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Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English
composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Def ...
and impresario of
musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...
. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musicals, a
song cycle A song cycle (german: Liederkreis or Liederzyklus) is a group, or cycle, of individually complete songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a unit.Susan Youens, ''Grove online'' The songs are either for solo voice or an ensemble, or rare ...
, a set of
variations Variation or Variations may refer to: Science and mathematics * Variation (astronomy), any perturbation of the mean motion or orbit of a planet or satellite, particularly of the moon * Genetic variation, the difference in DNA among individua ...
, two
film score A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to e ...
s, and a Latin
Requiem Mass A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...
. Several of his songs have been widely recorded and were successful outside of their parent musicals, such as "
Memory Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remember ...
" from ''
Cats The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members o ...
,'' " The Music of the Night" and "
All I Ask of You "All I Ask of You" is a song from the 1986 English musical ''The Phantom of the Opera'', between characters Christine Daaé and Raoul, originally played on stage by Sarah Brightman and Steve Barton, respectively. It was written by Andrew Llo ...
" from '' The Phantom of the Opera'', " I Don't Know How to Love Him" from '' Jesus Christ Superstar'', " Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from '' Evita'', and " Any Dream Will Do" from ''
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' (often colloquially known as ''Joseph'') is a sung-through musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the character of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. ...
.'' In 2001, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' referred to him as "the most commercially successful composer in history". ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...
'' ranked him the "fifth most powerful person in British culture" in 2008, lyricist Don Black writing "Andrew more or less single-handedly reinvented the musical." He has received a number of awards, including a
knighthood A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the ...
in 1992, followed by a
peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted noble ranks. Peerages include: Australia * Australian peers Belgium * Be ...
for services to the arts, six Tonys, three Grammys (as well as the Grammy Legend Award), an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, 14 Ivor Novello Awards, seven
Olivier Awards The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...
, a Golden Globe, a Brit Award, the 2006
Kennedy Center Honors The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in a gala celebrating five hono ...
, the 2008 Classic Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music, and an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
. He is one of 17 people to have won an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, is an inductee into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame, and is a fellow of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors. His company, the Really Useful Group, is one of the largest theatre operators in London. Producers in several parts of the UK have staged productions, including national tours, of the Lloyd Webber musicals under licence from the Really Useful Group. Lloyd Webber is also the president of the
Arts Educational Schools, London Arts Educational Schools, or ArtsEd, is an independent performing arts school based in Chiswick in the London Borough of Hounslow. Overview ArtsEd provides specialist vocational training at secondary, further and higher education level in m ...
, a performing arts school located in Chiswick, West London. He is involved in a number of charitable activities, including the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Nordoff Robbins, Prostate Cancer UK and War Child. In 1992, he started the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation which supports the arts, culture, and heritage of the UK. In 2014 he designed a ''Cats''-themed Paddington Bear statue, which was auctioned to raise funds for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).


Early life

Andrew Lloyd Webber was born on 22 March 1948 in Kensington, London, the elder son of
William Lloyd Webber William Southcombe Lloyd Webber (11 March 1914 – 29 October 1982) was an English organist and composer, who achieved some fame as a part of the modern classical music movement whilst commercially facing mixed opportunities. Besides his long ...
(1914–1982), a composer and organist, and Jean Hermione Johnstone (1921–1993), a violinist and pianist. His younger brother, Julian Lloyd Webber, is a world-renowned solo cellist. Lloyd Webber started writing his own music at a young age: a
suite Suite may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Suite (music), a set of musical pieces considered as one composition ** Suite (Bach), a list of suites composed by J. S. Bach ** Suite (Cassadó), a mid-1920s composition by Gaspar Cassadó ** ''Suite ...
of six pieces at the age of nine. He also put on "productions" with Julian and his Aunt Viola in his toy theatre (which he built at Viola's suggestion). His aunt Viola, an actress, took him to see many of her shows and through the stage door into the world of the theatre. His father enrolled him as a part-time student at the Eric Gilder School of Music in the spring of 1963. At this time he was working on a
Genghis Khan Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; ; xng, Temüjin, script=Latn; ., name=Temujin – August 25, 1227) was the founder and first Great Khan (Emperor) of the Mongol Empire, which became the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in history a ...
musical called ''Westonia!'', and he had also set music to '' Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats''. In 1965, Lloyd Webber was a
Queen's Scholar The Kings's Scholarships (formerly Queen's Scholarships} are forty-eight scholarships (eight per year until Sixth Form, then twelve per year) at Westminster School, (re)founded in 1560 by Queen Elizabeth I. The scholars take part in the coronatio ...
at
Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...
and studied history for a term at
Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the ...
, although he abandoned the course in the winter of 1965 to study at the
Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including perform ...
in London and pursue his interest in
musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...
.


