Love Never Dies in Concert - Theatre Royal Drury Lane

[10642]

Aug 22, 2023 8:20:32 GMT tom said:

Did they use the original Beauty Underneath or the newer version? I prefer the original.

I think it was the new version they reworked for the US Tour - it wasn’t the version on the Australian DVD anyway

[interval99]

The programme is the only merchandise sold before and after the show.
£15 for one Norm and Celinde have signed in gold pen on the front cover. Not sure on the unsigned version cost.
Nice full colour a4 size on quality paper. Cast and production bios , 4 page interview with norm.
The logo design is the logo in gold on chocolate brown background. Thanks to modern front screens the signage front of house is pretty much for the show rather than Frozen.
If you preordered the signed one you collect from the shop desk far left as you go and they have a long list of names to check so likely queue but fast moving.

[theatre2023]

Anyone else feel Norm Lewis' voice wasn't quite up to par? Felt like he was struggling at times / didn't have the necessary impact? Celinde was amazing.

[10642]

Aug 22, 2023 9:13:26 GMT theatre2023 said:

Anyone else feel Norm Lewis' voice wasn't quite up to par? Felt like he was struggling at times / didn't have the necessary impact? Celinde was amazing.

Yeah, thought he was mostly very good but the two voice cracks on the last line of Till I hear You Sing kinda showed he was struggling at the top end of his range. Several line flubs throughout the show and Celinde being on absolutely top form didn’t help either…

[vickyg]

SO looking forward to seeing this this evening. My favourite ALW score by far. I have no issues whatsoever suspending disbelief about the story and listening to the beautiful music which sounds like it will be in fine form. Roll on the end of the working day!

[sophia]

Did anyone who was there last night think that The Beauty Underneath sounded pre-recorded with Norm lip-synching? I thought this during the song and then heard two separate groups of people during the interval saying the same thing. They were all sitting in the same area as me, so possibly just a sound issue…

[interval99]

Hope all going to the shows today enjoy it as much as last nights crowd.

It was joyful see the cast and orchestra genuinely smiling at the rapturous reception they got and well deserved for their work , no idea how long they had to rehearse but its a polished product which was fully planned out. This really is far beyond the in concert tag.

I think time and the knowledge that the storyline they choose for this show does not match where people thought things would go at the end of phantom now let's you enjoy the show for what it is without the bewilderment of the plot overshadowing when seeing it first time.

But this version is the first where you can actually belive the characters fates and motivations more. There are some genuine emotional catch points and a top rate performance from every cast member just makes it work on that level whereas before i have loved the music and vocals but never any real attachment to the storyline of the show and the players fates.

The evening was a very special surprise and a real musical highlight.

[stagebyte]

Aug 22, 2023 10:13:19 GMT sophia said:

Did anyone who was there last night think that The Beauty Underneath sounded pre-recorded with Norm lip-synching? I thought this during the song and then heard two separate groups of people during the interval saying the same thing. They were all sitting in the same area as me, so possibly just a sound issue…

I thought the same! Looked over at one point the child’s mouth was moving out of synch to the music. Strange.

[stagebyte]

Aug 22, 2023 10:25:03 GMT interval99 said:

Hope all going to the shows today enjoy it as much as last nights crowd.

It was joyful see the cast and orchestra genuinely smiling at the rapturous reception they got and well deserved for their work , no idea how long they had to rehearse but its a polished product which was fully planned out. This really is far beyond the in concert tag.

I think time and the knowledge that the storyline they choose for this show does not match where people thought things would go at the end of phantom now let's you enjoy the show for what it is without the bewilderment of the plot overshadowing when seeing it first time.

But this version is the first where you can actually belive the characters fates and motivations more. There are some genuine emotional catch points and a top rate performance from every cast member just makes it work on that level whereas before i have loved the music and vocals but never any real attachment to the storyline of the show and the players fates.

The evening was a very special surprise and a real musical highlight.

Think you’ve hit the nail there. If you go in with no pre conceived ideas about what’s ‘supposed’ to happen after Phantom then it’s a very enjoyable piece of high romance melodrama. I believed in the performances and have to admit filled up at a couple of points. So I guess the combo of excellent performances and the soaring score did their trick.
I was a little worried at the voice crack at the start but he redeemed himself pretty quickly after.

[141920grm]

Aug 22, 2023 2:27:24 GMT LaLuPone said:

I assume it’s a small part but how was Sally Dexter? Love her!

