#LND in concert

[nerdywriter36]

So let’s discuss Norm’s golden mask and Celinde’s…something for this Love Never Dies concert, shall we?

[spiderphantom1993]

Love Never Dies - In Concert London (22nd August 2023) Matinee - The Beauty Underneath

* Please Don’t Share Outside Of Tumblr*

[boxfivetrades]

glasses!raoul

[garnet-xx-rose]

I’m attempting a multiverse of Phantoms and Christines in Sims 4.

I love how one pair are in a “we live together and sleep in the same bed but we’re not gonna put a label on it even after 3 months” situationship and do coke together at McDonald’s.

And the other pair became official after less than a week and come home after work to cross stitch and garden together.

[glindaupland]

231209 Julian Kim Music Library // Act 4. L'invito - Til I Hear You Sing (Love Never Dies)

Add another POTO actor singing (the Korean version of) 'Til I Hear You Sing' to the list

[impossiblegirl24601]

Here we go 🎶

[marleneoftheopera]

Actresses playing Christine in both POTO and LND:

Sierra Boggess: Vegas 2006-07, London's 25th Anniversary, Broadway 2013, 2014 (POTO), London 2010-11 (LND)

Celia Graham: London 2002-03, 2005-07 (POTO), London 2010-11 (LND)

Mira Ormala: Oslo 2018 (POTO), London 2011 (LND)

Anna O'Byrne: World Tour 2009, London 2012-13 (POTO), Australia 2011 (LND)

Claire Lyon: World Tour 2012-15, 2019-20 (POTO), Australia 2011 (LND)

Meghan Picerno: World Tour 2019, Broadway 2019-23 (POTO), US Tour 2017-18 (LND)

Celinde Schoenmaker: London 2015-17, Greece 2020 (POTO), London Concert 2023 (LND)

Manon Taris: Paris 2016 (POTO, cancelled), World Tour 2023-24 (LND)

[sweetheartsaku]

—love and deepspace rafayel ; like a song ive never listened to but i know every lyric

a/n ; [fem!reader] @oracleofstars DAY 3 PROMPT AND FIRST LND POST WOOHOO doing this one bc im in band huhuhuhu :3c

larkspur !

concerts have always felt like a fever dream.

and the absolute tingle down your spine when you managed to swiftly choose and buy front-row tickets to THE 3VOLS concert?? your heart was basically beating out of your chest. to make your heart even tighter, a little pop-up had appeared on your laptop screen basically screaming at you: "DON'T LEAVE AFTER THE CONCERT ♡" in rafayel's iconic handwriting, with its own messy yet neat flare to it. one of your favourite members.

you wonder what a singer like him could possibly be doing after a concert as big as this. especially for a smaller artist like him, maybe he wanted to get to know what his fans are like? a social experime-

the cold breeze of your open window kisses your cheek causing you to snap out of your daze. your cream curtain had been blowing fresh air, it made you feel more alive, especially having it slightly open in the early mornings. the sunlight would bleed into the curtains onto your sheets and the early bustling of the beautiful city would awaken.

a small blue jay chirps outside, and your phone chimes reminding you to bring your purse.

you slot your gentle lip tint and wallet, your phone's little dangling charms clinking with all the other knick-knacks in your purse. and for the final touch, the little rafayel chibi keychain attached with a beaded charm you had bought by impulse (listener like artist?).

you connect your white headphones sprinkled in stickers, playing his latest track. one of your favourites from their most recent single, Tip Toe.

"even better to be experienced live" you smiled, as you tap on your bus card. you take a seat nearest in-between the back and the middle, claiming your seat closest to the window.

you had always been drawn to the more charismatic, charming and... magnetic members. that one, being rafayel.

before you even knew it, you had already arrived at the bar it was set, a very cozy and warm atmosphere fills the air. there were people on the stage, setting up xavier's iconic deep red bass and zayne's pearly keytar. the stage was littered in little bits of glitter, and warm fairy lights.

a shiver of your heart knew this was going to be a magical experience.

placing your headphones around the strap of our bag, you stand in awe at the centre of the audience area, eyes shimmering. bejewelled.

suddenly a dark, veronica lilac shade came into sight.

rafayel.

