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