What Went Wrong With Love Never Dies?

Now, Love Never Dies has been a subject of infamy for the musical theatre world and Andrew Lloyd Webber's long list of musicals. I despise the show myself, but its history has somewhat fascinated me. How could a sequel to ever come to exist? Why did Andrew think a follow-up do any service for people? In fact, I have a much bigger question for this post? Why did it become a massive failure? To get to that, I think it's best to look at the show's history from the small idea to the bomb it became, which is a thousand times more interesting than the final product.

Let's go back to 1990. With Phantom's worldwide success destined to make it a classic, the first was composer Andrew Lloyd Webber talking with costume designer Marie Bjornson. He got the idea that the sequel would take place in 20th century New York, at first in Manhattan before changing it to Coney Island after watching a documentary about its freak shows and carnivals, which he thought would make the Phantom's perfect playground. The first glimpse we got of Love Never Dies was through the song "A Heart is Slow to Learn," sung by Kiri Te Tanawa at Andrew Lloyd Webber's 50th birthday celebration at the Royal Albert Hall. Gradually, the song became "Our Kind of Love" for the 2002 musical The Beautiful Game, which he worked on with Ben Elton (who's best known for writing We Will Rock You, Blackadder and left-wing parody comedy sketches). If you don't believe me about the melodies being identical to Love Never Dies, then feel free to listen to both clips below. I think it's safe to say it's like Disney's bizarre tendency to recycle animation in their 70's movies.

When coming up with the story in the 90's, Webber collaborated with author and journalist Frederick Forsyth. However, Andrew soon realized the material they came up with wouldn't translate well onstage. Deciding to leave the Phantom sequel on the back burner, Forsyth eventually published a book version called The Phantom of Manhattan in 1999. I've never read it, nor do I intend on reading it, but I think it's safe to say the guy who was a former spy and wrote thriller novels wasn't the best person to collaborate with for a romantic stage musical. Despite the fallout, Forsyth was still credited as one of the show's writers when it opened.

As the years went on and moved onto other projects, Andrew decided to return to the Phantom sequel in 2006, working with numerous writers and directors who couldn't help him with translating the material onstage (sound familiar?). He was finally approached by Ben Elton in 2007, where they decided to focus on the original characters instead of the new ones created for The Phantom of Manhattan. When looking for a lyricist, that wasn't as easy as you'd expect. Approaching Glenn Slater (best known for his collaborations with Alan Menken including Home on the Range, Tangled and the Broadway adaptation of The Little Mermaid), he at first wasn't convinced. In fact, he called it a terrible idea. However, Slater but still decided to work with him and come up with the clumsiest lyrics ever.

Despite the plans to move forward in 2007, production was delayed. Why?  Andrew's cat accidentally deleted all of the music which he was halfway through finishing. Trying to compose from memory, even Andrew admitted he didn't believe he got all of it right. Given that some of it was recycled from the aggressively mediocre The Woman in White (believe me, the 2017 London revival I saw had no changes except for the improved visuals and ending where a heartbroken Marion has a grave erected for Anna), the aforementioned Beautiful Game and the 2004 Joel Schumacher film adaptation, it's safe to say Webber's streak of recycling music from previous shows hadn't changed. And as evidenced by the number of cut songs featured in the original cast recording, he clearly didn't know when enough was enough.

The first actual glimpse of Love Never Dies (then titled Phantom: Once Upon Another Time) was in 2008 during Andrew's annual Sydmonton festival, with Ramin Karimloo (who gained notoriety for his portrayal of The Phantom in the original show at the time) as The Phantom and Alistair Robbins as Raoul. The official announcement came during his 60th Birthday in the Park celebration, where he revealed the show was retitled Love Never Dies. A press conference followed at Her Majesty's Theatre in 2009, announcing the leads Sierra Boggess (who played the role in the Las Vegas Spectacular production) as Christine and the aforementioned Ramin Karimloo, featuring previews of the title song, Til I Hear You Sing and The Coney Island Waltz.

However, even the rehearsals and lead-up weren't without their problems. Various issues caused delays and tension for everyone including orchestration issues, Andrew being threatened a £20,000 fine for illegally painting the Adelphi Theatre black, re-recording the soundtrack, replacing actors (including Hadley Fraser as Raoul, which explains why played the role in Phantom's 25th Anniversary performance) and technical difficulties with the animatronics, it's safe to say the production on top of the development hell was The Room levels of a nightmare. In fact, it got so bad that it nearly caused Tony winning lighting designer Paule Constable to quit theatre work for good.

