Our leading lady, Sierra Boggess, popped into the BBC studios this weekend to meet the four semi-finalists in Over The Rainbow, the TV search for a Dorothy to star in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s forthcoming production of The Wizard of Oz.

Sierra gave the girls some invaluable advice on the challenges facing the winner, before singing the title song from Love Never Dies. We were there to capture the girls as they waited for the visitor, as well as exclusive footage of Sierra on and off the set.

In our latest blog, we head back to Ramin’s dressing room to catch up on how he feels about the character of the Phantom, his pet peeves, and how he keeps the role fresh.

Apologies for the lack of blogs recently – it’s been a busy few weeks since opening night! Unbelievably, it’s now over a month since Love Never Dies premiered, and we have got some exciting video clips coming up for you.

Here our bloggers Adam Pearce (Squelch) and Niamh Perry (Fleck) tell us what’s been going on in the past few weeks, and introduce their very special upcoming video blog feature…

To celebrate tonight’s opening at the Adelphi, we bring you an interview with Ramin Karimloo who takes to the stage this evening as The Phantom.

Ramin is no stranger to the role, having played the lead in the original London production for two years prior to reprising the character in Love Never Dies. In this exclusive video Ramin talks of the challenges of the role, the show itself, the music and how the character has changed in the intervening years.

Do you ever think video blogs are a bit like buses?  You wait ages for one to turn up and then two or three come along in rapid succession….?

We have delved into our archives – in actual fact only a couple of weeks ago but so much has happened along the Love Never Dies production process that it seems like AGES – to bring you a clip of the landmark day when Ramin Karimloo, our Phantom, met his make up, wig and mask for the first time.  We were there to capture the moment on our trusty Flip camera to try and give you a little teaser into what the Phantom now looks like.

So let’s go back to the end of January as the cast near the end of their stint in the rehearsal space and prepare to move into the Adelphi… and in another West End theatre a specialist team gather to create the Phantom’s look…

In our previous Disfiguring the Phantom blog post you will have seen the first stage in the process to create the make up and prosthetics which will transform Ramin into the Phantom.

This week saw the culmination of all the effort by Neill Girton, who made the prosthetics,  Naomi Donne, who has created the make up, Campbell Young, the Wigs Supervisor for the show and Ivo Coveney who has created the Phantom’s iconic mask.  For the first time all the team gathered in a dressing room at The Palace Theatre with Ramin, to apply their handiwork for the first time.  Neill prepared Ramin and began applying the prosthetics.  For Love Never Dies the prosthetics will be made in silicone rather than the foam used for The Phantom of the Opera.  This material – although slightly heavier than foam – allows the actor much more freedom for facial expression and also looks much more “skin like” in texture.

As Neill worked he gave a running commentary on the process so that Sandra O’Brien (Biddie) who will be Wigs Mistress on Love Never Dies and Debbie Goodship (Lolly) her Deputy, could take notes and photographs.   The process at this early stage takes well over an hour, but Biddie and Lolly are confident that over time they will be able to complete the make up in around 45 minutes.  Before Naomi took over to put the finishing touches to the make up, Campbell stepped in to apply the wig and complete the transformation.  Then Ramin was helped into his costume and led to the stage so the final look could be tested under the lighting.  Oh… and sitting in the auditorium to witness this was Andrew Lloyd Webber, Director Jack O’Brien and key members of the creative and production team

Obviously it was a time of great excitement for all, as the months of hard work became a reality.  It is safe to say that everyone involved was thrilled by the result.

Check out our exclusive video clip for a little teaser of the make up process and a few words from Naomi and Campbell…

Adam Pearce (aka Squelch)’s latest blog…

Hey bloggers, sorry it’s been a while. Rehearsals have been busy busy busy!! We had our final run of the show, infront of the Lord, last week and thankfully got his seal of approval!

So,  I am pleased to say that we are now in the theatre that is the Adelphi! Our home for the next year!! In the auditorium, there’s hardly anywhere to sit, it’s taken up with tables, wires, props and quite a few people. It’s only now I realise how many people are involved with this production!! I’d say, there are around 7 giant tables that have been placed in the stalls with at least 6 people round them, and that’s just the heads of departments. Lighting, creatives, stage managment, costume, design, orchestral, LX, etc. So those 40-odd people have all got teams who are also running round the theatre, as well as over 30 cast members!! Craziness!!

As some of you know, I am very lucky to be making my hat-trick at the Adelphi after appearing in Evita from 2006-2007 and Joseph from 2007 until 2009. To my surprise and delight the management at Really Useful have renamed my dressing room as The Adam Pearce Suite!! How amazing is that!! Well chuffed!!

And also with Pip Jordan, who is also making her hat-trick after appearing in the same shows! So a big thank you to all those at RUG!