Professional career


Early years

In 1965, when Lloyd Webber was a 17-year-old budding musical-theatre composer, he was introduced to the 20-year-old aspiring pop-song writer
Tim Rice Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944) is an English lyricist and author. He is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote, among other shows, ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', ...
. Their first collaboration was '' The Likes of Us'', a musical based on the true story of Thomas John Barnardo. They produced a demo tape of that work in 1966, but the project failed to gain a backer.Ellis, Samantha
"Joseph, London, February 1973"
''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
''. 24 September 2003.
Although composed in 1965, ''The Likes of Us'' was not publicly performed until 2005, when a production was staged at Lloyd Webber's Sydmonton Festival. In 2008, amateur rights were released by the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA) in association with the Really Useful Group. The first amateur performance was by a children's theatre group in Cornwall called "Kidz R Us". Stylistically, ''The Likes of Us'' is fashioned after the Broadway musical of the 1940s and 1950s; it opens with a traditional overture comprising a medley of tunes from the show, and the score reflects some of Lloyd Webber's early influences, particularly
Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the most well-known American ...
, Frederick Loewe, and Lionel Bart. In this respect, it is markedly different from the composer's later work, which tends to be either predominantly or wholly through-composed, and closer in form to opera. In the summer of 1967, Alan Doggett, a family friend of the Lloyd Webbers who had assisted on ''The Likes of Us'' and who was the music teacher at the Colet Court school in London, commissioned Lloyd Webber and Rice to write a piece for the school's choir. Doggett requested a "pop cantata" along the lines of Herbert Chappell's ''The Daniel Jazz'' (1963) and Michael Hurd's ''Jonah-Man Jazz'' (1966), both of which had been published by Novello and were based on the
Old Testament The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...
. The request for the new piece came with a 100-
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advance from Novello. This resulted in ''
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' (often colloquially known as ''Joseph'') is a sung-through musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the character of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. ...
'', a retelling of the biblical story of
Joseph Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the m ...
, in which Lloyd Webber and Rice humorously pastiched a number of pop-music styles such as Elvis-style rock'n'roll, Calypso and
country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
. ''Joseph'' began life as a short
cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir. The meaning o ...
that gained some recognition on its second staging with a favourable review in ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ( ...
''. For its subsequent performances, Rice and Lloyd Webber revised the show and added new songs to expand it to a more substantial length. Continued expansion eventually culminated in a 1972 stage musical and then a two-hour-long production being staged in the West End in 1973 on the back of the success of ''Jesus Christ Superstar''. In 1969, Rice and Lloyd Webber wrote a song for the
Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...
called "Try It and See", which was not selected. With rewritten lyrics, it became "King Herod's Song" in their third musical, '' Jesus Christ Superstar'' (1970). Debuting on Broadway in 1971, by 1980 the musical had grossed more than worldwide. Running for over eight years in London between 1972 and 1980, it held the record for longest-running West End musical before it was overtaken by ''Cats'' in 1989. The planned follow-up to ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' was a musical comedy based on the '' Jeeves and Wooster'' novels by P. G. Wodehouse. Tim Rice was uncertain about this venture, partly because of his concern that he might not be able to do justice to the novels that he and Lloyd Webber so admired. Rice backed out of the project and Lloyd Webber subsequently wrote the musical ''Jeeves'' with
Alan Ayckbourn Sir Alan Ayckbourn (born 12 April 1939) is a prolific British playwright and director. He has written and produced as of 2021, more than eighty full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director o ...
, who provided the book and lyrics. ''Jeeves'' failed to make any impact at the box office and closed after a run of only 38 performances in the West End in 1975. Many years later, Lloyd Webber and Ayckbourn revisited this project, producing a thoroughly reworked and more successful version entitled ''
By Jeeves ''By Jeeves'', originally ''Jeeves'', is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and lyrics and book by Alan Ayckbourn. It is based on the series of novels and short stories by P. G. Wodehouse that centre around the character of Bertie Woost ...
'' (1996).


Mid-1970s

Lloyd Webber collaborated with Rice once again to write '' Evita'' (1978), a musical based on the life of Eva Perón. As with ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', ''Evita'' was released first as a concept album (1976), featuring Julie Covington singing the part of Eva Perón. The song " Don't Cry for Me Argentina" became a hit single and the musical was staged at the West End's Prince Edward Theatre in a production directed by
Harold Prince Harold Smith Prince (born Harold Smith; January 30, 1928 – July 31, 2019), commonly known as Hal Prince, was an American theatre director and producer known for his work in musical theatre. One of the foremost figures in 20th century America ...
and starring Elaine Paige in the title role. This original production was enormously successful, eventually running for nearly eight years in the West End. ''Evita'' transferred to Broadway in 1979, in a production starring
Patti LuPone Patti Ann LuPone (born April 21, 1949) is an American actress and singer best known for her work in musical theater. She has won three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, two Grammy Awards, and was a 2006 inductee to the American Theater Hall of F ...
as Eva and
Mandy Patinkin Mandel Bruce Patinkin (; born November 30, 1952) is an American actor and singer, known for his work in musical theatre, television and film. He is a critically acclaimed Broadway performer, having received three Tony Award nominations, winning ...
as Che; it won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, helped launch the careers of both LuPone and Patinkin, and ran for almost four years. Rice and Lloyd Webber parted ways soon after ''Evita'', although they have sporadically worked together in the years that followed. In 1978, Lloyd Webber embarked on a solo project, the ''
Variations Variation or Variations may refer to: Science and mathematics * Variation (astronomy), any perturbation of the mean motion or orbit of a planet or satellite, particularly of the moon * Genetic variation, the difference in DNA among individua ...
'', with his cellist brother Julian based on the 24th Caprice by Paganini, which reached number two in the pop album chart in the United Kingdom. The main theme was used as the theme tune for ITV's long-running '' South Bank Show'' throughout its 32-year run. The same year, Lloyd Webber also composed a new theme tune for the long-running documentary series ''
Whicker's World ''Whicker's World'' was a British television documentary series that ran from 1958 to 1994, presented by journalist and broadcaster Alan Whicker. Originally a segment on the BBC's ''Tonight'' programme in 1958, ''Whicker's World'' became a fu ...
'', which was used from 1978 to 1980.