Pretty vicious = good, actually, especially her ‘if that bastard had never been born’ line lol

Can’t pinpoint it but felt like there were points every now and then where a pretty high note was written for Giry which Sally perhaps couldn’t quite hit so replaced with speak-singing instead, but it didn’t detract at all, in fact I’d say she was one of the most vocally consistent out of the leads
Oh and the only one with a heavy French accent like in the cast recordings

[lonlad]

A friend has been offered £2.50 seats for the matinee today. Hmmm .....

[sophia]

Going into this having never seen LND before, I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to and am really glad I picked up a last-minute ticket. I had a much better time than at the recent Evita concert - and the audience around me were much better behaved too!

I thought the cast were all excellent. The opening number with Norm (and the audience response to it) felt pretty magical.

[BVM]

Aug 22, 2023 8:20:32 GMT tom said:

Did they use the original Beauty Underneath or the newer version? I prefer the original.

New version!

In fact entire score/book/lyrics was the Hamburg/US Tour version which I think is pretty much the blueprint now. It's almost the same (that song aside) as the closing Australia/DVD show.

Agree with you, I think I preferred the original Beauty Underneath. Though don't dislike the new version.

[BVM]

Aug 22, 2023 10:25:03 GMT interval99 said:

Hope all going to the shows today enjoy it as much as last nights crowd.

It was joyful see the cast and orchestra genuinely smiling at the rapturous reception they got and well deserved for their work , no idea how long they had to rehearse but its a polished product which was fully planned out. This really is far beyond the in concert tag.

I think time and the knowledge that the storyline they choose for this show does not match where people thought things would go at the end of phantom now let's you enjoy the show for what it is without the bewilderment of the plot overshadowing when seeing it first time.

But this version is the first where you can actually belive the characters fates and motivations more. There are some genuine emotional catch points and a top rate performance from every cast member just makes it work on that level whereas before i have loved the music and vocals but never any real attachment to the storyline of the show and the players fates.

The evening was a very special surprise and a real musical highlight.

Couldn't agree more with this.

After the suboptimal Auli'i performance was great to see these concerts fully back on track. I say concert. This was more than "semi" staged. 

I was also delighted to see it get such a wonderful reception. And ALW must have been pleased after all he's been through of late. Of course it was a crowd of fans so it's gonna be received well, but it makes for a fabulous viewing experience - also bad behaviour non existent where I was sat.

Said it before but having these concerts in long running show venues where they can slave off their wonderful sound designs and lighting rigs is a genius idea.

Also agree re the LND story - if you're looking at it as a direct sequel to those exact characters than clearly it's a nonsense. If you look at it as a stand alone story, inspired by but not identical to the previous characters then I think you've got a fantastic well written decent plot musical.

But the true highlight - that score - performed and sung brilliantly. Loved loved loved it :-) 

Really got me thinking that it deserves a new fully staged production. Then had to reign myself in and remember that niche interest at a concert presentation doth not demand for an open ended run represent! But it's a brilliant musical. And having seen the original more times than I care to mention, plus two trips to Hamburg to see the second version, was simply wonderful to see it staged again.

[londonmzfitz]

Aug 22, 2023 9:15:59 GMT 10642 said:

Aug 22, 2023 9:13:26 GMT theatre2023 said:

Anyone else feel Norm Lewis' voice wasn't quite up to par? Felt like he was struggling at times / didn't have the necessary impact? Celinde was amazing.

Yeah, thought he was mostly very good but the two voice cracks on the last line of Till I hear You Sing kinda showed he was struggling at the top end of his range. 

Yup to both.

[londonmzfitz]

Aug 22, 2023 10:48:07 GMT stagebyte said:

Aug 22, 2023 10:13:19 GMT sophia said:

Did anyone who was there last night think that The Beauty Underneath sounded pre-recorded with Norm lip-synching? I thought this during the song and then heard two separate groups of people during the interval saying the same thing. They were all sitting in the same area as me, so possibly just a sound issue…

I thought the same! Looked over at one point the child’s mouth was moving out of synch to the music. Strange.

Yup again.

[londonmzfitz]

Second row centre stalls. I really enjoyed this last night, I really did - it's been a long wait to see this performed again even with the "Concert" premise.

Delighted to see stage sets.  Even more so to see costumes!

Celinde was excellent, I thought. Really very, very good. All the supports, too. I just wasn't feeling Norm at all. The opening song and the voice crack on the big finish made me wince. And I then found myself listening for flaws ..

And The Beauty Underneath was in comparison good, too good to be an in-the-moment performance, I felt, and found myself watching the mouths (as above comment); I'm sure that was pre-recorded.

And as for leaving before the Orchestra have finished - No! Stay to the last moment, absolutely worth it.

[anthony]

Just walked past the theatre (stopping for coffee first!) and there were so many children dressed up as Phantom.

