Andrew Lloyd Webber has confirmed he has written the music for a sequel to The Phantom of the Opera. Glenn Slater will write the lyrics for Phantom II, which will be set in New York's Coney Island around 1900. It's early days yet, but wouldn't it be fantastic if Anthony Warlow gets to perform the lead role on the West End or Broadway* - and that this time the Phantom gets the girl? Last year, Warlow told me: "... as much as Raoul's a lovely fellow, there's so much more that Erik could give her. People have said to me that they don't understand why she goes off with Raoul." Yes, apart from all the killing and the extortion, the Phantom's really a top bloke.
* That's not as far-fetched as it might seem. Producer John Frost told me that he is looking for a star vehicle to launch Warlow on the international stage. And, after Michael Crawford (who is now 66), Warlow is said to be Lord Lloyd-Webber's favourite Phantom.