1980s

Lloyd Webber was the subject of ''
This Is Your Life This Is Your Life may refer to: Television * ''This Is Your Life'' (American franchise), an American radio and television documentary biography series hosted by Ralph Edwards * ''This Is Your Life'' (Australian TV series), the Australian versio ...
'' in November 1980 when he was surprised by
Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ A ...
in the foyer of Thames Television's Euston Road Studios in London. He would be honoured a second time by the television programme in November 1994 when Michael Aspel surprised him at the West End's
Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receivin ...
. Lloyd Webber embarked on his next project without a lyricist, turning instead to the poetry of T. S. Eliot. ''
Cats The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members o ...
'' (1981) was to become the longest running musical in London, where it ran for 21 years before closing. On Broadway, ''Cats'' ran for 18 years, a record which would ultimately be broken by another Lloyd Webber musical, ''The Phantom of the Opera''. Elaine Paige collaborated again with Lloyd Webber, originating the role of Grizabella in ''Cats'', and had a Top 10 UK hit with "
Memory Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remember ...
". '' Starlight Express'' (1984) was a commercial hit, but received negative reviews from the critics. It ran for 7,409 performances in London, making it the ninth longest-running West End show. It ran for less than two years on Broadway. The show has also seen two tours of the US, as well as an Australian/Japanese production, a three-year UK touring production, which transferred to New Zealand later in 2009. The show also runs full-time in a custom-built theatre in
Bochum Bochum ( , also , ; wep, Baukem) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia. With a population of 364,920 (2016), is the sixth largest city (after Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen and Duisburg) of the most populous German federal state of N ...
, Germany, where it has been running since 1988. Lloyd Webber wrote a
Requiem Mass A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...
dedicated to his father, William, who had died in 1982. It premiered at St. Thomas Church in New York on 24 February 1985. Church music had been a part of the composer's upbringing and the composition was inspired by an article he had read about the plight of Cambodian orphans. Lloyd Webber had on a number of occasions written sacred music for the annual Sydmonton Festival. Lloyd Webber received a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
in 1986 for ''Requiem'' in the category of best classical composition. ''
Pie Jesu "Pie Jesu" ( ; original Latin: "Pie Iesu" ) is a text from the final couplet of the hymn " Dies irae", and is often included in musical settings of the Requiem Mass as a motet. The phrase means " pious Jesus" in the vocative. Popular settings The s ...
'' from Requiem achieved a high placing on the UK singles chart. Perhaps because of its large orchestration, live performances of the Requiem are rare. In 1986, Prince Edward, the youngest son of Queen
Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states durin ...
, commissioned a short musical from Lloyd Webber and Rice for his mother's 60th birthday celebration. ''
Cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...
'' (1986), also called ''Cricket (Hearts and Wickets)'', reunited Lloyd Webber with Rice to create this short musical for the Queen's birthday, first performed at
Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original c ...
.Citron, Stephen
''Sondheim and Lloyd-Webber: The New Musical.''
Oxford University Press, 2001. p. 355.
Several of the tunes were later used for ''Aspects of Love'' and ''Sunset Boulevard''. Lloyd Webber premiered '' The Phantom of the Opera'' at Her Majesty's Theatre in the West End in 1986, inspired by the 1911 Gaston Leroux novel. He wrote the part of Christine for his then-wife, Sarah Brightman, who played the role in the original London and Broadway productions alongside Michael Crawford as the Phantom. The production was directed by Harold Prince, who had also earlier directed ''Evita.'' Charles Hart wrote the lyrics for ''Phantom'' with some additional material provided by Richard Stilgoe, with whom Lloyd Webber co-wrote the book of the musical. It became a hit and is still running in both the West End and on Broadway; in January 2006 it overtook Lloyd Webber's ''Cats'' as the longest running show on Broadway. On 11 February 2012, ''Phantom of the Opera'' played its 10,000th show on Broadway. With over 13,400 London productions it is the second longest-running West End musical. '' Aspects of Love'' followed in 1989, a musical based on the story by David Garnett. The lyrics were by Don Black and Charles Hart and the original production was directed by Trevor Nunn. ''Aspects'' had a run of four years in London, but closed after less than a year on Broadway. It has since gone on a tour of the UK. It is famous for the song " Love Changes Everything", which was performed by Michael Ball in both the West End and Broadway casts. It stayed in the UK singles chart for 14 weeks, peaking at number 2 and becoming Ball's signature tune.


1990s

Lloyd Webber was asked to write a song for the
1992 Barcelona Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...
and composed "
Amigos Para Siempre "Amigos Para Siempre (Friends for Life)", also called "Amics per sempre" in Catalan, is a official theme song of the 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona, Spain. The music was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The lyrics, written by Don Blac ...
 — Friends for Life" with Don Black providing the lyrics. This song was performed by Sarah Brightman and José Carreras. Lloyd Webber had toyed with the idea of writing a musical based on
Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-American filmmaker. His career in Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Classic Holly ...
'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 Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
, 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. '' Sunset Boulevard'' opened at the
Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receivin ...
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. In 1994, ''Sunset Boulevard'' became a successful Broadway show, opening with the largest advance in Broadway history, and winning seven Tony Awards that year. Even so, by its closing in 1997, "it had not recouped its reported $13 million investment." From 1995 to 2000, Lloyd Webber wrote the Matters of Taste column in ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...
'' where he reviewed restaurants and hotels, and these were illustrated by Lucinda Rogers. In 1998, Lloyd Webber released a film version of ''Cats'', which was filmed at the Adelphi Theatre in London. David Mallet directed the film, and Gillian Lynne choreographed it. The cast consisted of performers who had been in the show before, including Ken Page (the original Old Deuteronomy on Broadway), Elaine Paige (original Grizabella in London) and John Mills as Gus: the Theatre Cat. In 1998, '' Whistle Down the Wind'' made its debut, a musical written with lyrics supplied by 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 included the Boyzone number-one hit " No Matter What", which remained at the top of the UK charts for three weeks. His '' The Beautiful Game'' opened in London and has never been seen on Broadway. The show had a respectable run at The Cambridge Theatre in London. The show has been re-worked into a new musical, ''The Boys in the Photograph'', which had its world première at
The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) is a performing arts higher education institution in Liverpool, founded by Paul McCartney and Mark Featherstone-Witty and opened in 1996. LIPA offers 11 full-time BA (Hons) degrees in a ra ...
in April 2008.


