SOUND OFF: Love Lives On

This week we are taking a look at the just-released cast album of the new Andrew Lloyd Webber musical sequel, LOVE NEVER DIES, which has proven to be among many phans and theatre fans, in a word, divisive. Be sure to check out last week's Phantom Round-Up for a rundown of the original PHANTOM OF THE OPERA as it stands on disc if only because it is beneficial to have at least a tertiary knowledge of that show‘s score in order to fully appreciate the music here... And what rich, rapturous music it is!

You'll Accept It, You'll Embrace It, Let Me Show You...

 

LOVE NEVER DIES - Original Cast Recording
SCORE: 9.5/10

Andrew Lloyd Webber, much like Stephen Sondheim (who has stated he would most probably have become a mathematician if left to his own devices) writes musicals because Rodgers & Hammerstein wrote musicals and never has that been more readily apparent than in his varied, voluminous, stunning score for the PHANTOM OF THE OPERA sequel, LOVE NEVER DIES. This is a musical work of staggering accomplishment - near genius - that brings us back to the decades-passed era of the megamusical and all its histrionic, sung-through, overproduced trappings and brings it totally up-to-date for a twenty-first century mentality (musically, theatrically, culturally and otherwise). I have not yet seen the show on stage, and even if I had, for purposes of this column we will focus only on how the show works on disc - and, boy oh boy, does it work, and work hard and work well, but it is always working. Like a vast, elaborate, Rube Goldberg-esque machine does this score toil away to provide all of the romance, drama, thrills, scares, and chills that any number of other dramatic or lyrical elements fail to provide. This seems to be a case of a score too good for the show that contains it, judging from the wildly different reviews that hit the web on Tuesday night following its opening night performance. The score of LOVE NEVER DIES is Andrew Lloyd Webber's best work since EVITA, and it works far harder for its magical musical moments than nearly anything in that score or any number of other composer‘s scores. This is far and away his most unique and accomplished score and it shares many of the best features of that timeless EVITA score while revealing the best attributes of the sung-through-style show ALW seems to prefer to compose. The reprises, while precipitous as in all ALW shows, range from imperative to ingenious. The motifs are initially elusive, but become almost immediately attractive to the ear and soon have ingrained themselves into the very fiber of our sonic receptors so when they re-appear under different guises and in the mouths/thoughts of different characters much more is revealed about their true power and purpose, both in the scheme of the drama onstage and the workings of the score itself. There are also some of the catchiest and most Broadway-sounding tunes ALW has ever composed to be found here. His pithy use of pastiche, from parlor songs to pop to heavy metal and opera, has never been better utilized than in these guises. This is ALW's paean to all that has come before him - Rodgers & Hammerstein, Cole Porter and even some Sondheim - as well as everything he has contributed to the genre himself over the intervening forty years, plus hints of a new technique with a certain substance and style all its own. Just as LOVE NEVER DIES is a continuation of a story started many years ago in PHANTOM, so, too, is this score a continuation of the great Broadway tradition of musical theatre: a two-headed monster with one face casting an askance glance to the past with the other having a cold determined stare, eyes-transfixed, on the uncertain, unclear and muddy future that lies ahead. A monster, indeed, but a good monster with his heart in the right place - something that can be said for both ALW and the Phantom himself (and their similarities do not end there), as well as the show at the center of our discussion. LOVE NEVER DIES was not written for the phans, but for fans of the musical, and that is made crystal clear in nearly every moment of this almost note-perfect score. It is nothing like PHANTOM, and yet in most of the structure and function and effectiveness it is every bit like that show, yet you‘d never know it at first.

