When I watched it, I really think of it as a stand alone opera and not as a sequel to POTO, although even if I think of it as a sequel I would still enjoyed it. From my understanding, After the final scene of the POTO, Christine was having second thoughts about marrying Raoul right on the day before the wedding (maybe she got cold feet or maybe she realised that all along she has always been in love with phantom) so she seek Phantom at his hiding place and they made love. At night time when Phantom met Christine, they thought that they might be able to work it out somehow, but comes morning Phantom knew that it won’t work out, first, he’s still ashamed of his disfigured face, and second, there is the fact that he’s a wanted man in Paris. So he left Christine, and fled from Paris with the help of Madame Giry and Meg.

As for the change in Raoul, well My theory is that, after the last scene in POTO he probably also noticed that Christine loves Phantom probably as much as she loves him or if not more, when she kissed Phantom the last time, that plus the lack of virginity on their wedding night, makes him feel insecure about Christine’s feelings, this insecurity caused him to start drinking and gambling to chase away those feelings. Also, in the Australian production, Raoul didn’t know that Gustave is Phantom’s son, it’s shown during his confrontation with Phantom at the bar, he was in shocked and denied it.

Then people saying that Phantom has become soft and social, well he’s in Coney Island where the freaks lived, so he’s pretty much feels more at ease there than in Paris, plus he knew then that Christine had loved him, so that could soften him up. And also, in POTO, it was shown that people only shows him disgust and contempt over his disfigurement which in turn caused him to be a bitter man, whereas in Coney island, people are more accepting so it makes some of his bitterness fade away. Another thing as well is that he was actually still quite mean/cruel in the beginning (in Australian Production, not sure with UK one) in terms that he actually threaten Christine that if she’s not singing in Phantasma, she would never be able to see Gustave again. It was the revelation that Gustave is his son, that changed his mind (as in his song, he said that Gustave is his saviour light)

And in the Australian production, they did show Phantom’s anguish over Christine’s death, he was going to jump from the pier, but the presence of Gustave again changed his mind.

I personally also love the story line, I think it’s nice, and simple. Most of the music are good too, costume, and settings are fabulous I love it. especially Christine’s costume when she sings Love Never Ends. Settings are amazing when Phantom and Gustave were singing Beauty Underneath ( which was one of my fav song in LND. Others are Beautiful, Love Never Dies, and Till I Hear You Sing)

Anyway, that’s just my personal opinion. Like any kind books/music/movies some will like it, some will hate it, and some will love it. With me, I simply loves it.

People should judge by themselves and not by what others said about it.

Personally I raved and defended ALW to people in the city who said the Manhattan story was a disaster waiting to happen and I said in every discussion that ALW would not let people down. My colleges who also went where also very disappointed and sadly “proved me wrong”.

Idea: Instead of lashing out on your die hard loyal fans why not consider putting your hands up, the stories a mess, pull it, it needs more than a few tweeks it needs a new story simple as. You cannot advertise a “Sequel” and do what you have done. It’s totally different from your show and the film, from the major time difference in Christine’s death in the film to the way all the characters have changed and I’m sorry the ten years thing does not cut it, a sequel is meant to flow, not have you thinking “hold on a minute” every five minutes it destroys the journey. You cannot have a sequel with these bad and totally poor story and continuity differences.

Please note I’m not totally rubbishing it as I’ve said before the visual effects where stunning, three songs where fantastic including “love never dies” and “till I hear you sing” which is a masterpiece and also the cast especially Ramin are all fantastically stunning and should be very proud of their performances.

A QUOTE FROM ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER – HIS RESPONSE TO FANS WHO HAVE EXPRESSED THEIR FEELING ABOUT LOVE NEVER DIES AND HAVE KEPT HIS PHANTOM SHOWS FULL BOOKED FOR TWENTY YEARS TO PUT MILLIONS IN HIS BANK ACCOUNT!

