And then what happened? The story of the Phantom continues in a romantic sequel, Love Never Dies, headlined by Gardar Thor Cortes, Meghan Picerno and Karen Mason, just beginning its North American tour. The musical (composer: Andrew Lloyd Webber; lyrics: Glenn Slater; book: Webber, Slater, Ben Elton, Frederick Forsyth) is adapted from Forsyth’s 1999 book, The Phantom of Manhattan. Love Never Dies was first recorded as a concept CD, followed by a fully staged production in London’s West End in 2010. The show has been touring the world since, with some revisions made along the way, most notably during the 2011 Australian production.
The North American tour kicked off in Detroit, Michigan, following technical rehearsals in Utica, New York, and a special preview in Baltimore, Maryland. The plot centers around Christine Daaé, who is invited by an anonymous producer in 1907 to perform in a new attraction in Coney Island, Brooklyn, entitled Phantasma. She journeys to New York with her husband Raoul and son Gustave, unsuspecting of the true identity of the impresario. The cast includes Gardar Thor Cortes as The Phantom 
(reprising his role from the Hamburg, Germany production), Meghan Picerno as Christine Daaé, Karen Mason as Madame Giry, Sean Thompson as Raoul, Mary Michael Patterson as Meg Giry, with Casey Lyons and Jake Miller sharing the role of Gustave. The Phantom’s henchmen include Katrina Kemp as Fleck, Richard Koons as Squelch, and Stephen Petrovich as Gangle. Ensemble members are Chelsey Arce, Erin Chupinsky, Diana DiMarzio, Tyler Donahue, Yesy Garcia, Alyssa Giannetti, Michael Gillis, Tamar Greene, Natalia Lepore Hagan, Lauren Lukacek, Alyssa McAnany, Rachel Ann Moore, Bronson Norris Murphy, Dave Schoonover, Adam Soniak, Kelly Swint, Lucas John Thompson, Correy West, Arthur Wise, and Borris York.
New costumes for Love Never Dies have been designed by Gabriela Tylesova. The North American tour is directed by Simon Phillips with choreography by 2011 Astaire Award winner Graeme Murphy. Lighting design is by Nick Schlieper and sound design is by Mick Potter.
For tour dates and more information on the production of Love Never Dies, go to LoveNeverDies.com.
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