Review by Christine Thompson
“Love Never Dies,” Andrew Lloyd Weber’s sequel to “The Phantom Of The Opera,” played a limited engagement at Houston’s Hobby Center For Peforming Arts in Houston, TX from June 17-22nd after a run in Hamburg, Germany.
This version of “Love Never Dies” was re-written after the original was released in 2010.
The opening revealed that the Phantom, played by Bronson Norris Murphy, is not dead but instead has escaped to New York and lives amongst the freak shows and joy rides of Coney Island, where he still pines for his love Christine.
When The Phantom finds out that his obsession Christine (Meghan Picerno) has been invited to New York to perform at a famous Opera House, he devises a plot to lure Christine, husband Raoul (Sean Thompson) and young son Gustav (Jake Heston Miller) to Coney Island.
The Phantom easily lures Raoul away from Christine long enough to drop in on her (through her mirror of course, in keeping with the style he’s known for) at her hotel room. He proposes that if she sings for him at his venue, he will double the price being offered by the more famous house.
Meghan Picerno delights with her incredibly strong vocals as she sings her way through the intrigue, romance and obsession of a relationship with a man who, as it turns out, left her with more than even he knew. It’s easy to guess what that was as the plot thickens – her young son Gustav displays some strange tendencies, and is very unlike his father Raoul. Raoul for his part maintains an emotional distance from Gustav, preferring drinking and gambling to family duties.
The score is tremendous, as to be expected with Andrew Lloyd Webber, the set is sumptuous, and the vocals are at times truly astounding.
But nowadays with the #metoo movement in full swing, The Phantom of The Opera and his ilk are more likely either behind bars or headed for a courtroom date for less shenanigans than what is perpetrated on the object of his affection – but with that being said, a production of “The Phantom of The Opera” will come to Houston as part of a brand new North American Tour for the 2018-2019 season.
For more information, please visit www.loveneverdies.com.
Cameron Mackintosh’s spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERAwill come to Houston as part of a brand new North American Tour.
Critics are raving that this breathtaking production is “bigger and better than ever before” and features a brilliant new scenic design by Paul Brown, Tony Award®-winning original costume design by Maria Björnson, lighting design by Tony Award®-winner Paule Constable, new choreography by Scott Ambler, and new staging by director Laurence Connor.
The production, overseen by Matthew Bourne and Cameron Mackintosh, boasts many exciting special effects including the show’s legendary chandelier. The beloved story and thrilling score – with songs like “Music of the Night,” “All I Ask Of You,” and “Masquerade” – will be performed by a cast and orchestra of 52, making this PHANTOM one of the largest productions now on tour.
Open Captioned Performance: Saturday, November 10, 2pm
Audio Described Performance: Sunday, November 11, 2pm
ASLI Performance: Sunday, November 18, 7:30pm
Time, Family & the Final Chapter: “The Way Home” Cast Shares Heart, Humor & Hard-Won Wisdom at ATX TV Festival
Chyler Leigh, Evan Williams, and Sadie Laflamme-Snow reflect on the magic of the pond, the show’s unbreakable rules, and what it really takes to tell stories that stay with audiences as the beloved Hallmark series returns for its fourth and final season. By Paul Salfen Managing Editor, AMFM Magazine AUSTIN, Texas — In the heart
‘This Crazy Synth Has a Mind of Its Own — Just Like Murderbot’
An Exclusive Conversation with Paul Salfen & Remington Rafael Text by Christine Thompson for AMFM Magazine In Apple TV+'s thrilling adaptation of Martha Wells' Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Murderbot Diaries, a self-hacking security construct who wants nothing more than solitude and futuristic soap operas finds itself protecting vulnerable humans while desperately hiding its own growing
Bill Kong: “We Would Go Barefoot and Run Over Glass to Save Our Daughters” – Oscar-Nominated Producer on the Heart-Pounding Martial Arts Thriller THE FURIOUS
In an exclusive interview with AMFM Magazine’s Paul Salfen, legendary Hong Kong film producer and Oscar nominee Bill Kong admits he couldn’t sleep ahead of the June 12 release of his explosive new martial arts thriller The Furious — because this raw, father-driven story of vigilante justice is about to face its toughest critic: the
Xie Miao: “It Actually Hurts a Lot” – The Jet Li Child Star Turned Savage Action Hero Opens Up About the Brutal, Bloody Reality of THE FURIOUS
Interview by Paul Salfen and Remington Rafael, Text by Christine Thompson for AMFM Magazine In his most raw and revealing interview yet, martial-arts powerhouse Xie Miao sits down with AMFM Magazine’s Paul Salfen and Remington Rafael to discuss the physical and emotional toll of starring in the 2025 martial-arts thriller The Furious. From real blood
Joe Taslim: “Make Friends with Pain” – Exclusive Interview for THE FURIOUS
From Indonesian judo champion to one of Hollywood’s most respected martial arts stars, Joe Taslim has built his career on authenticity, discipline, and an unwavering willingness to embrace pain. In this exclusive AMFM Magazine interview with Paul Salfen and Remington Rafael, Taslim discusses his latest high-octane martial arts thriller The Furious, the brutal physical realities
Mads Mikkelsen Jumps Out the Window (Literally!) for THE LAST VIKING and Reveals Why He Can’t Say No to These Insane Dark Comedies
Interview by Paul Salfen, Text by Christine Thompson for AMFM Magazine In an exclusive, laugh-out-loud chat with AMFM Magazine, Mads Mikkelsen beams about the sheer chaotic fun of The Last Viking, his sixth wild ride with writer-director Anders Thomas Jensen. The Academy Award-winning filmmaker’s latest dark comedy finds Mikkelsen as Manfred—a man-child emotionally stuck at
OBSESSION Movie Minute Review
This is Paul Salfen with your KLAK Movie Minute. In theaters this weekend is Obsession, the buzzed-about horror flick from Curry Barker - and it does not disappoint. With a breakout performance from Inde Navarette as Nikki, this "careful what you wish for" tale of horror is uncomfortable in so many places and really does
Scoring High Society: Composer Jeff Toyne on the Swinging Sounds and Character Themes of PALM ROYALE Season 2
Interview by Paul Salfen, Text by Christine Thompson for AMFM Magazine When Apple TV+’s Palm Royale Season 2 ramps up the ultra-wealthy appetites of its Palm Beach elite, composer Jeff Toyne doesn’t just add more music—he doubles down on a meticulously researched, period-authentic approach that makes the score feel like it was written in 1969.
‘It Feels Very Intrusive’: O Horizon Stars Adam Pally, Maria Bakalova & David Strathairn on AI, Grief, and Whether We’d Ever Talk to the Dead Again
Interview By Paul Salfen, Text by Christine Thompson for AMFM Magazine In O Horizon, a brilliant young neuroscientist mourning the sudden loss of her father discovers a revolutionary new technology that lets her speak with him again. What begins as a miraculous second chance quickly forces her to question everything—her relationships, her life’s work, and
THE MANDALORIAN Movie Minute Review
https://www.amfm-magazine.tv/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/The-Mandalorian-and-Grogu.m4a This is Paul Salfen with your KLAK Movie Minute. In theaters this weekend is Star Wars: TheMandalorian and Grogu, the standalone Star Wars flick based on The Mandalorian TV series on Disney+ and well, it's basically a few episodes compiled and disguised as a film but it's not that remarkable. It's not bad, but it
