Forsythe.

I think it was recent...But he's not telling anyone about his new idea...he was ased in an interview if he'd share his new ideas for the sequel and he's like "Noooooo"...

OMG seriously. SO ALW ISN'T GOING TO RUIN EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!?

OH PLEASE GOD. OH PLEASE.

There is HOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe the man finally realized how very innane this whole venture is. We can only hope.
I know he'd dropped Forsythe a while back, but all of the rumours flitting about the sequel still seemed to smack strongly of the same basic plot, although most, if not all, original secondary characters had been eliminated in favour of dragging the Giry's into this mess. We shall see.

Just thought I'd say I'm seeing Phantom for the second time tomorrow at her majesty's theatre!!!!! I'm SOOOOO excited!!

VF! I haven't seen you in forever! And that's awesome! I just saw on Sunday in Milwaukee.

Oh man! Well VF I hope you have a great time! I'd LOVE to see Phantom on Broadway! Well at least if he changed it it won't include the Girys...but it still sucks! Raoul being a drunk...Christie pregnant and does not know who the father is...that stuff...OH! did you hear about that Angel of music movie?! Okay I'm putting ther trailer url on here so you can see it...BUT it's REALLY WEIRD!!! I'm guessing it's in modern time and the christine looks like a man!!!! AND the phantom is her father and there is a detective in there and he's trying to figure out stuff and he says about the phantom " He was her father...AND LOVER"!!!!!!! INCEST???!!!!! So the phantom in this movie is her father and lover!!!??? YUCK! I REALLY hope that is not the case....EW!

here is the link:

link

Yeah, seen it. Actually just tortured a friend of mine with it the other day. We had a B-list Phantom night of some of the really screwy versions. There was many a cry of "WTF?!?!?!?!" That poor movie....it really does want so badly to be the DaVinci Code it can almost taste it!
Anyhow, ALW, I would like to refer you to Dave Reiser and Tom Alonso. Both authors/composers of their own Phantom stage productions that I have had the good fortune of speaking with. (in emails at any rate) Both of these men were good enough to ANSWER MY EMAILS, happily discuss aspects of their shows and gladly receive feedback from phans. Take a page from these guy, Andy. They made me feel like they appreciated my interest in their work, and that they actually gave half a rat's behind about what my opinions were. At least FAKE like you care about your fans.

This disgusts me. A sequel would ruin the entire message and story that Phantom has protrayed all these years. What was ALW thinking? All he wants is the money. There's nothing we can do to stop it now though since it's been cast already. I just pray to God that Phantom doesn't go off of Broadway because of LND :(

I know...Who are Dave Alonso and Dave Raiser and what phatom versions did they write? They wrote back to you?! Wow thats more than ALW will ever do thats nice! Yea and that Angel of music movie looks SOOOO stupid! I also hope they don't take phantom off broadway for that piece of crap show...I just listened to the whole micheal crawford/sarah brightman soundtrack from the 1986 cast version...I'm also writing a phanfiction too...I was looking in the book by leroux and I think I read somewhere that christine had blonde hair...I'll look back later...The claude Rains version of POTO is quite good...although 2 Raoul's is terrible...

Yes, Christine was blond in the Leroux novel.
Tom Alonso wrote a version for Toby's Dinner Theater, which is a very well known thing in the Baltimore area.
Dave Reister wrote the Pinchpenny Phantom of the Opera, which is absolutely hilarious!
I would refer you to the link that I'd posted on the A/v Club for the Alonso soundtrack, but unfortunately it has been deleted by my own hand. *Yes, I am STILL griping about the lack of interest shown for versions outside the ALW....*
At any rate, apparently news of the sequel has not spread outside of the obsessive Broadway nerd circut as any 'normal' person I mention it to looks at me like I have about 5 heads. So, hopefully this is a good sign. With the public at large unaware that this horror is about to take place it makes it that much easier to just quietly crush the project and pretend like it never happened. HINT HINT Sir Andrew....

*sends vibes over to ALW*

"You don't need to make a sequel. You don't need to make a sequel.
You don't want to.
Try something new and original.
Don't make a sequel, no one will know it's gone wrong, just burn the music.
Yes that's right in the hearth there, light a match......good. Now that monstrosity never happened did it?
No.
*Pats*
Good ALW.
We can all forget it ever came to be.
Now go and have a marmite sandwich and stay out of mischief"

Tickets go on sale in October...I believe that was the month I read in that article on Playbill. My question is, will ticket sales be big at first? All the hype and all? And lets say they are not good at first....would Andrew still try to keep it running for awhile? God...if only it were the Kay version.

lol Velvet fox! If only that could really happen! I'll ask my music teacher about the sequel...he knows ALOT about Broadyway stuff...I'll see what he says...ERG! I STILL love phantom of the opera...no matter what buttface ALW does...

lol Velvet fox! If only that could really happen! I'll ask my music teacher about the sequel...he knows ALOT about Broadyway stuff...I'll see what he says...ERG! I STILL love phantom of the opera...no matter what buttface ALW does...

lol Velvet fox! If only that could really happen! I'll ask my music teacher about the sequel...he knows ALOT about Broadyway stuff...I'll see what he says...ERG! I STILL love phantom of the opera...no matter what buttface ALW does...

I know I already posted this in the links, but here's the latest advertising crap: link

It's obviously stupid sequel promotion.

God why did I click on that link!? The reality of it has just hit me a-gain.
Can it just disappear already. :'(

Ok, so I just got an email update generated from LND.com from "The Phantom" (phsst, yeah right), and it states that there's going to be "an announcement of global importance" October 8. I'm going to be on vacation when this so-called earth shattering news is announced (Please let it be that there have been insurmountable technical difficulties and the show will NOT be produced afterall....) so I don't know if I'll be willing to ruin my Disneyworld fun to take note of this nonsense. At any rate, just a head's up on that. Oh dear GOD I want to scream!

On Noes. Bad news should never interrupt disneyland fun. :(

Omagosh!!! Phantomness...I got the SAME email! It's so lame isen't it?! Saying it's from the Phantom lol! Like the phantom would write that! I hope it's to say the show is not going on...Don't tell me it's coming out Oct 8th!!!??? I hope not!

It wouldn't be premiering with no one knowing about it. That would make for one hell of an awful opening night, an empty theater because no one knows about it. Granted, the only people this monstrosity is going to attract will be curiosity seekers and people who have no IDEA about the actual storyline....No, my guess is that the big stupid announcement will be the official(!) premiere dates/cast, or (please sweet Angel of Music let it be this one!) that the show is being canceled due to ALW regaining his sanity. If the man has any intelligence left he'll start begging forgiveness now before the really scary uber hardcore phans finally SNAP. Ohhhh it won't be pretty when that goes down.....
I also noted the 11 o'clock B.S.. Now, this would only be appropriate if you're giving us a choice in the matter! Personally I'd rather turn the grasshopper and deal with oblivion than that damned sequel! Hell, I'd almost rather the original production close than see the sequel come to fruition! Please don't misunderstand me, I love the stage show dearly, but I have every fear that the sequel will all but ruin it anyway. "Better in ashes and memory than this!"

Yeah, I got the e-mail... *rolls eyes* It can't be good.