2000s

Having achieved great popular success in musical theatre, Lloyd Webber was referred to by ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' in 2001 as "the most commercially successful composer in history". In 2002 he turned producer, bringing the musical ''
Bombay Dreams ''Bombay Dreams'' is a Bollywood-themed musical, with music by A. R. Rahman, lyrics by Don Black and the book by Meera Syal and Thomas Meehan, originally produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The London production opened in 2002 and ran for two ...
'' to London. With music by Indian Music composer
A.R. Rahman Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967) is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer and songwriter, popular for his works in Indian cinema; predominantly in Tamil and Hindi films, with occasional forays in int ...
and lyrics by Don Black, it ran for two years at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. A revised Broadway production at the
Broadway Theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''T ...
two years later ran for only 284 performances. On 16 September 2004, his production of '' The Woman in White'' opened at the Palace Theatre in London. It ran for 19 months and 500 performances. A revised production opened on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre on 17 November 2005. Garnering mixed reviews from critics, due in part to the frequent absences of the show's star Maria Friedman due to breast cancer treatment, it closed only a brief three months later on 19 February 2006. Lloyd Webber produced a staging of '' The Sound of Music'', which débuted in November 2006. He made the controversial decision to choose an unknown to play leading lady Maria, who was found through the BBC's reality television show '' How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria?'', in which he was a judge. The winner of the show was Connie Fisher. A 2006 project, '' The Master and Margarita'', was abandoned in 2007. In September 2006, Lloyd Webber was named a recipient of the
Kennedy Center Honors The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in a gala celebrating five hono ...
with
Zubin Mehta Zubin Mehta (born 29 April 1936) is an Indian conductor of Western classical music. He is music director emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) and conductor emeritus of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mehta's father was the fou ...
,
Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album ...
,
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Sp ...
, and Smokey Robinson. He was recognised for his outstanding contribution to American performing arts. He attended the ceremony on 3 December 2006; it aired on 26 December 2006. On 11 February 2007, Lloyd Webber was featured as a guest judge on the reality television show '' Grease: You're the One that I Want!''. The contestants all sang "The Phantom of the Opera". Between April and June 2007, he appeared in BBC One's '' Any Dream Will Do!'', which followed the same format as '' How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?''. Its aim was to find a new Joseph for his revival of ''
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' (often colloquially known as ''Joseph'') is a sung-through musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the character of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. ...
''. Lee Mead won the contest after quitting his part in the ensemble – and as understudy in '' The Phantom of the Opera'' – to compete for the role. Viewers' telephone voting during the series raised more than £500,000 for the BBC's annual '' Children in Need'' charity appeal, according to host Graham Norton on air during the final. In 2007, Lloyd Webber's cat, Otto, leaped onto his Clavinova piano and "destroyed the entire score for the new 'Phantom' in one fell swoop". The Phantom in question was ''The Phantom of Manhattan'', a planned sequel to ''The Phantom of the Opera''. On 1 July 2007, Lloyd Webber presented excerpts from his musicals as part of the
Concert for Diana Concert for Diana was a benefit concert held at the newly built Wembley Stadium in London, United Kingdom in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales, on 1 July 2007, which would have been her 46th birthday. 31 August that year brought the 10th anni ...
held at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
, London, an event organised to celebrate the life of
Princess Diana Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...
almost 10 years after her death.
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
broadcast a concert of music from the Lloyd Webber musicals on 24 August 2007. Denise Van Outen introduced songs from '' Whistle Down the Wind'', '' The Beautiful Game'', ''
Tell Me on a Sunday ''Tell Me on a Sunday'' is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Don Black. A one-woman show, it has been performed by a number of female singers/actors, most notably Marti Webb and Bernadette Peters. A one-act song cycl ...
'', '' The Woman in White'', '' Evita'' and ''
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' (often colloquially known as ''Joseph'') is a sung-through musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the character of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. ...
'' – as well as Rodgers and Hammerstein's '' The Sound of Music'', which Lloyd Webber revived in 2006 at the London Palladium, and the 2002 musical ''
Bombay Dreams ''Bombay Dreams'' is a Bollywood-themed musical, with music by A. R. Rahman, lyrics by Don Black and the book by Meera Syal and Thomas Meehan, originally produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The London production opened in 2002 and ran for two ...
''. In April 2008, Lloyd Webber reprised his role as judge, this time in the BBC musical talent show '' I'd Do Anything''. The show followed a similar format to its ''Maria'' and ''Joseph'' predecessors, this time involving a search for an actress to play the role of Nancy in a West End production of Lionel Bart's '' Oliver!'', a musical based on the
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...
' novel '' Oliver Twist''. The show also featured a search for three young actors to play and share the title character's role, but the show's main focus was on the search for Nancy. The role was won by
Jodie Prenger Jodie Prenger (born 12 June 1979) is an English actress and singer, best known as the winner of BBC television series '' I'd Do Anything'' on 31 May 2008 and the second series of ''The Biggest Loser'' in 2006. In 2022, she began portraying the ...
despite Lloyd Webber's stated preference for one of the other contestants; the winners of the Oliver role were Harry Stott, Gwion Wyn-Jones and Laurence Jeffcoate. Also in April 2008, Lloyd Webber was featured on the U.S. talent show ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to ...
'', acting as a mentor when the 6 finalists had to select one of his songs to perform for the judges that week. Lloyd Webber accepted the challenge of managing the UK's entry for the
2009 Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Moscow, Russia, following the country's victory at the with the song "Believe" by Dima Bilan. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EB ...
, to be held in Moscow. In early 2009 a series, called '' Eurovision: Your Country Needs You'', was broadcast to find a performer for a song that he would compose for the competition. Jade Ewen won the right to represent Britain, winning with " It's My Time", by Lloyd Webber and Diane Warren. At the contest, Lloyd Webber accompanied her on the piano during the performance. The United Kingdom finished fifth in the contest. On 8 October 2009, Lloyd Webber launched the musical '' Love Never Dies'' at a press conference held at Her Majesty's Theatre, where the original ''Phantom'' has been running since 1986. Also present were Sierra Boggess, who had been cast as Christine Daaé, and Ramin Karimloo, who portrayed
Phantom Phantom may refer to: * Spirit (animating force), the vital principle or animating force within all living things ** Ghost, the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear to the living Aircraft * Boeing Phantom Ray, a stealthy unm ...
, a role he had recently played in the West End.