So with everything turning into a huge disaster behind the scenes, the show officially opened on  March 9th 2010 after two weeks of  previews starring the aforementioned Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess alongside Summer Strallen as Meg Giry, Liz Robertson as Madame Giry and Joseph Miller and Raoul, and...

The show was immediately panned from fans and critics, where despite strong acting from Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess (to the point they'd mercifully reprise their roles for Phantom's 25th anniversary concert), they couldn't make up for the clunky story on par with bad fanfiction, uninspired production design, music that didn't hold a candle to the original, and characters so unlikable that it made Lestat look like the Citizen Kane of musicals. Not only were the planned Broadway and Shanghai productions "indefinitely postponed," but Lloyd Webber closed the show for three days to rework the script with Phantom lyricist Charles Hart and choreographer Bill Dreamer. Rumours surfaced that the ending would be changed after backlash, but reopened again in December with invitation for critics. It was better received, but not by a long stretch. It finally closed on August 27th 2011 due to poor box office despite constant ticket discounts (including free for children. Yes the show with alcoholism, adulterous sex resulting in a child and prostitution allowed children). Believe me, even the performances (yes that was a plural, mostly because of Ramin who was literally the only thing worth watching this mess of a musical) I went to were uncomfortably empty and the changes did nothing to improve it. Andrew stated while he was proud of this production, he admitted it didn't completely work and that "something just went slightly wrong; I had cancer just before the production, and it was just that crucial 5% off-beam".

So after that disaster, you'd think that would be the end of Love Never Dies and Andrew Lloyd Webber would move on to his next projects, right?

An Australian production opened in Melbourne on May 21st 2011 with a vastly retooled set design and further script rewrites, this time directed by Simon Phillips. Responding to the negative feedback, he believed it was due to the fandom's anger at the musical not being literary, and that Andrew was making a sequel to the original novel...except the original musical made significant changes from the novel that are explicitly referenced in this, and Love Never Dies has several musical & narrative callbacks to the Phantom which immediately makes that remark invalidated! Starring Anna O'Byrne, Ben Lewis, Simon Gleeson and Sharon Millerchip, it received better reception than the London production to the point that it was filmed and released on DVD in 2012. However, it was still a financial disappointment and closed in December that same year, transferring to Sydney in January 2012 and closing there three months later. Andrew stated this was the production he was most proud of, and the same incarnation later opened in Tokyo in 2014 and Hamburg starring Gardar Thor Cortes in 2015 with further lyrical rewrites.

So now that the definitive version of Love Never Dies was made, it's not like the show needed reworking again, right?

Another retooled production opened in Copenhagen in October 2012 and lasted until April 2013. Not long after, a concert production was held in Vienna in October 2013 starring Drew Sarich as The Phantom & Millica Jovanovic as Christine. So now living in infamy with Phans, audiences and critics and fading into obscurity, this when Love Never Dies finally dies, right?

Fast forward to 2016 when a US Tour that nobody asked for was announced and opened in New York 2017 with the same production design as the Australian version & rewrites as the Hamburg production. Unsurprisingly, the show bombed critically and financially, but Webber still expressed hopes of a limited Broadway run. Announced a return to the UK with a tour which would feature the retooling. but was delated due to the COVID-19 pandemic (as is pretty much every show at the moment).

Now that we've gone through the trainwreck of a musical from idea to stage show, we can go into when and why did it fail? Was it when his cat deleted the music? Nope. Because the score still would've been hacked and recycled. Was it when Andrew refused to listen to Glenn Slater's doubts? Partly, except Slater still got involved with the show. Was it when all the collaboration with Frederick Forsyth fell through? Not really, because his book is still credited as the basis for the show. Was it because of the production issues? Hmm...kinda! All of these contribute to the show's failure, but I have a three main reasons why this show failed.