This is not a sequel so much as a continuation - or, moreso, a thematic rumination and capitulation - of many of the characters and themes from the original PHANTOM, among them, apart from the eponymous Mr. Y, Christine, Raoul, Meg and Madame Giry. Yet, everything and everyone is turned around, ravaged by time and decay, with a hue of something new and foreboding in the undercurrents. There is a tint of malice to everything with the sole exception of the two true things - love (between Christine and the Phantom) and children (their son, Gustave). All of this - both the evil tinge of discord and pure white light of true beauty - is all over the music, the characters, everything - in addition the stink of change, the odor of knowledge and the search for authentic transcendent truth in spite of what was learned ten years ago. Since the plot, written by ALW and lyricist Glenn Slater from earlier treatments by Frederick Forsyth and Ben Elton, turns on a dime and much of the tension of the show comes from the plot-twists and surprises I shall choose to eschew as many spoilers as possible in tackling a track-by-track analysis of the score, but be forewarned that it is impossible to do so without spoiling at least a little of the plot. If the pay-off for this spoiler-talk is that these words written here so entice - or enrage - you that you go and purchase the album or tickets to the show (opening on Broadway in November) than I have more than done my job. This is a score all musical theatre lovers must hear, whatever your preconceived notions about ALW and megamusicals in general may be up until now. This is a game-changer and breaks most, if not all, of the rules. For sheer audacity alone, ALW is due a dose of respect from even the most vehement naysayers among us, as well as some praise, but those niceties are merely the tip of the massive iceberg of accomplishment he has amassed with this remarkable, instantly memorable and momentous score. From the opening "Coney Island Waltz" to the sparkling, soothing Finale, we are borne aloft on wings of musical magic, guided by the master musical manipulator, with winds of change swirling around us all the while. This is everything of the past and a mere taste of the future, whatever that may or may not be.

Evoking the eerie, somehow sepia-hued majesty of the best of SUNSET BLVD, the instrumental opening sequence is arresting, alluring, consuming and spectacular. The may very well be Webber's most precisely and elegantly orchestrated score, and each carefully chosen accoutrement complements the hearty melodic meat at the core of the compositions in surprising and satisfying ways. The first sung line in the show, "That's the place you ruined you fool!" firmly establishes the oft-atonal, slightly askew nature of much of the material pertaining to the elusive Mr. Y (pronounced with a French accent, "eee," creating a fun pun for phans). "Heaven By the Sea" is a quite uncharacteristic melody for Webber, but it expertly establishes the bright and bouncy cakewalk-style of the convivial Coney Island atmosphere, in dramatic tone and musical. The boardwalk band instrumentation is particularly delightful. "Only For Him / Only For You" acts for Meg much like "Angel of Music" did for Christine in the original, the theme linking her with the Phantom and her readily apparent affections for him, but in the dramatically different style of the boardwalk Phantasma showgirl attraction as opposed to a ballet corps rehearsal as in the original. The original was class, this is crass: that's the point that many seem to be missing. Sally Dexter as Madame Giry makes her appearance during this first section and the steely-voiced mezzo-soprano does well with her material here and elsewhere, as does Summer Strallen as her daughter, Meg the Oh-la-la Showgirl. "The Aeyrie" evocatively introduces the abode of the Phantom - and the man behind the mask himself - and the slightly off-kilter nature of the mellifluous melody effortlessly establishes the unknown, unsure nature of the fickle Phantom. Additionally, the introduction of the electric guitar is shocking and spine-tingling, intoning the wild, rock star side of the Phantom which was the element that originally drew Webber to this project, then meant as a collaboration with legendary songwriter/producer Jim Steinman, more than twenty-five years ago. "Til I Hear You Sing" is the big song of the show, LOVE NEVER DIES's answer to "Music of the Night", and it scores. Stupendously. I dare you to not be remotely moved by Ramin Karimloos's blistering performance of this song. Don't let the pretty-but-oh-so-innocuous music video fool you, in the show's version the title phrase is much more malevolent - it is meant equally as a threat and a promise. The foreboding electric piano and, again, slightly off-key nature of the chord progressions and ornamentation in the orchestrations evoke eerie and evil underpinnings stirring just below the surface. Mr. Y, this version of the Phantom - he is now emotionally wounded as well as physically so after being left for Raoul by Christine ten years before, remember - is intent on revealing the ugly that lies below the surface of everything, and everyone, and in that process getting down to the truth. As the penultimate song of the first act so states, "The Beauty Underneath", and uncovering that is his goal, no matter how ugly things get. More about that heavy metal "Eye of the Tiger" homage in a moment. The infamous disco beat from the title song in the original makes an appearance during this section of the show, as does the music box and smoke-and-mirrors musical moment from the original show. Fear not, Webber uses the homages very sparingly and with surprising and often spine-tingling effect, though it is rarely overdone and nowhere near as precipitous as many would expect given the composer's past musical penchants for too-close-for-comfort homage and pastiche. And, no, the organ theme is nowhere to be found.