2010s

Following the opening of ''Love Never Dies'', Lloyd Webber again began a search for a new musical theatre performer in the BBC One series '' Over the Rainbow''. He cast the winner,
Danielle Hope Danielle Hope (born 26 April 1992) is an English actress and singer. She was the winner of the BBC talent contest '' Over The Rainbow'' and as a result played the part of Dorothy in the Andrew Lloyd Webber production of '' The Wizard of Oz'', wh ...
, in the role of Dorothy, and a dog to play Toto in his forthcoming stage production of '' The Wizard of Oz''. He and lyricist and composer
Tim Rice Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944) is an English lyricist and author. He is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote, among other shows, ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', ...
wrote a number of new songs for the production to supplement the songs from the film. On 1 March 2011, '' The Wizard of Oz'' opened at The Palladium Theatre, starring Hope as Dorothy and Michael Crawford as the Wizard. In 2012, Lloyd Webber fronted a new ITV primetime show '' Superstar'' which gave the UK public the chance to decide who would play the starring role of Jesus in an arena tour of '' Jesus Christ Superstar''. The arena tour started in September 2012 and also starred comedian Tim Minchin as Judas Iscariot, former Spice Girl Melanie C as Mary Magdalene and
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance ...
DJ Chris Moyles as King Herod. Tickets for most venues went on sale on 18 May 2012. In 2013, Lloyd Webber reunited with
Christopher Hampton Sir Christopher James Hampton ( Horta, Azores, 26 January 1946) is a British playwright, screenwriter, translator and film director. He is best known for his play ''Les Liaisons Dangereuses'' based on the novel of the same name and the film ...
and Don Black on ''
Stephen Ward the Musical ''Stephen Ward'' is a musical with a book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The musical is based on the 1963 Profumo affair involving the War Minister John Profumo and the socialite Stephen War ...
''. For his next project, a 2015
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...
adaptation of the 2003 film '' School of Rock'', auditions were held for children aged nine to fifteen in cooperation with the School of Rock music education program, which predated the film by several years. In April 2016, the English National Opera staged a revival of '' Sunset Boulevard'' at the London Coliseum. The limited run, semi-staged production directed by Lonny Price brought Glenn Close to reprise her star turn as "Norma Desmond", which was her first time performing the role in London; she had originated the role in Los Angeles in December 1993 and then on Broadway in November 1994 (which won her the 1995 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical). The 2016 London revival was so well-received that the production transferred to the Palace Theatre on Broadway in February 2017, making Lloyd Webber the first musical-theatre composer since 1953 to have four musicals running simultaneously on Broadway – a feat that his heroes Rodgers and Hammerstein had previously achieved. Lloyd Webber's memoir, ''Unmasked'', was published in 2018. On 9 September 2018, Lloyd Webber, along with Tim Rice and John Legend each won an Emmy for '' Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert''. With this win, Lloyd Webber, Rice and Legend joined the list of people who have won Academy, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Awards. Lloyd Webber wrote the song "
Beautiful Ghosts "Beautiful Ghosts", alternatively titled "Beautiful Ghosts (From the Motion Picture ''Cats'')", is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from the 2019 ''Cats'' film adaptation, in which Swift played Bombalurina. The song was written ...
" with
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bo ...
for the film adaptation of ''Cats'', produced by Greg Wells and released in December 2019. In an interview in August 2020, Lloyd Webber called the film "ridiculous" in the ways that it changed the musical: "The problem with the film was that Tom Hooper decided that he didn't want anybody involved in it who was involved in the original show." He said that seeing the film caused him to get a dog.Lang, Brent
"Andrew Lloyd Webber on Broadway's Reopening, ''Cinderella'' and Why the ''Cats'' Movie Caused Him to Buy a Dog"
''Variety'', 10 October 2021


2020s

Lloyd Webber's new version of '' Cinderella'' opened at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in the West End in 2021. The opening, which was originally set to take place in August 2020, was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on a book by Emerald Fennell, Lloyd Webber wrote: "Emerald Fennell has written something truly exciting and original, and the moment I read her outline I knew I'd found my latest collaborator." He garnered press attention in July 2021 for saying that he was "prepared to be arrested" to open ''Cinderella'' to full houses in spite of rising Covid cases and in defiance of Government advice. A 2021 feature in '' Variety'' suggested:


Accusations of plagiarism

Among the accusations of plagiarism that Lloyd Webber has received, the Dutch composer
Louis Andriessen Louis Joseph Andriessen (; 6 June 1939 – 1 July 2021) was a Dutch composer, pianist and academic teacher. Considered the most influential Dutch composer of his generation, he was a central proponent of The Hague school of composition. Althoug ...
stated that he: "has yet to think up a single note; in fact, the poor guy's never invented one note by himself. That's rather poor". Lloyd Webber's biographer, John Snelson, acknowledged a similarity between the ''andante'' movement of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor and the '' Jesus Christ Superstar'' song " I Don't Know How to Love Him", but wrote that Lloyd Webber: An accusation of plagiarism regarded the 1971
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics an ...
album '' Meddle''. The sixth track of the album, "
Echoes Echoes may refer to: * Echo (phenomenon) Film and television * ''Echoes'' (2014 film), an American supernatural horror film * ''Echoes'' (miniseries), a 2022 Netflix original drama series * "Echoes" (''Fear Itself''), an episode of ''Fear Itse ...
", has a riff on which Lloyd Webber allegedly based the opening organ riff in " The Phantom of the Opera". The two riffs share very similar notes and the order of the notes played. Lloyd Webber's pipe organ riff from "Phantom of the Opera" plays D, C, C, B, A, then ascending A, B, C, C, D. Pink Floyd's "Echoes" plays C, C, B, A, A, then ascending A, A, B, C, C. Pink Floyd bassist and co-lead vocalist Roger Waters pointed this out and said it was "probably actionable", but stated he did not care to take it to court. Noting similarities between Lloyd Webber's " The Music of the Night" and a recurring melody in
Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini ( Lucca, 22 December 1858Bruxelles, 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long ...
's 1910 opera, '' La fanciulla del West'' (''The Girl of the Golden West''), in 1987 the Puccini estate filed a lawsuit against Lloyd Webber, accusing him of plagiarism. The case was settled out of court, but details were not released to the public. The songwriter Ray Repp claimed in a court case that Lloyd Webber had stolen a melody from his own song "Till You", but the court ruled in Lloyd Webber's favour.