One is the timing. Keep in mind that Phantom was only open for four years when the idea of a sequel was conceived, and Love Never Dies opened one year short of its twenty-fifth anniversary. Someone's creativity is guaranteed to change in such a long time, and given what Webber did within that time span with his TV talent shows, increasingly mediocre stage projects and bout of cancer, that amount of stress couldn't help but have an affect on the finished product. Also, given that Phantom's legendary status grew over time compared to the late smash hit it was when Love Never Dies was conceived, a sequel just felt unnecessary and redundant (not to mention ruined the ambiguity of the ending by revealing that the Phantom and Christine became terrible people within ten years). It doesn't really help that despite being around for a decade as of 2020, not one production has lasted longer than eighteen months. The lack of longevity compared to its massively succesful predecessor highlights the lack of interest the audience had on top of the bad reviews it received.

Second, the fanbase (at least certain portions). Because a number of Phantom/Christine shippers tended to romanticize the Phantom and focus on his seductiveness and tragic backstory, they seemed to forget his arc in the show was not to kill people, force a woman to marry him against her will and terrorize everyone with his childish demands. Because of this, it felt like the story had to cater towards them shippers by turning it into a fix-it-fic, otherwise it would be a flop. Backfiring horribly, the fans still cried foul play on the script once it was revealed to the point that there were blogs devoted to hating on the show (notably Paint Never Dries and Love Should Die). It got so bad that Andrew tried to shed the blame the show's failure onto them instead of admitting Love Never Dies was objectively a terrible show. While I think there was blood boiled on both sides and was blown out of proportion, the haters ironically gave Love Never Dies the attention it didn't want because it meant (the few) people wanted to see if it just as bad as they said it was (something Netflix seems to have taken advantage of in its programming lately).


Third, the creative team (of which there's thousands). Because Andrew was the only person involved with the original and sequel until Charles Hart came in for the rewrites, none of his collaborators could help him agree on a single vision for the show. With his tendency to be perfectionist from the score to the visuals, it doesn't really help that none of the writing team, were suited for the stage work, let alone a romantic gothic musical that was a follow-up to arguably his greatest work. It's honestly not hard to see why there have been so many incarnations, and they feel like they've been ways to make up for the terrible writing no matter how many times they try to convince us it's worth reviving over and over again. The worst part about these rewrites is they're all surface level. When you look at the bigger picture, every production has identical story beats and that's because of Webber's refusal to change. Smoke and mirrors aren't going to nor constantly mining in on the nostalgia of its original is just remind people of how much better it is. The most egrgious being the musical cues including the latest incarnation featuring the vocal riff from The Phantom of the Opera song which is what causes the Phantom to suspect he's Gustave's father alongside pl(so long 'TEN YEARS OOOOOOOOOLD!') as it's a piece of music only he & Christine know & Gustave claims never heard it from anyone else. Apparently music is a genetic trait. Further tensions and production problems being highlighted in the media couldn't help but have a negative light on the show, no matter how much everyone tried rationalizing it. And given how rushed the story felt with its plot holes, filler musical numbers and continuity problems, it's pretty clear nobody took Andrew to the side to tell him there's a reason why any form of writing has things called cutting, editing and feedback.


So with everything said and done, now we have the real question: How do you make a worthy sequel to a classic book and musical? Well, that's actually simple:

Walking On Sunshine

Well, given that Mammia Mia 2 is taking the world by storm, why not review the crappy rip-off to its predecessor? Released back in 2014, this came right out of nowhere until I saw the trailer in cinemas where everybody and their mum rolled their eyes over its shameless to copy despite the six year time gap. Directed by Max Giwa and responsible for British Step Up knock-off StreetDance 3D (because everything was 3D at the time), can this bring the same campy charm as Mamma Mia, or does it deserve to fade into obscurity like the Asylum movies?

The story follows book shy Taylor (Hannah Arterton) reuniting with her wilder sister Maddie (Annabel Scholey) in Puglia, Italy after graduating university. Discovering that Maddie's marrying her old summer fling Raf (Giulio Berruti), she decides to hide the relationship for her sister's sake  despite obvious chemistry still lingering between them. Meanwhile, Maddie has to put up with her ex Doug's (Greg Wise) advances while friends Elena, Enrico, Mikey and Lil try hiding Taylor and Raf's relationship leading up to the wedding. Oh and it has an 80s soundtrack, did I forget to mention that?