It is not long before Christine shores up on Coney Island with Raoul and Gustave (who has his own haunting and evocative melody called "Beautiful"), and sings an enchanting, if trepidatious, establishing song "Christine Disembarks / The Arrival of the Trio" amidst the jovial, jolly chaos on the boardwalk with the appropriate aural effects surrounding us all around. This so-billed concept album is a perfect distillation of the show, proving to be very easy to follow which is quite an accomplishment in and of itself given the confusing, convoluted plot. Additionally, the album truly immerses the listener in the experience and the sound effects - from the somnolent ocean to the squawking seagulls and the truly rocking roller coaster - are the best I've ever heard on a cast album. The production values are absolutely top-notch all around and the hundred piece orchestra is used to absolutely excellent effect throughout, creating an impossibly rich and detailed tapestry of a score far too rarely heard these days playing the formidable charts of Webber along with David Cullen, his co-orchestrator. This is musical theatre on disc at its absolute best. The performers are excellent, as well, and the American accents are assured, though the British accents of Christine and Raoul are somewhat unusual given the show‘s milieu, but I suppose that was the case in the original as well. Anyway, accents are nothing to get hung about for if we are to get too caught up in details the whole soufflé is ruined, really, as is the case with many high drama musicals like this, and much like the original itself. This is no more implausible or over-the-top, and the characters are quite a bit more fully-rounded and interesting. All of this being said, things certainly have changed.

The show certainly takes off after Christine and Gustave sing a touching and sweet lullaby, "Look With Your Heart", and we are treated to the Phantom's appearance to Christine in the guise of a sumptuous, rich musical passage leading into the central number of the first act, the positively breathtaking "Beneath A Moonless Sky". Without revealing the lyrical content, it is necessary to single out Slater's sly wit and the succulent romanticism in setting the scene for the sexual, sensual tryst that is the gist of the dramatic material conveyed here, perfectly matching the music. Sierra Boggess is an ideal Christine, and brings an airy, ethereal quality that is evocative of the original Christine, the world's best-selling soprano Sarah Brightman, as well as a more modern musical theatre sensibility. She, along with Karimloo, brings a fiery, passionate intensity to all the material between Christine and the Phantom and it is in these moments, much as in the first show, that the magic that won the world over is truly achieved once again. And what magic! "Beneath A Moonless Sky" is one of the best duets Webber has ever written, perhaps the very best. It is unforgettable. He even manages to top this song with the next section of the show, "Once Upon Another Time" which also is reprised in the final dramatic moments to stirring, emotional effect. This is the point at which a curiosity becomes a legend and Webber puts his money where his (musical) mouth is, firmly establishing this score as top-tier and undoubtedly the first completely successful musical sequel, besting the original in most, if not all, ways. And so it goes.

"Dear Old Friend" is a complicated, multi-faceted musical scene the likes of which we don't hear very much of these days outside of the odd LEGALLY BLONDE or Sondheim show. Containing everything from a music-box lullaby to the title song disco beat to the backstage rehearsal of a vaudeville song that will never leave your head ("Bathing Beauties") to a scathing duet between Raoul and Madame Giry, then a trio involving Meg, and so on, it is some of the best musical storytelling we could hope for and some of Webber‘s best ever. It is a head-spinningly heady section but Webber has so carefully created each of the elements that the mélange is a marvel where it could very well have been musical mayhem. The quartet that ends "Dear Old Friend" is this show's funny patter song, much like "Notes" and "Prima Donna" (which, incidentally, momentarily makes an appearance in the second act) this time for the slightly dim and drunk Raoul, bitchy Madame Giry and catty Meg and the operatic, over-the-top ending - compounded by Raoul discouraging a young Gustave and Christine plunking out the "Love Never Dies" theme on a piano shortly before - reveals this section is in many ways a witty wink at Webber's critics. It is a certain self-aware wallowing in his own excesses, as is what follows, but that is not a bad thing because he has given it a reason for being and, after all, few do excess with such elegance. Indeed, it is at this point in the drama that you are either with the story and the storyteller or you are not, no in-between, because the show fires on all pistons from this point forward.

