Australian stage version of Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies is filmed for DVD

In Melbourne, Australia, Universal Pictures is halfway through filming Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera sequel, Love Never Dies.

Lloyd Webber, who wrote the sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, now playing at the Regent Theatre, is in town to see his latest work immortalised. He is watching during 30 hours of filming before the movie is released in multiple languages early next year. Lloyd Webber told the Herald Sun,

It's a production right now in its prime and this is the moment to film it.”

It is the first time the Australian production of a musical has been filmed for worldwide release. Such films are usually made on London's West End or Broadway.

A crew of 30 from Universal Pictures is working with Webber and musical director Simon Phillips. Phillips said there were subtle differences for the actors switching from live performance to film,

It's getting back to what we did in the rehearsal room, where you're working in great detail. The really good bit is getting close up on all the beautiful costume detail, and the tender or emotional moments.”

The boss of Webber's Asia-Pacific arm, Tim McFarlane, said the DVD would give the cast international exposure and possibly lead to the show going into production in other countries.

via Herald Sun

Gramilano( Editor )

Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.

His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.