"Love Never Dies" at The Pantages Theatre

“Love Never Dies,” Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sequel to his 1986 “The Phantom of the Opera,” now playing at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre, rehashes much of the original blockbuster and relies on the audience believing in unconvincing and convoluted plot twists.

The musical opens 10 years after the disappearance of the Phantom (Gardar Thor Cortes), now going under the name “Mr. Y” and producing the vaudeville/freak show “Phantasma” in Coney Island.

Leading the circus characters is the tall Gangle (Stephen Petrovich), the very small Fleck (Katrina Kemp) and the tattooed Squelch (Richard Koons). The Phantom, still enamored with the now famous Christine Daáe (Meghan Picerno), lures her, her now husband the gambling and drunk Raoul (Sean Thompson) and their son Gustave (Casey Lyons / Jake Heston Miller) under false pretenses and a very elaborate ruse to come to New York and perform just one number in his new show for a lucrative sum of money.

Once Madame Giry (Karen Mason) , who served the Phantom in Paris and followed him to New York, finds out that Christine is in town and visiting their new show, she becomes angry that the Phantom intends to give Christine star billing instead of her daughter Meg (Mary Michael Patterson).

In the Phantom’s Coney Island world there are no murdered stagehands or crashing chandeliers, or unfortunately, songs that audience members will walk out of the theatre humming.

The two main leads have a lot of opera experience and it shows - the performances are lovely to listen to and much more operatic than those of “The Phantom of the Opera.” Standout songs are “Look with Your Heart,” and the beautiful show stopping title track “Love Never Dies,” sung by Picerno in a dazzling bright blue Edwardian gown amidst a gorgeous peacock-inspired set. All of the set designs by Gabriela Tylesova are stunning, including a roller coaster track, lighted circus tent and integration of the Phantom’s mask above the scenery. Graeme Murphy’s choreography is fun, especially on the vaudeville “Bathing Beauty” burlesque number.

Die-hard “Phantom” fans will enjoy this sequel; I left missing Webber’s beautiful “Music of the Night.”

"Love Never Dies"

8 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays; ends April 22 Tickets: $49-$169
(800) 982-2787, HollywoodPantages.com

Photos courtesy of The Hollywood Pantages Theatre.