Personal life

Lloyd Webber has been married three times. He married first Sarah Hugill on 24 July 1971 and they divorced on 14 November 1983. Together they had two children, a daughter and a son: * Imogen Lloyd Webber (born 31 March 1977) * Nicholas Lloyd Webber (born 2 July 1979) He then married English classical soprano Sarah Brightman on 22 March 1984 in
Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...
. He cast Brightman in the lead role in his musical '' The Phantom of the Opera'', among other notable roles. They divorced on 3 January 1990, but have remained close friends and have also continued to work together. Thirdly, he married
Madeleine Gurdon Madeleine Astrid Gurdon, Baroness Lloyd-Webber (born 30 November 1962) is an English horsewoman. She is married to theatrical impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber. Early life Madeleine "Gurtie" Gurdon was born in 1962 into a military family, one of fo ...
in
Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...
on 9 February 1991. They have three children, two sons and one daughter, all of whom were born in the same city: *Alastair Adam Lloyd Webber (born 3 May 1992) *William Richard Lloyd Webber (born 24 August 1993) *Isabella Aurora Lloyd Webber (born 30 April 1996). Lloyd Webber and his third wife Madeleine founded the Watership Down Stud in 1992. In 1996, they expanded their equestrian holdings by purchasing Kiltinan Castle Stud near Fethard in County Tipperary, Ireland. In a 1971 interview with ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', Lloyd Webber said he is an
agnostic Agnosticism is the view or belief that the existence of God, of the divine or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable. (page 56 in 1967 edition) Another definition provided is the view that "human reason is incapable of providing sufficien ...
. He also said he views Jesus as "one of the great figures of history". He is a lifelong supporter of London-based football club Leyton Orient F.C., just like his younger brother Julian. In late 2009, Lloyd Webber had surgery for early-stage prostate cancer, but had to be readmitted to hospital with post-operative infection in November. In January 2010, he declared he was cancer-free. He had his prostate completely removed as a preventive measure.


Wealth

The ''
Sunday Times Rich List 2006 The ''Sunday Times Rich List'' is a list of the 1,000 wealthiest people or families resident in the United Kingdom ranked by net wealth. The list is updated annually in April and published as a magazine supplement by British national Sunday news ...
'' ranked him the 87th-richest person in Britain with an estimated fortune of £700 million. His wealth increased to £750 million in 2007, but the publication ranked him 101st in 2008. ''The Sunday Times'' Rich List of 2019 saw him ranked the richest musician in the UK (overtaking
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
) with a fortune of £820 million. He lives at
Sydmonton Court Sydmonton Court is an English country house in Hampshire. Built and developed over the centuries, it is surrounded by a 5,000 acre estate, in the parish of Ecchinswell, Sydmonton and Bishops Green, near Watership Down. The house has been listed ...
, Hampshire, and owns much of nearby
Watership Down ''Watership Down'' is an adventure novel by English author Richard Adams, published by Rex Collings Ltd of London in 1972. Set in Berkshire in southern England, the story features a small group of rabbits. Although they live in their natural ...
. Lloyd Webber is an art collector, with a passion for Victorian painting. An exhibition of works from his collection was presented at the
Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...
in 2003 under the title ''Pre-Raphaelite and Other Masters – The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection''. In 2006, Lloyd Webber planned to sell '' Portrait of Angel Fernández de Soto'' by
Pablo Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...
to benefit the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation. In November 2006, he withdrew the painting from auction after a claim that the previous owner had been forced to sell it under duress in
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
. An out-of-court settlement was reached, where the foundation retained ownership rights. On 23 June 2010, the painting was sold at auction for £34.7 million to an anonymous telephone bidder.


Politics

Lloyd Webber was made a Conservative
life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...
in 1997; however by the end of 2015, he had voted only 33 times. Politically, Lloyd Webber has supported the UK's
Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...
, allowing his song "
Take That Look Off Your Face "Take That Look Off Your Face" is the title of a hit song by musical theatre composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. Collaborating with lyricist Don Black, it was written for the song cycle show ''Tell Me on a Sunday'' in 1978. It was sung and released by ...
" to be used on a party promotional film seen by an estimated 1 million people before the 2005 general election. In August 2014, Lloyd Webber was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'' opposing Scottish independence in the run-up to September's referendum on that issue. In October 2015, Lloyd Webber was involved in a contentious House of Lords vote over proposed cuts to tax credits, voting with the Government in favour of the plan. Lloyd Webber was denounced by his critics because he flew in from abroad on his personal plane to vote, when his voting record was scant. In October 2017, Lloyd Webber retired from the
House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...
, stating that his busy schedule was incompatible with the demands of Parliament considering the upcoming crucial
Brexit Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the Withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 Greenwich Mean Time, GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 Central Eur ...
legislation. In July 2021, he told '' Good Morning Britain'' that he would never vote for the Conservatives again, due to their handling of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
and poor treatment of the arts sector during that time.


Awards and honours

Lloyd Webber was appointed
Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are ...
in the 1992 Birthday Honours for services to the arts. In the 1997 New Year Honours he was created a
life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...
as Baron Lloyd-Webber, of Sydmonton in the
County of Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshir ...
. He is properly styled as The Lord Lloyd-Webber; the title is hyphenated, although his surname is not. He sat as a Conservative member of the
House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...
until his retirement from the House on 17 October 2017.


