Andrew Lloyd Webber Wants to Bring Melbourne's LOVE NEVER DIES to Broadway

Andrew Lloyd Webber has let the world know what he thinks of the Melbourne version of LOVE NEVER DIES, his sequel to PHANTOM OF THE OPERA which opened last Thursday. The $9 million production has many differences from the LOVE NEVER DIES that has been playing in London for over a year.

'I would like this show to go everywhere because I think it's just the best,' Lloyd Webber told the Sydney Morning Herald of the Australian production, led by director Simon Phillips and designer Gabriela Tylesova. 'This is the show that should go to Broadway without any question, but it depends on how it all goes." Many financial negotiations will still be needed to open the show on the Great White Way.

While in Melbourne, Lloyd Webber has attended previews and technical rehearsals while watching Phillips at work as well as writing new bits of music.

Lloyd Webber has described the production as "extraordinary," "fabulous," "seamless," and "bliss."

'I have the great joy of being able to say that I think this production is probably the finest one I could ever, ever hope for. Three times in my career this has happened. The first time was when I saw Evita in rehearsals and I thought, 'This design and production is absolutely perfect and what I want', and again when I saw The Phantom, and this is the third time I can say it again. What Simon has done ... he completely gets it. You wouldn't recognise this from London.'

This is a turnaround from his initial reaction to the London production, which opened to mixed reviews and not-so-great box office performance. After the London production opened, Lloyd Webber said he felt that show wasn't "right," and that the opening should have been postponed.

Lloyd Webber also said that 'At some point we will have to take a decision to let it [the London version] run, or whether it's better to bring this [the Melbourne version] in, but that can't be done tomorrow.'

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Photo Credit: Peter James Zielinski