Andrew Lloyd Webber renames Really Useful Theatres

Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Theatres  is to be renamed LW Theatres (Lloyd Webber Theatres) from today in an effort to end any confusion between the theatre division and the Really Useful Group which handles Lord Lloyd Webber's creative output.

Lloyd Webber's six West End theatres which include the London Palladium, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Cambridge Theatre and the newly renamed Gillian Lynne Theatre  will all keep their titles.

Rebecca Kane Burton, the managing director of LW Theatres said: "The change will help the theatre company communicate directly and more effectively with a wider public and the business world."

Andrew Lloyd Webber on BBC Radio2 This Sunday

Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber is deputising for Elaine Paige on her BBC Radio 2 show this Sunday from 1:00 pm.

He is sharing songs and secrets from his own career and collaborations, the musicals which he grew up with, the shows which have inspired him and those he wishes he had been involved with from the West End and Broadway. Plus he is promising to share a few musical theatre secrets. Maybe about his new hit Broadway musical  School of Rock which he is planning to open in London?

Andrew Lloyd Webber to acquire St James's Theatre for new musicals try out

After workshopping his new musical SCHOOL OF ROCK at New York's Gramercy Theatre, Andrew Lloyd Webber is keen to secure a permanent space in the UK to try out new musicals.

According to today's Mail, Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group is close to acquiring the St James Theatre in Westminster saying "It would be great to have a space to try out shows in London," . Commenting on SCHOOL OF ROCK's Broadway run, he added: "I had slightly forgotten what it was like to have a hit in New York, I must say."

SCHOOL OF ROCK - THE MUSICAL just opened on Broadway and announced its opening at the London Palladium next  Autumn  followed by a tour across the U.S.

Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40 Musical Years TV Special

Updated 18th March:  ITV has just recorded a 90 minute special to celebrate Andrew Lloyd Webber's 40 years in the business.

It was hosted by Michael Ball and  featured Nicole Scherzinger (singing Don't Cry For Me Argentina from Evita), The Bodyguard's Heather Headley (Cats: Memory) Myleene Klass (Bombay Dreams:Shakalaka Baby), Samantha Barks (Evita: Another Suitcase In Another Hall),  Sierra Boggess (Phantom:All I Ask of You duet with Michael Ball), Kimberley Walsh and  Denise Van Outen (duet Tell Me On A Sunday: Take That Look of Your Face with Strictly's Pasha dancing) and  Il Divo (finale appearance) performing special versions of some of Andrew’s greatest hits including songs from Cats , The Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar (Tim Minchin, Ben Forster, Chris Moyles and Melanie C) and Tell Me On A Sunday. There was also a performance by classical guitarist Milos from Andrew’s new West End musical Stephen Ward which is about the Profumo scandal.

 Andrew Lloyd Webber demanded that the show be fun and action-packed saying: “I was flattered when ITV approached me about a 90-minute special, but I said I would only do it if it was not some po-faced tribute to a bloke who's about to collect his bus pass.I also said it must include the wet sari number from Bombay Dreams! I still don’t know what I’m letting myself in for, especially as Simon Cowell has filmed an interview for the show.”

John Kaye Cooper who is controller of entertainment at ITV said: “Andrew’s contribution to musical theatre is unrivalled.We are delighted to be celebrating his four decades in the West End with an evening that promises some spectacular performances and a deeper insight into the man himself.”

The cameras went behind the scenes film Andrew’s working life speaking to friends and colleagues, including Simon Cowell, Michael Caine, Alex Ferguson and David Essex.

The finale featuredMichael Ball singing Love Changes Everything accompanied by a chorus of children from London’s Highbury Grove School. Michael also interviewd Andrew and asked his followers on Twitter to send him some questions on what they would like to know. During this Q & A session ALW confirmed that Love Never Dies will return.

The show will be televised on Easter Sunday (March 31st) from 6:30-8:00 pm.

Update on Andrew Lloyd Webber New Stephen Ward/Profumo Affair Musical

Updated 19th December: Lord Lloyd Webber has told  The Globe and Mail today that his new musical on the Proumo Affair will reunite him with lyricist Don Black and playwright Christopher Hampton who were the team behind Sunset Boulevard.