I'd rather not discuss the "similarities" with Mamma Mia when critiquing the plot because they speak for themselves. What little there is of the plot outside of the musical it desperately wants to emulate is ill conceived and tiresome. Don't get me wrong, I'm a sucker for rom-coms involving weddings, but the ones I enjoy have heart, characters worth rooting for and believable romances with pacing and chemistry. This on the other hand feels more like the writers had a jar of cliches to pick out of, but decided to smash them all into a blender out of obligation rather than logic or reason. Most notably of this is the set-up of Taylor and Raf still having feelings for each other despite being engaged to Maddie. Already ridiculous and contrived, it also fails because we know nothing about their relationship nor why they ever bothered contracting each other despite perfectly viable ways in today's technologically mad society. And considering the unfortunate implications, it With emotional scenes feeling more manipulative, the sisterly bond which should have been the focus also feels unconvincing and is hardly touched upon because of the subplots we don't care for vying for attention.. Ranging from bland to downright creepy (which I'll elaborate on in a minute), it's safe to say that the

While anywhere in Italy is beautiful to watch, the uninspired directing and low budget costumes ruin the experience of. With obnoxious lens flare during Raf and Taylor's romance on the beach in the opening, I was expecting them to break into Summer Nights while cross cutting between Taylor at university and Raf in Puglia. The dance sequences don't help either because they're filmed so flatly and feel as robotic and arbitrary as the story. They don't have a function in giving the characters a chance to express themselves, and it's so distracting when you see the background extras getting ready to boogie the night away, that they make mall flash mobs look more sporadic. The Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go dance party ending is especially horrible as it makes the dance party ending in From Justin to Kelly look like the dance numbers from the 2016 Half a Sixpence revival (I know, an oddly specific comparative, but the choreography was some of the best I'd ever seen and needed to give it a shout out because I've always been bitter over its Olivier snubs and early closure) and doesn't really help wrap the story up.

I, like possibly everyone else, have the same question regarding the soundtrack: Why is it 80s hits? I have no clue other than there wasn't another pop group from the past 30 years with appropriate songs to fit the story or characters! While Mamma Mia had a few songs with narrative function, none of them in Walking on Sunshine connect to the plot or segue properly to the point that you could take them all out and nothing would change. Some confusing numbers include Venus after Taylor and Lil compare Maddie to a goddess, Faith when Doug sneaks into a drunk Maddie's bedroom trying to sex her up after her hen do (not creepy or rapey at all), The Bangles' Eternal Flame as Taylor ogles Raf while on the beach, If I Could Turn Back Time during the climax despite relationship qualifying as "true love" and Maddie shipping immediately after calling off the wedding (Christ, I don't care about revealing spoilers over immediately and the titular song during a tomato throwing festival (which takes place in Spain, not Italy) as Raf and Taylor snipe at each other over their relationship. With every cliched 80s hit you could think of, the awful singing doesn't exactly want to to make you sing along when everyone sounds like they're doing it drunkenly in a karaoke bar.

I probably would've been forgiving if the movie had a likeable cast to bring some charm, campiness and self awareness to the stock story and characters, but it doesn't even have that. Everybody is the Aldi equivalent of other high profile actors with terrible singing to boot. Hannah Arterton as Soph-I mean Taylor, has no personality other than sniping at Raf and supporting her sister with mediocre singing to match her blandness. While Maddie has a bit more personality with her sporadic decision to marry Raf after five weeks (who the hell does that?), her lack of development until her last minute decision to not get married because she realized she went to Italy to "find herself" comes right out of nowhere and doesn't match her character besides being the best way to resolve the love triangle to avoid any hard feelings with Taylor. Raf is just a very sexy and well chiseled blank slate we know nothing about and feels more like an object for the audience to ogle. However, the worst of them has to be Greg Wise as Doug. Despite attempting to emulate Pierce Brosnan, he comes across as a creepy douchebag while pursuing Maddie, which begs the question how did she put up with him for five seconds, let alone five years? The rest of the cast are just useless best friend stereotypes who are terrible liars to Maddie despite her obliviousness. The closest to star power among the friends (and the entire movie) is X Factor winner Leona Lewis as Elaina, who has the best singing from the cast, but her acting doesn't have much to be desired and has a pregnancy subplot that is quickly forgotten until the very end. Behind her would be comedienne Katy Brand as Lil, who does nothing but to be a Rebel Wilson knock-off and make sex jokes because of her job as an erotic fiction writer (and hopefully not friends with EL James).

