Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Love Never Dies’ delayed again

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‘The Phantom of the Opera’ is one of the great box-office success stories in modern musical history. Is its sequel, ‘Love Never Dies,’ destined for the opposite fate?

Organizers said Friday what many had already assumed -- that Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Love Never Dies’ won’t be opening on Broadway during the 2010-11 season as originally expected. The big-budget musical had been slated to open in November and then was pushed back to spring 2011. Now those plans have been scrapped, throwing the future of the musical into question.

‘Love Never Dies’ opened in London in March in a production starring Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess in the lead roles. The story picks up 10 years after ‘Phantom’ left off, with the moody masked protagonist having moved to Coney Island in New York.

Tony-winning director Jack O’Brien and Jerry Mitchell staged the London production and were expected to oversee the New York transfer. But O’Brien has now been engaged to bring another high-profile musical to Broadway this spring -- ‘Catch Me If You Can,’ based on the Steven Spielberg film.

‘Love Never Dies’ has been plagued by negative word of mouth since its world premiere at the Adelphi Theater, where ticket sales have been extended through March.

Last month, the New York Post reported rumors that Lloyd Webber had parted ways with O’Brien and Mitchell. ‘They’ve either been pushed or jumped, depending on which side you talk to, and now it’s just a matter of working out a severance package,’ said the Post report.

The latest setback for ‘Love Never Dies’ comes as ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ has just set up shop at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood for a run through Oct. 31.

-- David Ng

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