Five of Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber’s best musicals
Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber is celebrating his 70th birthday today, and in honour of his amazing legacy, we have chosen five of our favourite musicals.
The English composer and impresario of musical theatre, Andrew Lloyd Webber, has composed or produced 20 theatrical productions over the course of his career, winning several awards in the process.
He was born in Kensington, London, on 22 March 1948. His father was the Director of the London College of Music and his mother was a piano teacher.
In 1965, he studied at Westminster School and and began taking a course in history.
Like many artists and performers, he dropped out to follow his true passion –music.
He went on to study at the Royal College of Music where he received a letter from Tim Rice stating that he was a “hip” writer and would like to meet Lloyd Webber.
In honour of his career, we have picked five of our favourite Andrew Lloyd Webber productions (in no particular order).
1. Cats (1981)
Based on TS Eliot’s Old Possums Book of Practical Cats, the show is about a group of cats called the Jellicles.
During the course of the evening, the cats introduce themselves, hoping to be selected and reborn to a new Jellicle life. The show includes the songs The Song of The Jellicles, Mr. Mistoffelees, and Memory.
The show opened in 1981 and is the fourth-longest-running show in Broadway history, according to the New York Film Academy (NYFA).
2. The Phantom of the Opera (1986)
Based on the French novel Le Fantome de l’Opera, this musical revolves around a disfigured musical genius and his obsession over the soprano-singing Christine.
This Tony and Olivier Award winning musical is the longest running in Broadway history, according to the NYFA.
A film version, directed by Joel Schumacher and starring Gerard Butler as the Phantom, Emmy Rossum as Christine, Patrick Wilson as Raoul, Minnie Driver as Carlotta, and Miranda Richardson as Madame Giry, opened on 22 December 2004 in the USA.
3. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1968)
With lyrics by Tim Rice, this operetta/ musical is based on the story of Joseph’s “coat of many colours” as told in the book of Genesis in the Bible.
The show contains very little dialogue and is mostly sung. The songs include Any Dream will Do and Go, Go, Go Joseph.
In 1968, the show was first presented as a 15-minute cantata at the Colet Court School in London, and opened in 1982 on Broadway.
In 1999, a straight-to-video film starring Donny Osmond as Joseph was released. Maria Friedman played the part of the Narrator, Richard Attenborough was Jacob, Ian McNeice was Potiphar, Joan Collins was Mrs Potiphar and Robert Torti was Pharaoh.
4. School of Rock (2015)
This is Lloyd Webber’s most recent production, and is based on the 2003 film by the same name starring Jack Black.
It follows Dewey Finn, an out-of-work rock singer and guitarist who pretends to be a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school.
After identifying the musical talent in his students, Dewey forms a band of fifth-graders, in an attempt to win the upcoming Battle of the Bands contest.
The musical was announced in December 2014 and opened just under a year later on December 6, 2015.
5. Jesus Christ Superstar (1970)
This was the first musical that Lloyd Webber and Rice produced for the stage.
It centred on the final days of Jesus’ life, with a large part of the play focusing on the events through the eyes of Judas.
It included the songs Everything’s Alright, I Don’t Know How to Love Him, and Superstar.
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