LOVE NEVER DIES - US Tour 2018 - Review! Seattle, WA 5/8/18
Love Never
Dies
Broadway At
The Paramount
The Paramount
Theatre
Seattle, WA
5/8/18
(runs through
Sunday 5/13/18)
All Photos by Joan Marcus
Greetings,
Eclectic Arts has always strived to bring as many different
artistic endeavors to the readers as possible.
Musical theater, an area that has been untouched outside of fan-attended
performances over the years, is now front and center.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Love Never Dies" has been
inspiring audiences everywhere on its inaugural U.S. tour. Gardar Thor Cortes and Meghan Picerno cast as
the Phantom and Christine Daae respectively, with an ensemble of talent
throughout the production, really hit the mark in more ways than one with this
dazzling musical.
***if you want to go
into your performance fresh with no plot details - stop reading right now***
Basically a sequel to the mega-hit, "Phantom Of The
Opera", "Love Never Dies" sees the Phantom escape to Coney
Island in New York, after his beloved opera house mysteriously burns to the
ground in Paris.
Christine and Raoul are now married - with a son
Gustave. Christine has become a
well-known star of the theater. The
family ventures to New York as part of the new Oscar Hammerstein production. Meanwhile, the Phantom still yearns for
Christine and plots a way to get her to sing again for him in New York.
It is inevitable that a sequel of any kind will get compared
to the original - fair or unfair.
"Love Never Dies" takes the more simplistic approach of the
original musical and adds dark layers to the story line.
The Phantom and Christine characters are exposed and
explored to much greater depth than the original musical. Of course tragedy must occur which it does
toward the end of the production. That
is a spoiler I won't reveal.
The signature pieces, "'Til I Hear You Sing",
"Beneath a Moonless Sky", and, "Love Never Dies" were
performed with achingly beautiful precision by Gardar and Meghan.
Gardar's Phantom is one of strength and vulnerability. His performance gained momentum as the show
progressed, showcasing his strong vocal abilities.
Meghan's Christine stole the show. Her operatic prowess really stood out
throughout the performance. Others in
attendance raved about her afterward and deservingly so. Her voice was strong, nuanced, and
emotionally provocative. She was
perfectly cast as the now grown up woman, mother, and wife known as Christine
Daae.
Gustave, played by Jake Heston Miller, was another stand out
in the cast. You couldn't help but perk
up and take notice any time he was on the stage. His pristine vocals and emotive acting really
made you believe that he also sings with the angels of music.
Sean Thompson (Raoul), Mary Michael Patterson (Meg Giry),
and Karen Mason (Madame Giry) completed the known characters from the original
story. There were no weak links in any
of the performances, far from it.
The cast as a whole was as top notch as you would
expect. The material they had to work
with felt, at times, dated instead of universal or timeless. But, many kudos to the casting department for
a job well done.
The production - large and lavish in its scale, never over
powered the performances - which it easily could have as it was absolutely
stunning. From the Coney Island circus
set to the many shifting interior and exterior sets, visually the show was
flawless.
Some in the media have criticized the storyline but to those
in attendance Tuesday night, the audience was gleefully swept away to Andrew
Lloyd Webber's world once more.
I left the Paramount Theatre satisfied, with the vivid
imagery and songs dancing in my head as I walked into the night.
"Love Never Dies" delivers a dark, longing, and
striking experience that will stay with you long after you've left the
theater.
"Love Never
Dies" runs through May 13th in Seattle at the Paramount Theatre and then
continues to Portland, OR from May 15-May 20th before heading out east at the
end of May.
Kind regards,
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts
Special Thanks: Julie for setting everything up - the
interview, the show credentials, everything - thank you so much for the
opportunity! Also, thank you to Brittany
for assisting the day of the show as well.
It was a pleasure meeting you both!
Video Interview with Meghan Picerno ("Christine Daae"):
Comments
Post a Comment