Anti-Andrew Lloyd Webbers, unite!- Page 2

[LouW95]

Posted: 4/9/04 at 1:32pm

One point cannot be disputed...Webber has an impressive track record at selling tickets,longevity and employing theatre folks. As with Disney, more of his shows run for years all around the world. I think we can make room for all tastes- jobs! jobs! jobs!

[sharon1]

Posted: 4/9/04 at 3:53pm

I think you pose an interesting question. I wonder just how many performers he has employed in the last 25 years. Cats and Phantom alone must be in the thousands with all the productions around the world. Good for him.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/9/04 at 4:02pm

His shows usually are large and "spectacle driven" he tried to do a simple show on Broadway..."By Jeeves" which has a wonderful tuneful score very much a throwback to Cole Porter and Gershwin and it was canned by critics and audiences for not being the "usual" Andrew Lloyd Webber so make up your mind! I enjoy "By Jeeves" very much. I think the music is great and it is very, VERY funny. It's just that it is a British comedy that most American's are too "middle earth" to really understand fully.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 4/9/04 at 4:03pm

i love aspects of love

i love evita, jcs, and phantom

i enjoyed listening to whistle down the wind, it was so different.

i don't know how anyone can HATE andrew loyd webber since his work has been so infulencial since the late 60's with joseph into jcs, then into evita, cats, phantom and so on.

lloyd webber always has those token songs from each show, you have to admit you like them.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/9/04 at 4:08pm

Agreed. "The Beautiful Game" needs work, but the token song from that show... 'Our Kind of Love'. Brilliant. Chilling.... Updated On: 4/9/04 at 04:08 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 4/9/04 at 4:10pm

yes i just think it's ridiculous for people to say they hate webber when i know they used to hum the phantom score, or sing along to evita the movie.

just because you love sondheim, doesnt automatically meanyou have to hate webber!

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/9/04 at 4:16pm

Sondheim doesn't even hate Webber. They did that duet together for Cameron Mackintosh's "Hey Mr. Producer!" thing...were they sang a medley together for Cameron. Half 'Send in the Clowns' half 'Music of the Night' called 'Send in the Crowds'. It's was sweet. Not to mention hillarious....

[Shawk]

Posted: 4/9/04 at 4:25pm

I wouldn't say that I'm anti-ALW, but I think of all his shows, JCS is the most coherent and interesting. Starlight Express is... yeah, Phantom didn't impress me, etc. I think that he's good at power-songs, but sometimes the transitions are muddy and the story weak.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/9/04 at 4:45pm

Well, I think we can all agree that "Starlight Express" is crap. I mean some of the songs might be okay, but c'mon the show needs a 3D movie just to stay afloat on tour.... but, I still don't think it's as bad as WICKED... Updated On: 4/9/04 at 04:45 PM

[robbiej]

Posted: 4/9/04 at 5:25pm

I can't believe I'm responding to this, but here's the difference between Sondheim and Webber (as I see it):

Webber writes some really great songs.

Sondheim writes some really great shows.

In a cabaret setting, give me a Webber song because they are generic enough to be squeezed into different situations.

However, as an actor doing a full production, give me Sondheim any day of the week and twice on Sunday. His shows are an absolute joy to perform.

[MusicalComedyMan]

Posted: 4/9/04 at 5:30pm

ALW was the first to begin turning Broadway and live theatre into a spectical. The book, music, lyrics didn't matter if there is a HUGE staircase that can rise and move, or a chandalier that falls (allbeit in slow motion) or if you decorate the entire theatre to look like a garbage dump. He has musicals that like Wicked, are incredible to watch and enjoyable as long as you don't listen too closely. ANd that has let to Beauty, and Lion King, and AIda... and soon we will have disney producing ALW on ice... and that will do in REAL live theatre forever!!!

[nystateomind04]

Posted: 4/9/04 at 5:30pm

honestly, id rather hear a concert of alw's better songs than sit through any one of his shows. that way i can hear music of the night, memory, superstar, oh what a cirus, as if we never said goodbye, etc. etc., and not have to sit through the entire shows. i loved cats when i was younger, but it grew very tiresome for me when i got older, and ive never been a phantom "phan". i have to agree with the crowd and say that jcs is his best work, which was an awful long time ago, but im willing to give any of his new shows a chance.

as for sondheim, i personally favor him over webber, i feel that his shows are more stirring and provocative. and though i prefer any of sondheims work over wicked, id take wicked over having to watch the d*mn jellical ball again.