So me and Jami are sharing dressing room 7, which is great, he doesn’t know it yet, but I’m a very messy bugger!! We have also met our dresser Gary, now he is going to be looking after just Jami and I through out our time in Love Never Dies!! Gary has worked on tons of shows, so we are in good hands!! Off to a sound check now with full cast and orchestra!! Can’t wait!!!!

Speak soon, Squelch

Adam Pearce's dressing room

Last night, the last South Bank Show Awards included the first live performance of the Love Never Dies title track as Sierra Boggess (Christine) performed ‘Love Never Dies’ accompanied by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Louise Hunt on two grand pianos.

Our exclusive video footage shows the three in rehearsal along with the show’s Musical Supervisor Simon Lee as they prepared for their performance.

You can watch Sierra’s full performance on our YouTube channel:  http://www.youtube.com/phantomloveneverdies.

Meanwhile, Andrew writes about the song in the CD booklet:

“When at last I had a story, I made a decision. It would be daft not to occasionally have a flavour of the original show. But only very occasionally. I decided that none of the main melodies of The Phantom of the Opera would appear in Love Never Dies. After all the story is set roughly ten years on and, with one short exception, I have stuck firmly to my rule.

However there is one of the new melodies whose history I should explain before someone else does. It is ‘Love Never Dies’ itself. This was the only tune I wrote at the time when I first thought of continuing the Phantom and Christine’s story.

It was recorded by Kiri Te Kanawa under the title ‘The Heart is Slow to Learn’. Even though I had given up on the new Phantom, some second sense told me not to release the Kiri Te Kanawa recording, although it did subsequently appear on a limited edition compilation.

But with the Phantom sequel definitely abandoned in my mind, I used the chorus of the melody in The Beautiful Game, the musical I wrote with Ben Elton. Frankly I felt it stuck out like a sore thumb from the rest of the score, and it was eventually cut and replaced by ‘The Boys in the Photograph’, now the title of the show when it is revived. However the dramatic situation in the story of Love Never Dies is exactly the same as the one that I had originally composed the melody for and I was always proud of the moment. Once I had the new plot, I restored it to what I hope is its rightful home.”

Hi, I’m Richard Linnell and I’m 12. I am one of the 6 boys who are playing the part of Gustave in Love Never Dies. Welcome to my first blog.

My first full cast rehearsal

10:00AM start at the rehearsal studio. This is the first day all the cast have met to run through so I was pretty nervous! I arrived and went up to the fourth floor. The first thing that I saw as I got out of the lift was a huge pile of pastries and cake, Yum! After watching everyone swam around the pastries we all went into the studio and sat down in the chairs that were set out and Andrew Lloyd Webber started to talk to us all. He introduced himself, Jack (our director), Simon (our musical director) and then we went around the room saying who we are and what we do. When it got to me I was quite nervous but once we had started all the nerves disappeared. Then Andrew told us how Love Never Dies came to be and then I met up with all the people that I knew from previous shows I have been in: Summer Strallen who is playing Meg Giry, who I knew from the Sound of Music where she played Maria and I played Kurt , Dean Chisnall who is in the ensemble, who played Prince Charming in my local Panto 2 years ago, where I was a juvenile dancer and Patrick Stanier one of our SMs here, who was the DSM at Waiting for Godot, where I played the boy earlier this year.

After the break we all sat down at tables to start the run through. I was sitting at the top table next to Joe (Raoul) with Sierra (Christine), Ramin (Phantom), Summer (Meg) and Liz (Madame Giry) on my right, Wow what a line up! As we went through the music I heard all the parts together for the first time and listened to all the scenes. We saw Bob Crowley’s brilliant set designs projected onto the big screen behind us and I realised how incredible, sophisticated, complex and beautiful the show is going to be. I sang my parts with the rest of the cast, which was very nerve racking but I think I did OK, and really enjoyed it. We had a break for lunch and I chatted with the other cast members, they are all so lovely. Funny thing, everyone seemed to have brought tuna fish and cucumber sandwiches to eat. After lunch we continued the run to the end of the show and finished at about 3:15pm.

I can’t say much as the plot, as it is a closely guarded secret, but I will say this, the press are right, this is Andrew’s best musical to date! To all you avid Phantom fans out there waiting for the twentieth of February with your tickets and wondering if it will be as good as The Phantom of the Opera, I can tell you this, it is even better. So hang in there because boy is this one is going to be a doosy!!

Until next time

Richard

Hello!

I’m Duncan and I am an Assistant Stage Manager on Love Never Dies. I’ve been asked to blog and tell you about what is happening backstage to mount ‘The Lord’s’ latest show. As the cast blogs are telling you, we are currently in the early stages of rehearsals.

In order to get the show rehearsed in time, we currently have three rehearsal studios and two production offices. Our main rehearsal studio matches the dimensions of the Adelphi stage and has a purpose-built stage area so that cast can get used to where the main set pieces are and see how the action and choreography will fit on the stage. Our second studio is mainly used for choreography sessions while the third studio is where the vocal calls take place to teach the cast the stunning new music for the show.