"RAFAYEL?????" your mind was running laps, taken aback by the sudden sight of the man of your dreams in front of you, setting up his own mic still looking back backstage presumably talking to staff.

he was dressed in an unbuttoned white polo with a loose black tie on top, paired with worn out denim jorts and a pair of thick socks with leathery brown dress shoes.

ohmygoodness.

they weren't wrong when they said he was prettier in real life. to make it even worse, you were one of the only people in that standing area.

"oh? you must be early. we still have an hour or so till' the show starts." he tilts his head towards you, looking back down at his mic

"e-eh?! you're talking to... me?!" you lock your eyes with his lilac ones, and gain composure.

"i mean... well yeah. i prefer to get to events early!!" you smile.

he looks back up, impressed by her gentle demeanour finding her cute being so shocked he was talking to her.

"well, that's good. and don't worry. i'm not some big celeb, just a guy who loves his band and has the eye for the arts, if i do say so myself. no need to be shy.", he chuckles.

oh wow. he's so much more charismatic in real life too. your ears become warm, thinking this is all a daze.

"well, i hope to see you in the crowd, hm?"

"yep! i'll be in the front row... chookas?"

"thank you. hope to see ya' after the show."

something about her... was different.

she was alluring. her soul... it was... beyond description. would he really believe in love at first sight after every other soul he's fallen for?

stealing glances at you throughout the concert, he notices your passionate aura and your shouts of the lyrics from the latest single, Tip Toe.

xavier finds himself noticing rafayel's eyes on you, he felt captivated, enchanted if you will, as he saw you sing to his music. xavier smiles to himself as he gets fired up for his solo part in the following 3 bars.

he had 3 songs left till he could finally interact with you again.

after the concert, 3VOLS bow and grin, feeling accomplished playing their latest single flawlessly. now, he just had to see if people payed attention to the pop up on the ticket site.

the small maintenance crew had efficiently set up the little tables filled with boxes, revealing little pouches containing little trinkets and freebies organised by the boys to express their gratitude for supporting and attending their concert and simply just enjoying their music. each little bag was organised by member, letting the people who had noticed the little pop up choose their favourite member's freebies.

you managed to get a early spot in the small crowd of people. peering over a shoulder, it seemed like they were having a small meet and greet.

ohmygoodness.

WERE TALKING TO THEM PERSONALLY AGAIN??? this cannot be real. PLEASE LET ME GET A TURN WITH RAFAYEL!!

the little crowd was progressively moving, now the time awaits on you to be able to have the opportunity to greet the first debuted member, xavier. he held hands with you, smiling as he directed his eyes towards rafayel.

DOES HE KNOW MY FAVOURITE IS RAFAYEL??

"oh, i noticed your little raf' keychain. its cute." he gleams. in reality, he knows rafayel has had an eye on you. little did you know, his eyes were still on you as you held hands with xavier.

you giggle, thanking him and interacting with zayne. you reach rafayel at the end of the table, and he automatically hands you the pouch of trinkets filled with little freebies chosen by rafayel himself.

"honestly, my eye for the arts makes my pouch one of the best decorated here." he playfully chuckles.

"hm... maybe. we'll see when i open it!"

"can't wait. did you enjoy the show?"

"oh my gosh of course!! my favourite had to be Tip toe. or Saturn, or WDYS... i can't choose!! oh and Over 85 was also re- oops. i just enjoyed the entire show! you did so well!!"

"i'm happy to hear that. the experience was magical for me too." he says as they exchange closed eye smiles.

you extend your hand and he laces his hands with yours, slightly cold fingertips sending a pang through your heart. you bid your goodbyes and thank you's, heart warm and mind at ease.

you exit the bar, taking in the deep night city air.

oh gosh. well that just happened.

you untie the little purple ribbon that embraced the little pouch. what came to your surprise, a little piece of paper had fallen out.

hm? what's thi-

you're cute. heres my number, ⌝

XXXX-XXX-XXX

i think i wanna get to know ya'.