On the Jonathon Ross Show last Saturday Andrew Lloyd Webber said he had just been at his home in Majorca working on a couple of songs for his new musical about the Profumo affair.

He also said that the difficult part was getting the structure together saying “It’s a matter of getting the shape, making it dramatically secure. One problem is how to handle the suicide.” and he has now told The Times that the show could explore a “terrible miscarriage of justice” involved in the case.

He expressed sympathy for Stephen Ward (pictured) who introduced Christine Keeler to John Profumo which led to a sensational political sex scandal. Ward was accused of living off immoral earnings and killed himself by taking an overdose of sleeping tablets.

Lloyd Webber said “He was a scapegoat. They had to find a crime to fit him. And since MI6 said there was no security risk, why is it a closed file till 2046?”

Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Gary Barlow to write new song for Queen's Diamond Jubilee

Gary Barlow and Andrew Lloyd Webber have just made an announcement on the Chris Evans Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 that they are working together to write a new song for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee which will culminate in a special performance at the concert which Gary is putting together for 4th June.

Gary is writing the first draft of the lyrics with Andrew writing the music.  They have not yet come up name(s) for the main artist(s) who will record the song.

They are only just starting to work on the piece but they have revealed that once the song is written Gary  is planning to travel all over the Commonwealth (including the Solomon Islands, Jamaica,etc) to record and film unique musicians to be included on the track. Gary's travels are also being made into a documentary for BBC1.

Andrew Lloyd Webber describes 2012 Olympics as West End Bloodbath

In an interview with the BBC Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber described the period of the 2012 Olympics as causing a "blood bath in London's West End".

"Nobody's going to go to the theatre at all" the composer told Radio 4's Today programme, predicting that "most of the theatres in London will shut. It's going to be very tough" he said, revealing advance bookings were "about 10%" of their normal level."

With moving around the capital being very difficult and tourists not buying theatre tickets over that period,  he said he knows of three large musical which will close during the Games and only the established "must sees" and "oldies" like Les Miserables, War Horse and Phantom of the Opera should attract enough business be able remain open.

On a more positive note  Lloyd Webber said a host of new musicals would arrive in the West End after the 2012 games including Viva Forever about the Spice Girls which has been written by Jennifer Saunders, Bridget Jones the Musical which stars Sheridan Smith with music by Lily Allen and the Tony award-winning The Book of Mormon.

No more reality TV casting for Andrew Lloyd Webber

Last weekend Andrew Lloyd Webber was involved with three special gala performances of The Phantom of the Opera which was celebrating its 25th Anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall 

He  is refusing to return as a television judge to cast his new shows because he says reality TV is finished. How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, Any Dream Will Do and Over The Rainbow were television shows created to cast the leads in his shows The Sound of Music, Joseph and The Wizard of Oz, but he now believes that talent shows have reached saturation point saying "It's great to do telly and I love working with young people. I absolutely adore it. It's terrific to feel there are all sorts of kids who have been influenced to go to musical theatre. But I think the reality shows are at saturation point and probably what proves that is what has happened to X Factor in America."

He added:"I'm rather glad I didn't get involved in American TV, which I was asked to do. I just think it is all going to simply go wrong and I would quite like to come back and do something when I really feel there is a role I would want to cast."

Nicole Scherzinger singing Love Never Dies

If you didn’t listen to the Chris Evans Breakfast Show on BBC Radio2 this morning when his guest was Andrew Lloyd Webber, then make sure you catch it later when it's available on the BBC website as there is a real treat in store with a world exclusive of a recording of the theme tune from Love Never Dies ALW made with Nicole Scherzinger over a year ago.

It’s fabulous and really showcases her voice. Hopefully she will release it on an album one day.

Hear  it on YouTube

Andrew Lloyd Webber on Chris Evans’ Breakfast Show on Friday

This Friday 1st April is Chris Evans 45th birthday. To mark the occasion he will be presenting a special Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 with Andrew Lloyd Webber joining him as co-presenter.

The show is broadcast from 06.30 – 09.30am with Andrew joining the show from around 08.15am.

Andrew Lloyd Webber on Piers Morgan Life Stories Tonight

A new series “When Piers met …” starts tonight and his first interview is with Andrew Lloyd Webber.  You can see it tonight at 9.10 pm on ITV1.

