I don't know if this has been discussed before; I'm sure it has but here goes anyway!
I am a huge fan of Patti LuPone. But seriously WHAT IN THE HELL is she talking about when she says that ALW is an "unhappy man and an alcoholic" - what the hell??? Did he have a problem How come no one else has ever said that about him??
The only confusion here is Musicaldudepeter's confusion. I thought it common knowledge that Sir Lloyd Webber had a drinking problem. As for unhappy, I am not his shrink.
Years ago, I attended one of the final rehearsals of Starlight Express. Sir Lloyd Webber was in attendance. I will never forget how inappropriate he was. He was rather unhappy with how the rehearsal was going and was very clear about it. In fact he was an incoherent raving lunatic. Typing that he was abusive would be kind. I have never forgotten that night and I fear my opinion of the man has been tainted because of it.
I have a friend who went on several business dinners with Andrew Lloyd Webber, and he said that during the meal ALW finished off a few bottles of wine all to himself.
"I never had theatre producers run after me. Some people want to make more Broadway shows out of movies. But Elliot and I aren't going to do Batman: The Musical." - Julie Taymor 1999
Only really found one reference - his insistance on a bottle of wine for the "hydration" for the scan.
I was mildly amused by the fact he talks about telling his children- specifically his t boys by madeline- I guess the ones he had w his 1st wife didn't need to know! tho they DO appear as part of the final tally of his "going forth to muliply".