I decided to watch Love Never Dies as part of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s ‘The Shows Must Go On’. It is the sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, set in Coney Island 10 years later. Although I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as the original, I think this production was still highly entertaining to watch, and I think the costumes were also quite well done.
The production opens up with the Phantom. The cloak seen previously has gone, suggesting he is away from the dramatic opera house, and is replaced instead with a long dark coat, cravat and waistcoat, which completely hides his white shirt. Overall, his appearance is much more solemn and sad, suggesting his mourning for Christine despite it being 10 years.
The Coney Island ‘freaks’ then appear in red and gold, which not only shows the circus atmosphere, but also links back to the Phantom, as previously, gold and red especially were a symbol of him. However, there is also something scary about the ‘freaks’ as they have quite a lot of black in their costumes, and their almost garish appearance is quite creepy, suggesting there is something darker going on. The circus then fully opens up, with the main chorus all in similar costumes, apart from a few monkeys, which further show the link to the Phantom.
Meg then appears in her act. She is wearing a skirt with a traditional tutu shape, however it is angular and harsh, especially due to the red colour, and her headpiece looks like a skull. In addition, her hair is up, and she is wearing heeled shoes instead of ballet shoes. This really shows how much Meg has changed and grown up due to the Phantom’s influence, as she has become a much darker, less innocent character compared to previously, and is almost unrecognisable from her previous self. The other dancers in the scene are also dressed similarly, and as a whole they remind the audience of a pack of birds, and are quite scary almost. Madame Giry, in contrast to Meg, is dressed very much the same as she was before, as her relationship with the Phantom has not changed. However, she does have a white collar on her dress, which draws even more of a connection between herself and the Phantom, as it reminds us of his mask. Meg then appears again in a white dress, which immediately reminds the audience of Christine, especially as Meg's hair is down and curled. This shows that Meg has become the new Christine, taking the position of the Phantom’s performer and submitting to his influence. It also shows that her innocence still remains to some extent underneath her new exterior, as her hair is youthful and the white colour shows her inner purity.
Christine then appears for the first time, almost unrecognisable from her previous self. In a way, her appearance reminds the audience of Carlotta, suggesting her high status. Her attire is very grand, with furs and a large hat, and her hair is up, suggesting she has grown up hugely. The burgundy colour also adds to the maturity of the look, and sets Christine completely apart from who she was before. Raoul has also grown up, as he is in brown, and appears much more grounded than previously. Gustav is also dressed very similarly to Raoul, which not only suggests their high status as a family, but also shows Raoul as quite a controlling father, who is perhaps trying to mould his son into a miniature version of himself. The ‘freaks’ then appear again, this time in all black, which is quite scary, and also links to their relationship with the dark Phantom. Here, Christine’s dress really stands out among the crowd, showing her celebrity status and grandeur.
Next, the scene changes to a hotel room, where Christine, Raoul and Gustav are staying. Christine appears in a white gown, which can be interpreted that she has moved on from the Phantom, and rediscovered her pure soul in moving past the Phantom’s evil influence. Her gown is also much grander than previously, to show that she has changed and grown up. However, this is interpreted completely differently when the Phantom then appears, as the audience is strongly reminded of their previous relationship, and it shows that she is still vulnerable to him. The collar on the Phantom’s coat is large and dramatic, and almost reminds the audience of a vampire, making him appear even more scary and intimidating. The applique details also are an ode to the Coney Island costumes, showing his relationship with them. Gustav then appears in all white pyjamas, which shows his innocence as well as his relationship with his mother. It also suggests the Phantom’s influence over him as well as his mother, as he is dressed so similarly.
Next, the family visits Coney Island together. Christine is in a gold dress, which maintains her new status, however the black details show the Phantom slowly creeping back into her life. The details also remind the audience slightly of the dress Christine wore in Don Juan Triumphant, when the Phantom was at his most powerful and managed to trick Christine into almost marrying him. This suggests that the Phantom’s influence over her is still as strong as ever, and that he is still able to manipulate her. Meg then appears, and the contrast between her and Christine is apparent. Despite them once being friends and of a similar ranking, now, Meg’s dress is dirtier, and her threadbare shawl shows her poverty, showing how their lives have gone in completely different directions. This also shows the damaging effect of the Phantom, as he has ruined Meg, while Christine has gained success away from him. The simplicity and blue colour of Meg’s dress also reminds the audience of Christine previously, to show that Meg is in a similar situation under the Phantom’s influence. Gustav’s brown suit in this scene also blends into the darkness, suggesting that he fits into the Phantom’s world, however, he still has an innocence about him.