“A SAD CULTURE OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE ONLY BY THE OLD PHANTOM OF THE OPERA”

“SAD CULTURE” HOW DARE YOU

POM took place during a Civil War play. ALW’s took place at a magical fantasy land that the Phantom created – something he would do (remember Don Juan and Point of No Return? How “shocking” that was (for the time period) and how the opera audience looked horrified to see it and hear it? It’s believable to me he would manage a burlesque type freak show- but not in a way to extort or hurt them. Because he considered himself one of them, through all he had suffered – they were like his family.

The only comparison I can see to POM and LND is the ending. Different characters shooting gun (Raoul in POM) but same idea- Christine dies, Gustave finds Phantom is his father and accepts him.

Still, the book didn’t make it seem believable because of the inconsistency of characterization and their actions and feelings throughout entire story.

ALW, in my opinion from what I’ve read of many reviews, professional and amateur, heard from friends who saw show, and have seen of pictures- made it very believable.

LND is a far cry from POM…

I guess when people say it’s poorly written- you mean because the Phantom didn’t act maniacal or threaten everyone, ending up alone and in despair, and R/C didn’t end up together and running from him… To me, that would have just been the same ole, same ole and a remake of the first. An old concept and pretty boring.

When I said the last, I didn’t mean that the original show was old and boring- lol- not at all! I LOVE the movie version of PotO, my favorite movie on my top 10 list- and I have seen the stage show online too (I had bought a ticket to go to it but wasn’t able to. ) . what I meant was that to do all of that a second time, using the same PotO character and story idea for LND – but in a different way would have been “old stuff”.

Raoul never had Christine’s love – not like she felt for the Phantom- but her fear of the world Phantom lived in, etc, made her leave with Raoul. If she had truly always loved Raoul, she would have never gone to the Phantom and made love with him. That, I think, is the point ALW was trying to make- she DID love the Phantom, always would. HE was her choice. So that love did change him, to where he could go out among others (if being the manager of a Coney Island freak show could be called that)- is credible- also that he gained confidence through that, which led him to be able to go to places like the bar. Yes, he changed from an angry, bad, menacing Phantom, into a more gentler man because he WAS human and Christine showed him her love. Love can change anyone. Her kiss at the end of PotO made him decide to forget all his plans for vengeance and let her go, before the mob could get there. ONE kiss did that. Imagine… never mind.

He left before morning came, ashamed by what he’d done and thinking she would be appalled that she’d loved a monster. I don’t think she still meant to marry Raoul when she went to the Phantom- I think he was her choice. (could be wrong, but it fits). But when Phantom left her and she was with child, I believe she turned to Raoul for help. I also believe Raoul knew from the start (since he showed no surprise about it in stage show.) And THAT can turn a man very bitter- to raise his enemy’s son and know that his wife has the Phantom in her heart always, that the Phantom is Christine’s true love? I don’t doubt Christine loved Raoul- but never like she did the Phantom. The love for Raoul was more like she would show a friend, someone she felt grateful toward… this is NOT Gaston Leroux’s Phantom, it is ALW’s. His novel concept of an old idea.

I think it very believable that the characters changed in such ways – all because of Christine’s love for the Phantom – a love that NEVER DIED. Meaning it was always there. In PotO too (she was just too frightened to allow it to grow, but after she left that night, she looked for and found the Phantom, going back to him. That tells me she always loved him.)

So these “changes” are all part and parcel of the decision she’d made at the end of PotO- the decision we saw. Leaving with Raoul after showing her love for the Phantom. I NEVER saw an R/C love – it seemed too juvenile to endure the strength of marriage. It was more teenage romance type stuff. But the Phantom she was drawn to as a woman.

LND is the evidence of all that …

I guess when people say it’s poorly written- you mean because the Phantom didn’t act maniacal or threaten everyone, ending up alone and in despair, and R/C didn’t end up together and running from him… To me, that would have just been the same ole, same ole and a remake of the first. An old concept and pretty boring.

I LOVE this idea for the new concept he’s done – showing E/C as the couple always meant to be. Again, HIS views put into HIS work (forget about the book)- this was ALW’s interpretation.

I hate it that she had to die- but it is an opera! So something tragic had to happen to the main characters in the end … but I love that he left it on a hopeful note with Phantom and Gustave becoming father and son, the Phantom now always having a part of himself and Christine, in their child who accepted him. No poorly written phanphic there!