Theatre credits

''Note: Music composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber unless otherwise noted.'' * '' The Likes of Us'' (1965) *: Lyrics by
Tim Rice Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944) is an English lyricist and author. He is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote, among other shows, ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', ...
*: Book by Leslie Thomas *: Not produced until 2005 * ''
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' (often colloquially known as ''Joseph'') is a sung-through musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the character of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. ...
'' (1968) *: Lyrics by Tim Rice * '' Jesus Christ Superstar'' (1970) *: Lyrics by Tim Rice * ''
Jeeves Jeeves (born Reginald Jeeves, nicknamed Reggie) is a fictional character in a series of comedic short stories and novels by English author P. G. Wodehouse. Jeeves is the highly competent valet of a wealthy and idle young Londoner named Berti ...
'' (1975) *: Book and lyrics by
Alan Ayckbourn Sir Alan Ayckbourn (born 12 April 1939) is a prolific British playwright and director. He has written and produced as of 2021, more than eighty full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director o ...
*: Revised in 1996 as ''By Jeeves'' * '' Evita'' (1976) *: Lyrics by Tim Rice * ''
Tell Me on a Sunday ''Tell Me on a Sunday'' is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Don Black. A one-woman show, it has been performed by a number of female singers/actors, most notably Marti Webb and Bernadette Peters. A one-act song cycl ...
'' (1979) *: Lyrics by Don Black * ''
Cats The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members o ...
'' (1981) *: Lyrics based on ''Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats'' by T. S. Eliot *: Additional lyrics after Eliot by Richard Stilgoe and
Trevor Nunn Sir Trevor Robert Nunn (born 14 January 1940) is a British theatre director. He has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed dramas ...
* ''
Song and Dance ''Song and Dance'' is a musical comprising two acts, one told entirely in " Song" and one entirely in "Dance", tied together by a unifying love story. The "Song" act is '' Tell Me on a Sunday'', with lyrics by Don Black and music by Andrew ...
'' (1982) *: Lyrics by Don Black (revised by
Richard Maltby Jr. Richard Eldridge Maltby Jr. (born October 6, 1937) is an American theatre director and producer, lyricist, and screenwriter. He conceived and directed the only two musical revues to win the Tony Award for Best Musical: '' Ain't Misbehavin (1 ...
for Broadway) *: Combination of ''
Variations Variation or Variations may refer to: Science and mathematics * Variation (astronomy), any perturbation of the mean motion or orbit of a planet or satellite, particularly of the moon * Genetic variation, the difference in DNA among individua ...
'' (1978) and ''
Tell Me on a Sunday ''Tell Me on a Sunday'' is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Don Black. A one-woman show, it has been performed by a number of female singers/actors, most notably Marti Webb and Bernadette Peters. A one-act song cycl ...
'' (1979) * '' Starlight Express'' (1984) *:Lyrics by Richard Stilgoe *:Later revisions by Don Black and David Yazbek *:Inspired by ''
The Railway Series ''The Railway Series'' is a series of British books about a railway known as the North Western Railway, located on the fictional Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first published in May 1945 by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry. T ...
'' books by The Rev. W. Awdry. *''
Cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...
'' (1986) *:Lyrics by Tim Rice *: First performed for
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
's 60th birthday * '' The Phantom of the Opera'' (1986) *: Lyrics by Charles Hart *: Additional Lyrics by Richard Stilgoe *: Book by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber *: Based on the novel by Gaston Leroux * '' Aspects of Love'' (1989) *: Lyrics by Don Black and Charles Hart *: Book by Andrew Lloyd Webber *: Based on the David Garnett novel * '' Sunset Boulevard'' (1993) *: Book and lyrics by
Christopher Hampton Sir Christopher James Hampton ( Horta, Azores, 26 January 1946) is a British playwright, screenwriter, translator and film director. He is best known for his play ''Les Liaisons Dangereuses'' based on the novel of the same name and the film ...
and Don Black *: Based on the
Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-American filmmaker. His career in Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Classic Holly ...
film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...
(1950) * '' Whistle Down the Wind ''(1996) *: Lyrics by Jim Steinman *: Book by Patricia Knop, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Gale Edwards * '' The Beautiful Game'' (2000) *: Book and lyrics by Ben Elton *: Updated as '' The Boys in the Photograph'' (2009) * '' The Woman in White'' (2004) *: Lyrics by David Zippel *: Book by Charlotte Jones *: Based on the Wilkie Collins novel *: Based on elements of the short story ''
The Signal-Man "The Signal-Man" is a first-person horror/mystery story by Charles Dickens, first published as part of the '' Mugby Junction'' collection in the 1866 Christmas edition of '' All the Year Round''. The railway signal-man of the title tells the n ...
'' by
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...
Austin, Jeremy (2004). "Interview with Andrew Lloyd Webber". ''The Woman in White: Education Pack''. pg 14 * '' Love Never Dies'' (2010) *: Book & Lyrics by
Glenn Slater Glenn Slater (born January 28, 1968) is an American lyricist for musical theatre. He has collaborated with Alan Menken, Christopher Lennertz, Andrew Lloyd Webber, among other composers. He was nominated for three Tony Awards for Best Original ...
*: Book by Ben Elton & Frederick Forsyth *: Additional lyrics by Charles Hart * '' The Wizard of Oz'' (2011) *: Book by Andrew Lloyd Webber & Jeremy Sams *: Music by Harold Arlen *: Lyrics by E.Y. Harburg *: Additional music by Andrew Lloyd Webber *: Additional lyrics by Tim Rice *: Based on the 1939 motion picture '' The Wizard of Oz'' *: Based on the 1900 novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' by L. Frank Baum * '' Stephen Ward'' (2013) *: Book and lyrics by
Christopher Hampton Sir Christopher James Hampton ( Horta, Azores, 26 January 1946) is a British playwright, screenwriter, translator and film director. He is best known for his play ''Les Liaisons Dangereuses'' based on the novel of the same name and the film ...
and Don Black * '' School of Rock'' (2015) *: Lyrics by
Glenn Slater Glenn Slater (born January 28, 1968) is an American lyricist for musical theatre. He has collaborated with Alan Menken, Christopher Lennertz, Andrew Lloyd Webber, among other composers. He was nominated for three Tony Awards for Best Original ...
*: Book by Julian Fellowes *: Based on the 2003 film * '' Cinderella'' (2021) *: Lyrics by David Zippel *: Book by Emerald Fennell *: Based on the classic story


Film adaptations

There have been a number of film adaptations of Lloyd Webber's musicals: '' Jesus Christ Superstar'' (1973), directed by Norman Jewison; '' Evita'' (1996), directed by Alan Parker; '' The Phantom of the Opera'' (2004), directed by
Joel Schumacher Joel T. Schumacher (; August 29, 1939June 22, 2020) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Raised in New York City by his mother, Schumacher graduated from Parsons School of Design and originally became a fashion designer. H ...
and co-produced by Lloyd Webber; and ''
Cats The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members o ...
'' (2019), directed by Tom Hooper and executive produced by Lloyd Webber. ''
Cats The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members o ...
'' (1998), ''
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' (often colloquially known as ''Joseph'') is a sung-through musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the character of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. ...
'' (1999), '' Jesus Christ Superstar'' (2000) and ''
By Jeeves ''By Jeeves'', originally ''Jeeves'', is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and lyrics and book by Alan Ayckbourn. It is based on the series of novels and short stories by P. G. Wodehouse that centre around the character of Bertie Woost ...
'' (2001) have been adapted into made-for-television films that have been released on DVD and VHS and often air on BBC. A special performance of '' The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall'' for the 25th anniversary was broadcast live to cinemas in early October 2011 and later released on DVD and Blu-ray in February 2012. The same was also done with a reworked version of ''Love Never Dies''. Filmed in Melbourne, Australia, it received a limited cinema release in the US and Canada in 2012, to see if it would be viable to bring the show to Broadway.