[leomaxfrank]

Posted: 4/9/04 at 5:31pm

i agree with robactorguy. it's completely true that many of us "grew up" listening to Webber, and i definitely think he's produced quality work...By Jeeves is probably what i know the least, but i also think his biggest mistakes are Starlight Express and Whistle...don't get me wrong, i certainly do NOT hate Webber, although some of his music is a bit elementary/similar in comparison to my first loves (Guettel/Sondheim/Brown), but he actually has had -i'm sure- much influence on other composers/performers! can't keep him down even if you want to!

I still want to play Jesus someday :)

[MusicalComedyMan]

Posted: 4/9/04 at 5:35pm

leomax... actually you can say hes written quality work... but he hasn't produced quality work. Cameron produced ALW's hit. ALW has produced his flops, Sunset, Aspects of Love, Whistle Down the Wind (Money down the drain), By Jeeves, etc.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/9/04 at 5:47pm

I think EVITA was his best work. JCS is great, but as a whole it's a little too episodic for me. I wish there was dialogue to connect some of the songs instead of it just being a song, after, song after song, concert thing that tells a different part through each number. That leaves a lot of things to be mimed during the numbers, but I still love it. The new video version is awesome. The fight scenes and the eye candy. Great. 'Could We Start Again, Please' ends up being my favorite song, even though it was written a little later, and kinda serves as a metaphor (for some of you) as a reflection upon his entire career, does it not?

[leomaxfrank]

Posted: 4/9/04 at 5:47pm

i mean producing as completing work, like a factory that makes widgets..not the monetary form of producing. sorry if that was confusing..of course i didn't mean as a Producer

[jo]

Posted: 4/9/04 at 11:03pm

I think ASPECTS OF LOVE is Andrew Lloyd Webber's best musical score - lyrical, romantic and almost Sondheimesque.

I do enjoy his other works as well - I have seen a production on stage of almost everything, except for Jeeves.

And his musicals probably translate quite well to the big screen. I was surprised with EVITA and I do expect to see the same thing with PHANTOM, even if I don't agree with the casting. I would like to see SUNSET BOULEVARD as the next ALW film project.

Jo

[nystateomind04]

Posted: 4/10/04 at 1:17pm

NO! sunset blvd. is a classic film, there need be no movie musical of that mess, billy widler came close to achieving cinematic perfection without the help of alw, its bad enough that a musical was made of it at all.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/10/04 at 2:26pm

I like Sunset Boulevard. But, I'm against musicals based on movies again becoming movies. (i.e. Producers, Hairspray...etc.) If they do anything, just film it like Joseph and CATS...I'm surprised that they don't have Hugh Jackman and Glen Close at Pinewood Studios right now...but I guess Hugh is a little busy at the moment.

[~*Triple Star On Broadway*~]

Posted: 4/10/04 at 2:33pm

I'm rather upset about The Beautiful Game not being a smash. Its one of my favourite pieces of work of his. I think he is a fantastic composer, and just like any other composers, he has made "flops" AND "smashes". Who cares if you like him or not? He has his won style and ablities just like Sondhiem, or Schwartz or Gershwin or whatever composer you can think of. I'm willing to bet that no one out there can clone his writing abilities. The ones of you that "hate" him, thats alright because its your own taste. But there is no way you can say that the man has no talent. YOU try writing the music he has. If you do better, I will applaud gratefully. But UNTIl that day comes, I will stand by thinking he is a genius in writing music.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/10/04 at 2:34pm

I think, with this being Easter weekend, this discussion should be tabled.

Because as a 10 year old in Catholic school, it was very subversive of me to buy the original concept album of Jesus Christ Superstar with my own money. It was a double album.

And no matter what, I will always think Pilate yelling:

"I was my hands
Of YOUR demolition
DIE if you want to you innocent PUPPET"

into the crashing intro to "Superstar" is goosebump inducing brilliance.

Just my two sense.

[NuggetMonkeys]

Posted: 4/10/04 at 3:47pm

you mean "two CENTS"...right?

d.b.j

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/10/04 at 4:25pm

It was a weak pun. But that's just my two scents.

[jo]

Posted: 4/10/04 at 6:41pm

I've just watched the Glenn Carter JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR version - and the music and lyrics continue to give one the gossebumps.

I agree that A BEAUTIFUL GAME should have been given a chance for wider exposure - very good musical score in a contemporary setting. Very hard on the emotions.

Jo

[Unknown User]

Posted: 4/10/04 at 10:06pm

First off, just wanted to say, Hey! I'm new, and I really enjoy reading everyones diverse views on this board. Anyways . . .

I don't like all of ALW's work, but some of it is amazing. I don't won't to say this, but I love CATS to death. I've never had the chance to see it live, but I really love the music and the video recording of it. But I do agree that some of his work does sound a wee bit the same, but not all. Mostly though, his work is amazing . . .