According to Playbill, the Australian production of Love Never Dies, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sequel to his international hit The Phantom of the Opera, will begin performances May 29 at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne, according to the production’s official website. The musical, which received mixed reviews when it opened at London’s Adelphi Theater (where it continues to run) in the Fall of 2010, has had a tumultuous production history. The show’s original director (Jack O’Brien) was replaced by Webber for the Australian mounting of the show, with Priscilla, Queen of the Desert director Simon Phillips stepping in to helm the run.Webber also brought in many of the creative team members from the original Phantom of the Opera, including lyricist Charles Hart and Musical Supervisor Guy Simpson.
Love Never Dies picks-up 10 years after The Phantom of the Opera left off. Opera star Christine Daea, married to the now destitute Raoul, has relocated to the United States to perform in America’s new playgroud, Coney Island. After taking over as the leading Soprano for Coney Island’s opera performers, a mysterious force resurfaces to profess his love for his protege. Love Never Dies was originally slated to open on Broadway in November of 2010. But due to issues with the original London production and Webber’s battle with prostate cancer, the move was postponed until competing Australian and Toronto productions worked out the issues with the book. The production should open sometime on Broadway in 2011. For more information on the Austrailian production of Love Never Dies, visit the official Web Site for the show (http://www.loveneverdies.com.au/). Below, watch a preview trailer for the Austailian production: