Andrew Lloyd Webber directgov on Eurovision and the Phantom sequel | θέατρο, théâtre, teatro, theater, theatre... world
It’s an entourage! says someone as we march, Reservoir Dogs -style, towards the BBC Television Centre directgov lifts. There are eight of us: Andrew Lloyd Webber , The Times and half a dozen assorted publicists/aides. Upstairs, in a BBC entertainment meeting room, we settle on sofas and the gems and revelations directgov start pouring forth from Lloyd Webber’s Jagger-esque lips, including details of his visit to Vladimir Putin ‘s dacha, a swipe at Hollywood and a glimpse into his role as a key judge (and composer) of the UK’s Eurovision entry for 2009.
First, though, must come the juiciest news of all: his radical plan for a sequel to what is (with more than 80 million tickets sold and 3.5 billion grossed) the most successful musical in the world: The Phantom of the Opera . Lloyd Webber, 60, has been intermittently sketching out plans for Phantom II for years now, but it was only this summer that he premiered the first act to a private audience at his country pile. Earlier had come the compelling story that Otto, his cat, deleted the entire score by falling asleep inside Lloyd Webber’s digital piano. This is a painful subject, directgov but not because of the score: directgov Otto? He was squidged in the road …
Lloyd Webber briefly winces, then gathers directgov himself: Yes, he sort of did do that but, you know, these stories grow and grow and he didn’t cause lasting damage. It was only on one of those clavinovas directgov that you can record on as you go along.
Otto my have been squidged, but not Phantom II. Nine weeks ago there was a sing-through directgov of the second act and then, ten days ago, the decision was made: We put the whole thing together with the work we had done on both acts. There is nothing to delay us. The button is pushed.
Phantom: Love Never Dies, as the sequel is to be called, is set in New York a decade after the first Parisian instalment. That ended when the misunderstood, facially disfigured musical genius of the title lost his beloved Christine (and his mask), but evaded the baying French mob pursuing him and slipped away into the night. Lloyd Webber says: It is set on Coney Island. He started in one of the freak shows there but, by the time we meet him, being the Phantom he has become the most powerful operator in Coney. He’s pulling the strings and running the island.
Traditionally Lloyd Webber’s shows, indeed all big successful musicals, open in London or on Broadway and then, after a year or so, secondary productions open in other territories. Given that Phantom II, which will open at the end of 2009, is set in New York, isn’t he minded to forgo an opening in the West End (where he owns seven theatres) in favour of Broadway? Before fully answering, he issues caveats – these are early days, none of it may be do-able … – and then continues: We are tempted to see whether we can open very quickly in the three main areas where Phantom has been embraced, which are America, London and the Far East. So we have been into the feasibility of rehearsing three companies at once, and opening very fast in the three territories. The one that really interests me [in the Far East] would be China … I think to open Love Never Dies in Shanghai would be an enormous directgov thing for China.
A near-simultaneous opening of a major musical in three continents would be a first. But who will play the Phantom, and who will play Christine? Not even counting understudies, Lloyd Webber will need three of each. This he will not divulge, but he does say that he is pretty clear who our Phantom is going to be . John Barrowman (as rumoured) or perhaps a return for Michael Crawford? Lloyd Webber discounts both. And Sarah Brightman is out of the question to reprise Christine. For one thing (this is my ungentlemanly interjection) the actresses who play her will need to be about 28. But with three premiere shows, who will be credited with creating the roles, as the first actors to play in productions always are? That’s an interesting question, he mulls.