The stage management team is currently five-strong.  Our role during this early stage encompasses many different areas. Our main priority is to learn the show inside-out so that when we move to the theatre in February we can transfer the work done in the rehearsal studios onto the Adelphi stage. We also look after the creative team (who, being American, require a lot of coffee), the production teams (wardrobe & wigs, sound & lighting etc) and of course the actors.

As well as being present for the main rehearsals, the cast are also currently needed by the wardrobe and wigs departments so that they have time to finely-tune the fitting of all the magnificent costumes and wigs that are used in the show. These fittings, while essential, need to cause minimum disruption to the main creation process of the show. As such, daily scheduling meetings take place to work out who will be required where and when. The stage management team then co-ordinate the movement of the actors according to the schedule which (fingers crossed) allows everyone to carry on undisturbed.

The team also runs all of the rehearsal spaces which includes checking actors’ hours to ensure that they don’t work too long without a break, and setting any props that are required in each scene. During the early stages of the creation process we have to make notes on any new props that will be required and work out timings for scene transitions as well as teaching the cast how the set will be changing around them.

To say much more about what we are currently doing would start to reveal details about the show and therefore potentially spoil the surprise that our audiences will experience. However, in future posts I will say whatever I can about what the stage management team are doing to mount this new show.  I can guarantee that this show will be exciting, challenging and – most of all – fun for us to put on… as well as stunning for you to watch.

Hopefully, my next update will not be too far away. By my next post, I will have seen the set taking shape in the theatre and we should be progressing well with staging the show in the rehearsal studios. Until then, take care (and buy tickets!)

Duncan

So.. it has been a long time coming but as you are already aware, Monday marked another landmark day for Love Never Dies.

As Adam reports below, it was the first time all those who will be working together (and many who have already been working on the show for a considerable time) got together in the rehearsal spaces in London.

The word on most people’s lips was “exciting” and there was a real buzz of electricity in the room as we all “Meeted and Greeted” each other and put names to faces for the first time. Jack O’Brien welcomed everyone and, after sharing his horoscope prediction for the coming month, suggested everyone look around the room and appreciate the fantastic array of talent that had been gathered together for the occasion.  There was then the short welcome from Andrew which Adam describes above.  Jack (despite a very husky sore throat) then took centre stage again and talked about the  phenomenonal impact of the original production of  The Phantom of the Opera. He emphasised how important it was to remember the unprecedented success of this show meant that to many people the story no longer belonged to Andrew as the composer, but that so many hundreds of thousands of people had invested so much emotion into the show that they felt Phantom in some way belonged to them.  It was essential to all these people that  Love Never Dies honoured this investment and that everyone should recognise that this piece would be the object of great scrutiny worldwide.

Jack told all those present that this was potentially the start of something truly great and that all those taking part should have fun and thoroughly enjoy the experience.  Finally, niceties over, he then made it clear that anyone who was not participating in the first full rehearsal that morning should “get the hell out of here!”…

Before we complied with Jack’s instruction we managed to seize a couple of moments to chat to our leading lady, Sierra Boggess, who had arrived in the UK on New Year’s Eve.  She has spent the last week in a flurry of “gorgeous” costume fittings.  Sierra wasn’t giving too much away but did say that her (already enviously slim) frame would be squeezed into “lots of corsets!”.  She has also faced the trauma of having her full head encased in plaster (mysterious, huh?) having undergone the same experience as Ramin Karimloo in our previous “Disfiguring the Phantom” blog entry.

Ramin also talked about his costume fittings.  He joked that the costumes are so amazing he asked if they could make two of each of them so he could get to keep one for himself!  Ramin himself is eager to begin the rehearsal process.  Although he has thoroughly appreciated a couple of months break from performing as The Phantom, having finished his run in the original production on November 7th, he can’t wait to continue the Phantom story and build on the character he knows so well.

Away from the “glamour” of the rehearsal rooms, at the Adelphi Theatre the set is being loaded in and constructed.  Steve Rebbeck, the Production Manager, had taken a couple of hours out of his gruelling technical production timetable to attend the Meet and Greet and confirmed that all is on schedule and that a key piece of set was being put together the following day (more from the Adelphi soon).

Despite the recent spell of adverse weather across the UK everyone who had been invited had managed to make the event, but there was one casualty.  Scott Penrose, the consultant who is creating the stunning Coney Island illusions for Love Never Dies confided that he was supposed to be delivering a load of props to the rehearsal room that day but had had to abandon his car on the journey in… so if anyone comes across a carload of very bizarre items which look like they belong in a freak show do let us know!

Before leaving we also took the opportunity to recruit a couple of additional potential “bloggers” who will be doing their utmost throughout the rehearsal period to keep us informed of what is happening in the build up to the big day.  More about them very soon…