Walking on Sunshine is such a shameless attempt to Mamma Mia, it hinges on being so bad it's good because of its laughable attempts at being on par with its  namesake. A bargain bin version in every aspect with a tone deaf cast in acting, singing and dimensionality, a cliched plot even by rom com standards and uninspired musical numbers, they can't bring the charm and campiness to. With, this movie is a complete waste of time unless you're looking for something to laugh at with your friends.

Rating: * 1/2

Murder Ballad

As promised, here's my review of the indie rock musical, Murder Ballad! The minute I had heard who was in this show, I knew I had to get tickets as soon as I could! Seriously, how could I miss seeing 4 of the greatest West End actors on stage together in a show about passion, lust and a murder most foul? So, will this  indie musical be so sexy that it gives RENT a run for its money, or is it just gonna kill me inside for the wrong reasons?
Murder Ballad
Starring: Kerry Ellis, Ramin Karimloo, Norman Bowman, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt

A love triangle set in New York, this murder mystery focuses on the rebellious downtown Sara (Kerry Ellis), her dogged-nice-guy uptown husband Michael (Norman Bowman) & bad boy ex-lover Tom (Ramin Karimloo) along with the Narrator (Victoria Hamilton-Barritt) who frequently interacts with the characters. While having a bout of depression from monotonous years of married life & being a mother, Sara & Tom rekindle their love as Michael struggles to help his wife. All of this of course leads to a mystery of which of the 3 lovers will die at the end & how (not exactly a spoiler given the title & it's mentioned at the beginning).

A brand new production of the 2013 off-Broadway show, this really is a much more character driven piece. From the summary of the plot alone, it's easy to tell that it's very simple. While not bad in the slightest given how relatable it can be, it's also admittedly a double-edged sword as it can get up to the point that it's cliched. From the get-go it's easy to predict what's going to happen, although you could argue that it's intentional & it didn't stop me from being intrigued with what plot thread would come next. Undeniably sexy (not as much as it's been built up to be admittedly), it helps that the characters themselves are interesting rather than being one dimensional cardboard cutouts. They can all have their inner demons throughout and while their actions are undoubtedly questionable, it is understandable why they do what they do. I'll explain a bit more once I discuss the characters/actors, but what I'm trying to say is while the story may seem cliched on paper, the execution is definitely what saves it from being boring or tedious.

The visuals in this are really minimalist. Rather than using elaborate sets to portray New York, this would rather use very limited props with tables, chairs, boxes & a duvet & pillow for the characters to use, similar to the off-Broadway production all being set in a bar. It does incorporate video projections of either locations, images to convey atmosphere or to show Sara & Michael's daughter, Frankie. While it may have been a bit difficult for me to understand what was going on during certain parts because of the limitations, it wasn't up to the point that it ruined the experience for me. Although given the fast pace up to the point that the actors get changed on-stage, it does sort of make sense in the context. And hey, if at any point it gave the excuse for Ramin to take his shirt off, that's fine by me!

Rather than relying on visuals, this musical prefers to let the music and actors tell the story. The 4 main actors (the only actors who appear other than 2 swings who occasionally appear) are each phenomenal in their roles as they give these stock characters dimension. The incomparable Kerry Ellis was especially a stand out as Sara as while she easily could have been portrayed as a pariah who takes her life for granted, she gives her much sympathy as she struggles with giving in to her lust for her old life through Tom's free spirited & rebellious nature while staying dutiful to her loving husband. Norman Bowman's Michael, while appearing perfect on the surface as a poetry enthusiast, still has his own demons after he realizes Sara isn't as happy as she could be in their marriage & what he could do to help her. Of course, Ramin was ideal casting as Tom. As a bit of a cad who convinces Sara to bring back the good old days, Karimloo shows a controlling side to him while not portraying him as a complete monster. While they (and for that matter Ellis & Karimloo) have such smoldering chemistry that would make them seem like a perfect match, it's clear Sara knows how toxic their relationship really is. Although, this admittedly gave me Phantom of the Opera flashbacks given that they pretty much play the same role as a seductive yet incredibly possessive man who pines for a woman who has fallen for another...Victoria Hamilton-Barritt was equally as interesting & entertaining as the smarmy Narrator with her husky voice and reactions to what was going on without feeling too intrusive on the narrative.

