Interview with Celine Schoenmaker, Love Never Dies Concert

In October, Phantom of the Opera’s spectacular sequel, Love Never Dies, last staged in 2023, returns in concert format to the London Palladium for limited performances. The story returns 10 years after the Phantom disappears from the Paris Opera House. The Phantom reunites with Christine, who has come to perform, and reveals that he still loves her. Their complicated relationship ends in tragedy when Christine is killed, leaving the Phantom devastated and reunited emotionally with their son, Gustave. We are joined by Celinde Schoenmaker (Guys & Dolls), who will star as Christine Daaé in the concert, to find out more.

Throughout your career you have taken on some of the most iconic and demanding roles within musical theatre. How does it feel to be returning to Christine in 'Love Never Dies', not only after playing her previously in 'Phantom' but also with all this other amazing experience under your belt?

I really know Christine. Having played her in Phantom and knowing her backstory so well, it gives me an amazing platform to start from for Love Never Dies. The big change is that, like her, I have become a mother. It gives me an extra layer of understanding and level of urgency in the performance I’ve never felt before. I absolutely adore going back into this character at different times in my life because every time, other parts of her resonate with me.

In 'Love Never Dies' we meet an older Christine, who is in a very different stage of her life. How have you adapted your version of Christine for the sequel, and are there any new elements of her that you have particularly enjoyed developing, especially with the show being presented in a concert format?

Well, the mother aspect is a big one. Everything feels higher-stakes, in my own life and on stage. Christine to me always has a lightness, a spark that attracts the phantom, but I think this is the first time that part is being challenged. She is going through a very difficult time as a mother and a wife, and hasn’t performed in a while. For me, that journey of reminding herself who she is is an important and beautiful one.

This production is celebrating a major milestone, the 40th anniversary of Phantom of the Opera. As a performer and musical theatre enthusiast, how does it feel to be stepping into Christine's shoes and carrying her legacy on?

I always feel the legacy of all the wonderful performers who came before me. I have those amazing women in my ears when I learn the scores, and they inspire me. Christine is a role you get to step into, and for those 2.5 hours she’s yours. I hope that there are young women watching who will be inspired and take the baton and make their own version of Christine. It’s such a gift of a role, and different performers will bring other qualities to her. Zooming out I can see the significance of carrying on this role from a legacy perspective, but day to day I just feel incredibly excited to step into her shoes and try to do her justice. Little Celinde would’ve been absolutely thrilled, and so is big Celinde.

As the show is in concert there is an emphasis on Andrew Lloyd Webber's fantastic songs. Is there a specific song within the musical that you're particularly excited to perform with the live orchestra?

The score is amazing. It is so incredibly beautiful. I am very close to Freddie the conductor and singing Love Never Does with him last time we did it was one of the highlights of my career. We were so together. So that’s something I look forward to. But I also really love the Conclusion, the final piece. It’s such a gorgeous orchestral moment, and I love listening to it.

And what made you want to return to play her in the sequel?

The team, the cast, it's very exciting to play this piece with a huge orchestra on stage. That rarely happens; you’re hearing the score exactly as it was intended to be. That is thrilling, not only as a performer but also as an audience member.

How has preparing for a musical in concert differed from your experiences with full west end productions?

To be honest, we go full out: costumes, storytelling, everything. So it’s not that different, really. It’s all about the prep; we already started personal rehearsals 7 weeks before the actual show is. We arrive knowing the piece, so we have enough to really dig deep into these characters.
The opportunity to perform at the London Palladium is a bucket list goal for artists worldwide and it also acts as the flagship theatre for Andrew Lloyd Webber shows and events. Knowing its legacy and grandeur, how are you feeling about stepping out onto that stage for this major event in musical theatre history?

It is actually wonderful to read and acknowledge this. To be honest, my head is so in the piece, and so in Christine, I haven’t had space to think about the place we’re performing it. For me, it elevates the experience; the work is the same whether we do it in a barn or in the Palladium; the commitment to the piece is the same. Thankfully, it isn’t in a barn, and actually performing it there will elevate the experience for the audience and us. It’s a total honor as an artist, and forever will be.

Love Never Dies in Concert plays at the London Palladium from 16-18 October 2026.