Artist Research

The theatre artist I have decided to research is Andrew Lloyd Webber. Andrew Lloyd Webber was born Baron Lloyd-Webber in Kensington, London, England on March 22, 1948. Webber started writing his own music at a young age, writing his first published suite of six pieces at the age of nine. He also put on productions with his brother Julian and his aunt Viola in his toy theater. Webber's first major collaboration with lyricist Tim Rice was The Likes of Us, a musical based on the true story of Thomas John Barnardo. In 1968, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber were commissioned to write a piece for Colet Court which resulted in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, a retelling of the biblical story of Joseph in which Lloyd Webber and Rice humorously pastiche a number of musical styles such as Calypso and country music. One of the biggest hits of all time for the duo of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber was the production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Jesus Christ Superstar opened on Broadway in 1971 and chronicles the last week of Jesus Christ’s life in Jerusalem. Lloyd Webber collaborated with Rice once again to write Evita, a musical based on the life of Eva Peron.
In 1986 Andrew Lloyd Webber released The Phantom of the Opera. The Phantom of the Opera was based on the French novel Le Fantome de l'Opera by author Gaston Leroux. The Phantom of the Opera opened in London's West End. The production was directed by Hal Prince, choreographed by Gillian Lynne, designed by Maria Bjornson, with lighting by Andrew Bridge. In 2009, the Broadway production marked its nine thousandth performance, making it the longest running show on Broadway in history, surpassing the former leader, Cats. Lloyd Webber was asked to write a song for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and composed "Amigos Para Siempre — Friends for Life" with Don Black providing the lyrics. This song was performed by Sarah Brightman and Jose Carreras. Lloyd Webber had toyed with the idea of writing a musical based on Billy Wilder's critically acclaimed movie, Sunset Boulevard, since the early 1970s when he saw the film, but the project didn't come to fruition until after the completion of Aspects of Love when the composer finally managed to secure the rights from Paramount Pictures. The composer worked with two collaborators, as he had done on Aspects of Love; this time Christopher Hampton and Don Black shared equal credit for the book and lyrics. The show opened at the Adelphi Theatre in London on 12 July 1993, and ran for 1,529 performances. In spite of the show's popularity and extensive run in London's West End, it lost money due to the sheer expense of the production.
Lloyd Webber's many other musical theatre works include Whistle Down the Wind, a musical written with lyrics supplied by rock legend Jim Steinman. Originally opening in Washington, Lloyd Webber was reportedly not happy with the casting or Harold Prince's production and the show was subsequently revised for a London staging directed by Gale Edwards, the production is probably most notable for the Number One hit from Boyzone "No Matter What" which only left the UK charts when the price of the CD single was changed to drop it out of the official top ten.
Personally, I find the work of Andrew Lloyd Webber highly entertaining and brilliant. There is a definite reason why his musicals are the longest running shows on Broadway of all time. Almost anyone from any culture can enjoy his work. After learning everything that I have learned in this class I definitely have garnered a greater appreciation for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s work, and for that matter, all play writes and musical composers. The depth and passion that people like Andrew Lloyd Webber have for their art should never be overlooked. The production of a live stage play can rival that of a major Hollywood film, and can be even more difficult to perform, as all of the performances of a stage play are conducted live and in chronological sequence. There’s no room for error in a live stage production. I find Andrew Lloyd Webber’s work and drive to succeed a great inspiration for myself to strive to achieve my own goals and aspirations in life. I find that if Andrew Lloyd Webber was able to accomplish all of his amazing successes than the small meaningless goals I set for myself in life should not be all that difficult to attain.