The Original. ALW Fears Musical Future

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 11:11am

He is so right!


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=398488&in_page_id=1773

Updated On: 8/2/06 at 11:11 AM

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 11:16am

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS is by no means "boring." Neither is THE WEDDING SINGER. WICKED rocks- litterally in some cases. They may have plots from popular movies and/or books, but they are not "boring."

I hope he gets a chance to see them so it'll change his mind.

Sounds like sour grapes because he hasn't had a hit in a while.

[HereNowhere]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 11:17am

The first line of that article makes me laugh.
"Theatre impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber has criticised new musicals as uninteresting."

[bwayboi4life42]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 11:34am

Yeah, well he's one to talk about boring and uninteresting shows. I hope he gets hit by a car.

And yes... I mean exactly that.

Updated On: 8/1/06 at 11:34 AM

[bwayboi4life42]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 11:34am

Double post. Sorry!!!

Updated On: 8/1/06 at 11:34 AM

[americanboy99]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 11:37am

He obviously has never listened to "Aspects of Love". Talk about boring.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 11:39am

"Yeah, well he's one to talk about boring and uninteresting shows. I hope he gets hit by a car.

And yes... I mean exactly that".


I'd appreciate people not wishing others to get hit by cars. Don't take it that personal. He hasn't done anything to you.

Updated On: 8/1/06 at 11:39 AM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 11:41am

I don't see anybody wishing him to die. I see somebody wishing him to get hit by a car.

As for me, he definitely did a couple of awful things to me, namely, Phantom of the Opera and Sunset Boulevard.

[Sant]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 11:51am

"As for me, he definitely did a couple of awful things to me, namely, Phantom of the Opera and Sunset Boulevard."

And he dragged you down to the theatres and forced you to watch them?!??

Geez...

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 11:54am

Haha! i so agree with that comment! Like he forced anyone to go see any of his shows. I honestly think Phantom is not even close to being one of his best shows. But people buy mediocre musicals unfortunatly. Cats was dreadful IMO, but it was one of his most successful musicals as well.

[Fiction Writer]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 11:55am

"Sounds like sour grapes because he hasn't had a hit in a while."

My initial thought was "Yeah, because he's not in it!"

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 11:57am

I am with you, muscle23ftl and Sant. That was uncalled for. As was the comment about wanting him to be hit by a car.

PHANTOM is incredible. EVITA is a masterpiece. CATS is a legend. ASPECTS OF LOVE was underappriciated and misunderstood. Lord Lloyd Webber is a talent to be sure. His shows are beloved by millons all over the world. Can't say as I liked SUNSET, STARLIGHT or BOMBAY DREAMS, but there is something about each of his other shows I enjoy.

No one needs to wish anyone to be hit by a car.

Updated On: 8/1/06 at 11:57 AM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 11:59am

Oh yeah, Cats! He did THAT to me too. The creator of Cats has no business criticizing anybody about anything.

Sant and muscle, here's where somebody like me can't win. If I said I hated those three shows and thought they were dreadful and that Webber is a hack, the first question people would ask would be "Well, did you see the shows? You can't criticize them if you haven't even SEEN them."

So, I saw them. And they sucked. They sucked so hard their lips had friction burns, that's how hard they sucked. I came by my opinions honestly, by actually sitting through that crap.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 12:01pm

What 3 shows are you talking about Namo?

[ruthiefan_felix]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 12:02pm

I think amongst all people, ALW should not be saying musical theatre is going downfall!
He made this reality show for his new show! And he's complaining Mary Martin does not suit to play Maria??? And in another article he complained Westend does not produce individual stars?! WTH?? So he just ignored the WE Divas Ruthie, Sally Ann, Maria, Jo Riding...etc?!

The first show I saw was Phantom when I first went to London and may I say... I dont understand why the heck it would still be running... the cast was great and the set yeah... but audiences are so... they look at the exterior imo, the book the music which is the heart of a show is TOTALLY lacking in POTO... and do NOT start me with WiW - the only gd thing that has EVER happened to the show was the casts!

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 12:04pm

I agree with some of Andrew's points. I mean when shows like "Legally Blonde" get announced, I just throw up my hands. I think we need better composers with more original ideas. Basing musicals on literature is great. Basing them on pop movies is a bit scary.

It's like the film industry with all the re-makes. There is a serious lack of original voices who get their projects financed. Broadway is becoming like film-if on paper it doesnt have curb appeal or a guaranteed audience or box-office, most liely, it isnt happening. I think that something does need to change.

I am not making comments about ALW's work here, just agreeing with his sentiments that something needs to change.

[madbrian]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 12:06pm

While I don't wish the he (or anyone else) gets hit by a car, I do wish he would just go away. Of his body of work, I've enjoyed three: JC Superstar, Evita, and Sunset Blvd. I found the rest (Cats, Phantom, etc.) to be painful.

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 12:06pm

I thought the same thing, when I saw COMPANY, then I thought it again, when I saw CATS. There have always been boring and uninteresting and mediocre musicals, according to some, while these same shows are great, according to others. Just a matter of personal taste and opinion. ALW, although not my cup of tea, has certainly earned the right to have one.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 12:08pm

Indeed, Legally Blonde doesn't thrill me at all, I still don't want to judge it, because The Wedding Singer had the same effect on me and then i found a dazzling show. Anyways, I dislike Phantom, and Cats was nightmare to me, still Andrew's talents is shown in other of his work. I loved Evita, Joseph, Sunset and Bombay Dreams.

Updated On: 8/1/06 at 12:08 PM

[Fiction Writer]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 12:09pm

"They sucked so hard their lips had friction burns, that's how hard they sucked."

Do you know that feeling Namo? If not, then how can you comment!?!?!

[coolphantom919]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 12:16pm

He's mostly talking about WEST END shows.... But what he was talking about still goes for shows on BROADWAY!

[gustof777]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 12:18pm

Ok I read that and I was expecting him to say a lot worse but still "Can you name me an interesting new one?" yeah plenty...didn't Last Five Years just open in London? Avenue Q just opened there too. I can't stand the man (him the person). As far as music goes, I love Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar and haha Starlight Express and a bit of Aspects but I really just don't care for any of his other shows although I can respect that some of it is well written. It just seemed a tad bit unecessary for him to say some of those things.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 12:20pm

I think he talks about the West End. But at the same time, he is talking about the musical theatre world "today", which means Broadway as well. But yes, he is really talking about the UK. I think if we think about the shows that are doing good business in NYC, it's just fluff. Wicked, The Lion King, Drowsy, Mamma Mia, Hairspray, Phantom, The Wedding Singer.

[jimnysf]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 12:25pm

This from someone who gave us "Cats"? Oy!

[jv92]

Posted: 8/1/06 at 12:43pm

When he talked about how he and Tim Rice were doing something interesting in Evita, I thought, "Why the hell didn't do do the same thing after Evita?"