⌞ xoxo, rafayel. ᡣ𐭩

larkspur, representing first love and sweet disposition.

your voice , ⌝

like a song i've never listened to

⌞ but i know every lyric.

[wheel-of-fish]

Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 • 9 p.m. EST: Love Never Dies Concert, London 2023 (Norm Lewis, Celinde Schoenmaker & Matthew Seadon-Young)

It's time! I honestly have no idea what to expect; I've mostly kept myself in the dark with this one.

Quick but important reminder to be respectful of others by keeping heavy critique/negativity out of the chat! I understand that LND is polarizing, but there are many fans who do enjoy it despite its flaws. Thanks!

As always, the stream will be on cy.tube and shy anons are welcome. For more info, please see the Saturday Streams FAQ! Link and password will be posted here at 8:45.

[glassprism]

Considering all LND version, what's your favorite LND kiss? Could you include a gift? Pleaseee :'(

Raoul and Christine's kiss before the performance. <3

Okay, no. I mean, sure, but no. Honestly, I don't feel like I enjoy Love Never Dies enough to have a favorite, but fine, I'll try. (Note that I haven't seen the London concert yet so I won't be mentioning it.) I watched the US tour live so I think I have a soft spot for it, so I guess I like their version of the post-title-song kiss, especially with the spinning around:

Also the kiss where Christine dies. Maybe I just like the way Meghan Picerno's arm flops as the life leaves her:

But also, I greatly enjoy the pre-BAMS kiss that Drew Sarich and Milica Jovanovic did in the Vienna concert. It's so passionate, so out of nowhere. (You guys haven't seen each other in ten years! Calm down!) I adore it:

And yet... I think a favorite might be a kiss that didn't happen, the almost kiss in the London post-changes version:

Those are the ones off the top of my head, anyway...

[operafantomet]

I didn't want to come back here but I'm curious about something. I've seen at least 3 people saying that ALW asked John Owen-Jones to do the 25th concert and he REFUSED!? Do you know anything about that? If it is true, it was the dumbest thing JOJ could have done. How do you turn down an once in a lifetime chance like that? Apparently he wanted to do Les Mis which he ended up not being cast for either. ALW worships sierra (which I will never understand why, she's extremely overrated) but implying he really wanted JOJ do you think he would have cast Gina Beck or Katie Hall with him?

Frankly, I have absolutely no idea what was said off the record for this casting. There's ever only been comments on the ones that DID get cast, and how they were cast. It seems ALW got to choose some, and CamMack got to choose some. I don't know if all links are still accessible, as this is copied from a post I did some 10 years ago, but anyhow:

Ramin Karimloo was invited by Cameron Mackintosh and Sierra Boggess by ALW: “I’m in heaven because I love the show and the character so much,” said Boggess, who was personally tapped by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber to star in the anniversary event“ Hadley Fraser was a noticeable Javert in Cameron’s Les Mis at the time, and also best buddy with Ramin, so I’m guessing the way was short from there. Kiera Duffy was discovered through a production of Candide and asked to audition through video. They wanted a legit opera singer for the part, and she was offered the part after a video audition:

“Cameron Mackintosh’s office contacted my management, who in turn contacted me, in early August asking if I might be interested in the project. (...) I received an email from Mackintosh’s office saying they were very impressed by my dedication and chutzpah, and I got offered the role. What a whirlwind! I couldn’t believe it!"

Fate wanted it that she had to bow out some days before the concerts due to voice issues, making current West End Carlotta Wendy Ferguson take over. But Duffy was the original casting chouce. Wynne Evans was noticed in the popular “Go Compare” commercials in the UK, where he played an Italian tenor. To mention some. 

I always assumed they WANTED to feature Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess along with Liz Robertson to keep the link to Love Never Dies. All three came directly from the just-closed West End production of LND. Note too how Hadley Fraser's Raoul was more in the vein of LND than a classic Hal Prince Raoul, pushing the aggressive and colder side of Raoul.