The musical numbers all stand out, with witty lyrics and cleverly metaphorically comparing the plot to a pack of cards. Going for an indie rock genre, it helps both drive the plot forward & express how the characters are feeling. Instead of coming across as pretentious or distracting, they feel natural and fit very well with the manically fast pace. Entirely sung through with absolutely no spoken dialogue, it's incredible how much stamina the actors have to be able to sing so flawlessly in this 90 minute show. Hearing them all sing rock compared to your typical broadway sounding musical numbers all the more showed that they all have a very wide range. And given that Ramin also has a background in indie/rock music with his former band The Sheytoons, it just felt to good see him finally perform in this genre for a show and he clearly felt right at home singing it.

Murder Ballad is a sexy, provocative and surprisingly deep show. Filled and ear wormingly catchy indie rock songs, a creative set and phenomenal performances from such incredible actors, this REALLY is something worth watching for those in need of a more...adult musical or something quirkier than the average West End show. And given that Lin Manuel-Miranda of all people went to see it recently, that just shows how good of a show it is! But if I were you, I'd get your tickets fast because this closes on December 3rd!
Rating: ****

And yep, I did get to meet all four actors after the show and I must say, they're all so lovely! Seeing THE Kerry Ellis in person was incredible after and seeing Ramin again after five long years and how much success he's had since then really was an eye opener for me. And funny enough, before the show started, a few of us waiting for our tickets got quick glimpses of Ramin and Norman coming in through the cafe as they headed in to get changed for the show.

The Last Five Years

I know I haven't done nearly as much reviews as promised a few months ago. But given that I'm back in university near London and my course does require some London outings/ 'inspiration' for my writing, I've got a hell of a lot of shows to review which I've seen recently. And this includes: Murder Ballad, Aladdin, In The Heights, Phantom of the Opera 2016 cast and Les Miserables 2016 cast. Thank fuck I have a photographic memory. But this isn't why I've written today's post, it's rather what I saw yesterday, the new London production of The Last Five Years. Based on composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown's failed first marriage (up to the point that his ex-wife sued him. Yikes.), this has slowly but surely gained a small yet growing following since its off-Broadway debut back in 2002 starring Sherie Rene Scott and Norbert Leo Butz.

The Last Five Years
Starring: Samantha Barks, Jonathan Bailey
Director: Jason Robert Brown
The musical tells the story of aspiring actress Cathy (Samantha Barks) and writer Jamie (Jonathan Bailey) as we see the details of their five year relationship in differing timelines. From Cathy's perspective it goes backwards from their split to when they first met and for Jamie it goes forward vice versa. Throughout we get to see the events from both sides and question who was to blame for the marriage deteriorating and whether they were in fact doomed from the start.

While incredibly simple in terms of writing, the execution of this typical boy meets girl story is really what makes it interesting. With a timeline that's unlike anything I've seen for a show, it's cleverly used to emphasize the character growth and development from both sides of the spectrum. Seeing Cathy go from bitter and heartbroken to optimistic and hopeful and vice versa with Jamie really helps this ideology of an unbiased point of view as we'd slowly see why the relationship didn't last. While it'd initially be easy to pick sides of who was to blame for the split, Brown goes extra lengths to show that it's more of a balance as they both can be portrayed as narcissists when the time comes because of their differing career routes. However, that doesn't mean they're unlikeable because it's easy to see why they act they way they do. They're just being human. As there are no other characters shown onstage, this really helps the strongest aspect: the emotions. Jason Robert Brown knows when to let the emotions speak out, especially during songs like See I'm Smiling, Shiska Goddess and the finale as he cleverly juxtaposes the two timelines. The fact that the songs themselves are solos for Cathy and Jamie also adds in a sense of ambiguity as to what the other is saying at that moment and it really shows how well the actors can handle the material, which I'll get to in a moment.