The Phantom takes Gustav on a tour of Coney Island. The chorus appear in very natural tans and golds, which show the beauty that Gustav sees in them, and also shows that the darkness isn’t completely bad to him- he sees the beauty and grandeur in everyone. The gold colour of Christine’s dress also fits in here, as Gustav is revealed as the Phantom’s son, showing that she is still a part of the Phantom’s world, and fits into the new world he has created. Giry’s attire here also reminds us of the previous Phantom, suggesting she has the same darkness and anger that he had previously, as the Phantom would rather have Christine over Meg as his star despite their time apart and all Giry and Meg have sacrificed for him.
Raoul sits at the bar, wearing just a waistcoat and shirt, to show his vulnerability when comparing himself to the Phantom- he is scared about losing Christine again, potentially for good. Meg then appears in a dark brown dress, suggesting she has got darker since Christine’s return, either out of fear for her friend and what the Phantom may do to her, or jealously that she has been so quickly replaced.Meg leaves and the Phantom then appears, also in just a waistcoat, to show that the two are in equal competition for Christine. However, the black colour of the Phantom’s waistcoat makes him seem much more powerful and intimidating than Raoul.
In the show, Meg is in white, which then changes to blue, to show her innocence. Her costumes gradually get more and more risque throughout her act, which shows her transition as a character under the Phantom’s influence, however it makes the audience wonder how much of her new appearance is actually her and how much is just an act. The dancers in this scene are also quite provocatively dressed, which shows the huge difference between the nature of Coney Island in comparison to the opera house previously. After her performance, Meg wears a white robe again, to show her continuing vulnerability to the Phantom, and is also quite provocative to really emphasise this, as she is willing to do anything it seems to please him.
As Christine prepares for her performance, she is also in a white robe, to show she is back under the Phantom’s influence now she is performing for him again. Her hair is also down, drawing even more similarities between her and her previous self, when she was fully under the Phantom’s control, suggesting he is gaining back influence over her. Raoul is also in a black suit, showing he has also returned to who he was previously- he is jealous of the Phantom's influence over Christine, and is at his mercy. Christine is left alone until the Phantom appears, and places a huge dark necklace on her, which reminds the audience of a collar, showing his power and control over her, and suggesting she is now owned by him and cannot get away.
Gustav appears on stage, in light grey, which emphasises his innocence among the darkness. The Phantom, Giry and Raoul are all in black around him, suggesting the competition between them- the Phantom and Raoul for Christine’s love, and the Phantom and Giry for the starring role. Meg also appears in pale grey similar to Gustav, showing her inner innocence and vulnerability, and that she is not part of the competition, but is instead treated like a prize to be won or thrown away. Christine appears and performs for the Phantom. Her dark blue dress is grand but also simple, and her hair is down, reminding the audience hugely of her blue dress and cloak previously, when she was at her most vulnerable to the Phantom, and the blue colour also shows her fear.
Once her performance is over, and they discover Meg has taken Gustav, the audience are shocked, as Meg has been portrayed as still fairly innocent. However, when we see Meg, her actions make sense- the gradual destruction of her appearance symbolizes her self destruction as a person, and shows how the Phantom has driven her mad and made her someone who she is not. Her hair and makeup in this scene is messy and gaunt to fully show her madness, and her and Gustav look almost like ghosts, showing their fate. However, Meg lets him go, and accidentally shoots Christine, at which point, she and Giry flee. As Christine dies, Gustav stands next to the Phantom, and the similarities between the two are really seen in their matching cravats, shapes of their coats and attire in general, showing their equal love for Christine, and the relationship between the two. Finally, Gustav removes the Phantom’s mask, to show he has accepted him, and the two hug.
Overall, I think this production was cleverly done as a continuation of the first production, to show the journey of the characters from one to the other. I think the costumes could’ve been slightly better done, as some things appear quite random, especially in Meg’s case, as her costumes make her storyline seem quite muddled, and I think they could’ve been used in a more successful way to really back up her character development. However, overall I think the costumes for this production were well done and reveal a lot of details about the characters and their relationships.
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