Andrew Lloyd Webber Sets The 'Phantom' Sequel At ... Coney Island?

Some stories elicit gasps, some elicit sighs. This one elicits this: "Huh."

Andrew Lloyd Webber decided a while ago that the ending of The Phantom Of The Opera was boring, so he's putting on a sequel, which will finally open in London in March and in New York in late 2010. And where will it take place?

Coney Island, naturally.

More details, after the jump.

 

Love Never Dies will be set, Lloyd Webber explains, at the famous Brooklyn amusement area "where all the freaks went," which the Phantom will be running (as a "mogul") at the opening of the story. It's been known for a while that it would be set in New York, and he'd mentioned Coney Island, even, but these details are a little more specific.

So, understand: The Phantom, who previously haunted the underground tunnels of the Paris opera house, may now be skulking around the Tilt-A-Whirl, as he has entered the business of family entertainment. Perhaps it will turn out that he has made his amusement park one that features people walking around in character costumes with giant heads. It would certainly make it easier for him to get around, no?

Based on past Lloyd Webber stagings (like the roller-skating Starlight Express), it further seems logical to speculate that there will be a grand production number in which everyone on the stage is driving around in bumper cars. (That prediction is 49 percent serious, plus or minus 2 percent.)

By far the best tidbit I discovered while reading up on the new production was this story from the Daily Mail, which I had somehow either never heard or unforgivably failed to retain, about the fact that Lloyd Webber lost all of his work on the score at one point because his cat walked on his electric piano and erased it all. This brings to mind a vision, of course, not of a real cat, but of a person dressed as a cat, sneaking up on Andrew Lloyd Webber and dramatically pressing a button while he's looking the other way.