The simplicity can also be shown in the production design. With no need for glitzy special effects or massive sets to showcase New York, it rather goes for a more intimate look with simple yet effective lighting and basic props, akin to the story's own intimacy. Alongside brief uses of TVs to show either apartment or car windows, the scene transitions also help make it clear of whose side we're seeing and when. This can also help with the emotions as they'd go for bright and energetic during the happier moments of the relationship like in Moving Too Fast while using darker lights to either create a sombre or intimate atmosphere like in the opening number I'm Still Hurting. The costumes also help with the realistic aspect of the show, rather going for more modern yet quirky look to reflect the character's personalities and still making them feel like real people.

But obviously, given how demanding the roles are, the actors need to carry the entire show forward and in this production, they both succeed perfectly. While essentially having to act with thin air except for two cases, they both really bring the characters to life. Samantha Barks as Cathy really brings out her frustrated and emotional side as we see both the strains of being married to a successful writer and wanting to be her own person as an actress despite never-ending rejection. She can still have her funny and sarcastic moments to compensate for her troubles, still making her a relateable person, especially shown during her inner monologue in Climbing Uphill. This is definitely not saying that Bailey was the lesser of the two as he really had his stand-out moments, bringing out Jamie's funny, idealistic and charismatic sides in full force. Without a doubt his best moment was the Schmuel Song, being a mix of everything on top of showcasing Robert Brown's smart word play in the lyrics. But I cannot get into the acting without mentioning the signature duet, The Next Ten Minutes. The only time that the timelines interconnect, Barks and Bailey's chemistry was blazing was incredibly heartwarming to watch, making it all the more sadder that the characters' marriage ended so badly.

Directed by Jason Robert Brown himself, the musical numbers themselves all stand out. I do admittedly have a soft spot for folk music akin to Once, but they still fit the mood and setting Brown was going for. With witty lyrics almost reminiscent of Sondheim's work, they all help show the audience how Cathy and Jamie are feeling during their own timelines, especially Climbing Uphill for Cathy and If I Didn't Believe In You for Jamie. They are all memorable & stand out very well on their own, with Barks and Bailey's renditions definitely adding a punch to the proceedings full of energy and emotion. And as for which one is my favourite...all of them! They're all that well done, I can't actually think of a favourite.

The new production of The Last Five Years is witty, charming and surprisingly honest thanks to the beautiful music and phenomenal performances. Taking an age old boy meets girl story, the innovative storytelling gives it a refreshing yet emotional twist as we non-judgementally get into the heads of both Cathy and Jamie. With no need for glamorous sets to move the plot along, the simple production design also enhances the honesty of the show and its portrayal of a real relationship will undoubtedly bring tears to anyone's eyes. And given how much the audience was applauding throughout, I have a feeling this musical will grow in popularity in no time.
Rating: *****

And before anybody tells me, yes I am fully aware of the 2014 film adaptation starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan! Now we've got that out of the way, as a special treat, I'll be doing a stage vs screen post comparing the two of them!
And as an added bonus for my comeback, I did have a mini reunion with Samantha after five long years from seeing her back in Les Miserables. Come to think of it, it is strange how fast those last five years have gone compared to where I am now...

Guys and Dolls

I have been meaning to see this (and a few other shows) since it's 2015 opening and after having a very deeply personal issues now resolved over the past year, I'm back to have a fresh start by returning to university on a new course, and yes, see more shows. And by the way, I saw Funny Girl a couple of weeks ago and I will review it! And I have to admit, going into this I had no clue what the story was about and was only familiar with the songs Sit Down You're Rockin' The Boat and Luck Be A Lady, the former because of Glee (I know, shoot me!) and the latter because of Frank Sinatra's famous cover.

This musical takes place in the hustle and bustle of Depression-era New York City with the underground world of gamblers. It specifically follows the stories of gambler Sky Masterson (Oliver Tompsett), con-man Nathan Detroit (Simon Lipkin) and the loves of their lives, mission worker Sarah Brown (Siubhan Harrison) & headliner of the Hot Box Club & the latter's fiance of 14 years, Adelaide (Rebel Wilson). Most of the musical focuses on Nathan looking for a safe venue for his latest crap game while Adelaide wants him to change his ways & making a bet with Sky to go on a date to Havana, Cuba with Sarah. The simplest description I can give this story is a romantic comedy. Filled with wit & charm, it really stands out from other musicals thanks to the timeless feel of the setting & themes. Both intertwining plots manage to be interesting, fun & sweet yet thanks to the humor in the writing, the execution & managing to add in realistic development from the characters in a well paced manner. With a very fun tone, it actually felt like a breath of fresh air to see a musical without a lot of tragic elements integrated into the plot despite the Great Depression being the foundation & the central theme of gambling. I

