The critical debate over Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical legacy will no doubt rage for decades. Is he the shrewd populist composer who almost single-handedly revived the moribund stage musical--or a crass, Barnum-esque showman (who almost single-handedly revived the moribund stage musical)? This 18-track anthology chronicles the high points of Sir Andrew's enduring songcraft and the irrefutable impact it's made across a remarkably disparate swath of tastes and genres, from Broadway to Top 40 radio and even the classical repertoire.
If some have accused Lloyd Webber's songs--like "The Music of the Night" (from Phantom of the Opera) and the title tune from Whistle Down the Wind, included here--of having all the melodic and lyrical sophistication of a children's lullaby, that's likely the very element that's made them so appealing to a mass audience. If nothing else, it's a compelling argument for that old notion about it being "the singer, not the song." Indeed, there are few contemporary composers whose music could entice divas from Streisand ("As If We'd Never Said Goodbye" from Sunset Blvd.) to Madonna (Evita's "You Must Love Me") and Charlotte Church ("Pie Jesu" from Requiem) to cover it, let alone forge the very careers of artists like Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford. And if there's any substance to that other criticism of Lloyd Webber lifting the melodic ideas of composers from Verdi to John Williams (we swear that's the theme to Jurassic Park bubbling up in Tom Jones's camped-up take on Whistle's "The Vaults of Heaven"), at least, like virtually every major composer, he's stolen--er, borrowed--from the best. --Jerry McCulley
In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, Cameron Mackintosh produced a unique, spectacular staging of the musical on a scale which had never been seen before. Inspired by the original staging by Hal Prince and Gillian Lynne, this lavish, fully-staged production set in the sumptuous Victorian splendour of London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall features a cast and orchestra of over 200, plus some very special guest appearances.
Celebrate Andrew Lloyd Webber's 60th birthday with this must-have collection of his 60 greatest songs performed by a "whos who" list of stars including: Shirley Bassey, Sarah Brightman, Glenn Close, Patti LuPone, Donny Osmond, Elvis Presley, Madonna, Barbra Streisand and many many others. Andrew Lloyd Webber is the most successful Broadway composer of all time. His musicals are the longest running shows in theatre history. ALW SELLS CDs: Consumers love Andrew Lloyd Webber and every collection of music is a runaway hit. PHANTOM OF THE OPERA alone has sold 11 million copies worldwide and remains the best-selling cast recording in history.
LOVE NEVER DIES continues the story of The Phantom , who has moved from his lair in the Paris Opera House to haunt the fairgrounds of Coney Island, far across the Atlantic. Set ten years after the mysterious disappearance of The Phantom from Paris, this show is a rollercoaster ride of obsession and intrigue...in which music and memory can play cruel tricks...and The Phantom sets out to prove that, indeed, LOVE NEVER DIES .