Apart from musical theatre, the Lord also discusses the effect prostate cancer has had on his life.  The documentary gets beneath the skin of Lord Lloyd Webber and reveals a side to him that’s never been seen before.

The programme takes Piers to Andrew Lloyd Webber's Mediterranean hideaway in Spain and then back to London’s West End and the opening of The Wizard of Oz.

Piers asks Lord Webber about his affair with singer Sarah Brightman with the show includes interviews with his wife Madeleine, daughter, brother Julian and friends Graham Norton, Arlene Phillips and Michael Ball

David Shannon & Jacqui Scott in The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber Concerts

Friday 1st April Birmingham Symphony Hall & Manchester Bridgewater Hall Saturday 9th April at 7:30 pm

Soloists: Robyn North, Jacqui Scott, Tim Rogers and David Shannon

This is a concert full of the best-loved songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s shows including Love Never Dies, The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Woman in White, Starlight Express, Aspects of Love, Jesus Christ Superstar, Whistle Down the Wind and Sunset Boulevard

Andrew Lloyd Webber pulls out of theatres sale

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s company has withdrawn from a deal to sell the Palace, Her Majesty's, the Cambridge and the New London Theatres to a consortium led by Michael Grade.

Mr Grade offered around £50m for the four theatres, but Lloyd-Webber's Really Useful Group announced yesterday that the deal had fallen through at the eleventh hour.

A statement released by RUG today says that while “both sides remain satisfied that the price was and is a fair reflection of the value of these theatres…At the eleventh hour, GradeLinnit raised issues relating to a long-standing contractual agreement between one of the theatres and a production company about a possible future production. GradeLinnit decided that they would not want to take this contract forward as owners of the theatre. The Really Useful Group has chosen to continue with the agreement and therefore the sale will not be going ahead.”

Sources close to Lloyd-Webber report that he is "delighted" that the theatres are to remain under his ownership, and when the sale was agreed in October he described it as "a totally gut-wrenching decision".

Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice on The Culture Show tomorrow

On Thursday 4th November The Culture Show has an exclusive interview with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice to celebrate the 40th anniversary of  the Jesus Christ Superstar concept album.

Andrew and Tim discuss their memories of making the album, and their thoughts on its continuing popularity and significance.

The interview will feature on The Culture Show on BBC2 at 7:00 pm this Thursday, 4th November.

Why Andrew Lloyd Webber Sold Four Theatres

As mentioned a couple of days ago,  Andrew Lloyd Webber is in the process of selling four of his theatres which have a a combined seating capacity of 4,900 seats and are referred to as “mid-sized” music houses.

This is a reluctant decision on his part but  mounting debts and health concerns have led to his agreeing a deal  which means he will part with the Palace, Her Majesty’s, the Cambridge and the New London Theatres by January 2011.

He underwent surgery for prostate cancer in 2009 and suffered post-surgical complications. He had to spend more time recuperating than he planned, delaying the Broadway transfer of “Love Never Dies” .

“It has been a totally gut-wrenching decision for me to decide to sell the four theatres. However, following my illness last year I was advised to reduce the debt in the family company” said the 62-year old composer talking about his decision.

GradeLinnit have bought the theatres and Lloyd Webber said: “I have agreed that the purchase price be reduced by five million pounds to enable GradeLinnit to invest this sum in the theatres, principally in the Palace. My commitment to composing, producing and Theatre ownership remains as strong as ever.”

His company RUG is retaining the ownership of the Palladium, Theatre Royal Drury Lane and its 50% interest in the Adelphi which they co-own with Nederlander. These theatres are larger in size with a combined seating capacity 6,100.

Lloyd Webber added: “It is particularly difficult for me as the New London was Cats’ home for 21 years and for nearly 25 years Her Majesty's has been and still is the home of The Phantom of the Opera. The Palace has huge personal associations and was described by John Betjeman as 'the only theatre architecture ... which climbs into the regions of a work of art'. I am particularly proud that over the 25 years that I have owned the Palace I have been able to restore the magnificent auditorium and the exterior thereby removing the huge neon advertising hoarding that defaced both the theatre and Cambridge Circus."