All the actors both principal and supporting in this suit their parts well and manage to show a balance of comedy, depth & (most importantly) charisma. Oliver Tompsett (who I had seen 5 years ago as Fiyero in Wicked) suits the role of the charmingly slick Sky, with his soulful rendition of Luck Be a Lady being a highlight. His chemistry with Siubhan Harrison's equally charming yet naive religious crusader Sarah helped make their romance engaging throughout, being very sweet yet funny  to watch (along with Sarah letting her hair down in Havana after innocently downing one too many dulce de leches). From the supporting cast, Gavin Spokes' Nicely Nicely & Jason Pennycooke's Benny both bring a lot of fun to their characters, especially the formers in his incredible rendition of Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat. Simon Lipkin's Nathan Detroit as the mischievous rogue was also a delight to watch and many of his scenes with Rebel Wilson's Adelaide had me (and the rest of the audience) laughing out of our seats while still having chemistry thanks to their opposites attract-style relationship. And speaking of the elephant in the room (NOT a jab towards her at all, it was the only fitting metaphor to describe the obvious topic of discussion) which I must not forget...

Regardless of the blatantly obvious stunt casting, I felt that Rebel did a great job as Adelaide. Despite her voice not really being trained for musical theatre, the times where it felt like she was in a completely different show & being a bit difficult to picture her as the Adelaide we know & love, her striking stage presence and comedic antics all the more make up for it as she clearly has a ball every scene she's in. With ad-libbing & flaunting her galore, she knows how to make the role her own It really was a treat to see her in action during her 8 week run given her huge popularity with her breakthrough performance in the Pitch Perfect films (even if I'm more familiar with her work in other films like Bridesmaids & How To Be Single). She really performs with such gusto that it's amazing how she's actually has the commitment to do this 8 times a week rather than have an alternative!

Speaking of the musical numbers, every single one is memorable from the execution, the jaunty melodies/lyrics or the actors' interpretations. By the same man who wrote the music for How To Succeed in Business Without Actually Trying & composed the Academy Award nominated classic Baby It's Cold Outside & with a very big band feel to them, they manage to be a balance of emotional, fun & of course, romantic. Of course, the funnest songs out of all of them has to be the 11 o'clock number Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat (with Gavin Spokes' Nicely Nicely having an incredible voice & presence), the titular song and If I Were a Bell. It just made me want to get out of my seat & dance along with them it was that fun! As mentioned before, Tompsett's soulful Luck Be a Lady is also a very memorable along with his & Harrison's sweet duet of I've Never Been in Love Before. Lipkin's rendition of Sue Me, And while Rebel for the most part is comedic in her version of Adelaide, she still manages to give the character depth when singing both Adelaide's Lament & its reprise and Sue Me.

I must not forget to mention the spectacular set and costume designs courtesy of production designer Peter McKintosh. They manage to capture the glitz & glam of the Depression-era New York with the general background being advertisements for various 30s products & lights which dazzle the stage from the opening number. Others from the glitz of the Hot Box, murky sewers and especially the tropical look of the Havana bar Sarah & Sky go to on their date are all also very well crafted & fit perfectly for the show. Along with that, the choreography by Carlos Acosta & Andrew Wright is masterfully executed from the cast & really fits well with the music and setting, sweeping you away into the world of the characters. Both of these elements help the show in its favour being both new and familiar thanks to the setting and it really grabs your attention with how awe-inspiring they are to watch.

Even with such a massive star under its belt, I really enjoyed Guys & Dolls from beginning to end. The production values are impeccable, the choreography is, all the actors bring a blend of charisma and humour and the songs are still has upbeat and timeless as they are today. All of this brings the beloved musical  & Frank Loesser's timeless music to life for a new generation & I really recommend you go and see this. And for those who just want to see it for Rebel Wilson, keep in mind that she's in this until August 21st!
Rating: *****
And yes, I went to the stage door afterwards & believe it or not, I actually got to meet Rebel herself! Given how well known she is in the public eye now, she's probably the most famous person I've met face to face! And yes, she's a really lovely person