Another aspect is that rehearsals for RAH took place when the original production was performing as usual at Her Majesty's Theatre, and I don't think we should forget that John Owen-Jones was principal Phantom there. It would of course be possible to have someone fill in for him while he did RAH, just they they did for Ramin when he rehearsed for LND. In this it should also be mentioned that Barry James (Firmin) did both Her Majesty's Theatre and RAH, and so did Wendy Ferguson (Carlotta) if more as an emergency cover. But I suspect JOJ's heart was more with the original than then hybrid version at RAH. Just a personal guess, however.

All in all, JOJ is the only person who could properly answer this question, and if he has not said anything all speculations are just that - speculations. I also think I heard he was standby Phantom for the RAH concerts, in case Ramin Karimloo got sick or injured? At least I heard back in the days that the West End principals was functioning as standbys for RAH, and they were also present in cameo roles during the show.

Another thing... I frankly love Sierra Boggess as Christine. Even if the SoMe responsibles has gone utterly bananas every time she played the role (and it drove me nuts), and even if I can't stand all the ones telling me SIERRA IS THE BEST CHRISTINE EVER... I love her in the role. Beautiful voice, sympathetic portrayal, good dancer, looking like a million dollar - she is a gorgeous Christine. No more, no less.

What I do agree with, however, is that people would have said "...IS THE BEST CHRISTINE EVER" about probably anyone starring as Christine in the RAH concert, as long as they sung well and looked good. If Gina Beck was featured she would be a sensation. Ditto for Katie Hall. They would simply be the most available Christine out there for the majority, and thus getting a big fanbase.

[spiderphantom1993]

Love Never Dies In Concert - London - 22nd August 2023 Matinee

[boxfivetrades]

From the final night of John’s concert tour at Her Majesty’s Theatre!

*Please don’t repost outside tumblr*

[garnet-xx-rose]

The conspiracy theorist in me thinks the reason we keep getting Love Never Dies productions is so they don’t make enough money and ALW can do them tax write offs.

But also, and this is after going to the concert which was pretty much sold out, maybe there really is a growing audience that enjoys LND for what it is and we’re experiencing some kind of retrospective love for it.

[misaslight]

Witnessing LND in concert shattered my heart - here’s a collection of my head canons about the Phantom, Raoul, and Christine parenting Gustave if nobody died/murdered/kidnapped anyone and everyone was happy

Ultimately, Christine chooses the phantom, feeling that Raoul is not the best option to raise Gustave at that time, especially given his fondness for the drink. She saw the Phantom as familiar - the lesser of two evils so to speak, and felt it was important Gustave knew his truth.

Raoul, Christine and the Phantom learn to - albeit reluctantly - coparent Gustave. That is only, however when Raoul is “free of his afflictions” and able to parent effectively - a rule put in place by Christine.

The three of them attend the opera with Gustave periodically, but at Christmas the four of them go together - it’s a particularly big event in their calendar.

On the note of that, the Phantom commissioned Gustave an engraved set of opera glasses (made specially for a child) for their first Christmas together.

Raoul makes a special note to always agree to play with Gustave and engage with him - he has not once more dismissed his son.

Each of them will read Gustave to sleep, in a very different way. Raoul tells tales of his family, his childhood with Christine, and on occasion, a fairytale. Christine tells him of her father, of Meg, of her friends at the opera house. The phantom reads him classics - in the language they are written - and explains the complexities of life.

Bonus Meg headcanon

No longer wishing to fight for the Phantom, Meg continues her life. She takes a job at a theatre, eventually gaining a principal dance role, taking her on global tours. She visits Christine when she can, each time with a trinket from a new place for Gustave.

[wri0thesley]

omg love never dies in concert???? seeing devil take the hindmost live would permanently alter my brain chemistry. hope u had much fun!!

I think lnd is super shaky lyrically and storywise and works far better if you completely divorce it from the original phantom but ohhh some of the music is so beautiful!!!