Phantoms, wizards and cats – the triumphs and tribulations of Andrew Lloyd Webber...
THE HITS
Joseph And The Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat (1968) His first publicly performed musical, written with Tim Rice. Jason Donovan and Phillip Schofield starred in the most acclaimed productions at the Palladium in the Nineties.
Jesus Christ Superstar (1970) Ian Gillan of Deep Purple sang the lead for the concept album that preceded the musical.
Evita (1978) Based on Eva Peron’s life, Elaine Paige, below, played the lead.
Cats (1981) Based on TS Eliot poems, it is still London’s longest-running musical (21 years and counting). Reopens on Broadway soon. Starlight Express (1984) Rock musical about trains, performed on roller skates. Loathed by critics, loved by audiences, it has been on in Germany since 1988.
Requiem (1985) Mass written after the death of his father, William. Pie Jesu, sung by Sarah Brightman, was a hit and Requiem won a Grammy in 1986.
The Phantom Of The Opera (1986) Seen by 130 million people – still in the West End and on Broadway, where it’s the longest running musical ever.
...AND MISSES
Jeeves (1975) Musical based on the Jeeves and Wooster stories by PG Wodehouse. Closed after three weeks.
Whistle Down The Wind (1996) Short-lived musical written with Meat Loaf producer Jim Steinman, based on a film from 1961. Broadway opening was cancelled.
The Beautiful Game (2000) Ben Elton wrote the words for this musical about football-mad teenagers growing up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.
The Woman In White (2004) Ran for 18 months in London but less than three months on Broadway.
Love Never Dies (2009) Follow-up to Phantom was nowhere near the success of the original.
The Wizard Of Oz (2011) With Michael Crawford, Danielle Hope and some lyrics by Tim Rice. Closed after 18 months.
Stephen Ward (2013) Musical based on the Profumo affair closed after three months. And Sunset Boulevard… A huge hit in 1993. Revived in London in April, re-scored, starred Glenn Close – and it was highly acclaimed.