A living legend and the king of musical theatre

Mar 21 2008 by Karen Price, Western Mail

Andrew Lloyd Webber is celebrating his 60th birthday tomorrow. Karen Price speaks to those who know the man behind hit musicals like Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Starlight Express and, of course, Phantom Of The Opera

Connie Fisher was plucked from obscurity on the TV show How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? to star in Lord Lloyd- Webber’s new production of The Sound Of Music at the London Palladium

“I have always been aware of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s songs but I only ever thought I would see his name on the score on my piano – I never thought I’d meet him in person. He is a living legend – the king of musical theatre. I didn’t realise what a nice person he would be – he is a generous, caring man. I thought someone of that stature would be cold or aloof but he’s never been like that. I was really nervous when I first met him. He was standing on stage when I was at “Maria School” and I was just shaking watching him – you could feel the respect in the room. He looked out at 100 girls and said, “I can see half a dozen Marias and only a couple who can actually do it.” I was hoping he meant me. The final 10 girls all went to his house and we were all gathered at his private pool. It was actually my birthday and it felt incredible to be there. When you hear his music, you can’t quite believe it all came from him. The great thing about Andrew is he comes up with an original concept – he took all the criticism for running TV auditions for Maria but when it was a success everyone jumped on the bandwagon. He pushes musical theatre forward. Everyone loves Phantom and I think it’s a masterpiece. It’s an incredible feat to have a musical running for that long. I would love to be in Phantom.”

Fiona Allan is arts and audience development director at the Wales Millennium Centre, which stages major musicals

“My first close encounter with Andrew Lloyd Webber came in the early ‘80s. My high school music teacher had an obsession with rock musicals, particularly with Jesus Christ Superstar. The view I formed early on was that among his many talents, Andrew Lloyd Webber is a true innovator. The first Australian production of Cats opened in 1985 – four years after its West End debut. Of course, by then the signature song Memory was already immortalised by Elaine Paige, so the arrival of this production was the talk of the town. Even in my late teens I realised this was a line-up of big names the likes of which we’d never seen before in Sydney. My father bought the whole family tickets, and it was the first musical I ever saw performed professionally – true theatrical magic. My love of musical theatre has led me to me relocating thousands of miles to work at Wales Millennium Centre, arguably the best equipped venue for musical theatre outside the West End. When Starlight Express toured to the venue we sold more than £1m of tickets. People travelled from all over to Cardiff to see the show, such is the popularity of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s shows. I’m constantly being asked when we’ll be bringing more of his musicals to Cardiff – fingers crossed we won’t have too long to wait. I feel I have grown up being influenced by Andrew Lloyd Webber. He has been an inspiration to me since I was a school student, and now I know from experience that my enthusiasm is shared wholeheartedly by Welsh audiences.”

Stage critic Mike Smith, who reviews musicals in both Cardiff and the West End

“There is no doubt that Andrew Lloyd Webber, along with a small number of other populist composers, breathed new life into the stumbling world of musical theatre after the dry years of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. While the shows do not bear comparison with such wonderful creations as those from Rodgers and Hammerstein, Frank Loesser or Cole Porter, he has succeeded in getting bums on seats and come up with some singalong tunes. I suppose my favourite musical must be Evita, although I’m not one for the show-stoppers but some of the gentler songs. Unfortunately I did not see the musical until it was already starting to grow a beard and was surprised how theatrically basic this legendary stage show actually was. Sadly, I find the whole televised “talent show” way of generating millions of pounds of free advertising for the revival of West End shows these days rather distasteful, even if hugely popular. But when I gave my niece Ella a signed message from Connie Fisher that she had given to me when a guest at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2007 the little girl erupted into tears of joy.”

Swansea-based musician Mal Pope has penned two stage musicals – Amazing Grace and The Contender

“As John Toshack says, the end-of-the-season league tables don’t lie. I’m not saying that at 60 Andrew Lloyd Webber’s season has ended but now might be a good time to look back. If you check any table that measures success in the theatre his name would be at the top, so that should make him the best, right? So why does Lord Lloyd-Webber still evoke such strong emotions from many people in the world of musical theatre. Most performers want to be in his shows while most writers still want to be Stephen Sondheim, who is the cynical John Lennon to Webber’s sweet McCartney. When I decided to write my musical Amazing Grace I went out and bought Evita on DVD. I was hoping to pick up some technical tips but instead I found myself inspired by the way the songs created the emotion and moved the story forward. But there again Lord Lloyd-Webber got lucky early on in his career – he met Tim Rice. Writing nice tunes is all very well but it’s the story that makes a musical work. Rice had spent a couple of years trying to persuade Webber that the story of the wife of a South American dictator was the good basis for a musical. Eventually Webber gave in and the show (Evita) became a massive success. I still remember hearing Don’t Cry for Me Argentina on the radio for the first time. Thinking about it, writing a good tune is essential for a musical’s success. I came face-to-face with Lord Lloyd-Webber once backstage during a matinee performance of Jesus Christ Superstar. I knew the story but the show had made me see the characters in a whole new light. I was there to see my friend, Steve Balsamo, who was playing the title role. As Steve used the baby wipes to clean off his theatrical blood I asked him what Lord Lloyd-Webber was doing there. I was told he often pops in unannounced to see make sure the standards are being maintained. He’s a multi millionaire, why should he care? I suppose that’s what drives him on – he still really does care about his work.

West End star Peter Karrie’s credits include Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, Jean Valjean in Les Miserables and, his most famous role, Phantom

“Andrew Lloyd Webber will always be regarded as one of the major influences of all time when it comes to musical theatre. He is an Ivor Novello, a Gershwin. He is so prolific and his melodies are so good – they are songs you don’t forget. I first met him in 1976 when I had been asked to play the original Magaldi in Evita. I turned it down as I wanted to play Che and they put me into Jesus Christ Superstar. I ended up playing Judas and staying for three years so I got to know Andrew Lloyd Webber quite well. He is actually very shy. He’s not an “in your face” type of guy. His mind is incredible but he keeps things to himself. He has been very good to me and I’ve never stopped working. I would say Phantom is my favourite musical as it’s so clever. You’ve got this despicable man (Phantom) but at the end, the whole audience love him.”

Man behind the music

ANDREW Lloyd Webber has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of variations, two film scores, and a Latin Requiem Mass.

He has also gained a number of honours, including a knighthood in 1992 followed by a peerage, three Tony Awards, three Grammy Awards, an Oscar, an International Emmy, six Olivier Awards and a Golden Globe.

Lord Lloyd-Webber was born in London into a musical family – his mother Jean Hermione (Johnstone) was a violinist and pianist, and his father William Lloyd Webber was a composer. His younger brother, Julian Lloyd Webber, is a cellist.

Lord Lloyd-Webber, who runs the Really Useful Group, is renowned for his partnership with lyricist Tim Rice. The pair have created a host of musicals, including Evita, Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Jesus Christ Superstar.

Several of Lord Lloyd-Webber’s songs, such as I Don't Know How to Love Him from Jesus Christ Superstar and Don't Cry for Me, Argentina from Evita, have been widely recorded.

In 2006, Lord Lloyd-Webber launched a TV search to find an actress to play Maria in The Sound Of Music. The popular format has now been copied by others.