Success story of andrew lloyd webber

Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber is the first composer to have more than one musical performing back to back on broadway. He has more than two of his shows run for more than 10 years in the West End and on Broadway. Webber grew up in England with his music director father and pianist mother whom influenced his brother, a cellist, and himself. He began playing instruments at the age of 3 with the guidance and encouragement of his parents. With compassion and determination well on through his adult life, he created many shows we still see today. Shows like Cats, The Phantom of the Opera and Starlight Express have become sellouts because of Lloyd Webber and his legacy still remains. At one point, people considered Lloyd Webber to be the talk of Broadway. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hardwork in Cats, Starlight Express, and The Phantom of the Opera, with the help of many others, shows his progression and has shaped him into the successful person he is today.

Cats was first ran in 1982 with Lloyd Webber as both the playwright and composer. It brought in a massive audience and loads of money. At first glance, Cats was underrated with no real relevant plot. The help of Lloyd Webber’s innovative melodies, enhanced the show which brought it to life. Cats was a different type of experience with a plethora of dance numbers and intriguing costumes. How intriguing can cat costumes really be though? It did not matter, it was something no one has seen or thought of before. Conductor Lorin Maazel states Lloyd Webber’s work to be a great talent and even genius. In 2000, Cats closed on Broadway as the longest-running show in American theatre history.

Watching people dressed up as cats while hearing them sing does not sound like a hit. No one would have thought Cats would become the longest running show in history, until another show surpassed it later on. However, Lloyd Webber was determined along with the help of director Trevor Nunn and choreographer Gillian Lynne. Even if they were to fail, ultimately, they at least attempted something never done Katelyn Legaspi Theatre 2000 2 October 2018 before. Even if the show was a bust, theatre goers were still talking about it to their friends and those friends to their other friends. Lloyd created the hit song “ Memory” played in Cats which becomes the icing on the cake for the whole show. With the platform Lloyd Webber has gained now, we can expect him to put in more elbow grease for his upcoming ideas. Audiences will trust Lloyd Webber has big things in store for the future. Lloyd Webber has done it again with another astonishing show. This British production began in 1984 before hitting Broadway in 1987. Running Seven-hundred and sixty-one performances at the Gershwin Theatre, you could say it was a success. However, we cannot give all the credit to Lloyd Webber. With the help of Richard Stilgoe and Don Black as the lyricists plus Arlene Phillips as the choreographer, the four produced such a meaningful musical. To say the least, Starlight Express is about a nine-year old boy’s dream about his little toy trains that gather together for a competition around America. This show is the second longest running musical in the history of London theater.

The set is definitely one to remember and the most costly. The set is post modern with constructed lanes and a bridge that can maneuver any direction. The showstopper and center of the stage is the carousel. Overall the show is what you can expect any show associated with Lloyd Webber to be, a unique experience. At this time, many knew if Lloyd Webber composed the show, it had to be seen. Finally, the show that surpassed Cats as the longest running show, Lloyd Webber’s famous Phantom of the Opera. A remarkable and unforgettable show that tops the charts, Phantom takes that trophy. We have a mysterious and thrillful storyline. The masked Phantom lives inside the opera house all his life and falls in love with Christine, a ballet dancer who is recently discovered to sing very well. The Phantom’s presence lingers around the opera house and it only gets worse when the new opera house owners arrive along with the Vicomte Raoul.

In other words he is like a sponsor for the opera house. Raoul is revealed to be Christine’s old childhood friend. Audiences get a delight out of stories like this, a tense romantic one. We have the Phantom desperately loving yet casting a spell over Christine which makes her do anything he commands. He is devoted to her and revolutionizing her voice. Meanwhile, Raoul is trying to win her over and break her free. One memorable scene is where the Phantom empowers the chandelier to come crashing down in a fit of rage. The movie Titanic is relatable, where Rose and Jack’s attachment gets interfered with Caledon. Additionally we have Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, where Romeo and Juliet’s love is affected by their family. Typical love story with conflict is always an enjoyment. Adding Lloyd Webber’s stellar original songs make the show booming with business. Like the “ Music of the Night” and “ All I ask of you” numbers are favorites outside of the musical itself. The corresponding soundtrack is beyond words. In another perspective, people appreciate a good sob story. Understanding the Phantom’s past, we can only conclude he hurts others because he has been hurt.

Lloyd has come along way from Cats to Phantom. From Cats, to Starlight Express and finally Phantom we can determine Lloyd Webber has a lot of experience under his belt. Lloyd has developed his genius work overtime and we get to be apart of the journey. Cats was one of his first plays and his first success. Curiosity led this show to fame. This show had many questionable elements especially to its purpose but Lloyd Webber and other co-helpers refused to let it die. We then received Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar in the 1970s which really helped Lloyd Webber’s reputation on Broadway. Making hits after hits the shows only get better and better.

Next the Starlight Express in 1984 becoming one of Broadway’s most expensive productions with an active set. A fun, upbeat rock musical. Basically a musical about trains which is the eighth longest running musical. Lastly, we have the Katelyn Legaspi Theatre 2000 2 October 2018 prominent Phantom of the Opera. A timeless story which won over seventy awards has been seen by millions. Furthermore, Phantom earned a sequel ‘ Love Never Dies’ in 2010. Another fun musical like Starlight Express is School of Rock. Created in 2015, School of Rock is about an adult and his dream of rock n roll. He gets fired but acts as a substitute teacher for an elementary school and enlightens the students about hard rock. A light-hearted musical that is a family favorite.

Each show has an inspiration, where the ideas originated from. Lloyd Webber used the book ‘ Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats’ and the poetry written by T. S. Eliot for the musical Cats. Starlight expressed was influenced by a trip Lloyd Webber had taken with his children. The songs he developed comes from many different genres like jazz and rock n roll. The Phantom of the Opera was fabricated from the French novel Le Fantome de L’Opera by Gaston Leroux.

Lloyd Webber has taken these visions and created some of the most famous musicals. Some of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s accomplishments include his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has won an Emmy award, Oscar award, Grammy award, Golden Globes award, Tony award and many more. Lloyd Webber now owns six theatres. These awards have been individually won as in not for a group category. Now 70, Lloyd Webber has established and lived such a professional theatrical career, successfully through his musicals. As Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote into Love Never Dies, “ Love never dies, love will continue,” just like our love for Lloyd Webber’s works will simply never die.