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Was there ever a composer so clever as musical Mr. Andrew Lloyd Webber? Fresh off of a purrrfect opening night for CATS: The Jellicle Ball, the musical theatre living legend sat with BroadwayWorld’s very own Richard Ridge to discuss the beloved (and now critically acclaimed) show’s enduring legacy.
“Ever since I was a kid, I always dreamt of being a theatre composer,” he explained. “And of course, even though I’m a Brit, Broadway is where I wanted to be, because Broadway is the home of musicals.
“I’ve been worried. I remember Hal Prince saying to me before he passed, that there was a time when fantastic new work got onto Broadway and that there was a time when it was really innovative… and he was really worried about the fact that it is very difficult to put on new, very innovative work 1775898842. I just kept thinking last night… ‘What would Hal have made of this?'”
The musical theatre scene in New York City was very different when Cats first arrived in 1982. Did the original production save Broadway? He thinks not… but Lloyd Webber is proud of the disturbance his shows have caused.
“I have always passionately believed that you should want to break down barriers. That’s one of the things I when I first came on the scene with Jesus Christ Superstar, it was that was what I wanted to do. I’m tremendously proud of Masquerade (the immersive Phantom), because I don’t think there’s anything like it anywhere. And here in New York, there is now Masquerade! I enjoy doing something completely different.”
With two innovative revivals currently playing in New York City, fans can’t help but wonder what’s coming next. He revealed that two new musicals are now in development. Will Jamie Lloyd’s Evita, which took London by storm last year, make the transfer? Fans will have to wait to find out.
Until then, Lloyd Webber is enjoying the positivity radiating from the Broadhurst Theatre. “For me, to see it performed in the way that it is, by a young cast who maybe had never thought that they would be on Broadway… I mean, it is overwhelming. I’m just very, very proud to be a small part of it.”