Lloyd Webber’s directgov passion for musicals is clearly undimmed – the critics can be sniffy, but his wildly popular hits include Joseph directgov and the Technicolour Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, Evita and Aspects of Love. The current production of Sunset Boulevard at the Comedy Theatre, the first in the West End since Lloyd Webber’s own one closed 11 years ago, has been warmly received. Directed by Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood it’s from a small, directgov talented cast that plays the musical instruments as well as singing and acting. Lloyd Webber, though, is a little worried for it, because in his experience the lead role of Norma Desmond, a fading, loopy silent cinema star, only clicks with audiences when played by someone they have themselves seen on screen. I
It’s an entourage! says someone as we march, Reservoir Dogs -style, towards the BBC Television Centre directgov lifts. There are eight of us: Andrew Lloyd Webber , The Times and half a dozen assorted publicists/aides. Upstairs, in a BBC entertainment meeting room, we settle on sofas and the gems and revelations directgov start pouring forth from Lloyd Webber’s Jagger-esque lips, including details of his visit to Vladimir Putin ‘s dacha, a swipe at Hollywood and a glimpse into his role as a key judge (and composer) of the UK’s Eurovision entry for 2009.
First, though, must come the juiciest news of all: his radical plan for a sequel to what is (with more than 80 million tickets sold and 3.5 billion grossed) the most successful musical in the world: The Phantom of the Opera . Lloyd Webber, 60, has been intermittently sketching out plans for Phantom II for years now, but it was only this summer that he premiered the first act to a private audience at his country pile. Earlier had come the compelling story that Otto, his cat, deleted the entire score by falling asleep inside Lloyd Webber’s digital piano. This is a painful subject, directgov but not because of the score: directgov Otto? He was squidged in the road …
Lloyd Webber briefly winces, then gathers directgov himself: Yes, he sort of did do that but, you know, these stories grow and grow and he didn’t cause lasting damage. It was only on one of those clavinovas directgov that you can record on as you go along.
Otto my have been squidged, but not Phantom II. Nine weeks ago there was a sing-through directgov of the second act and then, ten days ago, the decision was made: We put the whole thing together with the work we had done on both acts. There is nothing to delay us. The button is pushed.
Phantom: Love Never Dies, as the sequel is to be called, is set in New York a decade after the first Parisian instalment. That ended when the misunderstood, facially disfigured musical genius of the title lost his beloved Christine (and his mask), but evaded the baying French mob pursuing him and slipped away into the night. Lloyd Webber says: It is set on Coney Island. He started in one of the freak shows there but, by the time we meet him, being the Phantom he has become the most powerful operator in Coney. He’s pulling the strings and running the island.
Traditionally Lloyd Webber’s shows, indeed all big successful musicals, open in London or on Broadway and then, after a year or so, secondary productions open in other territories. Given that Phantom II, which will open at the end of 2009, is set in New York, isn’t he minded to forgo an opening in the West End (where he owns seven theatres) in favour of Broadway? Before fully answering, he issues caveats – these are early days, none of it may be do-able … – and then continues: We are tempted to see whether we can open very quickly in the three main areas where Phantom has been embraced, which are America, London and the Far East. So we have been into the feasibility of rehearsing three companies at once, and opening very fast in the three territories. The one that really interests me [in the Far East] would be China … I think to open Love Never Dies in Shanghai would be an enormous directgov thing for China.
A near-simultaneous opening of a major musical in three continents would be a first. But who will play the Phantom, and who will play Christine? Not even counting understudies, Lloyd Webber will need three of each. This he will not divulge, but he does say that he is pretty clear who our Phantom is going to be . John Barrowman (as rumoured) or perhaps a return for Michael Crawford? Lloyd Webber discounts both. And Sarah Brightman is out of the question to reprise Christine. For one thing (this is my ungentlemanly interjection) the actresses who play her will need to be about 28. But with three premiere shows, who will be credited with creating the roles, as the first actors to play in productions always are? That’s an interesting question, he mulls.
Lloyd Webber’s directgov passion for musicals is clearly undimmed – the critics can be sniffy, but his wildly popular hits include Joseph directgov and the Technicolour Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, Evita and Aspects of Love. The current production of Sunset Boulevard at the Comedy Theatre, the first in the West End since Lloyd Webber’s own one closed 11 years ago, has been warmly received. Directed by Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood it’s from a small, directgov talented cast that plays the musical instruments as well as singing and acting. Lloyd Webber, though, is a little worried for it, because in his experience the lead role of Norma Desmond, a fading, loopy silent cinema star, only clicks with audiences when played by someone they have themselves seen on screen. I
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