Why in the world did they create this sequel?

Beats me why they did it. It contradicts the original so much, and ruins everyone's characters, especially poor Raoul who they made into a drunkard with no heart :(

Because it's very good. Phantom needed a sequel. It left a lot of viewers wondering what happened.

Love Never Dies is to put it frankly, a beautiful unnecessity. Yes it introduces new dramatic elements that are emotionally manipulative, but the story such as it is, tries to do something that it never should have done, in my opinion, and that is ruin the atmosphere that hovered in the metaphorical air after the end of PoTO. Erik's beautiful sacrifice, the rediscovery of his humanity, young love allowed to flourish, a deformed genius whose fate is unknown, all of these lead to a fantastically romanticised fable of acceptance, truth, beauty, genius, and obsession. The plot of LND, such as it is, is transparent and contrived but what I liked was that it drew attention to the underappreciated duo, faithful Madame Giry, and Christine's erstwhile friend from the corps de ballet, Meg. If anything LND is the sour note of reality intruding on the ghostly aura of otherworldly immortality emanating from the much superior original. As far as songs go, only Till I Hear You Sing, and the titular Love Never Dies are memorable but they are nothing when compared to such powerful, haunting songs as The Phantom of The Opera, Music of the Night, Think Of Me, Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, Prima Donna, and The Point of No Return. While it does fit, storywise, I can't help but feel that LND feels like a sequel struggling to recapture the magic of the original, and for the most part failing to do so.

Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici
By the power of truth I, while living, have conquered the universe

This repulsive sequel should never have been staged.