Really Useful Group chairman Mark Wordsworth claimed that ‘de-gearing’ RUG was seen as a possible way to reduce Andrew’s stress after his failing health and has left him unable to concentrate on the production of shows like ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and “Love Never Dies’

News on Sale of Four Andrew Lloyd Webber Theatres

The possible sale of four West End Theatres which are owned by Andrew Lloyd-Webber's Really Useful Group has been under discussion for several months and has yet to be confirmed, but a letter to staff yesterday suggests that the negotiations are nearing completion.

The Palace, New London, Cambridge and Her Majesty's are likely to be purchased to a consortium led by Michael Grade

A spokesperson for RUG confirmed that an agreement (believed to be in the region of £50 million) had now been reached between the parties for the sale of the four theatres, but stressed that final contracts were still yet to be signed.

Andre Ptaszynski, Chief executive of the Really Useful Group, wrote to staff yesterday with part of the letter saying: “The proposal is that staff currently employed by Really Useful Theatres Ltd, New London Theatre Properties Ltd, Palace Theatre London Ltd and New London Theatre Ltd would continue be employed by the same employer, albeit that the ownership of these companies would change”.

The plan is that the Really Useful Group will retain ownership of its three biggest theatres: the London Palladium, Theatre Royal Drury Lane and the Adelphi which is part-owned with Nederlander.

Michael Crawford and Andrew Lloyd Webber attending Phantom's 10,000th performance on Saturday

If you are going to this Saturday's matinee performance of The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London’s West End, don’t be surprised if you see Lord Lloyd Webber and the original Phantom Michael Crawford in the audience to mark the show’s 10,000 performance.

Scott Davies is currently playing the ghostly apparition with John Owen-Jones (who most recently played Jean Valjean in Les Miserables’  25th Anniversary Tour) due to take over the role on 1st November.



Michael Crawford is soon to work with Andrew Lloyd Webber again playing the Wizard in The Wizard of Oz which opens at the London Palladium next February,

Andrew Lloyd Webber to perform at his brother's 60th Birthday Gala Concert

Andrew  Lloyd Webber will give a rare public performance when he joins his brother Julian at the Royal Festival Hall next year on April 14th at a Gala Concert to celebrate his sixtieth birthday.

Julian will be joined by family and friends with Lord Melvyn Bragg hosting the gala where Dame Cleo Laine will be performing accompanied by musicians including Lord Lloyd Webber playing the piano, Tamsin Little, Jiaxin Cheng, Danielle De Niese and Eric Whitacre.

The programme will include All I Ask of You from The Phantom of the Opera, as well as Benedictus for the violin and organ composed by Andrew and Julian's late father William Lloyd Webber.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 0844 847 9910, or visit www.julianlloydwebber.co for more information.

Lloyd Webber selling off four theatres?

Michael Grade was the former chairman of ITV and BBC and he is now is reportedly negotiating the purchase of four West End theatres from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group
.
They are the New London (War Horse), Her Majesty’s (The Phantom of the Opera), Cambridge Theatre (Chicago) and the Palace Theatre (Priscilla Queen of the Desert).

According to the Sunday Times Grade and theatrical agent Michael Linnit (who made an unsuccessful bid for RUG’s theatres in 2005), have been discussing a £50 million deal for the past month.

If the deal goes through, it would leave RUG in ownership of the two larger musical playhouses: the London Palladium and the Theatre Royal Drury Lane where the highly anticipated the Wizard of Oz and Shrek the Musical are due to open next year,.

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice together again for The Wizard of Oz

Andrew Lloyd Webber is working with Tim Rice again for the first time in 34 years doing new songs for The Wizard Of Oz musical.

Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice were co-creators of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita but split up in the seventies when Rice wanted to do a musical about chess and Lloyd Webber was more interested in writing about cats.

Lloyd Webber says they have remained close over the years but have not found anything that they wanted to do together until now. He may have found his Dorothy in the form of Danielle Hope via his reality TV casting show Over the Rainbow, but he’s now got to fill a few holes in The Wizard Of Oz musical to get a show together as it opens at the London Palladium next February.

The Wizard Of Oz musical has never really worked in the theatre as it has some gaping holes: for example there are no songs for either of the two witches to sing.  Hopefully Lloyd Webber and his old writing partner Rice can remedy that along with other new songs/links which they know are needed.