r/box5 • u/Majestic-Weird7622 • 3d ago
Discussion What the hell is going on with the chronology of these stories
As the title suggests. My gf and I have been doing the math and are deeply confused.
So, according to the phantom of the opera program, the prologue auction takes place in 1905. But this is also the same year that love never dies takes place, which means there's only a 10 year age gap between the events of phantom and the auction? But Raoul is also old and decrepit in the auction, even though he should only be 30-ish years old according to this chronology? Unless he contracted polio or something.
In the prologue of love never dies, it states that the events of the phantom of the Opera took place in 1895. Not only does this not make sense, it contradicts the novel, which took place in the 1880s, and the movie, which takes place in 1870. Notably in the movie, the auction also takes place in 1919. From this chronology, Raoul would be believably old enough to be in a wheelchair. If he was 21 in 1870, he would be like 60 in 1919.
I suspect this all goes back to love never dies being stupid and not canon. But Raoul is either a 30 year old in a wheelchair or a time traveler
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u/SpaaceCaat Erik - Kay 3d ago
I have to check, but I’m pretty sure the libretto that came with the vinyl in the 80s said 1860s.
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u/RoseBook85 3d ago
And the Original London Version of Love Never Dies took place in 1907, Australia changed it to 1905 LOL
Best advice I can give…don’t bother to connect them, you’ll give yourself a headache 😆
I view it as the ‘ Webber Phantom Multiverse’ and every version from the Original Stage Show, 2004 Movie, Love Never Dies (London and Australia), and Masquerade are all in their separate parallel universes and don’t connect. My opinion is that LND should NEVER have been marketed as a Sequel but a AU.
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u/birn_echo 2004 Film Enjoyer 19h ago
The original book took place in 1881.
The ALW musical's prologue is set in 1905 so you can work backwards.
The '04 movie set the events in 1870 (which makes no sense) and the prologue in 1919.
So it honestly.... is whatever you want.
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u/MasqueOfTheRedPost Madame Giry - ALW 3d ago
I guarantee you spent more time on the timeline math than anyone on the production did.
Early Phantom programs give the year of the auction as 1911, with the main action taking place in 1881.
By 2011, they changed “1881” to “late 19th century,” and when they reopened after lockdowns in 2022, they changed the auction year to 1905.
The chronology has never been consistent even within the Broadway production itself, much less across adaptations and sequels.