It is impossible to accurately describe "The Beauty Underneath" here in the detail it deserves and it will certainly divide listeners, for many reasons - but, then again, what doesn't about this daring, deceptively inviting enterprise? - but it surely makes an impression. A heavy metal operatic duet, complete with AC/DC electric guitar riffs and wild rock tenor falsetto on the level of "Heaven On Their Minds"-level Judas from JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, it is Webber's hardest rocking song since that sacred show, truly even more than even anything in WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND though in some ways it owes credit to that show's lyricist, Jim Steinman. It is wild and unexpected, but entirely successful and immediately addicitive. The first act ends in much the thrilling, melody-rich/reprise-heavy way that the first show ended, but the material in this show is stronger to the extent that these songs have not yet worn out their welcome whereas the "All I Ask of You" theme in the original was so repetitive as to become irritating. Everything about this score is fresh, exciting and new outside of the occasional homage to the original in the guise of the "Angel of Music" theme which is the only theme from the original used more than stingily judiciously by Webber. Indeed, Webber has been anything but stingy with this remarkable accomplishment of a score, with quality and quantity being equally evident (32 songs!) in every element, with nary a dud in the bunch. The first act ends on the same high as runs on from "Beneath A Moonless Sky" forth; a rich feast of melody and drama of the highest order.

The second act begins with the rollicking, rapturous "Entr'Acte" leading into the bluesy, jazz-tinged drinking duet between the bartender (Mr. Y) and Raoul leading to the dirge-like "Why Does She Love Me?". Judging from this song in particular, it is easy to see why John Barrowman sang this role in the first, abandoned iteration of the concept album and I, for one, would love to hear his take on this character if he so deigns at some point in its hopefully bright future of this show. "Once Upon Another Time" appears again and again throughout the rest of the show and the strength of this stalwart song attests for itself given its nearly too-recurrent presence here and it is the only such song in this delicately crafted score. "Tomorrow night / I'll sing with all my might" is one of the most beautiful and powerful musical moments in any Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, and for that alone this show is a worthwhile entry in the musical theatre canon. "Devil Take The Hindmost" is a fascinating, at first pulsating and plosive-driven building into carefully constructed chaos, and this show's answer to "Point of No Return". The full version of the aforementioned "Bathing Beauties" is Webber's most blatantly Broadway song to date, an infectious and addictive production number like none he has written up until this point. The title song, the big second act song, does not disappoint. The score was created with this song as its centerpiece and whether it is called "The Heart is Slow to Learn" as it was when the show was called THE PHANTOM IN MANHATTAN or as "Our Kind of Love" in the pre-BOYS IN THE PHOTOGRAPH musical THE BEAUTIFUL GAME, it's a winner. Boggess is sublime here, as well as throughout the entire second act. Perhaps the Phantom could use another song in this act, a new melody, or at least something as memorable as his section of "Masquerade" in the original show, because, at least on disc, he does not have enough of a presence in the late stages of the show before the tragic finale. The reprises pile on and the lyrics fail to match the emotion at many of the pivotal moments and it is also at this point in the eleventh hour of the drama that the show is at its weakest, mostly because the Phantom doesn‘t have enough at stake, though the other characters may. After all, one does not have a director on the level of Jack O'Brien for nothing, so it is safe to assume these issues are being addressed if they have already not been by the time this hits the web. Without giving away the rest of the plot, I will merely say that the score scores on so many levels that to laud it as anything but a massive accomplishment - truly, a masterpiece - would leave me, at least, remiss.

The score to LOVE NEVER DIES is not only better than THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, but Webber's very best work to date, certainly since EVITA. Run, don't walk, to check the score out on disc. I can only hope the show onstage is half as good as the score sounds on disc. A phantastic achievement, if there ever were any. The first great musical sequel, the first of so many firsts in Webber's legendary, unparalleled career, coming on a concept album much as his first score did on these shores, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. To quote the original Phantom to Christine to all involved here, "Bravi, Bravi, Bravisimmi."