So excited for this. I went to the first ever public performance of Love Never Dies and then saw it again with Tam Mutu as Phantom (who was by far the superior Phantom!)

I hope this sees life after this...

[westendboy]

Guess I'll give my two cents after seeing this last night.

My expectations going in were more of curiosity than anything else. I've watched the recorded Australian production (having never seen the London production) and my opinions of the show were than, whilst the score is pretty good, the story was unnecessary and all over the place. Despite that, I did find some enjoyment with it, so going into this concert had me curious to see how a show with such a notorious reputation would be staged. Having some time to let it sink in, I can say that I was pleasantly surprised.

Plot aside, I really enjoyed my evening and was impressed by the set and performances. The set was 'minimal' at best, but it did work and I appreciate the ensemble's work with scene changes. Some moments did look a bit awkward, notably the ending, but I suppose that's due to the space.

What really made the evening worthwhile was, as everyone else has said already, the performances. Everyone was on form and despite a few flubbed lines and mic cues, they all worked extremely hard. I was excited to see Norm perform live, as I enjoyed his Javert, and whilst he did a wonderful job, his voice did feel a bit off a points. That could just be due to age, or short rehearsal time, but it was noticeable at points. It was still lovely to hear him sing live and his Phantom was engaging. I wasn't a fan of the mask he wore however. It resembled the mask typically worn, but instead of being coloured white, it was a copper sort of colour. I guess I'm just used to the original mask, but it just didn't look right.

As what everyone else has said already, Celinde brought the house down as Christine. Her voice was beautiful, oh so beautiful. (Sorry, I had to) She hit every note perfectly and I really enjoyed her scenes with Gustave. She had this warmth about her when she's with her son, but also this strength during her first scenes with the Phantom. And out of all the performances of the title song I've heard, Celinde's is by far the best! Previously, I found the song quite 'meh', but Celinde made me care about what was being sung and the whole audience was entranced.

Of course, I have to applaud the rest of the cast as well! Matthew Seadon-Young's Raoul felt less of a prat than he was in the Aussie version and was somewhat more sympathetic. His voice was also lush as well. Courtney Stapleton's Meg was lovely and I could feel her growing resentment of Christine and the Phantom as the show went on. Sally Dexter's Madame Giry was fun to watch, but I did find it odd how she was the only one who put on a French accent, even though the majority of the main cast are French as well. It's not a big deal, just a little jarring. But I've really got to give major props to Cian Eagle-Service, who played Gustave. I can imagine how much pressure he must have been performing this and like Celinde, he knocked it out of the park. His voice was spectacular and he was a very likable Gustave. I wish him all the luck in his future endeavors and I hope to see him performing in again soon!

Also, special shout out to the conductor, whose name escapes me, but he was electric throughout!

Overall, I really enjoyed my evening at Drury Lane and was pleasantly surprised by how well they staged this infamous flop 12 years after closing at the Adelphi. This honestly makes me want to see a fully staged revival be put on, either via tour, or a limited West End run. But with the current climate, as well as 'Aspects' closing earlier than expected, then this may not be a possibility until much later. But anyway, I hope everyone seeing the show today enjoys it as much as I did! Now on to 'Death Note' tonight for me!

[h86]

Was there choreography and dancing in this? Video clip of rehearsals suggests so.

[westendboy]

Aug 22, 2023 13:23:38 GMT h86 said:

Was there choreography and dancing in this? Video clip of rehearsals suggests so.

There was, yes. Nothing major or big, due to the limited space I imagine. 

[anthony]

So Norm lost his place mid way through Til I Hear You Sing and he just walked around the stage saying “sing, sing”, I guess trying to find his place again… lasted about 20 seconds.

Norm’s diction is horrendous. Beauty Underneath is 100% pre-recorded. His mic came back on mid-gasp.

Sally Dexter’s French accent is life.

[theatrefan572]

Half time at the matinee and it is STUNNING. The orchestra are something else as are the cast.

Slight hiccup in ‘Til I hear you sing’. Norm forgot his words and spent a bit of time trying to bring it back but got to the big finish and his voice held out.

This is wonderful… really hope for a fully staged version to make a comeback Reception from the audience is fab!

[theatrefan572]

Aug 22, 2023 14:37:46 GMT anthony said:

So Norm lost his place mid way through Til I Hear You Sing and he just walked around the stage saying “sing, sing”, I guess trying to find his place again… lasted about 20 seconds.

Norm’s diction is horrendous. Beauty Underneath is 100% pre-recorded. His mic came back on mid-gasp.

Sally Dexter’s French accent is life.

Longest 20 seconds of his life and mine… I was anxious FOR him! 😂

[10642]

Apart from the line flubs, Norm seems to be in much better vocal form than last night