Other works

*'' The Odessa File'' (1974) – Film score. *''
Variations Variation or Variations may refer to: Science and mathematics * Variation (astronomy), any perturbation of the mean motion or orbit of a planet or satellite, particularly of the moon * Genetic variation, the difference in DNA among individua ...
'' (1978) – A set of musical variations on Niccolò Paganini's Caprice in A minor that Lloyd Webber composed for his brother, cellist Julian. This album featured fifteen rock musicians including guitarist Gary Moore and pianist Rod Argent and reached number 2 in the UK album chart upon its release. It was later combined with ''
Tell Me on a Sunday ''Tell Me on a Sunday'' is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Don Black. A one-woman show, it has been performed by a number of female singers/actors, most notably Marti Webb and Bernadette Peters. A one-act song cycl ...
'' to form one show, ''
Song and Dance ''Song and Dance'' is a musical comprising two acts, one told entirely in " Song" and one entirely in "Dance", tied together by a unifying love story. The "Song" act is '' Tell Me on a Sunday'', with lyrics by Don Black and music by Andrew ...
''. Lloyd Webber also used variation five as the basis for '' Unexpected Song'' in Song and Dance. The main theme is used as the theme music to '' The South Bank Show''. *''
Requiem A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead ( la, Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead ( la, Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, ...
'' (1985) – A classical choral work composed in honour of his father, William. *''
Watership Down ''Watership Down'' is an adventure novel by English author Richard Adams, published by Rex Collings Ltd of London in 1972. Set in Berkshire in southern England, the story features a small group of rabbits. Although they live in their natural ...
'' (1999) – Lloyd Webber and Mike Batt, main soundtrack composer of the animated series adaptation of Richard Adams' novel of the same name, composed the song "Fields of Sun". The actual song was never used on the show, nor was it available on the CD soundtrack that was released at the time. He was however still credited for the unused song in the show's opening titles.


Discography

Musicals and show recordings * '' The Likes of Us'' (1965) * ''
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' (often colloquially known as ''Joseph'') is a sung-through musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the character of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. ...
'' (1968) * '' Jesus Christ Superstar'' (1970) * ''
Jeeves Jeeves (born Reginald Jeeves, nicknamed Reggie) is a fictional character in a series of comedic short stories and novels by English author P. G. Wodehouse. Jeeves is the highly competent valet of a wealthy and idle young Londoner named Berti ...
'' (1975) * '' Evita'' (1976) * ''
Tell Me on a Sunday ''Tell Me on a Sunday'' is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Don Black. A one-woman show, it has been performed by a number of female singers/actors, most notably Marti Webb and Bernadette Peters. A one-act song cycl ...
'' (1979) * ''
Cats The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members o ...
'' (1981) * ''
Song and Dance ''Song and Dance'' is a musical comprising two acts, one told entirely in " Song" and one entirely in "Dance", tied together by a unifying love story. The "Song" act is '' Tell Me on a Sunday'', with lyrics by Don Black and music by Andrew ...
'' (1982) * '' Starlight Express'' (1984) * '' The Phantom of the Opera'' (1986) * '' Aspects of Love'' (1989) * '' Sunset Boulevard'' (1993) * '' Whistle Down the Wind'' (1998) * '' The Beautiful Game'' (2000) * '' The Woman in White'' (2004) * '' Love Never Dies'' (2010) * '' The Wizard of Oz'' (2011) * '' Stephen Ward'' (2013) * '' School of Rock'' (2015) *'' Cinderella'' (2021) Other albums * ''
Variations Variation or Variations may refer to: Science and mathematics * Variation (astronomy), any perturbation of the mean motion or orbit of a planet or satellite, particularly of the moon * Genetic variation, the difference in DNA among individua ...
'' (1978) * ''Variations with London Philharmonic Orchestra'' (1986) * ''Symphonic Suites'' (2021)


See also

* ''
View of Geelong :''Throughout this article, the $ symbol refers to the Australian dollar.'' ''View of Geelong'' is an 1856 oil painting on canvas by Eugene von Guerard. The painting measures 154.5 x 89cm and is owned by the Geelong Art Gallery in Victoria, ...
'', 1856 painting once owned by Lloyd Webber


References


Further reading

* ''Pre-Raphaelite and Other Masters: The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection'' – Royal Academy of Arts, London 2003 * ''Cats on a Chandelier'' – Coveney, M (1999), Hutchinson, London * ''Oh What a Circus'' – Rice, Tim (1999), Hodder & Stoughton, London * ''Andrew Lloyd Webber'' – Snelson, John (2004), Yale University Press, New Haven CT. * ''Andrew Lloyd Webber: His Life and Works'' – Walsh, Michael (1989, revised and expanded, 1997), Abrams: New York


External links

*
Biography
at the Really Useful Group * *

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lloyd Webber, Andrew 1948 births Living people 20th-century English composers 21st-century English composers Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford Alumni of the Royal College of Music Best Original Song Academy Award-winning songwriters Brit Award winners British ballet composers British male songwriters Broadway composers and lyricists Broadway theatre producers Composers awarded knighthoods Conservative Party (UK) life peers Conservative Party (UK) people Drama Desk Award winners English agnostics English art collectors English billionaires English film score composers English male composers English male film score composers English memoirists English musical theatre composers English opera composers English philanthropists English racehorse owners and breeders English record producers English songwriters English television personalities English theatre directors English theatre managers and producers Golden Globe Award-winning musicians Grammy Award winners Grammy Legend Award winners Ivor Novello Award winners Kennedy Center honorees Knights Bachelor Laurence Olivier Award winners Lloyd Webber family Male musical theatre composers Male opera composers Musicians awarded knighthoods Musicians from London Musicians who were peers Oratorio composers People educated at Westminster School, London People from Kensington People involved in plagiarism controversies Primetime Emmy Award winners Recipients of the Praemium Imperiale Sony Classical Records artists Special Tony Award recipients Television personalities from London Tony Award winners